Good to know

Golf cart rules & insurance

A cart is the most fun way around the island. It is also a real vehicle with real rules, and the ticket goes to whoever is driving.

Rules of the road

Rental carts are street legal low speed vehicles. The same rules as a car apply: licensed driver, every rider belted in, little kids in a car seat. source
Kids under 5 need a proper car seat. Many cart companies don't supply one, so rent a seat or bring yours. source
If traffic is stacking up behind you, pull over safely and let it pass. Waving cars around you through the bike lane is illegal. source
Speed limits: 25 mph all over Anna Maria. Holmes Beach is 25 except Manatee Ave and East Bay Dr at 35. Bradenton Beach is mostly 25 with some 35 on Gulf Dr. source

No carts over the Manatee Ave bridge. The speed limit past it is 45 mph. source
Rental contracts keep you on the island. One company bans Manatee Ave, Cortez Rd and the Cortez Bridge, and the Longboat Pass bridge, and says carts aren't allowed on Longboat Key. source
Most carts have GPS, and breaking the rules can end your rental. The ticket goes to the driver, not the company. source

Drivers must be 21 or older with a valid license and their own auto insurance. You'll show proof and sign a waiver before you drive. source
Every extra driver needs the same: 21 plus, licensed and insured. source
Local tipVisiting from outside the US? Your home policy may not count. Ask the cart company what they accept, or what they sell, before you book.
Local tipDon't assume a credit card covers a cart. Call your card and your insurer before the trip.

Florida (all three cities): Rental "golf carts" on the island are street-legal low-speed vehicles (LSVs): titled, registered and insured, top speed 25 mph, and allowed only on roads posted 35 mph or less (you may cross faster roads at intersections). FLHSMV TL-63, Low-Speed Vehicles
Anna Maria: The city enforces state law on rented carts: licensed drivers only, every passenger in a seat belt, children 5 and under in a child restraint, and no more riders than seats. AMI Sun: city 'Rules of the Road' decals
Holmes Beach: Ordinary (non-street-legal) golf carts may only be registered by city residents, and golf carts are barred from Gulf Drive, Palm Drive and the 5300 to 6600 blocks of Marina Drive. Visitors should rent a street-legal LSV. City of Holmes Beach golf cart ordinance
Bradenton Beach: LSVs may drive on city roads posted 35 mph or less that aren't designated prohibited, and must be registered and insured. City of Bradenton Beach Ordinance 19-514

Ready to book? Cart and bike rentals sell out in busy weeks, so reserve early.

Lines marked Local tip are what regulars and locals say, not official rules.