TheSamba.com :: View topic - Trying to make a sand rail street legal in NV

Sun Jun 02, 2024 4:13 pm

I bought a sand rail out of California and it came with a off road CA title does anybody have any advice or know what to do to make it street legal in Nevada?

Sun Jun 02, 2024 6:46 pm

Lot of information here....

https://www.semasan.com/resources/everything-you-n...-50-states

More specific....

https://www.semasan.com/semaga/TagTitleToolbox_NV.pdf

Fri Jun 07, 2024 8:13 am

I just went thru this. I live in NV and purchased a sandrail that had come up from AZ, street legal there. It had turn signals, horn, mirrors etc.

These things are governed here by the OHV not the DMV. When I called to get it registered, title transfer etc, I was told that in NV a vehicle built for off road use could not be made street legal. Further, you can't even flat tow them. Per the law, they have to be trailered. I went ahead and jumped thru all the hoops to get it legal, including insurance. But I really wonder why? Why is a vehicle registered (taxed) with the state if it can only be used off road?

The good news is that you do have a title, it will only cost you $42 to get it registered and the title transferred. Insurance cost me $135/yr. I've heard horror stories of guys who purchased without a title.

KitS

Thu Jun 13, 2024 2:31 pm

Thanks for the replies I’m going to try to go through the dmv if that doesn’t work I’ll drop $1500 with dirt legal and tag it out of state

Thu Jun 13, 2024 7:37 pm

My Ford powered rail is street legal here in Arizona. Tagged, insured and lit. What would Nevada do if I drove it across their State lines?

Fri Jun 14, 2024 7:51 am

From building a rail in NM, there are certain requirements to make it highway legal including a dot registration sticker, HP inspection and new title. I can keep it as a off road/on road (under 35mph roads) without an inspection as long as it has proper lights, same as an ATV.

Fri Jun 14, 2024 9:38 am

Wonder how much of this silliness is triggered by the SXS craze? If so, it's too bad the people in power don't recognize the difference between the way we roll and SXS's and make a differentiation. Yeah, I'm sure the SXS crowd will cry not fair, but is it really?

Fri Jun 14, 2024 9:41 am

Or maybe AZ is just too liberal of a state. MI is pretty liberal, at least in the cities, but we recognize the revenue the offroad crowd brings to the state. I haven't heard of any stiffening of rules as far as making your buggy street legal here, but there definitely has been a change in the acceptance of offroaders on the trails mainly due to the sickening behavior of the SXSs.

Fri Jun 14, 2024 11:05 am

Wulfthang wrote: My Ford powered rail is street legal here in Arizona. Tagged, insured and lit. What would Nevada do if I drove it across their State lines?

Probably do nothing once they saw it was legally tagged out of state AND just visiting....

Fri Jun 14, 2024 7:24 pm

ORANGECRUSHer wrote: Or maybe AZ is just too liberal of a state. MI is pretty liberal, at least in the cities, but we recognize the revenue the offroad crowd brings to the state. I haven't heard of any stiffening of rules as far as making your buggy street legal here, but there definitely has been a change in the acceptance of offroaders on the trails mainly due to the sickening behavior of the SXSs.
Arizona gets quite a bit of revenue from the off road crowd due to it's off road licensing program aka "big plates little plates". All street legal vehicles must have a standard "big" license plate and it's good for on and off road.

All off road vehicles also have to have a license plate but it's a little plate or decal.

Fri Jun 14, 2024 9:54 pm

I suggest talking to someone from the Department that actually controls those things.

I wanted my Rail street legal so I did my research and built it accordingly. It had full lights, turns signals, a horn, wipers, etc. etc. etc. I trailered it to the Inspection Station, crossed my fingers and hoped for the best. I had all of my documentation ready to go and had checked all of the electrical circuits right before getting in line. Two Inspectors arrived with clip boards and pencils.

They never asked to see anything work!!! They just walked around it saying stuff like "Ohh look at this thing. He's got a heads up display in here. Is this a gun mount? How do you control it? What does this do? Whoa now. Hey hey can I drive it? Look at this friggin' engine". etc. etc.

They signed off on it without seeing if anything worked and asked me where I wanted the DMV tag.Go there and talk to somebody about it. It may not be as bad as it sounds.

Sun Jun 16, 2024 2:53 pm

Wulfthang wrote: ORANGECRUSHer wrote: Or maybe AZ is just too liberal of a state. MI is pretty liberal, at least in the cities, but we recognize the revenue the offroad crowd brings to the state. I haven't heard of any stiffening of rules as far as making your buggy street legal here, but there definitely has been a change in the acceptance of offroaders on the trails mainly due to the sickening behavior of the SXSs.
Arizona gets quite a bit of revenue from the off road crowd due to it's off road licensing program aka "big plates little plates". All street legal vehicles must have a standard "big" license plate and it's good for on and off road.

All off road vehicles also have to have a license plate but it's a little plate or decal.

When AZ went Democratic in the last election my head spun. Now they are trying to charge a monthly fee to use the sun for solar.

Sun Jun 16, 2024 7:15 pm

Quote: When AZ went Democratic in the last election my head spun. Now they are trying to charge a monthly fee to use the sun for solar.

That's almost as good as an old neighbor of mine has a wind generator on the property just next to his. He's getting paid for the wind that goes over his property to the wind generator!

Sun Jun 16, 2024 7:54 pm

Wouldn't surprise me anything that dingaling up there in Phoenix does but I hadn't heard about the solar fee thing. How do you charge for an Act of God? Rain, sun and wind are all part of Nature and can not be controlled so how can they be charged for?

Tue Jun 18, 2024 8:53 am

Emissions may be a problem depending on your States laws. Here in Arizona, I was told that the emissions tests for a "Home Rolled Car" are that it runs and will maintain an idle without intervention. That's it. Just that it runs. I've never had any trouble getting it reinspected every year since then.

One thing to beware of for making it street legal, are the seat belts. No, your five point racing harnesses are not street legal. Not even close. But, the inspectors may not look at that. Mine didn't.

Tue Jun 18, 2024 11:42 am

Instead of screwing around with the DMV...

Transplant your buggy motor, transaxle and beam into one of the many orphan Baja Bugs that lurk in the weeds out west. :idea:

It rains here. Here, a buggy is a quick way to be wet, miserable and covered with mud most of the time.

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Wed Jun 19, 2024 7:56 am

Nah, it hardly rains at all in Arizona or Nevada. Keep your rail buggy and build it up.

Sat Jul 13, 2024 4:11 pm

I’m giving up on the rail just found a 70 Baja project with a Nevada title :D now I’m trying to find some help sorting it out its got a 40” beam with 11” arms and 3x3 rear arms I think the beam needs to be mounted 3-6 “ forward of the stock beam but I’m not sure . The guy I got it from has no idea of who’s parts they are so I’m looking for any help I can find

Sat Jul 13, 2024 4:13 pm

Dusty1 wrote: Instead of screwing around with the DMV...

Transplant your buggy motor, transaxle and beam into one of the many orphan Baja Bugs that lurk in the weeds out west. :idea:

It rains here. Here, a buggy is a quick way to be wet, miserable and covered with mud most of the time.

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Best advice ever!! That is exactly what I decided to do

Wed Apr 23, 2025 11:38 pm

Dear NVHD
I have put a Chenowth through a full engineering report, with all the calculations for strength of the frame. A full day on an air strip for a rigorous driving test, for steering, braking, braking in turns and road handling. Cost me just about 8000 dollars…
I had to make reinforcements to the joint where all the force comes up from the engine and goes into the frame. But that was it. It is a 1984 Chenowth VCRL1W, license built by King Fisher Customs in the UK. Has the original Chenowth certificate of origin for the frame, as well as the small plate welded in with vin number 1149. All is stock VW parts, braced and boxed front and rear suspension etc. with a 1600, 50 hp engine.
But it is now road legal in Denmark, which has crazy tough regulations, as well as the European Union.
I know the report is in Danish, but I am sure some AI could translate it all for you if it could be of any help.
I am not sure how to post the pdf here, but you are welcome to get a copy by mail if you (or anyone else) could use it.
Kindest regards
Andreas