Q. Is it legal to drive a golf cart on city roads?
The Pigeon Forge Police Department routinely receives citizen inquiries regarding the legalities of operating golf carts on the roadway. There has been a great deal of misinformation and misunderstanding on this subject, so some education and clarification is in order.
Tennessee state law recognizes three categories of vehicles related to this issue:
• Traditional Golf Cart which is defined as a motor vehicle that is designed and manufactured for operation on a golf course for sporting or recreational purposes that is not capable of exceeding speeds of twenty miles per hour (20 mph)
• Low Speed Vehicle which is defined as any four-wheeled electric vehicle (excluding traditional golf carts), whose top speed is greater than 20 miles per hour (20 mph) but not greater than twenty-five miles per hour (25 mph)
• Medium Speed Vehicle which is defined as any four-wheeled electric or gasoline-powered vehicle (excluding traditional golf carts), whose top speed is greater than thirty miles per hour (30 mph) but not greater than thirty-five miles per hour (35 mph)
Per Tennessee state law, a vehicle meeting the above definition of a “traditional golf cart” IS NOT street legal and may not be titled and registered for on-road use, UNLESS it has been modified to meet all of the low or medium speed vehicle requirements in Tennessee state law and related federal safety standards.
A golf cart that has been designed and manufactured for on-road use, or is modified to meet all of the low or medium speed vehicle requirements and federal safety standards does not meet the above legal definition of a “traditional golf cart.” Since this vehicle is legally not a “traditional golf cart,” it may be legally registered as a low or medium speed vehicle if all necessary requirements are met.
To register a low or medium speed vehicle, designed and manufactured for on-road use, applicants should provide to their local county clerk’s office a copy of the vehicle’s MSO (manufacturer’s statement of origin), as proof that the vehicle meets all statutory requirements and safety standards, along with the traditional documentation required for vehicle registration.
Individuals modifying a traditional golf cart to meet low or medium speed vehicle requirements must submit a low or medium speed vehicle affidavit (see links below) that certifies that the vehicle has been sufficiently modified to meet the necessary legal requirements. The affidavit must be submitted with the registration application as a condition of registration.
Low Speed Vehicle Affidavit
Medium Speed Vehicle Affidavit
In order to be street legal, a low or medium speed vehicle must meet the following requirements:
– Must have headlamps
– Must have stop lamps
– Must have front and rear turn signals
– Must have tail lamps
– Must have reflex reflectors (one on each side near the rear and one on the rear)
– Must have a parking brake
– Must have one exterior mirror on the driver side and one additional mirror (either on the passenger side or in the interior)
– Must have a windshield that conforms to the federal motor vehicle safety standard on glazing materials
– Must have seat belts (type 1 or 2) located at each seating position
– Must have a Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
– Must be registered and have license plate displayed
– Must be insured with proof of insurance available
– Must be operated by a licensed driver with a valid Class D driver license in their possession
A street legal low speed vehicle may be operated on streets where the posted speed limit is thirty-five miles per hour (35 mph) or less. A street legal medium speed vehicle may be operated on streets where the posted speed limit is forty miles per hour (40 mph) or less. While low and medium speed vehicle may not be driven on streets that exceed the respective 35 and 40 mph limits, they may cross such streets, but only at intersections. Drivers of all street legal low and medium speed vehicles must obey all traffic laws and rules of the road.
Also, pursuant to City of Pigeon Forge Municipal Ordinance, vehicles (to include traditional golf carts as well as low and medium speed vehicles) MAY NOT be operated on a sidewalk.
Finally, Tennessee D.U.I. laws apply to any motor vehicle to include traditional golf carts as well as low and medium speed vehicles.
Q. What is the City of Pigeon Forge’s new parking Ordinance?
On August 27, 2024, a new City of Pigeon Forge ordinance will go into effect. This ordinance was passed to ensure that the businesses along the parkway have adequate parking and to comply with the lease of the state right-of-ways from the Tennessee Department of Transportation.
Ordinance NO. 2024-116:
Parking on all State rights-of-way inside the city limits of the City shall be strictly
limited to public parking of passenger motor vehicles with a current and valid registration, and no vehicles depicting any form of advertising of any kind shall, including advertising vehicles for sale, shall be allowed. The City will immediately remove by towing any vehicle in which the owner cannot be determined and/or contacted that violates any part of this Section.
Q.
What are the laws pertaining to having an intoxicating liquor in or on
any public places in Pigeon Forge?
A. Possession of intoxicating liquor is
prohibited by Pigeon Forge City Ordinance 11-
101 which states:
It
shall be unlawful for any person to drink or consume, or have an open can or
bottle of beer or intoxicating liquor in or on any public street, alley,
avenue, highway, sidewalk, public park, public school ground, or other public
place, except the consumption of beer lawfully sold and served in a
restaurant/eating place or special event location holding a lawful beer sales
permit as provided by the Pigeon Forge Municipal Code shall not be deemed a
violation hereof. (1979 Code, § 10-229, as amended by Ord. #708, Aug.
2003)
Q.
What are the rules concerning conveyances on the sidewalks?
A. All conveyances, except devices used by handicapped
persons and carriages used to transport children, are prohibited on the
sidewalk by Pigeon Forge City Ordinance 16-110.
Prohibited transportation devices include but not limited to automobile,
bicycle, skateboard, motorcycle or other conveyance that a person can push,
pull, ride or place.
Q. Can
I sell merchandise in Pigeon Forge during the car show event?
A. No person shall use or
occupy any portion of any public street, alley, sidewalk, or right of way for
the purpose of storing, selling, or exhibiting any goods, wares, merchandise,
or materials.
Q. What are the lift laws and bumper laws in
Tennessee?
A. Tennessee has
laws that limit a vehicle’s frame height and bumper height and prohibit the use
of front lift blocks. The maximum
vehicle frame height in Tennessee is governed by T.C.A. 55-9-215 and depends on
the vehicle’s GVWR. The body floor of
the vehicle must not be more than 4 inches above the top of the frame.
Vehicle
GVWR Max. Frame Height
Cars
and SUVs 22
inches
Under
4,501 lbs. 24 inches
4,501
to 7500 lbs. 26 inches
7,501
to 10,000 lbs. 28 inches
Frame height measurements shall be taken from
the bottom of the frame by measuring the vertical distance between the ground
and the lowest point of the frame directly below the point in line with the
center of the steering wheel. Frame is
the manufactured frame not a
sub frame or structure support that is modified. Bumpers are required in the state of
Tennessee. Requirements for bumpers are
that they cannot be less than 14 inches from the ground or more than 31 inches
above the ground. Drop bumpers are
permitted. They must be bolted and
welded to the frame of the vehicle.
Q. Where can I park my car?
A. The
City of Pigeon Forge has public parking on the state right of way and has a
large municipal parking lot located on Teaster lane. Private parking is regulated by the owner of
the property. All signs concerning
parking must be respected. City Ordinance 15-601 prohibits parking in any
public street or alleyway. City Ordinance 15-604 prohibits parking on a
sidewalk, in front of or obstructing any public or private drive or access. All vehicles must park in the official
markings of a parking space. If it is
not officially lined for parking then it is not a parking space and subject to
citation and/or towing.
Q.
Where is the state right of way?
A.
Unofficially the state right of way can be determined by going to this web site: Sevier County GIS
Type in the address and you will see the property boundary lines. Everything towards the road from the blue property lines is an approximation of the state right of way.
Q. Do child restraint laws apply to golf carts, low speed vehicle or medium speed vehicles?
A. Yes. All passenger restraint laws including child restraint laws apply to golf carts, low speed vehicle or medium speed vehicles.
Q. Since
it is a car show, can I spin or squeal my tires?
A.
No. This is a safety issues and
is enforced as reckless driving.
Q.
What are the rules for riding in a truck bed?
A.
Tennessee has age restrictions and occupancy restrictions for riding in
the bed of a truck. T.C.A. 55-8-189
states A person commits an offense who, on the
streets of any municipality, roads of any county, or the highways of this
state, transports a child under six (6) years of age in the bed of a truck with
a manufacturer's ton rating not exceeding three-quarter (¾) ton and having a
pickup body style. Occupancy is
restricted to the number of persons that can sit on the floor of the truck
bed. The truck bed must have sides.
Q.
Is it illegal to blow smoke from my diesel?
A.
Yes, Tennessee requires that all motor vehicles are equipped with a muffler in good working order and in
constant operation to prevent excessive or unusual noise and annoying smoke.
Q. Can
I put up a tent or canopy?
A.
No. Zoning Ordinance 412 prevents
the placement of tents and canopies on any lot in Pigeon Forge.
Q.
If I leave my parking space, Can I save it for when I return?
A. No,
you cannot restrict public movement.
City Ordinance 11-604 prevents any activity on public ground that
obstructs or interferes with the free passage of pedestrian or vehicular
traffic.
Q. What laws apply to my 49cc Scooter?
A. Owners of
“motorized bicycles,” are required to wear a crash helmet by T.C.A. 55-9-302. T.C.A. 55-8-101, while providing the official
definition for "motorized bicycle," also states that these
"motorized bicycles" MUST be driven by an individual with a valid
operator's license (motorcycle endorsement not necessary). "Motorized bicycle" means a vehicle with two (2) or three (3)
wheels, an automatic transmission, and a motor with a cylinder capacity not
exceeding fifty cubic centimeters (50cc) which produces no more than two (2)
brake horsepower and is capable of propelling the vehicle at a maximum design
speed of no more than thirty miles per hour (30 mph) on level ground. It shall be subject to all applicable and
practical rules of the road.
Q. Can I park in a handicapped parking space on
private property even though my vehicle doesn’t have a handicap license plate
or placard?
A. No. Only a vehicle that has a handicapped license
plate or has a handicapped placard is allowed to park in a handicap space
regardless of whether the parking space is located on public or private
property (Tennessee Code Annotated 55-21-108 (4b).
The Pigeon Forge Police Department is aware of the
traffic issues that occur during some special events. We ask that all drivers obey the speed
limits, ensure that all occupants are wearing their seat belts, operate their
vehicle in a safe manner, don’t block intersections and be patient. We thank you for visiting our website and if
you have any questions not covered here you can call the police department at
865-453-9063.