Navigating the streets of Port Huron may soon involve more than just cars and bicycles as state lawmakers move to update rules for golf carts on local roadways. State Representative Joe Pavlov has introduced House Bill 5829, which is aimed at clearing a legal technicality in the Michigan Vehicle Code that has long prevented the city from authorizing the use of electric carts.
Under current state law, only municipalities with a population of less than 30,000 residents are eligible to adopt local ordinances for golf cart use. Because Port Huron’s population has historically exceeded that threshold, the city has remained off the list of eligible communities for years. Pavlov’s proposal seeks to update those requirements to reflect the most recent decennial census data, effectively granting the Port Huron City Council the legal authority to draft and implement its own regulations on golf carts
While the bill opens the door for local use, it includes several statewide safety mandates. Under the proposed rules, golf cart operators would need to be at least 16 years old with a valid driver’s license. Travel would be restricted to daylight hours and limited to roads with a speed limit of 30 miles per hour or less. Additionally, drivers would be prohibited from using sidewalks or passing between lines of traffic.
The state legislation serves only as a framework, and the final decision to allow golf carts would rest entirely with the Port Huron City Council. If the bill passes in Lansing, local leaders would still need to vote on a specific ordinance. During that process, the city would have the power to determine which specific safety features, such as turn signals, mirrors, or seatbelts, would be mandatory for local use. The city could also choose to maintain a local registry of all authorized operators. House Bill 5829 has been referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure for further consideration.
