street legal golf carts

kathamp

New Member
Hello to all,
I hope you allow women into your forums. I have been reading as a guest for awhile now. I took the leap and bought myself a new 2009 EZGo Custom. Mainly for having fun with the grandkids. I went to the full extreme and got my cart street legal, just so I could drive it thru our small community out to my kids with out having to trailer it. I did alot of TXdot searching, etc to see what I needed to get this done. Got all the forms printed that I needed.....then the fun began. The chief of police and I went round and round. Long story short....I got it done. Only to find out that
effective Sept. 1, 2009, ALL golf carts will NOT be allowed to be registered anymore. (At least here in Texas) I got in just under the wire, at least for a year.
I wasn't sure where to post this info, but maybe someone will find it useful.
Kathy
 

Gonzo

Tennessee Squire
Welcome Kathy,
As far as I know we are a equal opportunity forum. The more the merrier. I aplogize in advance if any of the jokes I post are offensive. I usually pass them by the wifey and then check her scowl-meter to see how sexist they are.
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That does stink about your cart though.
 

HotRodCarts

Cartaholic
Welcome to the Cartaholics...

That's a bummer about the law changing in Texas for steet legal golf carts.
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We allow anyone on this forum. Like Gonzo said the more the merrier.
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kathamp

New Member
Hey guys (I am assuming all that replied were guys)
Thanks for the warm "Welcome"

Are there any other "female" Cartaholics in these forums??
If there are I would like to hear from you.
I like to browse around and see what you'll (do you like my "southern drawl") talk about.
But don't count on me to reply to any of the repair type posts, cuz if I get in my cart and
turn the key on and push the gas (mine is gas) and it doesn't go....I'm just up the creek
until hubby can fix it. The grandkids drive it more than I do.....but that is kinda the reason I got it. lol
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dougmcp

New Member
Welcome to the forum Kathy. If you haven't already done some of these things, it may be helpful.
Perhaps your golf needs to be reclassified to a neighborhood electric vehicle and have license plates.
Depending on your Texas rules, most states require that NEV's adhere to a national standard for NEV's which is Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 500 (49 C.F.R. Section 571.500)
Street legal carts normally have a 17 digit VIN and headlights, tail lights, signal lights, horn, seat belts, DOT windshield, rear view mirror(s), wiper and a speed of between 21-25 MPH.
The national laws normally restrict NEV's to streets with a posted limit of 35mph or less and Texas has increased that to 45mph or less as in Bill S.B. 129 (Sept. 1, 2009).
If your cart is street legal then you should have no issues unless they are local. If it is not street legal and you bought it as that, you may need to take it up with your dealer.
It looks a little like Texas is supporting and moving in the direction of more NEV's but with some restrictions, especially when it comes to sharing a roadway with other vehicles. There may be local ordinances in place for safety that will not allow use of NEV's on certain roadways as in bill S.B. No. 2018 (Sept. 1, 2009).
 

Gonzo

Tennessee Squire
I wrote to TXDOT just to see what they would say. Here is the response I got:

Unfortunately, beginning September 1, 2009, golf carts cannot be titled or registered in Texas. Thank you for your inquiry.
Leslie Lee
Texas Department of Transportation
Vehicle Titles and Registration Division
Correspondence Services
(512) 467-5912
 

dougmcp

New Member
I agree that "golf carts" are probably not legal and it needs to registered as a NEV. If you ask TXDOT about golf carts, that it the answer you would expect.
These rules are under review at this point but here are definitions from the TXDOT website:
Rules for Golf Carts

A vehicle is classified as a golf cart if it:

* has no less than three wheels,
* has a normal maximum speed of between 15-25 mph, and
* is manufactured primarily for operation on golf courses.

A golf cart may be driven without registration:

* within two miles of a golf course,
* on a public or private beach,
* inside city-designated areas of a master planned community, if a city or county ordinance permits such usage, and
* during daylight hours.

A registered golf cart may be operated on public streets if:

* it is manufactured with a maximum speed of 25 mph,
* displays a proper "Slow Moving" vehicle emblem, and
* is insured.

To title and register your golf cart, take the following to your county tax office:

* Evidence of ownership, such as a Manufacturer Certificate of Origin (MCO), title, bill of sale or invoice.
* Completed Form VTR 130-U, and
* proof of insurance.

If your golf cart does not have a valid VIN, one may be assigned from a regional VTR office

Rules for NEV's
All-Terrain Vehicles, Golf Carts and Neighborhood Electric Vehicles

Low-Speed Vehicles (LSVs), also known as Neighborhood Electric Vehicles (NEVs), and golf carts are regulated by state and federal laws. Lawmakers are reviewing the registration of golf carts and current state law.

Registered, titled and insured LSVs and NEVs may be legally driven at a maximum speed of 25 mph on public roads with a posted speed limit of 35 mph or less, unless a city or county ordinance prohibits their operation.

A vehicle is classified as an LSV or NEV if it has:

* Neighborhood Electric Vehiclea normal maximum speed of 20-25 mph,
* seat belts,
* head and tail lights,
* a windshield,
* a parking brake,
* turn signals,
* rear-view mirrors
* brake lights,
* reflectors, and
* a valid Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)

To title and register your LSV or NEV, take the following to your county tax office:

* evidence of ownership, such as a Manufacturer Certificate of Origin or title,
* a completed Form VTR 130-U, and
* proof of insurance.


The latest information I can get has a similar clause as we have in California about the 17 digit VIN number.
This is from the registration and title bulletin dated Jan/09:

Title Requirements for Neighborhood Electric Vehicles

The title requirements of a neighborhood electric vehicle are the same requirements prescribed for any motor vehicle.

* NEVs are required to be titled.
* The manufacturer's certificate of origin (MCO) must contain a statement that the vehicle meets Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 500 (49 CFR§571.500) for low-speed vehicles in addition to the information required on all MCOs.
* The body style for a Neighborhood Electric Vehicle is shown as “NV NHOOD ELEC” in the drop-down selection list while processing the title in RTS.

Evidence of Ownership of Neighborhood Electric Vehicles:

Acceptable documents for evidence of ownership for neighborhood electric vehicles include Certificates of Title indicating a body style of neighborhood electric vehicle (“NV” in Texas) or a manufacturer’s certificate of origin with a statement that the vehicle meets Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 500 (49 C.F.R. §571.500).

Some neighborhood electric vehicles in Texas were previously titled with the body style of golf cart (GC) and out-of-state titles may show other body styles. In order to title and register these vehicles as neighborhood electric vehicles (NV) you must verify that the vehicle has a conforming 17 digit Vehicle Identification Number. If a vehicle does not meet this criteria it cannot be titled or registered as a neighborhood electric vehicle.
 

kathamp

New Member
dougmcp
Everything you posted is what I took with me to register my GC. But I also took a VTR-471 which is for "slow moving vehicles". I registered mine as a smv cuz then I did not have to get it inspected. smv's are exempt from inspections.
I just have to display one of the orange triangle signs. I do not have seatbelts (yet), blinkers, etc. Not to say I won't eventually put all that stuff on mine. They gave me a windshield tag and 2 license plates for my cart and of course told me that after sept. 1, 2009 carts would no longer be able to be registered in Texas.
 
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