Committee advances bill to legalize and regulate golf carts on many St. Louis streets

The St. Louis City Public Safety Committee voted to advance Board Bill 62 with a due-pass recommendation on Oct. 2, 2025, approving three amendments and a final committee vote recorded 6-0 to send the measure to the full Board of Aldermen.

Alderman Devote, the bill sponsor and a Fifth Ward resident who identified himself as an injury lawyer, told the committee the measure seeks “to legalize or legitimize the operation of golf carts on city streets” and to “put in place some common sense regulations with respect to both operation as well as, as basic equipment.”

The bill, as amended in committee, would permit golf carts to operate on city roadways with speed limits of 25 mph or less and on certain 30 mph streets so long as those roadways are not multilane arterials (the sponsor described a distinction aimed at keeping carts off divided, high-volume corridors such as Hampton Avenue and Kings Highway). Equipment requirements in the amended bill include headlamps, veil (running) lamps, brake lights, mirrors and either turn signals or the requirement to follow hand‑signal rules; operators must hold a valid driver’s license and must obey right-of-way and distracted‑driving rules. The committee removed a general seat-belt mandate and replaced it with a requirement that minors be secured in a child‑restraint system consistent with state law.

The bill also addresses parks: amendment 1 prohibits operation of golf carts in public parks except Forest Park and gives the director of Parks, Recreation and Forestry authority to designate any additional parks where cart use would be allowed on roads or golf courses. The sponsor said the amendment was made after the parks department raised concerns and to avoid listing individual parks in the ordinance text.

Enforcement language in the bill does not create an active enforcement program for golf carts, the sponsor said; committee members and the sponsor characterized enforcement as similar to other traffic enforcement — officers would not patrol specifically for golf cart violations but would respond to reckless driving and have clear ordinance language to cite when violations occur. The bill sets civil penalties for violations (the ordinance text referenced a first-offense fine of $100, a second offense of up to $250 within 30 days and a third of up to $500 within 12 months).

Several committee members and multiple public speakers described both support and concerns. Alderman Oldenburg, Alderman Clark Hubbard and others said neighborhoods such as the Hill, Soulard and St. Louis Hills already have heavy golf cart use and would benefit from clear rules. Public commenters who spoke in favor said carts are used for transportation, volunteer and parade work and that many modern carts already have required equipment; several owners described retrofit costs (one owner estimated about $350 to add signals/brake lights and wiring). Other speakers urged caution on child-safety and on allowing carts on busier streets; one resident cited an example of seeing a small child unrestrained on Kings Highway.

The sponsor told the committee that hospital data he could obtain from Cardinal Glennon Hospital showed 11 children treated in the last 12 months in cases involving golf carts; he said broader data are limited because unregulated cart use is not consistently tracked. The sponsor and several aldermen emphasized that the bill’s changes were intended to reduce liability uncertainty for injured cart operators and to clarify legal responsibilities when carts are on public streets.

Aldermen adopted three amendments in committee (Amendments 1–3) — Amendment 1 (parks limitation and parks director authority) passed on a roll call recorded as five ayes; Amendments 2 and 3 were adopted by previous roll/hearing no objections. After debate and public comment, the committee voted to advance the bill to the full Board of Aldermen with a due-pass recommendation; the roll call on the committee recommendation recorded six ayes and no noes or abstentions.

The bill will now be considered by the full Board of Aldermen; committee members said implementation will involve outreach and education for owners and sellers and coordination with Parks and the Special Events/Permitting office for event uses of carts in parks or during parades.

Votes at a glance: - Adopt amendment 1 to Board Bill 62 — adopted (roll call noted five ayes). - Adopt amendment 2 to Board Bill 62 — adopted by previous roll / no objection (tally not specified in transcript). - Adopt amendment 3 to Board Bill 62 — adopted by previous roll / no objection (tally not specified in transcript). - Advance Board Bill 62 as amended (due-pass recommendation to full Board of Aldermen) — passed in committee, roll call 6–0.

Next steps: Board Bill 62 will appear for consideration before the full Board of Aldermen; aldermen and the sponsor said they will continue outreach and may work with Parks and Special Events staff on permitting language for events where carts are requested.