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When in Collier County .... do as the Goodlanders do.

Golf carts may not be zooming around Isles of Capri en masse, but islanders are taking a cue from neighboring Goodland to get their own rides street legal.

Representatives from Isles of Capri recently went before the Collier County Commission seeking to amend the county’s golf cart ordinance to include the island town.

Ann B. Hall, representing the Isles of Capri Civic Association, said that there are about 10 golf carts in use throughout the four interconnecting islands that make up the small community.

"I don’t think all of them (the golf cart owners) know that driving golf carts is illegal. However we know that it is," Hall told commissioners. "Having a set of rules, we could have a better handle on governing golf cart use."

Last year county commissioners reviewed the golf cart issue after Goodlanders started getting ticketed for driving around in their electric carts, which residents said they’d been doing for years without penalty.

In December, commissioners agreed to let Goodlanders legally ride their golf carts around the small island community.

But there were some strings attached.

Restrictions in the Collier law include only allowing golf carts in designated areas of Goodland during daylight, requiring that residents who want to take their carts out for a spin must be at least 16 years old and have a valid driver’s license.

Cart owners also had to get liability insurance and properly register their vehicle with the county.

Those unable to provide proof of insurance or a driver’s license could be face getting cited by the Collier County Sheriff’s Office, said Assistant County Attorney Scott Teach.

Several road signs alerting motorists to watch out for golf carts were placed throughout Goodland and the town’s speed limit was lowered to 20 mph as part of the ordinance.

Hall’s presentation received a warm reception from most of the commission, but Commissioner Frank Halas said he had doubts about the request due to safety and wondered how deputies could effectively enforce the ordinance.

"It needs further study," said Halas. "I think that it’s going to be difficult to enforce."

On a 4-1 vote, commissioners agreed to consider Hall’s request for an amendment, with Halas dissenting.

Commissioners are scheduled to vote on the request at their June 12 meeting.

Hall said she’s not declaring victory just yet.

"We won’t know until June," said Hall. "We don’t want to create an unsafe place in our community whatsoever. But we’d (like) to legalize things that are going on, we don’t like having things going on that are not legal. We think this would help give us a handle on that."