Peachtree City has a rule that says your golf cart can't weigh more than 1,300 pounds. It also has no scale to check.
City staff acknowledged that enforcement gap to the Transportation Advisory Group at its Sept. 22 meeting, according to draft minutes included in this week's agenda packet. The group takes up the cart rules again at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday in the Community Room at City Hall, 153 Willowbend Road — and the public is welcome.
The agenda lists an 'ordinance update discussion on section 78,' the portion of city code that defines which carts can legally use Peachtree City's more than 100 miles of paved paths. The weight limit is one of several provisions the group is reconsidering.
The September discussion was prompted by a memo from City Manager Justin Strickland. One advisory group member, identified in the minutes as Farron, argued the weight requirement should simply be dropped — on the grounds that the city's existing 50-inch width limit already keeps weight in check. He also pointed to a practical problem the rule is already causing: front desk staff were fielding complaints from residents who had just spent $15,000 on a cart, only to be told at registration that it couldn't be approved, according to the minutes.
angry people who had just spent $15,000 on a cart, only to find out that it could not be registered— Farron, Transportation Advisory Group member
Other members pointed toward state law as the relevant benchmark. Under Georgia's definition, a personal transportation vehicle — the legal term for a golf cart — must weigh no more than 1,375 pounds and travel no faster than 20 mph. That figure, set by the Georgia Department of Public Safety's low-speed vehicle guide, is slightly higher than Peachtree City's local 1,300-pound cap.
The group took no vote on the weight rule at the September meeting. Members also discussed a related clarification: whether a mirror or other accessory that sticks out past 50 inches should count toward a cart's width measurement under the ordinance.
A separate question at the September meeting touched on registration fees. Advisory group member Hayes read aloud the state law that allows cities to register carts 'at least once every five years for a fee not to exceed $15.' Peachtree City currently charges $45 for a three-year residential registration cycle and $250 per year for non-residents. Farron asked whether the $250 non-resident charge violates state law. Hayes said he had argued that it does — but that the city attorney had concluded it does not. According to the minutes, Hayes said the question could only be definitively resolved if someone with legal standing challenged the fee in court.
Golf carts are woven into daily life in Peachtree City in a way that's unusual even by Georgia standards. The city was founded as a planned community in 1959 and built cart paths into its design from the start, according to golfcartsearch.com. The path network now connects all five of the city's villages — Aberdeen, Braelinn, Glenloch, Kedron, and Wilksmoor — to schools, shopping centers, and recreation areas. More than 10,000 households own golf carts, according to that source.
Why it matters — If the advisory group recommends dropping or revising the weight rule, it could change what carts are legal on Peachtree City's path network — affecting thousands of households and anyone who has recently bought or is shopping for a cart.
⚠ Not yet confirmed
- The $250 non-resident registration fee violates state law
Sources differ on Whether Peachtree City's $250 non-resident cart fee complies with state law: It does not comply — state law caps fees at $15 (peachtreecitydaily.com (Hayes's personal view, per minutes)) vs It does comply (peachtreecitydaily.com (city attorney's conclusion, per minutes))
Reported by peachtreecitydaily.com, golfcartsearch.com, peachtree-city.org
Where this comes from
Written by Papalocal's AI from these outlets' reporting. It can miss or misread things; the outlets are the record.