My friend is buying a trailer that I think is currently unregistered. I vaguely remember tall tales about how re-registering is a problem, but it’s very vague in my head. Anybody have an experience to share?
Thx in advance!
This is VERY dependent upon what state you wish to register in. Some states are easy, I’m told. Others, like TN, are rather difficult.
Contact the DMV in the state of intended registration and be guided by The Horse’s Mouth! 
G.
2 Likes
Agree with Guilherme. If the purchase is here in CA, you can likely find the rules for ‘off-road’ for trailers on the DMV site. You pay a good bit less for ‘off road’ for cars. I don’t know about trailers. If the seller didn’t keep the registration current as required - it may be a problem as in there could be additional costs to bring it current.
1 Like
Purchase here in California (and I’m suspecting lapsed California registration), but the trailer would be trucked (not towed) to Oregon for repairs/refurbishing, and re-registered there. No point in re-registering in California. I’ve suggested she look into that aspect before finalizing the sale, but haven’t chased down Oregon’s leniency on this question yet myself.
A break in the chain of title can be a REAL problem in any state and if it’s in a “strict” state could be a complete “deal breaker.”
Not exactly on topic, but in 1972 I bought a Volvo 1800ES. I was stationed in RI, but was a FL resident, so I registered it there and the FL title had a lien on it. When we move to WI in '74 I became a WI resident and registered it there. They took the encumbered FL title and gave me a WI title with the lien noted. I paid off the lien there and got a clean title. Then we moved to TX, and registered it there with a clean title. Then in the mid-80s (IIRC) I sold it. While we were living MD I got a call from a guy in FL who had bought it but could not get title in FL as the FL title record showed a lien in favor of my lender. So I called the lender and they no longer had the loan paperwork; it had been destroyed due to age. They would not, however, sign off on a release unless I could provide THEM proof that I paid them!!! The best I could do was to give them (and the FL buyer) a copy of the clean WI title. At that time when I paid off the loan the lender sent me the title with a stamp and signature releasing the lien. I turned that in to the WI DMV and got a clean title. WI did not keep that piece of paper, just entered the release in a state journal, but would not provide a copy of the page! At this point I told the guy in FL the best I could do was give him an affidavit showing the foregoing, and attach a copy of the clean titles from WI and TX. He was not happy, but thanked me for what I had done. A few years later I saw it for sale by a different seller and it appeared that the title problem had gotten worked out.
Today, with the mass computerization of records, I doubt this problem would be so difficult to resolve.
But it’s a cautionary tale that a “title check” should be made before you buy any titled conveyance.
G.
My own experience is near 20yrs ago.
Trailer registered in IL in my deceased DH’s name.
Trailer moved to IN before he died & I let registration lapse.
I dealt directly with IN BMV & IL DMV, had to provide a death certificate along with proof of prior registration in IL.
IN State Trooper then had to eyeball the trailer to complete the process.
So, as @Guilherme advised, check with state trailer will be registered in.
Check with OR but also with CA, might be easier to reregister it with CA then change it. CA offers “permanent trailer” tags which are surprisingly pretty inexpensive and are good for a few years. I paid less than $30 for mine.
If the owner is the one who let the registration lapse, then she should get the proper paperwork in order before selling it and get it registered in CA before your friend takes possession.
1 Like
