Anyone titled a dune buggy in Texas?

[Goats86]

Hi all. i am looking at a dune buggy that is not currently titled or street legal. I know all about required safety equipment etc. My question is, has anyone titled and registered one for street use? What problems did you run into?

[72lb4x4]

Not _currently_ titled? So there was once a title? If so, its still titled to someone and they are the owner as far as the state is concerned.

[Goats86]

It is being sold by the person that built it. I will get a bill of sale. From the look of it, the motor is new as well as the frame etc. This is the typical weld it together kit and build from there. Never been titled, it was built as a sand rail.

[texastrendz]

I bought a junk bug and used the vin number and title off of it. I told them that i built my rail out of it, worked in Victoria, TX. I just built a plate, stamped the numbers into it, and welded it on the tube frame.

[Clyde65]

Just get with the DMV, they will send an officer to your place to look at it, give you the issues you need to resolve and tell you the next step. If no issues he will issue you a form that allows you to get a title, and it will be titled as a 2011 vehicle, so it might need to pass inspections as such.

[mdaven@aol.com]

Recreational Off-highway Vehicle (ROV)
Recreational off-highway vehicle means a motor vehicle that is not a golf cart,
equipped with a non-straddle seat for the use of the rider, (and a passenger)
designed to propel itself with four or more tires in contact with the ground, designed
by the manufacturer for off-highway use, and not designed by the manufacturer
primarily for farming or lawn care. House Bill 2553, passed by the 81st Legislative
session (2009), defined the recreational off-highway vehicle.
Definition
Effective September 1, 2009 the definition of “motor vehicle” was amended to
include the recreational off-highway vehicle.
Title Requirements
Effective September 1, 1985, no person (other than a dealer) may transfer
ownership of an all-terrain vehicle unless a title has been applied for and issued in
the name of the owner as of that date.
Effective September 1, 2009, no person (other than a dealer) may transfer
ownership of a recreational off-highway vehicle unless a title has been applied for
and issued in the name of the owner as of that date.
New ROVs designed for off highway use that are sold on and after September 1,
2009, should transfer on an MCO with the exception of vehicles in a dealer's stock
on September 1, 2009. In a case of a vehicle in stock on September 1, 2009 for
which a dealer cannot obtain an MCO, the dealer may transfer ownership on an
invoice or bill of sale, provided the bill of sale includes a statement verifying that
the ROV was in a dealer's stock prior to September 1, 2009. The dealer should then
complete the Recreational Off-Highway Vehicle Statement of Ownership,
VTR-330, and a Dealer's Reassignment of Title for a Motor Vehicle, VTR-41-A.
Any used ROVs purchased or taken in trade by a dealer on or after September 1,
2009, should transfer to the dealer on an assigned certificate of title.
As of September 1, 2009, an individual who owns an ROV designed for
off-highway use and not used strictly on a farm should obtain a certificate of title
before the vehicle can transfer to another owner. In these instances, the basic
evidence of ownership required to support the title application may be any of the
following:
• An MCO properly completed and assigned to the applicant, or
• An invoice dated prior to September 1, 2009, signed by an agent of the company
or firm selling the vehicle, or
• A bill of sale dated prior to September 1, 2009, properly signed by the seller, or
All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV)
Motor Vehicle Title Manual 14-22 TxDMV June 2011
• In the event none of the above referenced evidence of ownership is available,
Recreational Off-Highway Vehicle Statement of Ownership, VTR-330, should
be completed by the owner as of September 1, 2009, and submitted with
application for Texas title.
These off-highway vehicles are not designed by the manufacturer for highway use
and are not registered when the owner makes application for a certificate of title.
The notation “NOT REG” should appear in the license number space on the
Application for Texas Certificate of Title, Form 130-U, and Form VTR-31-RTS. A
Texas Certificate of Title issued for a ROV or ATV reflects the remark
“Off-Highway Use Only”. An all terrain vehicle or recreational off-highway
vehicle, with or without design alterations, may not register for operation on public
highways.