A. No portion of the public highways may be designated for use by golf carts and utility vehicles unless the governing body of the county, city, or town in which that portion of the highway is located has reviewed and approved such highway usage.

Terms Used In Virginia Code 46.2-916.2

  • City: means an independent incorporated community which became a city as provided by law before noon on July 1, 1971, or which has within defined boundaries a population of 5,000 or more and which has become a city as provided by law. See Virginia Code 1-208
  • State: when applied to a part of the United States, includes any of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the United States Virgin Islands. See Virginia Code 1-245
  • Town: means any existing town or an incorporated community within one or more counties which became a town before noon, July 1, 1971, as provided by law or which has within defined boundaries a population of 1,000 or more and which has become a town as provided by law. See Virginia Code 1-254
  • Utility vehicle: means a motor vehicle that is (i) designed for off-road use, (ii) powered by a motor, and (iii) used for general maintenance, security, agricultural, or horticultural purposes. See Virginia Code 46.2-100
  • Vehicle: means every device in, on or by which any person or property is or may be transported or drawn on a highway, except personal delivery devices and devices moved by human power or used exclusively on stationary rails or tracks. See Virginia Code 46.2-100

B. The governing body of any county, city, or town may by ordinance authorize the operation of golf carts and utility vehicles on designated public highways within its boundaries after (i) considering the speed, volume, and character of motor vehicle traffic using such highways and (ii) determining that golf cart and utility vehicle operation on particular highways is compatible with state and local transportation plans and consistent with the Commonwealth’s Statewide Pedestrian Policy provided for in § 33.2-354.

C. Notwithstanding the other provisions of this section, no town that has not established its own police department, as defined in § 9.1-165, may authorize the operation of golf carts or utility vehicles. The provision of this subsection shall not apply to the Towns of Claremont, Clifton, Dendron, Irvington, Ivor, Jarratt, Saxis, Stony Creek, Urbanna, or Wachapreague.

D. No public highway shall be designated for use by golf carts and utility vehicles if such golf cart and utility vehicle operations will impede the safe and efficient flow of motor vehicle traffic.

E. The county, city, or town that has authorized the operation of golf carts or utility vehicles shall be responsible for the installation and continuing maintenance of any signs pertaining to the operation of golf carts or utility vehicles. Such county, city, or town may include in its ordinance for designating highways the ability to recover its costs of the signs and maintenance pertaining thereto from organizations, individuals, or entities requesting the designations. The cost of installation and continuing maintenance of any signs pertaining to the operation of golf carts or utility vehicles shall not be paid by the Virginia Department of Transportation.

F. Notwithstanding the other provisions of this section, employees of the Department of Conservation and Recreation may operate golf carts and utility vehicles on those portions of public highways located within Department of Conservation and Recreation property and on Virginia Department of Transportation-maintained highways that are adjacent to Department of Conservation and Recreation property, provided the golf cart or utility vehicle is being operated on highways with speed limits of no more than 35 miles per hour.

2004, c. 746; 2006, c. 728; 2008, c. 196; 2009, cc. 68, 504; 2011, c. 469; 2012, c. 9; 2013, c. 64; 2014, c. 69; 2017, c. 357; 2019, c. 104; 2022, c. 449; 2023, c. 451.

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