DID YOU KNOW???
THEY’RE CUTE, THEY’RE ENERGY EFFICIENT, BUT ARE THEY LEGAL?
You may occasionally see a motorized vehicle on the streets or sidewalks and think they’re a cute and energy efficient way of getting around, but do you know the local and state laws that govern their use?
Let’s begin with those little motorized scooters. Cute, yes, but motorized vehicles of any kind are not permitted on sidewalks anywhere in Hillsborough County, and that includes motorized scooters as well as mopeds and mini cycles (pocket rockets). And, Florida Statute 320.02 requires that all motor vehicles operated on public roads must be registered. Since scooters and mini cycles do not meet federal safety guidelines they cannot be registered and therefore it is illegal to operate them on public streets and roads as well as on sidewalks. Motorized scooters and mini cycles can only be operated on private property and then, only with the permission of the property owner. That includes your driveway or yard. Can your child be given a ticket for riding a scooter on the sidewalk? Per the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Department the answer is, yes. No vehicle under engine power is permitted on the sidewalk. Scooters and bikes operated solely by foot power are allowed on sidewalks but must yield to pedestrians. Can you as a parent receive a citation for permitting an unauthorized minor to illegally operate a motorized vehicle? The answer to that is also yes, and the citation also requires a mandatory court appearance.
A second type of motorized vehicle you may see on Fishhawk Ranch streets is what is called a Low Speed Vehicle – LSV. Low speed vehicles are designed to travel between 20 – 25 miles per hour, must be registered with a valid license plate issued by the Florida Department of Motor Vehicles, must be insured, and must be driven by a licensed driver. It is legal in Florida to drive an LSV on a public roadway as long as the speed limit for that roadway is 35 mph or less. You will frequently see the Fishhawk Ranch LSV’s operated by the Operations and Maintenance staff traveling within the community as they perform their daily work. By special exception, the law allows LSV’s owned by a Community Development District to travel on sidewalks while performing utility and maintenance work.
Residents sometimes inquire about the legality of owning yet another type of motorized vehicle, golf carts. In Florida there are some communities such as Sun City Center where special ordinances exist, allowing golf carts to drive on specifically designated roadways. However, there are no such designated public roadways in Fishhawk Ranch. Therefore, driving a golf cart on sidewalks or on the public roads within Fishhawk Ranch is illegal. The only exception to this would be if a golf cart has been modified to meet the legal definition of a low speed vehicle (LSV). In accordance with Florida Statutes such modification would require the golf cart to have headlamps, stop lamps, tail lamps, a lighted rear license plate, turn signals, seat belts, exterior mirrors, reflectors, a windshield cleaning device and a horn, as well as meeting specific speed and weight requirements. Additionally any golf cart modified to meet LSV requirements must be registered with a valid Florida license plate on the rear, must be insured, and must be operated by a licensed driver 16 years of age or older. Then and only then would it be legal for a modified golf cart LSV to be operated on public streets in Fishhawk Ranch with posted speed limits of 35mph or less, and never on sidewalks. Operation of a golf cart on a sidewalk or public roadway is subject to several citations.
So there you have it. In general, unless you see a license plate on the vehicle it most probably is not legal on Fishhawk Ranch streets unless behind a gate or on one of the otherwise “private roads” but even then only with the permission of the property owner, and never on sidewalks.
For more information or questions, contact the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Department, 813-247-8115.