Getting a golf cart registered as a street legal LSV in Arizona is a fairly easy process, but the instructions are about as clear as mud. In Arizona, the most confusing part of the process is getting a title, which you will have to do in order to get a vin, registration, and plate. In this post I will clarify the street legal requirements and provide you with some clarity on the process to get your cart on the road!
Street Legal Parts
On paper, Arizona requires only a portion of the standard set of LSV Safety Equipment. The parts required by the state are headlights, tail/brake lights, and horn. Arizona is one of the few states that doesn’t require the most expensive part of the street legal conversion process, which is the DOT Windshield (Lucky!)
But does that mean you shouldn’t install other safety equipment like mirrors and turn signals? Absolutely not. When it comes to driving on the road, you shouldn’t risk you and your loved one’s safety over a few hundred dollars and a few hours of work. Having put hundreds of miles on my cart at home, I could not imagine not providing myself all of the same safety advantages that a car would provide. Driving on the road in an LSV is fairly dangerous as you don’t have airbags and the reinforcement provided in a typical automobile.
I would recommend installing all of the street legal parts required federally before you start the process for your own safety and to prevent any hiccups in the inspection and registration process. The most cost effective way of purchasing these parts (the electronics) is via a Street Legal Kit.
Process for obtaining a Title (Self vs 3rd Party)
Arizona treats your cart as basically a vehicle with a lost title, and you are going to need to get what’s called a “Bonded Title”. The bonded title is a process for getting a title for a vehicle which has either a lost title, or never had a title before. In this process you are proving that there are no lein holders, and also no one else that would argue that the vehicle is theirs.
There are 3rd party services like “Ez-Title Service” which simplify the state street legal process for you at a reasonable price. These providers allow for a one stop shop when it comes to doing the necessary inspection, acquiring the surety bond, completing paperwork, and then issuing the title and VIN at the end. At a minimum they will save you time transporting your cart to multiple locations and waiting at the DMV/MVD. These services typically run $300-400. The bond itself will cost around $100 and the title fee is insignificant – so you’re paying a few hundred dollars for the convenience which you’ll have to decide is worth it.
Bonded Title Step-By-Step
If you would like to avoid a third party and go through the steps yourself, then I will detail below the steps involved. At this time you should familiarize yourself with the Bond Title Application. As the steps in this application reflect the steps we will be discussing below.
Complete Vehicle Inspection
The first step, you will first need to have a “Level 1” Inspection done. This can be done at an MVD office, a law enforcement officer, or at a certified 3rd party location. You will need to trailer your cart to wherever your inspection takes place. When you get the inspection, tell them that you are doing it to get a bonded title. They will probably ask about VIN number but you will let them know that the golf cart only has a serial number. I would recommend bringing your Bill of Sale to this Inspection, which should include a serial number which matches the cart. They should make a note on the vehicle inspection form that indicates that an Arizona Serial number will be issued when it is titled. This number will become the VIN number which is important.
Proving Ownership/Lien Holder Notifications
If you are paying off your cart and have a loan to a dealership or bank, you will not be able to get a title issued until the lien has been released.
Typically when applying for a Bolded Title, there is are steps in the process which involve sending certified letters to the previous owners and lien holders. For the sake of this guide I am assuming that the cart has never had a VIN/title and that you’re converting a golf cart into a street legal LSV for the first time ever. For this reason, we will skip over the details of this ever so painful process.
Obtaining “Vehicle Value”
Continuing forward, you will bring all of these documents with you to the MVD, this includes the Inspection Report, Bill of Sale, Certified Letter Receipts/Responses. You will tell the MVD you’re getting a Bonded Title and need a vehicle value, which they will then provide to you on a form titled “Additional Information”.
Purchasing a Surety Bond
Once you get this value from the MVD, you will obtain a Surety Bond at 1.5 times the value. This Surety Bond can be obtained online through many various online retailers. The cost will be around $100-150.
Return to WVD for VIN & Title (and beyond)
Once purchased, you will bring the surety bond, a filled out Bold Title Application and all the other documents discussed previously back to the MVD. This time you will need to bring your golf cart (which has all of the street legal parts installed). It’s not a bad idea to bring all of the receipts for the street legal parts just for a complete documentation experience. Your golf cart will be inspected to ensure compliance with the street legal parts. The Arizona serial number then becomes the VIN for the golf cart and a plate is attached by the MVD. You can now celebrate because a title will be issued to you and you can then register and plate your cart.
Insurance
Arizona does not require proof of insurance to be provided at the time of registration, but you will need to get it as soon as possible in order to legally drive your fresh newly plated LSV. You will need to obtain the state minimum insurance limits the same as if you were driving a car.
Conclusion
The process for getting a golf cart registered as an LSV in Arizona is surprisingly simple. Once you wrap your head around what you need to do, your biggest hurdle will probably be the transportation of the cart itself to the inspection and then later the MVS to get the VIN. If using a 3rd party, you only need to transport your cart to and from their location which cuts down time spent towing and loading/unloading. The Bonded Title process is a strange method, but it’s effective and it works for getting you on the road. Some states put a hard stop to giving golf cart titles, so if you’re in Arizona, consider yourself lucky.
This free cheat sheet is a visual diagram that explains all of the steps and parts involved in a street legal LSV conversion.