Mass. lawmakers file bill to let towns permit golf carts on rural roads with safety conditions
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Summary
A bill filed Aug. 26 would let towns with fewer than 10,000 residents and low population density authorize golf carts on public ways subject to equipment, inspection, insurance and time-of-day limits and a 20 mph cap; the Registrar must adopt regulations within 90 days.
A bill filed Aug. 26 in the Massachusetts Legislature would allow rural municipalities to authorize the operation of golf carts on public ways if the municipality accepts the provision and the vehicles meet safety, registration and insurance requirements. The measure was presented by Representative Lindsay N. Sabadosa and Senator Joanne M. Comerford as House Docket No. 5085; bill number 4566.
The bill would amend Chapter 90 of the General Laws to add a new section (1F ½) that lets a governing body of a rural municipality—defined in the bill as having fewer than 10,000 residents and a population density under 500 people per square mile—authorize golf carts on public ways under its jurisdiction, provided the municipality follows state regulations and any consistent bylaw it adopts. The bill requires golf carts to conform to safety and equipment standards for low-speed vehicles under Chapter 90 and disallows operation on sidewalks.
Under the proposal, a golf cart could be operated on a town’s public ways only after it is recorded with the town clerk under procedures the Registrar of Motor Vehicles would set by regulation and after the vehicle displays an annual decal on the rear right fender showing it has been recorded. The vehicle must display a slow-moving-vehicle emblem as required by section 7 and by 540 C.M.R. § 22.11, meet the equipment standard set out in 49 C.F.R. § 571.500, satisfy the insurance certificate requirements of section 34B, and be titled under chapter 90D. The bill would require an annual safety inspection consistent with the low-speed vehicle inspection in section 7A or an alternative golf-cart inspection the Registrar adopts by regulation; if the alternative is used, the inspection would be conducted by the rural municipality’s chief of police or designee.
The measure would set operational limits: no component modifications that increase top speed (including removal of a governor or replacement of engine/power train), a maximum speed of 20 miles per hour, prohibition of alcohol consumption and open containers while operating, mandatory seat-belt use by operators and passengers, and a ban on operation from one-half hour after sunset to one-half hour before sunrise. It also requires golf carts to remain within the boundaries of the municipality in which they are recorded; operation outside those boundaries would count as operation of an unregistered vehicle under section 9. The bill would allow municipalities to adopt bylaws establishing fines and to set fees for recording and inspections, while preserving officers’ authority to enforce traffic laws using uniform citations.
The bill directs the Registrar of Motor Vehicles to promulgate regulations within 90 days of enactment specifying the minimum procedures and requirements for the recording process and safety inspection of golf carts, and prohibits municipalities from recording, inspecting or permitting operation of golf carts before the Registrar publishes final regulations.
The text filed with the Legislature does not include a recorded vote or further legislative action in this filing; it is a petition to initiate consideration of the bill. If enacted, the statutory changes would create a framework that rural Massachusetts towns could adopt by accepting the section under the process described in section 4 of chapter 4 and by passing consistent bylaws.
Key numerical provisions and conditions are set in the bill text: municipal eligibility thresholds (population under 10,000; density under 500 per square mile), a 20 mph speed limit, minimum operator/learner requirements (a learner’s permit holder at least 16 may operate only with a licensed driver age 21 or older with at least one year of driving experience seated beside the driver), annual inspection and decal requirements, and a 90-day deadline for Registrar regulations.
The filing lists Representative Lindsay N. Sabadosa (1st Hampshire) and Senator Joanne M. Comerford (Hampshire, Franklin and Worcester) as petitioners; the bill was filed Aug. 26, 2025. The bill cites state law and regulatory authorities including Chapter 90 and its sections referenced in the text, 540 C.M.R. § 22.11 and federal safety standard 49 C.F.R. § 571.500.