How To Make Your Golf Cart Street Legal In Florida

How To Make Your Golf Cart Street Legal In Florida?

How To Make Your Golf Cart Street Legal In Florida

We get this all the time … ” Is this cart street legal? ” or “How do I make my golf cart street legal?” So this article was just an obvious one I needed to write to cover the basics for our customers and offer the information to get you on the same page with the Florida DMV via the FLHSMV. Here is an Affidavit for you to print and sign for them after conversion is complete. ( See below where you will need to take the vehicle for an inspection )

Also this makes for a great check list to make sure you are prepared for the conversion with all the parts required to do so.  The information below is directly from the Department of Motor Vehicles ” Guide To Owning A Low Speed Vehicle. ” Click this link for a printable copy or read on.

Basic Requirements for Street Legal Compliance

A low speed vehicle (LSV) is a vehicle with a top speed greater than 20 MPH,but not greater than 25 MPH. LSVs must be registered, titled and insured with personal injury protection (PIP) and property damage liability (PDL) insurance. Any person operating an LSV must have a valid driver license. LSVs may only be operated on streets where the posted speed limit is 35 MPH or less. LSVs must be equipped with the following safety equipment:

How To Make Your Golf Cart Street Legal In Florida Check List

Need to order parts? Find all the things you may need to convert your cart to street legal status here. Remember all orders over $99 always ship free… Shop Now for street legal golf cart parts! 

Basic Golf Cart Usage By Law

Golf carts are defined in section 320.01(22), Florida Statutes, as “a motor vehicle that is designed and manufactured for operation on a golf course for sporting or recreational purposes and that is not capable of exceeding speeds of 20 MPH.” Golf carts may be operated on roadways that are designated for golf carts with a posted speed limit of 30 MPH or less. Golf carts are not titled or registered and are not required to be insured with PIP and PDL coverage. A person must be 14 years or older to operate a golf cart.

Converting Your Golf Cart To Street Legal Use

Prior to titling and registering a converted golf cart, the vehicle must be inspected and assigned a VIN at a Motorist Services Regional Office. The converted golf cart must be street-legal before applying for title and registration. You can trailer the converted golf cart to a Motorist Services Regional Office in your area and present the following documents and fees for an inspection, VIN assignment, title and registration:

• Manufacturer’s Certificate of Origin or a bill of sale for the golf cart form HSMV 84490
(Statement of Builder) completed by customer and compliance examiner/inspector;
• Form HSMV 86064 (Affidavit for Golf Cart Modified to a Low Speed Vehicle);
• Original bill(s)s of sale or receipt(s) for all parts used to convert the golf cart;
• Certified weight slip for the converted golf cart.
• Form HSMSV 82040 (Application for Title);
• Proof of Florida insurance (minimum $10,000 PDL and $10,000 PIP);
• Sales tax or sales tax exemption information for all parts;
• Identification – driver license, ID card or passport; and
Applicable fees,
– Inspection fee – Initial registration fee, if applicable
– Title fee – Registration fee (varies by weight of vehicle)
– Plate fee

Street legal Status For All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs)

ATVs are titled vehicles, but not requiring registration. Nor do they require to be insured with PIP and PDL coverage. (Sections 261.20, 316.2074 and 316.2123, Florida Statutes) As per Florida law all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) may only be operated on unpaved roadways where the posted speed limit is less than 35 MPH and only during daylight hours. Anyone under the age of 16 operating an ATV on public land must be under the supervision of an adult and must have proof of completion of a Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (DACS) approved safety course. ATV operators and riders under the age of 16 must wear a USDOT approved safety helmet and eye protection.

Hopefully this Basic How To Guide – Step by Step – was helpful in getting our customer the information they need to get their new toy compliant with state laws and street legal. Have fun out there but be safe…..

15 thoughts on “How To Make Your Golf Cart Street Legal In Florida?

  1. Hey Pete. I have a golf cart I converted myself and just need to get the inspection done to make it Street legal. Is there any way that you know of to have an inspector come to me? I don’t have a trailer and the nearest MSRO is over an hour away. Thanks.

    1. Jake – It will need to go to a inspection facility. They only do it at specific locations so call first to confirm. Also you will need to get the vehicle weight – so local CAT scale or weigh station at truck stop will be needed. Probably renting a uhaul trailer will be your best bet if you or a friend does not have one.

  2. Hello. I purchased a golf cart at an auction. The golf cart has everything noted above except for seat belts which I can add. I do not have an MSO, but I have the receipt from the auction. It has a regular golf cart windshield. I had been told that it needs to be a DOT approved windshield and also have wipers. Is this accurate or just a regular fold down windshield fine?

    1. Richard – Thanks for the inquiry…. DOT rated windshields are available in single piece or two piece fold down models. And yes you will have to drill a nice hole in your new windshield for a manual wiper as well.

      Pete’s team

  3. This is a bit of the beaten path, but I’m hoping you can help me. My dad signed over the Florida title of his LSV to me. I am “snowbird” and a Mississippi resident. I’ve been told by both of the license branch offices in my county that the state of Mississippi won’t issue a title on this LSV or give me a so-called golf cart title unless I present a copy of the MSO. I don’t have this, nor does my dad. He’s had this LSV for quite a few years. The Mississippi officials say that Florida DMV has this on file and I should be able to print it, but I can’t seem to find that info either, nor have I been able to get an answer from anybody I’ve yet spoken to at the Florida DMV. Do you know how I can get this the MSO? (Oh, btw, I also asked Florida if I could just get a Florida title since I live there for part of the year. They said no; to get a Florida title I have to show a Florida driver’s license.) Thanks for the help!

    1. Caryl – Sorry about your luck here.. sounds like I would sell it in Florida , and then buy one to title and reg. in Miss. Each state has their own rules and regs about golf cart use and street legal status…. as for an MSO – that would have come from the manufacturer to the dealer when it was new to register and title for the first time… after that the title acts as the vehicle for ownership and history thereof.

      Pete

  4. Where in Palm Beach or Martin county can the golf cart be weighed and get a certified weight slip? Thanks

    1. I called Cat scale. They cannot weigh less than 2000lbs.

      1. Understood… You would simply weight the vehicles with tow vehicle trailer and cart in the trailer…. then remove the cart from trailer and weigh again….

        Pete’s team

    2. Thank you for your inquiry… Any certified CAT scale that will print a weigh ticket will be good….

      Pete’s team

  5. Hey great article. I was wondering if I wanted to install an aftermarket electric motor and a lithium battery bank so the golf cart went say… over 25mph, would I be able to register and title the vehicle like a normal motorized vehicle?

    1. Pat – Sure thing… they are not concerned with drive train components only the check list of safety requirements like windshield, wipers, horn, turn signals, seat belts and such.

      Pete’s team

  6. Does the golf cart have to be converted to go over 25 mph?

  7. HI Pete,
    I came across your site while researching how to convert a golf cart to an LSV. We recently purchased an EZ-GO express S4 and love it. We drive it in our neighborhood to the pool, but recently police started patrolling our neighborhood because some neighbors have complained. The city and police aren’t sure what to do, but have told everyone that we cannot operate our carts on public roads. Unfortunately, our neighborhood roads are maintained by the city, so they are public roads. I’m in Georgia and the state code gives requirements for LSV’s and also defines golf carts. I was hoping that as long as my golf cart met the LSV requirements that I would be able to take the cart at least in my neighborhood. I read that the state of South Carolina prohibits the conversion of golf carts to LSV’s, but do not see any such thing in the Georgia code. I was wondering what experience you have in fighting these kinds of situation? The local city does not have an ordinance that allows or prevents LSV’s nor the conversion of golf carts to LSV’s. They do not know the laws or how to enforce the laws. They just think that if they see a golf cart, that it is not street legal.

    Thank you!

    Jeff

  8. I need a place to take my golf cart to get inspected.

Comments are closed.

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15 thoughts on “How To Make Your Golf Cart Street Legal In Florida?

  1. Hey Pete. I have a golf cart I converted myself and just need to get the inspection done to make it Street legal. Is there any way that you know of to have an inspector come to me? I don’t have a trailer and the nearest MSRO is over an hour away. Thanks.

    1. Jake – It will need to go to a inspection facility. They only do it at specific locations so call first to confirm. Also you will need to get the vehicle weight – so local CAT scale or weigh station at truck stop will be needed. Probably renting a uhaul trailer will be your best bet if you or a friend does not have one.

  2. Hello. I purchased a golf cart at an auction. The golf cart has everything noted above except for seat belts which I can add. I do not have an MSO, but I have the receipt from the auction. It has a regular golf cart windshield. I had been told that it needs to be a DOT approved windshield and also have wipers. Is this accurate or just a regular fold down windshield fine?

    1. Richard – Thanks for the inquiry…. DOT rated windshields are available in single piece or two piece fold down models. And yes you will have to drill a nice hole in your new windshield for a manual wiper as well.

      Pete’s team

  3. This is a bit of the beaten path, but I’m hoping you can help me. My dad signed over the Florida title of his LSV to me. I am “snowbird” and a Mississippi resident. I’ve been told by both of the license branch offices in my county that the state of Mississippi won’t issue a title on this LSV or give me a so-called golf cart title unless I present a copy of the MSO. I don’t have this, nor does my dad. He’s had this LSV for quite a few years. The Mississippi officials say that Florida DMV has this on file and I should be able to print it, but I can’t seem to find that info either, nor have I been able to get an answer from anybody I’ve yet spoken to at the Florida DMV. Do you know how I can get this the MSO? (Oh, btw, I also asked Florida if I could just get a Florida title since I live there for part of the year. They said no; to get a Florida title I have to show a Florida driver’s license.) Thanks for the help!

    1. Caryl – Sorry about your luck here.. sounds like I would sell it in Florida , and then buy one to title and reg. in Miss. Each state has their own rules and regs about golf cart use and street legal status…. as for an MSO – that would have come from the manufacturer to the dealer when it was new to register and title for the first time… after that the title acts as the vehicle for ownership and history thereof.

      Pete

  4. Where in Palm Beach or Martin county can the golf cart be weighed and get a certified weight slip? Thanks

    1. I called Cat scale. They cannot weigh less than 2000lbs.

      1. Understood… You would simply weight the vehicles with tow vehicle trailer and cart in the trailer…. then remove the cart from trailer and weigh again….

        Pete’s team

    2. Thank you for your inquiry… Any certified CAT scale that will print a weigh ticket will be good….

      Pete’s team

  5. Hey great article. I was wondering if I wanted to install an aftermarket electric motor and a lithium battery bank so the golf cart went say… over 25mph, would I be able to register and title the vehicle like a normal motorized vehicle?

    1. Pat – Sure thing… they are not concerned with drive train components only the check list of safety requirements like windshield, wipers, horn, turn signals, seat belts and such.

      Pete’s team

  6. Does the golf cart have to be converted to go over 25 mph?

  7. HI Pete,
    I came across your site while researching how to convert a golf cart to an LSV. We recently purchased an EZ-GO express S4 and love it. We drive it in our neighborhood to the pool, but recently police started patrolling our neighborhood because some neighbors have complained. The city and police aren’t sure what to do, but have told everyone that we cannot operate our carts on public roads. Unfortunately, our neighborhood roads are maintained by the city, so they are public roads. I’m in Georgia and the state code gives requirements for LSV’s and also defines golf carts. I was hoping that as long as my golf cart met the LSV requirements that I would be able to take the cart at least in my neighborhood. I read that the state of South Carolina prohibits the conversion of golf carts to LSV’s, but do not see any such thing in the Georgia code. I was wondering what experience you have in fighting these kinds of situation? The local city does not have an ordinance that allows or prevents LSV’s nor the conversion of golf carts to LSV’s. They do not know the laws or how to enforce the laws. They just think that if they see a golf cart, that it is not street legal.

    Thank you!

    Jeff

  8. I need a place to take my golf cart to get inspected.

Comments are closed.