Registering a trailer

[Merceddur]

I was hoping somebody could give me advice to register a trailer that has no title.

I bought an old trailer a year or so ago without a title and would like to register it so that I can sell it. Can it be done. We have searched high and low for vin # without success.

Any help appreciated. Oh I am in NM.

[Merceddur]

http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos- ... 4688_n.jpg


This is my trailer

[Gage]

What's the New Mexico DMV rule book say? Here in California all you do is file for lost paper and then reg the trailer. But you also have to have a vin number. But many states don't require a vin. So I guess the best way for you to find out what is needed is to go to your local DMV office and ask.

P.S. Look for the vin number on the right tongue arm. You may have to sand off some paint.

[Deryk the Pirate]

Now this is a touchy subject because the whole "is it stolen" comes to mind.

Well last year I bought a brand new HF trailer, put it together but didnt get a chance to register it because the following month my car's registration was due, so I figured kill 2 birds with 1 stone. Well the car ended up getting messed up by a mechanic and I traded it in for a newer car and somehow in the passin the crap from my old car to the new car I lost the paperwork on the trailer and HF said 6 months to get a new one.

Well I found this post

http://tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?t=43004

And registered it in Maine as a home made trailer. I could take my registration to a NJ DMV and pay again and have it registered legally in NJ.

Im not sure when you say trailer you mean travel trailer or utility trailer...but thats how I registered mine.

deryk

[kartvines]

Again not knowing the laws in your state, it is an impossible question to answer, but many state such as California requires a VIN.

After my problems with the California DMV I worked with them for a year to try and standardize their process in regard to trailers but it still seems as if some of the DMV in this state still do not follow it's own policies.

You could get completely contrasting results merely depending on what branch you go to.

[Craig McCormick]

You don't have to have it registered to sell it. I sell un registered trailers all the time.

AZCRAIG

[Martinjmpr]

I bought an unregistered utility trailer in 2010 for $100. Since it had no registration, I simply drafted a bill of sale for "trailer parts."

In CO the process is fairly simple: You have to fill out some paperwork certifying compliance with safety standards, then get it inspected by the state patrol (my inspection was so quick and cursory I told my wife "I'm pretty sure if the trailer had one wheel and was on fire it still would have passed!")

After that, take the paperwork to the county clerk's office and they give you a registration, a license plate and a small number plate that has to be permanently attached to the trailer frame. That plate has a number that becomes the VIN.

EDITED TO ADD: If you're wondering "How do you get it to the State Patrol for inspection if you don't have a license plate?" The answer is: At the County Clerk's office you can get a 1-day license plate for $5 with just a bill of sale. Stick that on, get your inspection, then come back to the clerk's office with your completed inspection forms and they issue the metal plate.

[Gage]

This is my trailer

Here ya go.

[bobsmyuncle]

What would your state (NM) do if you bought an axle, ball hitch and a bunch of steel and welded up your own trailer? No VIN on that one.


I bought a utility trailer about 30 years ao from a place that built them this way. The bill of sale simply said something like "Custom Built Trailers." The drone at BMV simply marked it "home made" and I was on my way.

[honeask]

Well as has been said here before, different state require different things but when we purchased our home built teardrop the builder gave us a license to use and when we got home and settled down we (my husband) took the form, APPLICATION FOR TEXAS CERTIFICATE OF TITLE, filled out and walked out in about ten minutes. Almost too easy but all that being said, I know other states may make it ridiculously hard to take care of business. Also, the builder let us make up our own VIN number that I think had to be 17 digits so we added zeros on the end to come to the correct amount of digits.

[Merceddur]

My husband got the trailer from an ex brother in law who needed some money. He got the trailer in exchange for work done YEARS and YEARS back. It had just been sitting in the back yard. My husband welded a new hitch to it and guess what he remembers being on the old tongue all rusted over? Yup the vin #. So no vin and no title.

Apparently NM requires a vin to register or get lost title. So I. Thinking it not good for anything but scrap. Unless somebody want to help get it registered in Maine. Lol
Thanks again for the help.

[Dale M.]

You can always claim that trailer was home built with "found" parts.... Works in Cali if you fill out a statement of '''"facts"'''... Cali will issue a VIN for "home built" trail ...

You have to study your states DMV laws and be smarter than "drone" at counter.... DMV people for most part are lazy and do not know all the rules and laws.... And will tell you anything to make their day easier....

Dale