Can You Drive a Golf Cart on Public Roads in BC?

Question: I often see golf carts being driven on streets in residential communities, particularly around golf courses. Most don't appear to be licensed or insured. Are golf carts legal on public roads in British Columbia? What about in a gated community like Crown Isle in Courtenay?

Golf Carts Are Not Street Legal

Golf carts are designed for use on golf courses, not public roads. Most do not meet the construction and safety standards required for vehicles that can be licensed, insured and operated on a highway.

As a result, you cannot simply drive a golf cart on a public road because it is convenient to do so. The Motor Vehicle Act does provide a few limited exceptions, such as operating on or crossing a highway associated with a golf course where authorized, but those exceptions are narrow.

Why Can't They Be Licensed?

Most golf carts are not manufactured to meet the standards required of highway vehicles. They lack many of the features expected of vehicles that share the road with cars, trucks and motorcycles, including occupant protection, lighting and other equipment required by law.

Because a golf cart cannot normally be licensed for highway use, it also cannot normally be insured through ICBC for operation on a public highway.

Not Every Electric Golf Cart Is a Golf Cart

Not every small electric vehicle that looks like a golf cart is actually a golf cart.

Some manufacturers build low-speed electric vehicles that meet federal safety standards for on-road use. If they comply with the applicable federal and provincial requirements, they may be licensed, insured and operated on public highways where permitted.

A conventional golf cart is different. It is designed for use on golf courses and does not meet those standards. Simply installing additional lights, mirrors or other accessories does not convert a golf cart into a street-legal vehicle.

What About Insurance?

Insurance is another important consideration.

A golf cart that cannot be licensed for highway use will not have the basic insurance that accompanies an ICBC vehicle licence. While an owner may have insurance through another source, such as a homeowner's or commercial policy, that coverage depends entirely on the terms of the policy. Owners should never assume they have liability coverage simply because they own insurance for their home or business.

If a golf cart is involved in a collision that causes injury or property damage, the financial consequences can be significant if no insurance applies.

Golf Carts in Gated Communities

The original question mentioned Crown Isle, where golf carts are commonly seen travelling on the community's internal roads.

If those roads are private roads, the legal requirements are different from those that apply on a public highway. The Motor Vehicle Act applies to private roads, but it also provides an important exemption. Section 2(9) of the Motor Vehicle Act exempts the owner or lessee of a golf cart from most Motor Vehicle Act offences while operating on certain private roads.

The exemption is not absolute. Drivers remain subject to offences such as driving while prohibited, driving without due care and attention, and driving without reasonable consideration for others. Property owners and strata corporations may also establish their own rules governing the use of golf carts within the development.

Once a golf cart leaves the private road and enters a public highway, the exemption no longer applies. The golf cart must then comply with the Motor Vehicle Act. Unless a specific exception allows it, the golf cart cannot be operated on the highway.

Impaired Driving Still Applies

One important exception has nothing to do with the Motor Vehicle Act.

For the purposes of the Criminal Code, a golf cart is a motor vehicle. A person who operates a golf cart while impaired by alcohol or drugs can be investigated and charged with impaired driving whether the golf cart is being driven on a public road, a golf course or private property.

Bottom Line

Golf carts are designed for golf courses, not highways. Before driving one anywhere else, make sure the law allows it. A mistaken assumption could leave you facing enforcement action, personal liability, or no insurance coverage if you're involved in a collision.

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