Ordinances Explained: You May Drive a Golf Cart on Benton’s Streets If…

If you’ve ever wondered whether you can legally take your golf cart for a spin around Benton, the answer is yes — but there are some pretty specific rules about where and how you can drive it.

Benton City Ordinance No. 14 of 2023 allows golf carts on certain city streets while setting rules for their operation, including speed limits, who can drive them, when they can be operated and where they are prohibited.

🏘️ Where can golf carts be driven?

The ordinance allows golf carts to operate on city streets where the posted speed limit is 25 miles per hour or less, as long as the street isn’t otherwise excluded by state law.

There is an important exception: Golf carts cannot be operated on city streets that are also designated as federal highways, state highways or county roads.

In other words, the fact that a road happens to be within Benton city limits doesn’t automatically make it legal for golf-cart use. The type of road and its posted speed limit matter.

🚫 Where are golf carts prohibited?

The ordinance specifically prohibits golf carts from operating on:

Sidewalks
Recreational paths
Trails
Locations normally used for pedestrian traffic

There can also be additional restrictions in individual neighborhoods.

According to the ordinance, a neighborhood’s Property Owners Association, or POA, may prohibit or restrict golf carts within that neighborhood. The POA is responsible for monitoring and enforcing those neighborhood restrictions.

🐢 How fast can you drive?

Even if you’re on a street with a higher posted speed limit, a golf cart operator is not allowed to drive faster than 15 miles per hour.

So if the speed limit is 25 mph, that doesn’t mean the golf cart gets to go 25. The golf cart’s maximum speed under this ordinance is 15 mph.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 What about passengers?

The golf cart must stay within the passenger capacity established by its manufacturer.

Everyone riding in the golf cart must also remain seated while the golf cart is moving.

The ordinance defines a golf cart as a self-propelled vehicle designed for transporting players or maintaining equipment on a golf course, with at least four wheels and a capacity of no more than four people, including the driver.

☀️ When can you drive one?

Golf carts may only be operated during daylight hours.

That means no nighttime golf-cart cruises under this ordinance.

👋 What about turn signals?

If the golf cart isn’t equipped with turn signals, the operator must use standard hand signals when turning.

Golf-cart operators also have to obey generally applicable traffic laws, except where those laws are specifically modified by the ordinance.

🚦 Who is allowed to drive?

The ordinance limits lawful golf-cart operators to licensed and automobile-insured drivers who are at least 16 years old.

So being old enough to drive a golf cart isn’t enough by itself. The operator must also be a licensed driver and have automobile insurance.

🚗 Who has the right of way?

Golf-cart operators must yield to motor vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists and must avoid obstructing traffic.

So even when you’re legally operating your golf cart on a permitted street, the ordinance puts the responsibility on the golf-cart driver to yield and avoid creating a traffic obstruction.

💵 What happens if you break the rules?

Violations can result in a citation and a fine of up to:

$100 for the first offense
$250 for the second offense

📜 Why does Benton have this ordinance?

The ordinance states that the Benton City Council determined that golf carts should be allowed on certain city streets.

It also references Arkansas Code § 14-54-1410, which gives municipalities the authority to authorize golf-cart operation on city streets, while specifically excluding city streets that are also federal or state highways or county roads.