(BAY MINETTE, Ala.) Oct. 9, 2008 -- It's Nolan Yarborough's answer to high gas prices. "I drive this thing all over the place," he says, "to church, even the grocery strore"
But are they legal? For the past few months, the Baldwin County Probate Judge has been issuing license plates to golf carts and four wheelers like they were cars. Fifty-five bucks for tag registration ... a street legal kit from the dealer....and off Nolan went.
"We made sure that it was okay," he says, "we asked the dealer, our financer, and one night I asaked a police man." Even the Bay Minette Police Department has one they use for meters. But the Baldwin County Sheriff's Office says all of them are about to come to a screeching halt.
"In the state of Alabama they are not a legal vehicle," says Sheriff Hoss Mack, "they don;t conform to the safety laws and so we are going to enfore the law and begin ticketing them."
Bay Minette's has already been issued a citation by a State Trooper. According to an opinion issued by the Attorney General, golf carts are not a legal vehicle to drive on the street- no matter what you have stuck on your cart.
"Some people think you can add on to a cart and make it legal to drive in the street," he says, "not so." Sheriff Mack says driving one on city streets of side walks will get you a wreckless driving ticket and four points on your driver's liscence. Nolan says he is willing to risk a ticket until a five hundred dollar ticket proves his investment isn't cost effective. Then, he says, he'll be expecting a full refund.
