With school just around the corner and Texas heat making even a short walk feel long, a question recently popped up among Benbrook residents: Can you drive a golf cart through local neighborhoods?
The answer is more complicated than simply staying on streets with speed limits under 35 mph.
Texas law allows golf carts on public roads only under certain circumstances. For example, a properly equipped golf cart may be operated in a qualifying master-planned community. State law also permits limited daytime travel on roads posted at 35 mph or less when traveling to or from a golf course. Cities can separately authorize broader use of golf carts on qualifying streets. (TxDMV)
That last part matters in Benbrook. A 35 mph speed limit alone does not automatically make every neighborhood street legal for recreational golf cart use.
Texas also requires golf carts used under applicable roadway provisions to have equipment including headlamps, tail lamps, reflectors, mirrors and a parking brake. Depending on how and where the cart is operated, a golf cart license plate and slow-moving vehicle emblem may also be required. TxDMV lists the golf cart plate fee at $10. (TxDMV)
So before buying a cart for school drop-off or neighborhood trips, residents should verify that their particular route qualifies under state law and Benbrook’s local rules rather than relying on what they see others doing.
Benbrook residents can also review the city’s codes and ordinances or contact the Benbrook Police Department at 817-249-2752 for guidance on local enforcement.
A golf cart might make that hot trip through the neighborhood more comfortable, but check the route and rules before grabbing the keys.
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