Not many know this, but a golf cart is a great vehicle designed for senior citizens. It offers ease and convenience for residents who need to get around town. Often, you don’t even have to drive your car. You might just take your golf cart.
Whenever you drive your golf cart, you must ensure it has appropriate insurance. Yet, how can you do so? Do golf carts need the same insurance as the standard car?
Understanding golf cart insurance will take a little thought. Depending on certain mechanics, you might have a legal requirement to insure it.
Golf carts offer convenient ways for seniors to get around without driving a car. Around town, you’ll likely see a lot of them.
There are a lot of paths around that offer alternative routes for golf cart owners. These paths exist because golf cards don’t tend to quality as motor vehicles — meaning they generally can't travel on normal roadways. That said, some golf carts count as low speed vehicles.
Golf Cart Insurance Rules
Texas law does not require golf cart owners to insure their vehicles unless they qualify as low-speed motor vehicles. Low-speed vehicles can travel on certain standard roadways. Therefore, these bikes will face different insurance and registration requirements.
To find out if your cart is a low-speed vehicle, check the Manufacturer’s Certificate of Origin (MCO). It should contain for the following language:
This vehicle conforms to Federal Regulations under Title 49 CFR Part 571.500
The vehicle might also have a Vehicle Identification Number (VIN).
If your golf cart is a low-speed vehicle, it will need Texas’s required auto insurance. This is:
- $10,000 Property Damage Liability (PDL) insurance. This coverage will pay for damage you cause to someone else’s property, such as if you hit their car with your golf cart.
- $10,000 Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage. Regardless of who causes a golf cart accident, this coverage will help you pay for your injury costs.
Regardless of if the vehicle is a standard cart, or a low-speed vehicle, you'll want other coverage. You can still get a golf cart insurance policy that will include valuable protection. Ask your J.S. Edwards & Sherlock Insurance Agency agent about:
- Bodily Injury Liability coverage: If you cause an accident that injures someone else, this coverage can help pay their bills.
- Collision coverage: After a wreck, this coverage can help you pay to repair the cart.
- Other-Than-collision insurance: If a damaging incident, like a fire, damages the cart, then this coverage can help repair it.
Our agents are happy to help you determine the appropriate insurance for your golf cart. We understand how to help you get the protection you need.