                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

LIMITATIONS ON GOLF CART AND UTILITY VEHICLE OPERATIONS ON DESIGNATED PUBLIC
HIGHWAYS (§ 46.2-916.3)

A. Golf cart and utility vehicle operations on designated public highways shall
be in accordance with the following limitations:

   1. A golf cart or utility vehicle may be operated only on designated public
   highways where the posted speed limit is 25 miles per hour or less. However, a
   golf cart or utility vehicle may cross a highway at an intersection controlled
   by a traffic light if the highway has a posted speed limit of no more than 35
   miles per hour and in the Town of Colonial Beach may cross any highway at an
   intersection marked as a golf cart crossing by signs posted by the Virginia
   Department of Transportation;

   2. In towns with a population of 2,000 or less, a golf cart or utility vehicle
   may cross a highway at an intersection conspicuously marked as a golf cart
   crossing by signs posted by the Virginia Department of Transportation if the
   highway has a posted speed limit of no more than 35 miles per hour and the
   crossing is required as the only means to provide golf cart access from one
   part of the town to another part of the town;

   3. No person shall operate any golf cart or utility vehicle on any public
   highway unless he has in his possession a valid driver&#8217;s license;

   4. Every golf cart or utility vehicle, whenever operated on a public highway,
   shall display a slow-moving vehicle emblem in conformity with &#xA7;
   46.2-1081; and

   5. Golf carts and utility vehicles shall be operated upon the public highways
   only between sunrise and sunset, unless equipped with such lights as are
   required in Article 3 (&#xA7; 46.2-1010 et seq.) of Chapter 10 for different
   classes of vehicles.

B. The limitations of subdivision A 1 shall not apply to golf carts and utility
vehicles being operated as follows:

   1. To cross a highway from one portion of a golf course to another portion
   thereof or to another adjacent golf course or to travel between a
   person&#8217;s home and golf course if (i) the trip would not be longer than
   one-half mile in either direction and (ii) the speed limit on the road is no
   more than 35 miles per hour;

   2. To the extent necessary for local government employees, operating only upon
   highways located within the locality, to fulfill a governmental purpose,
   provided the golf cart or utility vehicle is being operated on highways with
   speed limits of 35 miles per hour or less;

   3. As necessary by employees of public or private two-year or four-year
   institutions of higher education if operating on highways within the property
   limits of such institutions, provided the golf cart or utility vehicle is
   being operated on highways with speed limits of 35 miles per hour or less;

   4. On a secondary highway system component that has a posted speed limit of no
   more than 35 miles per hour and is within three miles of a motor speedway with
   a seating capacity of at least 25,000 but less than 90,000 on the same day as
   any race or race-related event conducted on that speedway;

   5. To the extent necessary for employees of the Department of Conservation and
   Recreation, operating only on highways located within Department of
   Conservation and Recreation property or upon Virginia Department of
   Transportation-maintained highways that are adjacent to Department of
   Conservation and Recreation property, to fulfill a governmental purpose,
   provided that the golf cart or utility vehicle is being operated on highways
   with speed limits of no more than 35 miles per hour; and

   6. To cross a one-lane or two-lane highway from one portion of a venue hosting
   an equine event to another portion thereof if (i) the crossing occurs on the
   same day as such equine event, (ii) a temporary traffic control zone is
   established at such crossing with speed limits of no more than 35 miles per
   hour, and (iii) the crossing and highway vehicular traffic are being monitored
   and controlled by a uniformed law-enforcement officer.

C. The governing body of any county, city, or town may by ordinance impose
additional restrictions or limitations on operations of golf carts, utility
vehicles, or both, on public highways within its boundaries, provided that the
restrictions or limitations imposed by any such ordinance are no less stringent
than the restrictions and limitations contained in this article. In the event
that any provision of any such ordinance conflicts with any provision of this
section other than subdivision B 5, the provision of the ordinance shall be
controlling.

HISTORY: 2004, c. 746; 2008, c. 456; 2009, cc. 743, 835; 2010, c. 112; 2011, cc.
68, 140, 469; 2018, c. 112.