The most important thing you can do when purchasing a golf cart is to make sure that you are buying from a reputable dealer – one that is licensed and insured. You also want to make sure that dealer is factory authorized for the golf cart you are buying. Diagnostic tools and software upgrades specific to your cart are typically only available at factory authorized dealers. Warranty work can only be completed by a factory authorized dealer as well.

Plus, please, please, please take the golf cart for a spin. You need to make sure you like it, and sometimes the only way to see if something is wrong is with a test drive. Also, if the golf cart is lifted, a test drive will confirm that the controller and wiring enable it to operate the way it was intended.

It’s costly to alter the speed a golf cart can travel, so verify the speed. Standard speeds run around 12-15 mph and higher speed carts will average 18-20. If your cart is street legal, it needs to go at least 20 mph, but not over 25. Street legal carts also require a DOT approved windshield, which should be etched with AS4 or AS5 to prove it.

You can verify the year of the car by the serial number and/or manufacturer’s code attached to the body or stamped on the frame. Golf cart batteries can cost approximately $600 to $1,200 per set, so check the dates on those as well. They should be stamped with a letter and a number. The number stands for the last letter in the year, so 2019 batteries will say 9. The letter will stand for the month of the year. A stands for January, and so on…

Finally, it is very important to make sure you know what is included with your cart. Does a warranty come with your golf cart and does it include service? Are delivery and the installation of any options you add at the time of your purchase included in the price? It is also usually customary for a battery charger to come with the golf cart you are considering. Make sure it is made specifically for the voltage of your particular golf cart and have the seller plug it in just to ensure that it works.