Converting to Street Legal LSV
We are street legal experts!
For a golf car to be considered a low speed vehicle (LSV), three things must be true:
- The golf car must have DOT mandated safety accessories
- The golf car must be registered, titled and tagged, with a VIN
- The golf car must be properly insured
Some manufacturer’s, such as ICON, create factory built low speed vehicles (in addition to golf cars), which means they already have the required accessories and a VIN.
Affordable Golf Cars has two dealer’s licenses to sell factory built LSVs as well convert golf cars to LSVs. Regardless of which way you obtain an LSV, Affordable Golf Cars makes the process easy for you!
The process of converting a golf cart to an LSV includes many steps. First, it’s important to select the right golf car. Factors to consider include the speed, age, and performance of the cart.
Since LSVs are required to go not less than 20 mph and not greater than 25 mph, be sure your cart is “high speed”. Depending on the age and make/model of the cart, high speed can be achieved through adding a high speed motor (for older carts), or simply adding a high speed chip/code. The industry standard for high speed is typically 20 mph. Older carts usually only achieve 11-13 mph. Before adding a high speed motor to an older cart, consider whether it’s prudent to spend the money on LSV conversion since older carts are more likely to incur additional expenses for repairs.
Most golf car brands now contain an AC (alternate current) motor, rather than the traditional DC motor. This means you’ll have the torque needed to go over bridges, while not losing speed.
Once you’ve selected a cart, Affordable Golf Cars will assess what safety features the cart already has and what additional accessories to add, to meet Florida LSV conversion requirements.
Safety Accessories Required:
- Head, Tail and brake lights
- Electric Horn
- Turn signals
- Seat belts for each seat
- Parking brake
- Slow Moving Vehicle triangle with tag light
- AS4 Windshield
- Windshield wiper
- Exterior mirror mounted on driver’s side AND EITHER exterior mounted on the passenger side OR interior mirror
- Top speed greater than 20 mph, less than 25 mph
- Reflectors, one on each rear side and one on rear
- Visible sticker: “This vehicle must not be operated on the public roads at a speed more than 25 miles per hour.”
After installing the necessary accessories, Affordable Golf Cars will create and submit the application packet to the Palmetto DMV, requesting an inspection appointment. During the inspection, the cart is assigned a 9 digit VIN. The owner of the cart must then secure Florida auto insurance for a low speed vehicle, with Personal Injury Protection and Property Damage. Once the proper insurance is presented, Affordable Golf Cars will request a title, registration, and license plate from the tax collector office. The golf car has now been successfully converted to a street legal LSV!
