Fore! Can I Get a DUI While Driving a Golf Cart?

You might be surprised to find out that you can be arrested for drinking and driving a golf cart with the same severity as driving a car or SUV. That’s because DUI charges apply to any vehicle under Florida Statutes 316.193. If you have a blood alcohol content (BAC) of .08% or greater, you can be charged with a DUI.

This applies to drinking and driving a golf cart on the road or on a golf course. In fact, the location of the golf cart is less important than whether you were behind the wheel or not. However, you’re less likely to be arrested for a DUI if you’re driving on private property, like a private golf course, than you are if you are driving on the road in one of Florida’s many golf cart communities. 

Our office is increasingly being contacted by individuals who have been arrested for DUI on golf carts. Common reasons that these individuals are pulled over by the police include:

• No headlights at night;
• Operating the golf cart on roads where golf carts aren’t permitted; and
• Running stop signs.

If you are operating a golf cart on public roadways, make sure that you obey all “rules of the road.” Operating golf carts during the late evening hours is often interpreted by law enforcement as a likelihood of “bar hopping,” so the officers will be looking for a reason to pull you over.