Need help getting a trailer titled/registered

[1STMP]

So a friend of mine got an open trailer along with a track car. He only wanted the car the trailer was part of the package. He knows the seller. The certificate of origin is gone along with any old trailer registration. It’s all been lost. The last owner that used the trailer just tossed a plate on it.
NJ would not accept a notarized bill of sale as proof of ownership and I can’t provide an old registration or the original certificate of ownership. This would never have had a title as it weights less than 2500lbs gross.
Does anyone have a solution? Perhaps a different state that you reside in has a different set of criteria for a simple trailer? Also I can’t claim “homemade” as I would have to show all receipts of all components to build a trailer.
Dan

Dan
You can apply for a surety bond thru
your car insurance company. They
will tell you the dollar amount of
the bond and how much it will
cost.
Take your bill of sale to your local
state police and have them perform a
level 3 vin inspection. (scheduled thru
DMV).
They will assign a new vin #. That #
will be assigned to the new title along
with the old vin #.
NJ DMV will advise you as to where
to send your bill of sale and your
title bond application for approval.
(here in NM it's the Dealer Licensing
Bureau).
The state police will run the vin#
that's on your trailer now thru NCIC to
check to see if it's ever been reported
as stolen. Your Insurance company
will run it thru NCIS to see if it's tied
up in any legal BS.
Once your application is approved
the Licensing Bureau will notify
you (and NJ DMV). You can then
have DMV issue the title.
Make sure to run copies of everything
before sending the application.
It's quite a lengthy process.
(a minimum of 30 days)
I'm going thru the exact same thing.

 

[cosgig]

Here in Michigan, you go to the grainery, or the scrap yard, and have it weighed. Then you go to the dmv and fill out the assembled trailer form with the weight slip and boom, you get a title and plate. We also have forever plates for trailers, so it’s a one and done prop

 

[1STMP]

Here in Michigan, you go to the grainery, or the scrap yard, and have it weighed. Then you go to the dmv and fill out the assembled trailer form with the weight slip and boom, you get a title and plate. We also have forever plates for trailers, so it’s a one and done prop

Understand. But government
hoops differ from state to state.
Years ago, where I reside, one
could get a title via a bill of sale.
Not any longer.

 

[cosgig]

Understand. But government
hoops differ from state to state.
Years ago, where I reside, one
could get a title via a bill of sale.
Not any longer.

He did ask if there was another state with eased restrictions. Someone chimed in about Maine, but I think Michigan has some of the more favorable laws to help folks get their stuff straightened out. I know, a long way from NJ, and I’m pretty happy about that!

 

[Beeorange]

Another vote for Maine. I have two trailers registered there and I live in Massachusetts. If you look you will see a lot of big rig trailers are registered in Maine.

Contact these folks:

Maine Trailer Registration & Title Applications - Staab Agency

 

[YY1]

I actually have a title for my 5x8.5 open cargo trailer.

The DMV told me that's actually rare and most non-commercial trailers in FL do not have titles.
Additionally, they initially kept my title, and I had to go back and ask for it.
Again, I was told I really didn't need it but could have it back if I wanted it.
All that did strike me as sort of odd.

 

[TBZ67HEMI]

I have both my trailers registered in South Dakota. One of them is a military trailer bought during COVID and couldn't get into a CA DMV. The other enclosed trailer I bought new in Texas and registered it in South Dakota. You can register in South Dakota without being a resident. I even registered my GTX there because California wouldn't let it get titled without having the entire car put back together with engine.
I have a phone number I call and the people there take care of it over the phone. Really easy process send me a pm if you want the number.

 

[dan juhasz]

In FL you can tell them it's "home assembled".

Maybe find a kit on line that looks like it and show them.

...or describe the construction materials and process- 1.5" angle iron, 2.5' square tube, brand of axle, 1/4" diamond plate, etc.

I actually have a title for my 5x8.5 open cargo trailer.

The DMV told me that's actually rare and most non-commercial trailers in FL do not have titles.
Additionally, they initially kept my title, and I had to go back and ask for it.
Again, I was told I really didn't need it but could have it back if I wanted it.
All that did strike me as sort of odd.

Everything about how the dmv operates is odd

 

[Pops1967GTX]

Here in Michigan, you go to the grainery, or the scrap yard, and have it weighed. Then you go to the dmv and fill out the assembled trailer form with the weight slip and boom, you get a title and plate. We also have forever plates for trailers, so it’s a one and done prop

same in NYS. trailer charge is yearly ,by Weight & can be costly.

 

[maxwedgechar]

Yes, I ran into that when I moved to New Jersey. I had my PA title with me and because it weighed only 1800 pounds I did not get a title! I did get it registered with a plate.

 

[patrick66]

Maine, as mentioned above, is a perfect state for registering trailers (cargo, semi, car hauler, etc).

Oklahoma is a weird State when it comes to trailers. Any trailer over 10K# GVW must be registered, and it gets a title with a NON-expiring commercial trailer plate. It cannot be registered to an individual; only to a company or business. Trailers under 10K# are optional for an individual to register, but required for a business or company. They do NOT have titles, only a plate. Registration is annual. They assign a VIN to homebuilt trailers.

It used to be you couldn't get a tag for an under-10K# trailer at all, unless it was an RV trailer or mobile home. Oklahoma used to be in the Top Ten states in terms of the number of trailers stolen annually. Generally, they'd head off to be sold in other non-title-required States, or even to Mexico.

I can only hope that the thief who stole my car hauler on June 26th, 2015, died (or will die) a violent, painful, and lingering death; as I often picture him driving a stolen pickup, pulling a stolen tractor on my stolen trailer, and wrapping it around a bridge abutment...with the trailer breaking loose, climbing over the cab and impaling the thief in the driver seat...

A man can dream, right?

 

[WileE]

In New Jersey, a different dumbness will occur depending on which pack of DMV imbeciles you encounter. A friend of mine took 2 years to register a car, simply because it wasn't a usual routine transfer. It would take a budnicks post to explain. You may have to try a few different offices, that's what my friend had to do.

 

[440 4 speed]

Rules here.
If a car is over 30 years old, you can make a declaration that you have had it for a long time. Say what you paid for it back when , pay tax if it is from out of Province. Supply the serial number and you get the tittle.
If you bought the car from an owner in the province that has the registration, he gives you a bill of sale, and his registration signing it over to you.
Again if it is over 30 years old, you can register it as an antique, no out of Province inspection required. Antique registration give you a value of 700.00 on the car. So you wait awhile, then register it normally.
I helped a fellow fabricate a home built trailer for me. Registered it as home built, they asked me what it cost, I told them and they issued me plates on the spot and a sticker with serial number to stick on.
If I were to purchase a 2000 something privately, just have to get the bill of sale and his signed over registration. If it comes from out of Province you need a inspection and have to pay tax.
.

 

[dan juhasz]

Many thanks for all the replies, I tried the out of state posts first and struck gold on the first try with Staab Agency. Very helpful gal on the other end that actually went out of the way to assist. I needed a hand written bill of sale ( I already had my Notarized one that a presented to NJ dmv) I needed to fill out the downloaded Limited power of attorney and get it notarized (simple stop at a TD bank ) and a picture of my vin tag on trailer and a questionaire on trailer specifics. For whatever reason the vin on the trailer is only 16 characters instead of 17. So she calls and asked if I would mind changing the build date to 1980 from the actual 1992. She said 1980 and older had shorter vins, then she can get it through. I said hell yes I could care less what year she used. 143.00 dollars and in three days I will receive a 5 year renewable plate and registration from the state on Maine. I highly recommend this to the next guy who ventures into an **** state like NJ DMV and are asked to produce documents that no longer exist.

 

[dan juhasz]

They came through as promised

 

[superbees4406]

Stop jerking with the state
Most of the bigger boat yards have piles of garbage rotted out trailers
Hit a few up
Ask for the cheap trailers for sale
With a title
They will know what/why you want Lol
For a hundred or 2
Problem solved
It's done alot around here