fully street legal possible??????

b00sted2j

ive searched around and can only seem to find laws and things that say a golf cart cant go over 35 miles an hour. is it possible to make it fully street legal? im building a gsxr600 cart and will add blinkers and lights etc. but was wondering if it was possible and if it is what would need to be done. i would be happy to register it and get a plate, cause it would be capable of speeds for the highway (not saying i would do that alot tho) and would love to take it around town.

BGW

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arcitech

Street legal only applies to your local laws. City ordinances regarding maximum speeds and the streets that carts can be driven on are different for each city and parts of cities in some states. State laws and federal safety regulations will apply on the highway. In some states it is possible to register a 3 wheeled cart as a motorcycle, all rules regarding helmets and safety inspections would apply. Every state has similar requirements for DOT safety glass, wipers, horn, lights, blinkers, bumpers, tires and just about everything else. Even if you meet those requirements, there is still the requirement for some kind of VIN, and if your cart doesn't meet minimum safety standards for cars built in the same year, they can say no to a plate. It is up to you to do the research for your locality and find out if it is possible.

We know the real reason you want to drive on the street...we know...

arcitech

This is kind of old, but it is the governing document for vehicles operating on streets and highways. City ordinances can get away with allowing LSV,s as long as the max speed restriction and minimum safety items are applied.

http://www.nhtsa.gov/cars/rules/import/fmvss/index.html

Ol Jake

Vehicle ratings | News | Consumer brochures & videos | Research & stats | Laws & regs | Status Report newsletter
Low-speed vehicles
August 2010


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Low-speed vehicle: has a speed of at least 20 but not more than 25 mph, is used primarily for short trips and recreational purposes, and has some safety equipment such as lights, reflectors, mirrors, parking brake, windshield, and safety belts
Passenger car: must comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, including crashworthiness standards
Medium-speed vehicle: has a speed of at least 30 but not more than 35 mph and has some safety equipment such as lights, reflectors, mirrors, parking brake, windshield, and safety belts
Golf cart: designed and manufactured for operation on a golf course
Minitruck: sold as off-road vehicles for farms and construction sites and are far smaller than conventional on-road small trucks; can reach top speeds of 55 mph or more, but many have governors to limit their speed to 25 mph In 1998 the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) established a limited set of safety standards for low-speed vehicles (LSVs) intended to apply to vehicles used "to make short trips for shopping, social, and recreational purposes primarily within retirement or other planned communities with golf courses." To qualify as an LSV, a vehicle must have 4 wheels and a top speed of at least 20 mph, but it cannot exceed 25 mph.

LSVs are exempt from most federal safety standards that apply to motor vehicles, and they are not required to meet any criteria for vehicle crashworthiness. Each LSV must be equipped with headlamps, taillamps, stop lamps, reflectors, mirrors, parking brake, windshield, and seat belts.

States, not NHTSA, are responsible for regulating the operation of motor vehicles on public roads and for handling LSV titling and registration. Most states allow LSVs to attain speeds no greater than 25 mph on roadways with speed limits of no more than 35 mph. Four states (Connecticut, Mississippi, Montana, and Pennsylvania) do not have statutes allowing the use of LSVs on their public roads. Many states allow their departments of transportation or local jurisdictions to restrict the use of LSVs on their roads.

The chart below describes the roads on which LSVs are permitted and the top legally attainable speeds.

TableMap: roads on which low-speed vehicles are permittedState On which roads are low-speed vehicles permitted? What is the top speed permissible for low-speed vehicles?
Alabama roads on which a low speed vehicle would not impede the normal and reasonable movement of traffic not specified
Alaska local ordinance may allow use on roads with a posted speed limit of 45 mph or less; otherwise roads with a posted limit of 35 mph or less 25 mph
Arizona roads with a posted speed limit of 35 mph or less 25 mph
Arkansas roads on which a low speed vehicle would not impede the normal and reasonable movement of traffic not specified
California roads with a posted speed limit of 35 mph or less 25 mph
Colorado roads with a posted speed limit of 35 mph or less 25 mph
Connecticut no state law no state law
Delaware roads, other than dual highways in unincorporated areas, where the posted speed limit is 35 mph or less 25 mph
District of Columbia roads on which a low speed vehicle would not impede the normal and reasonable movement of traffic 25 mph
Florida roads with a posted speed limit of 35 mph or less 25 mph
Georgia roads with a posted speed limit of 35 mph or less 25 mph
Hawaii roads with a posted speed limit of 35 mph or less 25 mph
Idaho roads with a posted speed limit of 35 mph or less 25 mph
Illinois roads with a posted speed limit of 30 mph or less 25 mph
Indiana roads with a posted speed limit of 35 mph or less 35 mph
Iowa roads with a posted speed limit of 35 mph or less 25 mph
Kansas roads with a posted speed limit of 30 mph or less 25 mph
Kentucky roads with a posted speed limit of 35 mph or less 25 mph
Louisiana roads with a posted speed limit of 35 mph or less 25 mph
Maine roads with a posted speed limit of 35 mph or less 35 mph
Maryland roads with a posted speed limit of 30 mph or less 25 mph
Massachusetts roads with a posted speed limit of 30 mph or less 25 mph
Michigan roads with a posted speed limit of 35 mph or less 25 mph
Minnesota roads with a posted speed limit of 35 mph or less 25 mph
Mississippi no state law no state law
Missouri roads with a posted speed limit of 35 mph or less 25 mph
Montana no state law no state law
Nebraska local option 25 mph
Nevada roads with a posted speed limit of 35 mph or less 25 mph
New Hampshire roads with a posted speed limit of 35 mph or less 25 mph
New Jersey roads with a posted speed limit of 25 mph or less; the commissioner may permit use on specified roads where the posted speed limit is greater than 25 mph but not greater than 35 mph 25 mph
New Mexico roads with a posted speed limit of 35 mph or less 25 mph
New York roads with a posted speed limit of 35 mph or less 25 mph
North Carolina roads with a posted speed limit of 35 mph or less 25 mph
North Dakota roads with a posted speed limit of 35 mph or less 25 mph
Ohio roads with a posted speed limit of 35 mph or less 25 mph
Oklahoma roads with a posted speed limit of 35 mph or less 25 mph
Oregon roads with a posted speed limit of 35 mph or less 25 mph
Pennsylvania no state law no state law
Rhode Island roads on Prudence Island with a posted speed limit of 25 mph or less during the hours of 6:00 am through 6:00 pm 25 mph
South Carolina roads with a posted speed limit of 35 mph or less 25 mph
South Dakota roads with a posted speed limit of 35 mph or less 25 mph
Tennessee roads with a posted speed limit of 35 mph or less 25 mph
Texas roads with a posted speed limit of 45 mph or less 35 mph
Utah roads with a posted speed limit of 35 mph or less 25 mph
Vermont roads with a posted speed limit of 35 mph or less 25 mph
Virginia roads with a posted speed limit of 35 mph or less 25 mph
Washington roads with a posted speed limit of 35 mph or less 25 mph
West Virginia roads within the corporate limits of a municipality where the speed limit is 25 mph or less 25 mph
Wisconsin local option may allow use on roads with a posted speed limit of 35 mph or less 25 mph
Wyoming non-interstate highways on which the vehicle is capable of achieving the maximum speed limit not specified

'The DiamondBak'
'95' Jacobsen GXJ-810D

arcitech

Looks like you will have to move to Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Montana, Mississippi or Wyoming!