The St. Louis Board of Aldermen Public Safety Committee voted to advance Board Bill 62 as amended, a measure that would legalize the operation of golf carts on specified city streets and impose equipment and operational rules, the committee chair announced after a roll call vote on Oct. 2, 2025.

Alderman Devote, the bill’s sponsor, told the committee the measure “attempts to do two things. The first is legalize or legitimize the operation of golf carts on city streets. The second thing is once we do that, put in place some common sense regulations with respect to both operation as well as basic equipment.” The committee adopted three sponsor amendments before voting the bill out with a due-pass recommendation.

The bill as amended would: legalize golf cart operation on city roadways with posted speed limits of 25 mph or less and on certain two-lane 30 mph streets; require basic equipment such as headlamps, tail lamps, brake lights, adequate brakes, a parking brake, mirrors and (as drafted) turn signals; require a valid driver’s license to operate; require child restraint systems for minors consistent with state statute; prohibit operation in public parks except Forest Park and other parks designated by the director of Parks, Recreation and Forestry; and set escalating civil penalties for violations (a $100 first offense, up to $250 if a second offense occurs within 30 days, and up to $500 for a third offense within 12 months).

Devote said he filed the three amendments after town halls and community meetings and that Amendment 1 restricts park operation to Forest Park unless the parks director designates others, Amendment 2 defines where carts may operate on 30-mph streets (two-lane 30-mph roads rather than multi-lane arterials), and Amendment 3 replaces an original universal seat-belt mandate with a requirement that minors be secured in a child restraint system.

Committee members and public commenters raised enforcement, retrofitting cost and geographic concerns. Alderwoman Clark Hubbard and other members said golf carts are common in neighborhoods such as The Hill, Soulard, Benton Park and Saint Louis Hills and described both community uses — parades, neighborhood events and short trips — and safety worries about children and high-speed arterials.

Alderman Clark Hubbard said constituents value golf carts for neighborhood life but that safety was a frequent concern. Alderman Oldenburg reported contacting the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department; Devote said officers welcomed clear ordinances so they know how to prioritize enforcement.

Several public speakers supported the bill while urging changes or flexibility. Logan Madron, a resident and golf cart owner, told the committee the city needs “a law on the books that provides legal use of golf carts in St. Louis in good and necessary circumstances.” Megan Whitehead, a block captain and cart owner on The Hill, said retrofitting older carts for lights and signals would cost her about $350 and called that feasible for many owners.

Speakers from the north side and other wards urged caution on seat-belt mandates and on where carts would be allowed, noting many arterial streets with 30-35 mph speed limits cut across residential areas. Adam Treaster and others suggested simplifying the 30-mph two-lane vs. multi-lane rule because switching lane counts block-by-block could create confusion for operators and the public.

On votes: the committee adopted Amendment 1 (park/Forest Park language) and later adopted Amendments 2 and 3; the committee finally voted 6–0 to pass Board Bill 62 as amended out of Public Safety with a due-pass recommendation to the full Board of Aldermen. Movers and seconds were recorded for the final committee motion (moved by Alderwoman Clark Hubbard; seconded by Alderman Oldenburg). The clerk recorded six aye votes on the final roll call.

The bill does not include a new city permitting or registration requirement for golf carts, the sponsor said; special-event use of carts would be handled through existing event permitting processes when an organizer requests it. Park operation remains prohibited except where Forest Park or the parks director permits use on park roadways.

Next steps: Board Bill 62 will be scheduled for consideration by the full Board of Aldermen with the Public Safety Committee’s due-pass recommendation. The bill includes multiple open implementation questions flagged during testimony — notably enforcement practice, equipment retrofit costs, and the precise definition of which 30-mph streets will permit carts — that aldermen and residents asked be clarified before final passage.