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Maplewood council advances golf-cart ordinance amid safety, enforcement questions
Summary
The Maplewood City Council approved a second reading of a new ordinance to allow and regulate golf carts and low-speed vehicles on city streets, directing staff to return with more detail on enforcement and related vehicles such as e-bikes before final adoption.
Maplewood, Mo. — The Maplewood City Council on Aug. 12 approved the second reading of an ordinance to add a new section to the city code regulating golf carts and low-speed vehicles, while several council members asked staff for more information about enforcement, electric bikes and other small electric vehicles before the ordinance’s final reading.
The ordinance would allow properly equipped golf carts and low-speed vehicles to operate on streets posted 25 mph or lower, require drivers to hold a valid driver’s license and maintain liability insurance, and require safety equipment such as headlights, brake lights, turn signals and seat belts; all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), UTVs and other off‑highway vehicles capable of exceeding 25 mph would remain prohibited. Council members discussed limits on where carts can operate and whether registration and inspections are required.
Supporters said the ordinance is primarily intended to give police an enforcement tool and clarify what is allowed on city streets. Several council members said they appreciate the enforcement mechanism; others urged caution, saying the city should clarify how the ordinance would be enforced and how it would apply to other small vehicles.
Council members pressed staff on definitions and enforcement. According to the draft ordinance and discussion at the meeting, carts may operate on streets with posted speed limits of 25 mph or less and may cross higher-speed roads where necessary. The draft requires that vehicles be registered and insured, and that drivers be licensed; it also requires common equipment such as turn signals and lights. The city’s police memo cited by staff indicates the ordinance will not change the prohibition on vehicles that can exceed 25 mph.
Several council members asked for additional information from police about existing incidents involving golf carts in Maplewood and requested a broader review of small electric vehicles (electric bicycles, scooters and mini motorized bikes) before final action. One council member asked that staff report on how many golf-cart inquiries or stops the department has handled to date; the police representative at the meeting said the department had not, to their knowledge, made stops of golf carts to date but had received inquiries from residents.
The council voice-voted the measure to move it to a third and final reading; members recorded both “aye” and at least one “nay” during that vote. Staff said the third and final reading will be scheduled for a future meeting after staff and police return with additional information and code clarifications about electric bicycles and similar devices.
The council’s discussion also included practical concerns: one member said the upfront cost to outfit carts with required lights and signals is significant; others said the ordinance could deter unsafe uses such as unlicensed minors driving carts. The draft ordinance also prohibits golf carts on sidewalks and in parks.
The city clerk recorded the ordinance on second reading as Bill 62‑88; staff said the third and final reading will be held at the next city council meeting after follow-up information from the police department is provided.
