Florida beachside city Cape Canaveral requires $150 golf cart registration

Cape Canaveral this past week put into place some of the strongest rules on golf carts of any Brevard County municipality by requiring their registration within city limits.

The beachside Brevard County town's new restrictions come after golf cart laws became more strict this past month, with the Florida's legislature passing laws requiring age minimums for operating golf carts. Cape Canaveral's efforts go further than the state laws, which set the minimum standards.

Cape Canaveral's new golf cart registration policy, which began June 1, comes after years of public feedback, with residents asking for clearer, stronger rules around the increasingly popular mode of transportation, the city said.

Initial registration of golf carts will cost $150 and be valid for one year. After that, it will be $100 to renew the registration each year. Golf carts are also only permitted in certain areas, primarily in the presidential streets section of the city, and are not allowed to cross State Road A1A at all.

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The city has also added signage for drivers and golf carts alike, indicating where cars are expected to share the road and where golf carts are not permitted.

Cape Canaveral mayor Wes Morrison said the city's goal is to make the city one of the easiest and safest to get around in the area; new rules for golf carts are part of that greater vision. "It's in our mission statement," he said."We want to be multi-mobile," Morrison said. "We want to be walkable, bike-able. We love the variety of ways to get around." Morrison said the funds brought in by golf cart registration could be used for education and awareness to increase public safety. Currently, the money will go into the city's general fund. Morrison said he sees golf carts as a more sustainable way to get around as they're electrically powered.

In the outside study commissioned by the city, the golf cart map was determined based on which roads were used for local traffic and often had bicyclists and others sharing the roadway, making them the most appropriate areas for golf carts to operate as well.

"There are civic and recreational destinations located within the street network that are frequented by local residents," consultants wrote. "As is typical with local residential streets, bicyclists and pedestrians were observed sharing the roadway with automobiles.

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As golf carts become more prevalent mode of transportation within Florida communities, the state and local officials have been making changes. Cocoa Beach also recently put in place its own golf cart map, designating which roads in the city allow golf carts. It restricts golf cart usage to neighborhoods around the Cocoa Beach Country Club and bans golf carts from State Road A1A.

Under a new Florida statute, golf cart drivers under 18 will now have to be at least 15 with a learner's permit or 16 with a driver's license to legally operate one. Drivers 18 and older will need valid government-issued identification.

The new changes in Cape Canaveral came after much consideration and debate, Morrison said.

"We want to make it as easy as possible for residents to navigate our city. And that pairs with making it as safe as possible," he added. "We have 17 beach access points and we wanted to have golf carts as an alternative way to get around the city. It's a sustainability win, a convenience win and a safety win."

Tyler Vazquez is the Brevard County and North Brevard Watchdog Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Vazquez at 321-917-7491 or tvazquez@floridatoday.com. Twitter: @tyler_vazquez