Golf carts are mainly intended for use in golf courses and private properties. But what if you want to take your cart out on the road? You’ll need to have a VIN for that. So, do golf carts have VINs?
Most standard golf cart models don’t come with a VIN. VINs are only necessary for road-ready vehicles. Instead of VINs, golf carts have serial numbers, which are mostly interchangeable. Still, to drive a cart on the road, you need to register for a VIN.
Let’s look at golf cart VIN and serial numbers and where you can find them.
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How Are Golf Carts Identified?
All standard golf carts come with a serial number. With this number, you can track your vehicle, ensure maintenance is up to date, and find spare parts. Moreover, you can use the serial number to find upgrades for your golf cart.
Serial vs. VIN Number
While you can use both serial numbers and VINs to identify your cart, they’re not the same.
When the manufacturers make a cart, they issue all the different parts with the same number to make tracking the parts easier and ensure they end up in the right place. The 12-digit number is also necessary for shipping and sales.
A VIN is a little more complex. VIN stands for Vehicle Identification Number. The Department of Transportation issues the number to track all vehicles on the road.
The major difference between the two numbers is their permissions. For example, a VIN will allow you to drive your golf cart on the road, while a serial number won’t.
Understanding Your Golf Cart Serial Number
The serial number is a 12-digit unique identifier for your cart. Manufacturers assign these digits depending on a few factors. These include:
- Model of the cart
- Production date of the cart
- Origin of the cart
The first two letters of the serial number identify the model of the cart. Moving on to the next four digits, they tell you the year and month your cart left the production line. Lastly, the remaining six digits tell where the manufacturer produced the cart.
How to Find Your Golf Cart’s Serial Number?
If you want to find your golf cart serial number, you’ve come to the right place. Unfortunately, serial numbers are usually on display in an area that doesn’t get much action to ensure that you don’t scratch off the number over time.
It’s also hidden out of sight for security reasons, which makes finding the serial number a little tricky.
There are three major manufacturers of golf carts worldwide, E-Z-GO, Club Car, and Yamaha. Each one places their golf cart serial number in a designated spot.
E-Z-GO Golf Cart
On E-Z-GO golf carts, there are four different spots your serial number may be. So you may need to check all spots to find it.
- The base of the steering column (most common location)
- Main glove box compartment on the passenger side
- The mainframe of the cart under the front splash shield (directly behind the driver’s legs)
- Passenger side frame rail on the back of the cart
Club Car Golf Cart
With Club Car golf carts, there are two locations where the serial number may be.
- The side panel of the passenger seat floorboard
- The side panel on the driver’s side
Yamaha Golf Cart
Unlike E-Z-GO and Club Car, Yamaha golf carts are a little more complicated. Instead of a serial number, these carts come with a Primary ID number.
Each cart series Yamaha makes has a unique PID location. To find your PID, you need to know your golf cart series. With this information, you can go to the Find Your Model page and look up how to find the number.
What If You Can’t Find the Serial Number?
There are a couple of reasons why you may not find your golf cart’s serial number. These include:
- Relocation of the serial number tag during maintenance
- You scratched the serial number off
If you can’t find your serial number in the designated locations, you may want to scan the whole cart. Make sure you scan the entire surface.
It’s also possible that you scratched the serial number off. If that’s the case, you can find the serial number on your purchase receipt, or you can call the manufacturer.
How to Register Your Golf Cart for Road Use?
The only way to get a VIN on your golf cart is to register it for road use. To do that, you can follow these steps:
- Go to your local DMV and ask if golf cart registration is available in your area
- Fill out any forms and pick up the specifications manual
- Make any adjustments to the cart to match the specifications
- Schedule an inspection
The process may seem straightforward, but there are a lot of red tapes. Moreover, the process can be a little expensive.
Are VIN Numbers Important for Golf Carts?
VINs give you permission to use your golf cart how you would use a car. With it, you can drive your golf cart on any road without the fear of an officer pulling you over. However, that’s not the only use of a VIN number.
When you register for a VIN number, all the golf cart parts receive the same number. That means that the DOT can keep track of each part individually, which can come in handy to keep your cart safe.
If you’re ever in a situation where you lose your golf cart, you can use the VIN number to track it. Moreover, you can use it to ensure that nobody tinkers with the cart without your permission.
Wrapping Up
Do golf carts have VIN numbers? Golf carts don’t come with VIN numbers, but they do have serial numbers. The difference is that a VIN number will allow you to take the golf cart on the open road.
If you want to drive your golf cart around, you can register a VIN number with your local DMV.
