How to Register a Golf Cart in Florida: Converting a Golf Cart to a Street Legal LSV

What Is the Difference Between a Golf Cart and an LSV?

Florida tells them apart by design and top speed. Under F.S. 320.01(22), a golf cart is "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 miles per hour." Under 320.01(41), a low-speed vehicle is "any four-wheeled vehicle whose top speed is greater than 20 miles per hour but not greater than 25 miles per hour," and it must comply with the safety standards in 49 C.F.R. s. 571.500.

For a fuller side-by-side, see Street Legal LSV vs. Golf Cart in Florida.

Why Can't a Plain Golf Cart Be Registered?

Because Florida doesn't title or register golf carts at all. FLHSMV's procedure for tax collectors and license plate agents, TL-63, states that "golf carts are NOT allowed to be titled or registered," and that NHTSA allows a golf cart to be converted to a low-speed vehicle. A golf cart stays limited to designated, signed cart roads under F.S. 316.212. Adding lights or a windshield doesn't change its legal status. It becomes an LSV only after the conversion is inspected and the vehicle is titled.

How Do You Convert a Golf Cart to an LSV?

Finish the conversion first, then apply. FLHSMV says the converted golf cart must be street legal before you apply for title and registration. These are the steps as FLHSMV and TL-63 describe them.

Step 1: Add the federal Standard No. 500 equipment

Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 500 (49 CFR 571.500) sets the equipment for low-speed vehicles, and F.S. 316.2122(1)(b) lists the same items. Form HSMV 86064 asks you to certify that the vehicle has:

• Headlamps, stop lamps, tail lamps, and front and rear turn signal lamps
• A rear license plate bracket with a lamp that lights the plate
• A windshield of AS1 or AS4 glazing, plus a windshield cleaning device
• A Type 1 or Type 2 seat belt at each designated seat (FMVSS No. 209)
• A driver side exterior mirror and either a passenger side exterior mirror or an interior mirror
• A parking brake
• Red reflex reflectors: one on each side as far to the rear as practicable and one on the rear
• A horn and a slow moving vehicle emblem
• A top speed greater than 20 mph but not greater than 25 mph (gas or electric)

Step 2: Gather the paperwork

FLHSMV's Low Speed Vehicles page lists:

• Four photos of the converted vehicle: front, back, and both sides
• The Manufacturer's Certificate of Origin or a bill of sale for the golf cart
• Form HSMV 84490, Statement of Builder, completed by you and the FLHSMV compliance examiner or inspector
• Form HSMV 86064, Affidavit for Golf Cart Modified to a Low Speed Vehicle
• Original bills of sale or receipts for all conversion parts, in your name
• Vehicle weight (TL-63 says standard weights may be used: 980 pounds for 2 passengers, 1,240 for 4, and 1,460 for 6, so a certified weight slip is no longer required)
• Form HSMV 82040, Application for Certificate of Title
• Proof of Florida insurance, at least $10,000 PDL and $10,000 PIP
• Sales tax, or sales tax exemption information, for the cart and parts
• A driver license, ID card, or passport, and the fees

We checked FLHSMV's site on November 3, 2026, and HSMV 84490 is still the current Statement of Builder form for this process.

Step 3: FLHSMV VIN verification and inspection

TL-63 says the application goes to the FLHSMV Motorist Services Regional Office that serves your county. A compliance examiner reviews the paperwork and schedules an inspection (TL-63 describes a virtual inspection). If everything is in order, FLHSMV assigns an "FLA" VIN. The examiner signs Section V of Form HSMV 84490 to attest to the VIN verification and inspection. Find your regional office on FLHSMV's locations page.

Step 4: Title, registration, plate, and insurance

With the FLA VIN, the vehicle is titled and registered as an LSV. You pay the inspection, title, plate, and registration fees, and an initial registration fee if it applies. FLHSMV says the registration fee varies by weight. TL-63 says the title shows the conversion year as the vehicle year and "ASPT" as the make. FLHSMV warns buyers that a converted cart's title year doesn't show when the cart was built. Keep the PIP and PDL coverage in force, since F.S. 316.2122(1)(c) requires an LSV to be registered and insured.

Where Do You Go in Lake, Sumter, and Marion Counties?

The county tax collector handles title and registration; FLHSMV handles the inspection and VIN. Call ahead to ask which steps each office handles and whether you need an appointment.

• Lake County: FLHSMV lists all Lake County motor vehicle offices as tax collector service centers. They include the Leesburg Service Center at 1720 N. Citrus Blvd., Leesburg, and the Tavares Service Center at 1800 David Walker Drive, Tavares (352-343-9602). A tax collector service fee is added (FLHSMV Lake County offices).
• Sumter County: The Sumter County Tax Collector serves Sumter residents at The Villages office (8033 E CR 466), Wildwood (7375 Powell Road, Suite 135), Bushnell, and Sumterville. Its forms page includes a "Golf Cart Converted to Low Speed Vehicle" packet.
• Marion County: The Marion County Tax Collector issues Florida vehicle titles at its branch offices and lists the Statement of Builder on its online forms page.

If you live inside The Villages, your county depends on the parcel, so use the tax collector for the county where you live. For local cart roads, see Florida Golf Cart Rules Explained. For coverage questions, see Florida Golf Cart Insurance and Registration.

Checklist Before You Start

1. Confirm the finished vehicle will have a top speed above 20 mph and up to 25 mph.
2. Keep every parts receipt in your name.
3. Take the four photos after the work is done.
4. Buy PIP and PDL coverage before you apply.
5. Download the current forms from FLHSMV or your tax collector, not a third-party site.
6. Check your HOA or community rules for private paths and streets.