TheSamba.com :: View topic - rail buggy in florida, how do you register for street legal?

Mon Jun 20, 2005 6:38 am

Just wondering how you register and title a rail buggy, thanks

Mon Jun 20, 2005 8:08 pm

I JUST shipped a 70s Convertible to Florida.... read through your entire state requirements...

UNFORTUNATELY you have a physical inspection state... the DMV looks at your cars... OVERALL, I'd get Broadway title to give you a title with VW as the MFG and then transfer it in from out of state...

OR -- have it 100% street legal and have the cops check it out.... best street legal definition (universal) is at the Minnesota Street Rod Association (MSRA) website. It's the largest Hotrod club in the country.

Tue Jun 21, 2005 11:43 am

I am in Orlando Florida and am dealing with the same thing. I have a title so my situation is a bit different but the steps are similar. Its not fun and you will have to jump thru a lot of hoops but it is possible.

If you have an out of state title and the rail is street legal in that state then its easy, All you have to do is drive the rail to the tax collectors office, yes tax collectors office not FL DMV and they will do a vin check, swap titles, pay some fees, fees will be $60-$150 depending on your rail weight and how they classify it. Make sure that if you drive it that it has valid tags even if they are out of state.

If the rail does not have tags but you havea title, then just trailer the rail to the tax collectors office and do the same as above.

OK now the fun way,

If your rail is not street legal and you have no title. First you have to have proof of some $ value of the rail. If you built it yourself get all the receipts together and add it up. If you bought it have the seller give you a bill of sale, and not just any bill of sale the tax collectors office can supply you with the offical FL bill of sale that you will need to use. Next you have to convert the rail to street legal use in Fl. Go to this website:

http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_...pter%20316

start at section 316.216 and read each section for there on. This will give you everything that is needed to make a vehicle street legal in FLorida.

Now make sure you keep every receipt for everything you do to make it street legal, every receipt, oil, that stupid sticker your kid wanted to put on the rail, EVERY RECEIPT!

OK now that you rail is street legal and you can prove a $ value of the rail with the bill of sale and receipts you have to get the rail inspected by your local police department. Call them up let them know why you called and setup a time for an officer to come out and look it over. If the officer is cool you will have no issues, but if jhonny law decides to get picky he may say fix this and that and call us back.

OK so jhonny law says cool you are legal, not yet. jhonny law will give you a form or you may have to get the form first from the tax collectors office and have it all filled out that the rail was inspected and signed by the officer that it is street legal. Take this form, your bill of sale, receipts, proof of insurance, yes proof that the rail is insured when you go into the tax collectors office. Florida does require insurance on rails. Take all this in and the title clerk will then issue a temp tag, a vin number if they do not use the engine number. then take your temp tag back home, bolt it to the rail, drive the rail back to the tax collectors office and they will do a vin check, charge you the appropriate fees and tax from the bill of sale and receipts and then finally issue a self consructed for use on street title with valid metal tags.

WHEW!

It took me over year to get another rail I sold legal and to go thru the process of paper work so do not get discouraged it is possible.

A few thingsg you can do to help out is if you have a windshield make sure it has a power or non power wiper, or just remove the windshield when jhonny law comes to see it and hide the windshield and they treat it as motercysle safety meaning you will have to wear a helmet or glasses to drive it. Once jhonny law goes away, bolt the windshield back in and no need for a wiper!

Double check this with your tax collectors office and each county may be a little different but get ready for lots of red tape if you do not have a title.

Tue Jun 21, 2005 1:13 pm

FLORIDA TRICK>>>>>>>>>>

Since I'm 1800 miles away I wanted to circumvent ANY and ALL potential title isues.

I was the go between guy --- old lady seller and cool yuppie buyer... had nothing to gain except headaches.

We took the car to a MN dealer... had him sign off that the VINS match
We wrote a Bill of Sale
We wrote up an "Owners Statement of Facts"
Had the Title Clear

THEN had everything notarized with a cover letter.

Fedexed the pack with photos to the buyer...

He took it to the DMV and told them I wouldn't release it until he had title and plates....

The state looked at it as a careful seller...... the car had a "reconstructed and cleared" Wisconsin Title.

On a super beetle, there's about 12 different VINS in various places... in no way did I want the police to start running numbers on repair parts.

Back to the Broadway title option....

I may have a spare Kansas title and VIN plate for one of our rails... won't work in MN for street legal...

Tim

Sat Jul 03, 2010 9:37 am

Great thread. I found the Florida Bill of Sale form online.

http://www.flhsmv.gov/dmv/forms/BTR/82050.pdf