They look identical in a driveway. Four wheels, a bench, a roof, a steering wheel. Under Florida law they are two separate vehicles with two separate rule books, and the one you are sitting in decides which roads you can use, whether you can drive after dark, and what has to be in your pocket.
Most rental sites never explain this. Then a guest gets waved down on a road they thought was fine, and finds out the hard way.
Here is the whole thing, plainly.
What is the difference between a golf cart and an LSV?
Speed sets the line. A golf cart tops out at 20 mph or less and is not titled or registered. A low-speed vehicle runs above 20 mph and no more than 25, and Florida titles, registers and insures it like a car. The LSV gets a VIN, a plate and access to any road posted at 35 mph or less. The golf cart gets only the streets a town has designated.
Side by side
| Golf cart | Low-speed vehicle (LSV) | |
|---|---|---|
| Top speed | 20 mph or less | Over 20, up to 25 mph |
| VIN | No | Yes |
| Title | No | Yes, under Chapter 319 |
| Registration and plate | No | Yes, under s. 320.02 |
| Insurance | Not required by the state | PIP and PDL, $10,000 each |
| Driver requirement | 18+ with government photo ID; under 18 with learner's or driver license | Valid driver license, in possession, no exceptions |
| Our rental rule | n/a | 21 or older, valid license, proof of your own auto insurance |
| Roads | Designated golf cart roadways posted 30 mph or less | Any street posted 35 mph or less, which inside Welaka town limits means every road |
| Crossing a faster road | Only at designated crossovers | At an intersection |
| Night driving | Sunrise to sunset unless the town approves and the cart is lit | Yes, LSV lighting is standard |
| Seat belts | Not required | Required |
| Required equipment | Brakes, steering, tires, rearview mirror, red reflectors front and rear | Headlamps, stop lamps, turn signals, taillamps, reflectors, parking brake, mirrors, windshield, seat belts, VIN |
| Welaka town decal | No longer required. The town removed the annual certificate requirement. | Never applied. LSVs run on state registration. |
Which one do we rent?
LSVs. Every cart in our fleet is titled, registered, insured and street legal, which is why we say "street legal, seriously sharp" and mean the first half literally.
That choice costs more to maintain, and it is the reason renting from us gets you further than borrowing a neighbor's cart. You are not limited to a list of seven streets.
Why it matters on a Welaka weekend
Say you are staying in a rental near the water and you want to run to the Town of Welaka public boat launch in the morning, hit a couple of stops in the afternoon, and get back after dark.
In an ordinary golf cart: you are restricted to designated golf cart roadways posted 30 mph or less, which in Welaka means the seven streets the town designated, you cross County Road 309 and 308B only at the marked crossovers, and you are off the road at sunset unless that cart carries full lighting and the town has approved night use.
In an LSV: you take any road you like. Every road inside Welaka town limits is posted 35 mph or under, so the whole town is open, and you drive home after dinner with your headlights on.
Same trip. Two very different days.
The LSV's limit only shows up when you leave town. Roads between Welaka and Crescent City, Georgetown, Fruitland or Pomona Park include stretches posted above 35, and an LSV cannot travel along those. Crossing one at an intersection is fine. Driving down it is not.
Can you make a golf cart street legal?
Sometimes. Converting a golf cart to an LSV means adding the full equipment list, getting it inspected, titling it and registering it with the tax collector, then insuring it. Whether a given cart can hit 20 mph and hold together at that speed depends on the cart.
If you are thinking about buying and converting rather than renting, that is a real conversation and we are happy to point you at Mad Dog Premium Carts, who handle sales and service.
How do you tell which one you are looking at?
Four tells, in order of reliability:
- A license plate. An LSV has one. A golf cart does not.
- A VIN. Stamped or plated on the frame.
- Seat belts and a windshield. Required on an LSV.
- Turn signals. Standard on an LSV, an add-on at best on a cart.
If someone is renting you a cart with no plate and telling you it is street legal, it is not.
Do you need a town decal or registration?
No. Welaka used to run an annual certificate and decal scheme for golf carts on its designated streets. The town removed that requirement, so there is no town sticker to buy and nothing to renew.
It never applied to what we rent anyway. A street-legal LSV runs on state registration and a plate, and on a rental the paperwork is our job and it is already handled. Your job is the license in your pocket.
The one-sentence version
A golf cart is a cart the town lets onto certain streets. An LSV is a small vehicle the state lets onto most streets. We rent the second one.
Ready to book? Book online. Staying outside Welaka? Call (386) 603-0295 first to confirm we can deliver to you.
Read next: Where Can You Legally Drive a Golf Cart in Welaka? and Do You Need a License to Drive a Golf Cart in Welaka?
Sources
- Florida Statute 316.2122, low-speed vehicles
- Florida Statute 316.212, golf carts on public roads
- Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, Low Speed Vehicles
- Town of Welaka for local street designations (the town has removed its annual golf cart certificate requirement; confirm current local rules with Town Hall).
Last updated August 6, 2026. Summary only, not legal advice.