In unincorporated Pinellas County, golf carts are street legal only inside the county’s nine designated golf cart zones, on roads where signs are posted. Drivers need a valid driver’s license.
What we haven’t checked. This page rests on the county’s Golf Cart Communities page, which cites no ordinance. We haven’t read a zone resolution or opened each zone’s map page.
State law: see golf cart laws in Florida.
Do you need a driver’s license to drive a golf cart in Pinellas County?
Yes. The county’s page says golf cart drivers need a valid driver’s license. That’s stricter than Florida’s general rule, which lets 18-year-olds drive a cart with just a photo ID.
How old do you have to be to drive a golf cart in Pinellas County?
The county ties driving to the license rather than to an age: the driver needs a valid driver’s license.
Does a golf cart need a permit or registration in Pinellas County?
The county’s page doesn’t mention a county registration or sticker. The cart can’t be able to go faster than 20 mph.
Equipment: efficient brakes, reliable steering, tires in good condition, a rearview mirror, and red reflectors front and rear.
Where can golf carts go in Pinellas County?
Only inside a designated, signed golf cart zone. The county creates zones at the request of a homeowners’ association or property owners. Inside a zone, use the roads where golf cart signs are posted, obey traffic laws and yield. The zones, with the county’s zone maps:
- Bardmoor North
- Baywood Village
- Crystal Beach
- Freshwater Estates–Lake Shore Estates North
- Highland Lakes
- Lake Shore Estates
- Ozona
- Palm Harbor
- West Lake Village
In Palm Harbor, a county search result names Palm Harbor Boulevard (Alt US 19), Omaha Street (CR 1) and Nebraska Avenue as closed to carts; check the zone map.
Cities in the county set their own cart rules: see Dunedin and St. Pete Beach.
Golf cart or LSV: what’s the difference in Pinellas County?
Low-speed vehicles (LSVs, also called neighborhood electric vehicles) are street legal on Pinellas County roads posted 35 mph or less. They must be registered and insured, with a VIN, federal safety equipment and a licensed driver. An LSV can’t travel along roads posted over 35; lawful crossings are separately regulated.
Can you drive a golf cart at night in Pinellas County? Hours and lights
From sunset to sunrise, a cart also needs headlights, brake lights, turn signals and a windshield.
Seat belts
Seat belts and child restraints aren’t required in golf carts, but the county advises them. DUI laws apply.
Follow the law and posted signs. Follow applicable law, posted restrictions and lawful directions from officers. If permission is unclear, don’t use that road or path until confirmed. Rules can change after we check them.
Using SlowGo here
SlowGo routes on roads posted 35 mph or under by default; it doesn’t establish cart access here.
Check local rules before you ride. It doesn’t know where Pinellas County’s golf cart zones begin and end yet, so a route can leave a zone. Check the zone map before you ride.
Where these rules come from
- Golf Cart Communities — Pinellas County
- Florida Statutes § 316.212 — golf carts on roads
- Florida Statutes § 316.2122 — low-speed vehicles
Town staff: see something out of date? Email hello@slowgoapp.com and we’ll fix it quickly.
This page is general information, not legal advice. Always follow posted signs and local rules.