Plymouth City Council passes Golf Cart Ordinance for 2025

Wednesday, August 28, 2024 at 3:00 AM

By Kathy Bottorff

Beginning in 2025, golf cart owners who want to drive on Plymouth's city streets and alleys will be required to register their golf carts and follow the new regulations.

Monday evening, the Plymouth Common Council passed the third and final reading of an ordinance implementing new rules. Before the ordinance was approved, it was amended to reduce the annual registration fee from $60 to $30.

Any person wishing to operate a golf cart within the city limits must register in the Clerk-Treasurer’s office before the first day of March each year. A registration sticker must be mounted on the rear of the vehicle and must always remain visible during operation.

To operate a golf cart on any city street or alley, the driver must have a valid driver’s license and must follow the same rules of operation as car drivers: no drinking and driving, no open containers, and only hands-free cell phone operation. Financial responsibility is also required, and proof must be carried in the cart or on the driver.

Golf carts driven within Plymouth city limits must have working headlights and taillights, a slow-moving vehicle sign on the rear, and a rear-view mirror.

Golf carts are prohibited from driving or parking on public sidewalks or trails, including the Greenway Trail. They cannot be driven over private property without permission and must follow the city’s parking regulations.

Golf carts can only carry the number of passengers they are designed to seat. Children under 36 inches in height are not permitted to be passengers on golf carts.

The first violation of this city ordinance is subject to a $50 fine. If a second violation occurs, the fine is $75, and a third violation would be $100. If any subsequent offense occurs, the golf cart will be impounded at the owner’s expense.

The golf cart ordinance passed with a 6-1 vote. Councilman Randy Longanecker voted against the ordinance because he wanted a higher registration fee.

The new ordinance will be advertised in the local newspaper and will go into effect on January 1, 2025.