Side-by-sides — also called Utility Task Vehicles (UTVs) — are built for off-road work and recreation, with rugged suspension, roll cages, and real cargo capacity. In New Jersey, getting one street legal follows a similar path to golf carts: it typically has to qualify as a low-speed vehicle (LSV) with the right safety equipment, title, registration, and insurance.
A UTV is a rugged, multi-passenger off-road vehicle with side-by-side seating, a protective roll cage, a steering wheel, and a cargo bed — built to handle demanding terrain on farms, worksites, and large properties. That's different from a golf cart's lighter, road-and-path-oriented design, but for on-road use in New Jersey, both categories generally need to meet the same low-speed vehicle standard to be driven legally on qualifying streets.
Low-speed vehicle classification generally limits vehicles to roads with posted speed limits at or below the threshold set by state LSV law, and NJ municipalities can add further restrictions on top of that. A street-legal UTV is meant for local, low-speed roads — not for highways or higher-speed arterial routes.
Street-legal UTVs are popular with property owners, farms, and rural or semi-rural residential communities that need a vehicle capable of both hauling cargo and legally driving between properties or short distances on local roads.
Only if it's built or upgraded to meet New Jersey's low-speed vehicle (LSV) requirements — including lighting, mirrors, a windshield, seat belts, and a VIN — then titled, registered, and insured through the NJMVC.
A UTV is a rugged, work-oriented vehicle with a roll cage and cargo bed, while a golf cart is lighter and more road/path oriented. Both generally need to meet the same LSV standard to be street legal in New Jersey.Utility Task Vehicles (UTV)
Yes. Low-speed vehicles are generally restricted to roads at or below a posted speed threshold, and individual New Jersey municipalities may add further local restrictions.