Golf Cart Crashes on Riverside County Roads

What state law allows

A golf cart is a motor vehicle, but a limited one (Vehicle Code § 345). The state's default is that golf carts stay on roads with a speed zone of 25 mph or less (Vehicle Code § 21716). Local governments can go further in three ways:

Designating roads near a golf course or inside a golf community for combined use, with posted rules (Vehicle Code § 21115)
Setting golf cart crossing zones on streets of 45 mph or less next to a golf course, for use other than in darkness (Vehicle Code § 21115.1)
Adopting a full golf cart transportation plan with lanes, routes and permits (Streets and Highways Code § 1950)

The DMV adds: Golf carts may not be driven on a highway with a posted speed limit over 25 mph unless a city or county ordinance or resolution allows it. [source] A golf cart modified to go faster than 15 mph or to carry more than two people is treated as a regular motor vehicle and must meet federal passenger-vehicle safety standards. [source] Golf carts driven no more than one mile from a golf course, on a highway designated for that use by local ordinance or resolution, are exempt from registration. [source]

Palm Desert's golf cart rules

Palm Desert runs a golf cart transportation program under Municipal Code Chapter 10.76.

Driver's license	Operators need a valid driver's license (or a physician-certified disability exception set out in the code). [source]
Insurance	Operators must meet the Vehicle Code's financial responsibility (insurance) requirements. [source]
Hours on public streets	Public-street use only from one hour before sunrise to one hour after sunset. [source]
Passengers and seat belts	Up to four people, all in belted seats; the driver and every passenger must wear seat belts on public streets. [source]
Which streets	Permitted carts may use residential or business streets with limits of 25 mph or less, faster streets only on designated golf cart routes, and may cross state highways only at controlled intersections on the route map. [source]
Permit	City inspection, a decal on the right rear fender, and a $10 permit fee for a two-year period. [source]
Where the permit is valid	A Palm Desert permit is valid only inside Palm Desert city limits. [source]

Rancho Mirage's golf cart rules

Rancho Mirage's golf cart transportation plan is in Municipal Code Chapter 10.70.

Driver's license	Operators must hold a valid California driver's license or one issued by another state. [source]
Insurance	Operators must meet the Vehicle Code's financial responsibility (insurance) requirements. [source]
Hours on public streets	Daytime only: not earlier than half an hour before sunrise or later than half an hour after sunset. [source]
Right-of-way	Golf cart operators must yield the right-of-way to cars, pedestrians and bicyclists. [source]
Required equipment	Carts must be electric and have reflectors, headlights, brake and rear lights, turn signals, a windshield, seat belts and mirrors. [source]
Permit	A current permit decal on the right rear fender is required; permits are valid for two calendar years. [source]
Routes	Class III golf cart routes share roads with a speed limit of 25 mph or less with cars and bicycles. [source]

Other cities

Menifee's General Plan supports low-speed travel: Menifee's General Plan encourages neighborhood electric vehicles and golf carts instead of cars for local trips, with a map of potential NEV routes. [source] Other Coachella Valley cities also have golf cart provisions, but we could not confirm their current text on an official page that loads without a browser, so we do not summarize them here. Check with the city before driving a cart on its streets.

After a golf cart crash

Golf carts have little crash protection, so occupants are often hurt even in low-speed collisions. Questions that shape a claim:

Was the cart where it was allowed to be? Driving outside a designated route or permitted hours can be raised as comparative fault, but it does not excuse a car driver who was careless (CACI No. 405).
Was the cart modified? A cart altered to go faster or carry more people is treated as a regular motor vehicle, which changes the equipment and registration rules.
What insurance applies? Both cities require golf cart operators to meet the Vehicle Code's financial responsibility rules. Coverage may also come from the car driver's policy, a homeowner's or golf cart policy, or your own uninsured motorist coverage (Insurance Code § 11580.2).
Who else was responsible? A negligent driver owes the same duty of care to golf cart occupants as to anyone else (Civil Code § 1714).

Every fact on this page links to the official source it came from. We checked each one in September 2026. Agencies change fees and procedures, so confirm with the agency before you go. How we research.

Common questions

Do I need a driver's license to drive a golf cart on Palm Desert or Rancho Mirage streets?

Yes. Both cities' codes require golf cart operators on public streets to hold a valid driver's license (Palm Desert has a narrow physician-certified disability exception), and to meet the Vehicle Code's insurance requirements.

Can a golf cart cross Highway 111?

In Palm Desert, permitted carts may not travel along or across state highways except to cross at controlled intersections shown on the city's golf cart route map. Other cities set their own rules.

A car hit my golf cart. Does it matter that the cart was slower than traffic?

Every driver must drive at a speed safe for conditions and keep a safe distance (Vehicle Code § 21703). A cart lawfully on a designated route has a right to be there; fault is decided on what each driver did.

Golf carts on Riverside County roads