On Tuesday, April 7, 2026, the Barnesville Police Department published a statement on its Facebook page addressing the need for a local ordinance to allow golf carts on city streets, vehicles that have been popular among city residents for decades.
The post quickly gained attention online, as many residents expressed concern and confusion over what the change might mean.
On April 8, the City of Barnesville’s official Facebook page posted a draft of Ordinance No. 626, outlining proposed rules for golf cart use. That post was later removed, but the ordinance was republished again today by the City. The Facebook post tagged Mayor Kelly Hughes, Councilman Joseph Sims, and Councilman Christopher Hightower.
According to city officials, Barnesville does not currently have a local golf cart ordinance in place, meaning the city must rely on Georgia state law, which restricts golf cart use on many public roadways, including several major city routes through town.
New Ordinance Under Review
The Barnesville City Council is now reviewing the proposal and may make revisions before a final vote.
A second reading is scheduled for Monday, May 4 at 6:00 p.m. at the Barnesville courtroom located at 100 Mill Street, where council members are expected to discuss potential changes and could consider adoption.
Questions About Past Ordinance
According to Mayor Kelly Hughes, Barnesville does not currently have a local golf cart ordinance in place.
“Without an ordinance in place, golf carts are not allowed,” Hughes said. “We want golf carts. Barnesville is pro-golf cart. We just need to implement a plan so we can continue to have them. I have one, and I love mine.”
Mayor Kelly Hughes said a golf cart ordinance was proposed to the city council years ago, but the measure was never brought to a vote.
This current discussion has also raised questions among some residents about how golf cart use has been handled in the past.
In a 2017 notice published by The Herald-Gazette, then-Police Chief Craig Cooper stated that the department would begin “progressively enforcing laws pertaining to the underage use of golf carts on public roadways.” The notice also stated that copies of the city’s golf cart ordinance were available through the Barnesville Police Department, suggesting that some form of an ordinance or policy was in circulation at the time.
New Ordinance Goes Through First Reading
The proposed golf cart ordinance has already begun moving through the formal approval process.
The draft received its first reading during the Barnesville City Council meeting on Monday, April 6, 2026, marking the first step toward possible adoption. The City Council is now reviewing the ordinance and may make revisions before a final vote.
Your City’s New Golf Cart Rules—Maybe
If approved, the ordinance would establish a formal framework for golf cart use within the city limits of Barnesville, outlining a series of requirements for owners and operators.
Key provisions of the draft include:
Registration and Permit
All golf carts would be required to be registered with the City of Barnesville and display a valid permit. A $20 registration fee would apply. While the ordinance states that registration remains valid until ownership changes, it also references annual updates without clearly defining a renewal process, leaving some questions as to whether the City will require golf cart owners to pay the $20 once or if it will be recurring.
Mayor Kelly Hughes told Barnesville Buzz that those details still have to be finalized, but noted that a recurring registration could help the City more closely track which carts are properly registered over time.
Applications for a permit will require the applicant’s name, address, make, model, and cart ID number, current driver’s license number (if applicable), or “other such information which the city may require.”
The city would be able to revoke a person’s permit under certain conditions.
Registration will be effective until the cart is transferred to a new owner. At that point, the new owner of the cart, who is a Barnesville resident, will have ten business days to register the vehicle at a cost of $20. If the new owner does not register the vehicle with the City within ten business days, the new owner will have to pay a $20 penalty in addition to a new $20 registration fee. The cart will be considered “unregistered” by the City until the fine and fee are paid.
Driver Requirements and Age Restrictions
The ordinance would require golf cart operators to have a valid Georgia driver’s license or permit.
It sets a minimum driving age of 15, requiring an accompanying adult at that age, while allowing 16-year-olds to operate independently with a valid license or permit.
This would formalize age and licensing requirements that have been referenced in past enforcement efforts, including the 2017 notice previously mentioned.
Emissions Requirements
Gasoline-powered carts would be subject to detailed mechanical and emissions requirements, including:
- Fully functioning exhaust systems meeting manufacturer standards
- Prohibitions on modifying emissions-related components
- Mandatory inspection every two years by a licensed dealer
- Certification required within 10 business days or the cart is considered unregistered
These requirements raise questions about why gas-powered golf carts would be subject to inspection and emissions standards within the city of Barnesville, especially since standard motor vehicles in Lamar County are not required to undergo emissions testing or routine inspections.
Where You Can and Cannot Drive Your Golf Cart
Golf carts would be limited to authorized streets, recreational paths, and public-access areas.
However, the City of Barnesville currently does not have designated golf cart paths or recreational path infrastructure, despite the ordinance referencing them.
The ordinance also identifies city sidewalks as authorized areas of use, listing golf carts alongside pedestrians and other users. This raises practical concerns, as many sidewalks in Barnesville are too narrow to safely accommodate both pedestrian and golf cart traffic. For example, Thomaston Street’s sidewalks measure 5 feet wide, while its intersecting side streets measure four feet wide.
It further states that where cart paths exist, they must be used in place of parallel streets, with an exception for paths privately owned by golf courses and not open to the public. However, Barnesville has not had a golf course operating within the city limits in several decades, making portions of this ordinance largely inapplicable to modern needs.
Under the ordinance, golf carts would not be permitted to travel along major or collector streets—including Veterans Parkway, State Route 36, State Route 18, Thomaston Street, Mill Street, Atlanta Street, Forsyth Street, Murphey Avenue, Rose Avenue, Yatesville Road, and College Drive—but would be allowed to cross at designated intersections. The ordinance does not specify where those crossings would be located or how they would be marked.
Notably, Main Street is not included in the list of restricted roadways, despite being part of the same continuous path as Thomaston Street and Mill Street, raising questions about how those classifications would be applied in practice.
Given that many of these roads serve as primary routes through residential and commercial areas, the restrictions, combined with limited infrastructure, could significantly impact how and where golf carts can realistically and practically be used throughout the city.
However, if a road is otherwise marked with a maximum speed limit of 35 miles per hour, one may operate a golf cart with an amber strobe light that is visible from 500 feet away.
Time and Speed Restrictions
Golf carts may only be operated during daylight hours unless equipped with headlights and taillights. The City’s published ordinance does not define “daylight hours,” leaving that standard open to interpretation. Operation is also limited to roads with speed limits of 35 miles per hour or less, provided the cart is equipped with an amber strobe light visible from 500 feet.
Penalties and Violations
Violations would carry fines starting at $100 for a first offense, increasing to $150 for a second, and $250 for a third offense.
After a third offense, registration may be revoked, and the owner or family member would be prohibited from registering a cart for city use for two years.
The ordinance appears to place responsibility on the registered owner, even in cases where the owner may not be the individual operating the cart at the time of the violation.
Exceptions and Event Use
The ordinance includes exemptions for City workers, event staff, volunteers, first responders, and the general public during festival events.
However, it does not clearly define what qualifies as a festival, who determines when an event is approved, and when these exemptions apply.
This creates some inconsistency with golf cart safety concerns, as golf cart use would be restricted under normal conditions but broadly allowed during certain high-traffic events.
Liability
The ordinance states that each person using recreational paths is responsible for their own actions, placing liability on the individual operator in the event of injury or damage.
It also notes that liability insurance coverage can vary and advises that anyone operating a golf cart on recreational paths, public streets, or other areas should verify their insurance coverage.
The ordinance references Georgia’s recommended minimum liability coverage of $25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident, and $25,000 for property damage, though it does not seem to require proof of insurance for registration.
What All of this Means for Barnesville
With a second reading scheduled for May 4, the future of golf cart use in Barnesville is still taking shape. For many residents, the question now becomes not whether golf carts will be allowed, but whether they will remain as practical and accessible as they have been for decades. Then residents may have to answer for themselves if golf carts are still worth owning in the city of Barnesville.
Below is the City of Barnesville’s proposed Ordinance No. 626.
Grant Turner is the editor of the Barnesville Buzz and an educator, coach, and writer based in Barnesville, Georgia. He shares stories that bridge community, faith, and personal growth. In addition to teaching and coaching, Grant is Director of Musical Worship and a Sunday School teacher at New Hope Baptist Church in Zebulon, Georgia. He lives in Barnesville with his wife, Haley.
