Golf Cart Insurance: Everything you need to know

By Gina Pogol Posted : November 20, 2020

If you own a golf cart, you may be wondering, "do golf carts need insurance?"

Not only is it a good idea to buy golf cart insurance, but it may also even be required by your Homeowner Association (HOA) or state.

Whether or not you need it depends on where you ride and how you use your golf cart--like a riding mower, car or ATV.

If being a golf cart owner is on your agenda, you likely have some questions.

Here we've covered everything you need to know about golf cart insurance so you can make sure you're covered and get back to enjoying time on the green.

What is golf cart insurance?

Golf cart insurance is precisely what it sounds like. It's a particular type of insurance covering damage or destruction to your golf cart and damage or destruction that your golf cart creates.

What is covered by golf cart insurance?

In general, golf cart insurance covers:

Property damage liability: applies to damage to another person's property.
Bodily injury liability: applies to injury caused to another person.
Collision costs: applies to collision with another vehicle or object, regardless of fault.
Other (comprehensive) damage to your cart: think fire, theft, or anything other than a collision -- like wind damage or hail.

Golf cart accidents and insurance coverage

Home, auto or golf cart insurance?

Determining which insurance coverage applies in the case of a golf cart mishap can be confusing. The table below summarizes various circumstances where damage occurs to people or things resulting from a golf cart accident and indicates each relevant policy.

Accident location	Golf cart use type	Cart damage	Special circumstances	Covered by	Not covered by
Golf course	ATV	Unharmed	Damage to others’ property	Homeowners, golf cart insurance
Golf course	ATV or speed-modified	Damaged		Golf cart insurance	Homeowners insurance
City street	NEV	Damaged		Golf cart or auto insurance¹	Homeowners insurance
Outside a golf course	All	Damaged	Fire	Golf cart insurance¹	Homeowners insurance
City street	All	Damaged	Golf cart rented to others		Homeowners, auto, or golf cart insurance²
Golf course	All	Damaged	Unlicensed child	Homeowners (liability only) insurance	Golf cart insurance³

Driver must be licensed and driving cart legally.
Individual policy is void if golf cart is rented to others.
Most golf cart insurance policies exclude unlicensed drivers.

Do I need golf cart insurance?

While your homeowners insurance might be adequate for basic use, a special golf cart insurance policy may be recommended for anything beyond that.

Identify your user profile in the table below and review its unique insurance requirements.

Golf cart usage type	Description	Best golf cart insurance
Basic—similar to using a riding mower	Driving only on a golf course or on your own property.	Homeowners insurance with a golf cart endorsement
Speed-modified—up to 25 miles per hour on neighborhood streets	Some street driving; may include safety features such as seat belts.	Auto insurance for golf carts or Low Speed Vehicles (LSVs)
All-terrain vehicle (ATV)—use on neighborhood and city streets	Regular use on streets as well as golf course.	Auto insurance for golf carts and umbrella insurance

In many golf communities, the HOA requires golf cart owners to purchase specific insurance for golf carts and name the HOA as an additional insured.

You may be wondering if golf carts can cause enough damage to warrant paying for insurance.

According to the Fatality Analysis Reporting System, created by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 130 golf cart fatalities were recorded from 2013 to 2018.

Recently, several golf cart tales of woe have hit the news that we thought we'd share:

Destruction in Minnesota! Six golf carts were taken for a joy ride by teenagers throughout the Blueberry Pines Golf Course in Menahga, Minnesota. The teenagers did over $40,000 in damage. Imagine what new words you'd come up with if somebody took your golf cart for a joyride and tore up your neighborhood, leaving you responsible for the damages.
Thievery in Florida! A golf cart was recently stolen. It was a blue 2016 Yamaha golf cart that currently sells for around $6,500. Imagine how much fun it would be to have your golf cart stolen and then remember, "Oh, yeah. I don't have golf cart insurance."
Terror in Texas! In Abilene, Texas, the police cited a guy for drinking while driving a golf cart. Fortunately, he wasn't severely injured and didn't harm anyone else. The damage could have been much worse.

Golf carts are vehicles that need to be taken seriously.

How much is golf cart insurance?

Your golf cart insurance cost will vary by insurer and coverage needs, among other rate determining factors. Here is some general information on monthly costs:

You may pay as little as $4 a month. If you add golf cart coverage to your current homeowner's insurance.
You may spend about $12 a month. If you buy a standalone golf cart policy.
You may spend about $33 to $100 a month. If you own a speed-modified golf cart where you're zipping about on roads, and it's practically your second car. It can run kind of high, depending on your driving record and other factors.

Are there discounts or other ways to get cheap golf cart insurance?

Like with some other types of insurance, there are potential discounts you may be able to get with your golf cart insurance:

Golf cart insurance discount	Description
Bundling golf cart insurance	As with auto insurance, one of the best ways to obtain a significant discount is to buy your golf cart or LSV policy from an insurer with which you already do business. This is often referred to as a "bundling" or "multi-policy” discount. If your LSV needs an auto policy, make sure you ask for a multi vehicle discount.
Homeowners	Discounts may be available if you own your home.
Occupational	Some insurers provide discounts to people in certain occupations.
Switching	Certain insurers, such as as esurance, provide discounts of up to 15 percent when you switch over from another insurance company.
Motorcycle	Savings may also be available if you obtain a motorcycle license or endorsement.
Paid up-front	Additional discounts can sometimes be accessed if you pay your golf cart insurance premium up front for the entire year.
Safety certification	Taking safety courses, joining qualifying organizations or being a responsible driver may save you money -- it pays to ask.

As always, you are likely to pay less if you are willing to take on a higher deductible (the portion of a claim you pay before your insurance pays the rest).

How do I purchase golf cart insurance?

If you've assessed your golf cart and how you intend to use it and have determined you need golf cart insurance, there are a few ways to get it.

You may be able to insure your golf cart by adding it to your home insurance policy

Let's say that you do your due diligence and check to see if your golf cart is covered on your homeowner's insurance, and, nope, it isn't covered.

Well, many homeowner's insurance policies allow you to add golf cart insurance as a rider. If you can add the golf cart to your homeowner's policy, that's often the least expensive route.

You may have to insure your golf cart separately from your home insurance policy

Not every policy will let you add the golf cart as a rider to your homeowner's insurance policy. Sometimes, you'll have to get it separately. Think about Florida and Arizona, where the weather is warm where and riding around in a golf cart, even on public roads, is almost a way of life. In fact, in Arizona, if you drive a golf cart on the road, you are required to have liability insurance on your golf cart.

Check with your insurer or any major insurer to get a quote for your golf cart insurance.

The bottom-line on golf cart insurance

It may seem like yet another thing you need to pay for, but the bottom line is that golf cart insurance is something to consider if you own a golf cart. Most major insurance providers offer golf cart insurance or golf cart riders to your existing home insurance policy at a reasonable cost.

Ensuring you're covered is essential and will result in less time spent worrying about damages and more time enjoying the golf course.