Club Car Serial Number Lookup: Find the Decal, Decode the Model and Year

Quick answer: a Club Car serial number reads prefix + model year + production week + unit number. In PH0901-123456, PH is the model (a Precedent i2 electric), 09 is model year 2009, 01 is production week 1 and 123456 is the car's sequential number. Find the bar-code decal below the passenger-side cup holder or on the frame above the accelerator or brake pedal, then look the prefix up in the tables below or in our serial number decoder.

This page is the long version of the Club Car part of our golf cart serial number lookup. The tool decodes the number for you. This guide shows where the decal is on each model family, how each part of the number works, a decode table for the prefixes owners ask about most, worked examples taken from Club Car manuals and federal recall notices, and what to do when the number doesn't add up. For model-specific repairs, see our Club Car guides.

Step 1: Find the serial number decal

Club Car uses a bar-code decal, not a stamped VIN. Its FAQ says the decal is "mounted either below the passenger side cup holder or above the accelerator or brake pedal" and that only Club Car low speed vehicles (LSVs) carry a VIN. The exact spot has moved over the years. Here is what the factory manuals and recall notices say for each family.

Tips that save time: the pedal-area decal is on the frame, so look up at it from the floorboard with a light rather than down from the seat. Wipe it with a damp cloth only; solvent and pressure washers lift the print. Once you find it, take a photo, because worn decals get harder to read every season and dealers ask for the full number for parts and recalls.

Step 2: Split the number into its four parts

1. Model prefix: one or two letters. Club Car says it "could be one or two letters". Two-letter prefixes are the rule on modern carts (Club Car's newer manuals call it a two-letter code). Older carts can have one letter, like F9901123456, the example in Club Car's FAQ.
2. Model year: the next two digits. 09 means 2009, 99 means 1999. Club Car's 2016 Precedent service manual spells it out: the four-digit date code "1401 represents Model Year 2014, week 1."
3. Production week: the two digits after that. This is the week within the model year when the car was built.
4. Unit number: the six digits after the hyphen. Club Car calls it "the unique sequential number assigned to each vehicle built within a given model year." Some decals print the number without the hyphen.

Two other things on the decal are not part of the serial. Newer decals carry a build code, a five-digit number (shown as BC54679 in Club Car's example decal) that tells you which owner's manual matches the car. Club Car's manuals say each owner's manual is valid for the build-code range printed on its back cover. And a few manuals use CC5819-123456 as a sample; that is a placeholder in Club Car's artwork, so don't use it as a real example.

Step 3: Decode the model prefix

The prefix is the part that tells you the exact model, drivetrain and sometimes seating. The only complete list is Club Car's own serial prefix and model type directory, which has over 400 entries including Bobcat, Case and Husqvarna vehicles Club Car built. The tables below are the golf and personal cart prefixes from that directory, with model names as Club Car lists them. Our serial lookup tool searches the full directory.

One quirk: the directory files DS-era prefixes under the name "Precedent DS". Club Car's own 2004 DS manuals use AQ and AG as their DS examples, so read "Precedent DS" in the directory as the DS. Where a manual or recall notice confirms a prefix, the table says so.

DS and Precedent

If your Precedent starts with PD, PH, PJ, PK, PU or PV, the 2009-2011 manual says it is an Excel system car. Excel cars from that era have an onboard computer, which matters for charging: see our Club Car OBC bypass guide and Precedent won't move before you swap a charger.

Onward

Tempo, Villager and Carryall

Prefixes that start with a digit (1A through 8Q in the directory) are listed by Club Car as Remanufactured. If yours starts with a number, the cart went through a Club Car remanufacturing program, and the directory won't name the original model.

Step 4: Read the year and week correctly

The two digits after the prefix are the model year, not the calendar year the car was built. The week count runs through the model year, and federal recall notices show that Club Car's model year starts well before January:

• CPSC recall 12-706 covers 2011 Precedents with serials from PR1139 to PR1147 (weeks 39 to 47 of model year 2011) and says they were sold from April through May 2011.
• CPSC recall 14-703 covers model year 2013 Precedents built in weeks 47 to 49 and sold in June 2013.

So a low week number on a cart usually means it was built in the second half of the previous calendar year. For titles, insurance and resale, use the model year from the serial. Club Car doesn't publish the date each model year started, so don't try to turn the week into an exact build date; if you need a document, Club Car's FAQ says to contact Club Car for a Manufacturer's Certificate of Origin.

For DS owners, Club Car's FAQ says the DS was built from 1980 to 2014, so a DS serial with 99 is 1999 and one with 04 is 2004.

Worked examples

The PQ and PD rows show why the serial matters for repairs, not just for the year. Club Car changes parts in the middle of a model year and tells technicians "beginning with serial number..." If you buy pedal parts or brake cables for a 2009 or 2010 Precedent by year alone, you can get the wrong design. Give the parts counter the whole serial.

One thing the six-digit unit number is not: a count of how many of your model were built. In recall 12-706, the CF and PR ranges interleave (CF1139-233925 sits right next to PR1139-233918), so the sequence is shared across models.

What the serial is good for

• Buying the right parts. Mid-year changes like the MCOR and brake cable examples above are tied to serial numbers.
• Finding the right manual. Match the build code on the decal to the range on the back cover of the owner's manual. Club Car's manuals site lets you search its owner's manuals.
• Checking recalls. CPSC notices list Club Car recalls by prefix and serial range. Our Club Car Precedent problems guide has a table of the Precedent recalls with the affected prefixes.
• Checking a used cart before you buy. The prefix should match what's in front of you. A "2018 Onward" with a DS prefix, or an "electric" cart with a gasoline prefix, has either been rebodied, converted or mislabeled. If the body has been swapped, trust the decal on the frame over the plastic.

When the serial doesn't decode

• No decal, or it's unreadable. On a DS or 1990s Carryall, check for the second decal behind the center dash panel. On a 2016-era Precedent with an Excel/ERIC controller, the 2016 service manual shows the controller stores the serial prefix and the four-digit date code under Vehicle ID, which a dealer can read with Club Car's diagnostic tool.
• The prefix isn't in the directory. Check for a misread letter (O and Q, I and 1). If it still isn't there, ask a Club Car dealer; the directory has a few entries Club Car itself marks with a question mark.
• It starts with a digit. That's a remanufactured prefix (see above).
• It's an LSV. Street-legal Club Car LSVs also have a VIN, per Club Car's FAQ. Use the VIN for titling.
• The year doesn't match the seller's story. Go by the serial, then confirm with a dealer before you pay.

Decal pitfalls and common misreads

• Week vs year swapped. In PH0901-123456, 09 is model year 2009 and 01 is production week 1. Reading it as "week 09 of 2001" invents the wrong cart. The six digits after the hyphen are the unit sequence, not the year.
• Look up at the pedal decal, not down from the seat. Floor mats, aftermarket trays and mud hide the frame sticker. A phone flashlight from the floorboard finds more decals than a top-down glance.
• O / Q and I / 1. Worn print turns Q into O and I into 1. If the prefix is not in Club Car's directory, re-read those characters before you assume a rare code.
• Second decal behind the dash. On DS and 1990s Carryall cars, the passenger cup-holder area may be empty while a second sticker sits on the front body frame behind the center dash panel. Disconnect pack negative and wait 90 seconds before that panel comes off.
• Serial is not a VIN. Club Car's FAQ: only LSVs carry a VIN. Do not put a golf cart serial on a title form and call it a VIN.
• Seller year vs decal year. Listings often repeat a previous owner's guess. Trust the readable decal format, then confirm with a dealer for parts or recalls if money is on the line.
• Solvent and pressure washers. They lift the print. Damp cloth only; photograph early.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the serial number on a Club Car golf cart?

Club Car says the bar-code decal is below the passenger-side cup holder or above the accelerator or brake pedal. On a DS it's on the frame above the accelerator pedal, with a second decal behind the center dash panel. Early Precedents (2004 and 2005) have it in the passenger-side dash compartment.

How do I tell what year my Club Car is from the serial number?

Skip the letters and read the next two digits: that's the model year. PH0901-123456 is a 2009, AQ0401-123456 is a 2004, F9701-123456 is a 1997. The two digits after the year are the production week within that model year.

What do the letters at the start of a Club Car serial number mean?

They are the model prefix. Look them up in Club Car's serial prefix directory or in the tables on this page: for example, AQ is an electric DS, PH is an electric Precedent i2, TM is a 4-seat electric Onward and AN is a Tempo Connect lithium.

Is the year in a Club Car serial the year it was built?

Not always. It's the model year, and Club Car's model year starts months before January. CPSC recall notices show 2013 model-year Precedents from week 47 to 49 were sold in June 2013, so a car with a low week number was probably built late in the previous calendar year.

Does a Club Car golf cart have a VIN?

Only Club Car LSVs. Club Car's FAQ says non-LSV carts don't have VINs and use the serial number instead.

What is the build code on a Club Car serial decal?

A five-digit number printed on the same decal. It isn't part of the serial; Club Car uses it to match the car to the right owner's manual, which lists its valid build-code range on the back cover.

More Club Car help: Club Car DS won't move, Club Car Precedent won't move, Precedent common problems, our Yamaha serial number guide if you also own a Yamaha, and every other free tool on our tools page.

Sources

• Club Car, FAQ: serial decal location, format, PH0901-123456 and F9901123456 examples, VINs on LSVs only, DS production 1980 to 2014, Manufacturer's Certificate of Origin: clubcar.com
• Club Car, serial prefix and model type directory (model names in the decode tables): clubcar.com
• Club Car, 2016 Precedent golf car maintenance and service manual (model identification, build code, Vehicle ID and "1401 represents Model Year 2014, week 1"): PDF hosted by gfretwell.com
• Club Car, 2009-2011 Electric Precedent maintenance and service manual (decal location, Excel prefixes, PD0918-020874 and PQ1009-082079 changes): PDF hosted by GolfTechs
• Club Car, 2004 DS golf car owner's manual and maintenance and service manual (decal above the accelerator and behind the center dash panel, AQ0401 and AG0401 examples)
• Club Car, Carryall I, II and VI owner's manual, effective August 1, 1996 (F9701 and FG9701 examples): copy on Manualzz
• Club Car, Carryall 300 and Carryall 500/550/700 owner's manuals (2013): Carryall 300 PDF (Jerry Pate), Carryall 500/550/700 PDF (Metro Golf Cars); Carryall 500 gasoline operator's manual, prefix MA (2020): PDF (Jerry Pate)
• Club Car, Onward owner's manual (December 2016): PDF hosted by Cart Mart; Onward Lifted 4-passenger lithium-ion operator's manual, prefix DM (2021): PDF hosted by Cary Cart Co.
• Club Car, Tempo and Tempo Connect lithium-ion operator's manual, prefix AN (2020): copy on ManualsLib; Tempo Walk owner's manual (2018): clubcar.com PDF
• U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recall notices 05-585, 12-706 and 14-703 (prefixes, serial ranges, sale dates, decal locations)

Last checked against the documents above on October 28, 2026. Club Car, Precedent, DS, Onward, Tempo, Carryall, Villager and ERIC are trademarks of their owner; Golf Cart Clinic is independent and not affiliated with Club Car.