Petedacook
Seaman Apprentice
- Joined
- Jul 20, 2015
- Messages
- 44
I am posting this for anyone trying to obtain a title or register a trailer in Virginia, but do not have the title for the trailer.
I bought a boat and the boat came with no title because it was titled in Maine. I did a lot of research and found that you can get a title for a homemade trailer in Virginia. It does not matter if your trailer is not home made.
I went to DMV and asked about the title as I was titling my boat. They wanted the VIN for the trailer. Well, the trailer does not have a VIN because it washed off. Usually VINs are trailers are stickers. Why you may ask?
Because dealers get the trailers in parts and the dealer has to assemble the parts to make a trailer. The trailer manufacturer has no idea which parts are going together, so the VIN on trailers is often times a sticker.
DMV was clueless on how I would title this trailer. After more research I decided to try and go the route of a homemade trailer title and VIN assigned by DMV. I applied for the VIN and was given a plate to affix to the trailer. I affixed the VIN plate.
Now came the scary part. I had to call the state police and ask them to send a trooper out to inspect the trailer. My trailer is made by a company called Sail Trailers or something. Clearly affixed with their name, the trailer was blatantly obviously not homemade. I was scarred to call the state police, but I sucked it up and called.
The tropper showed up and did not give a dam the trailer was not homemade. He did not care at all. He was very nice, asked me to show him where the VIN was affixed, told me he had to put it in the system in his car. Came out with the trooper verification for DMV signed, told me to make copies in case DMV messed it up and to have a nice day.
TLDR: If you are afraid of calling state police to inspect a homemade trailer because your trailer is obviously not homemade, don?t be. They do not care about the trailer manufacturer.
I bought a boat and the boat came with no title because it was titled in Maine. I did a lot of research and found that you can get a title for a homemade trailer in Virginia. It does not matter if your trailer is not home made.
I went to DMV and asked about the title as I was titling my boat. They wanted the VIN for the trailer. Well, the trailer does not have a VIN because it washed off. Usually VINs are trailers are stickers. Why you may ask?
Because dealers get the trailers in parts and the dealer has to assemble the parts to make a trailer. The trailer manufacturer has no idea which parts are going together, so the VIN on trailers is often times a sticker.
DMV was clueless on how I would title this trailer. After more research I decided to try and go the route of a homemade trailer title and VIN assigned by DMV. I applied for the VIN and was given a plate to affix to the trailer. I affixed the VIN plate.
Now came the scary part. I had to call the state police and ask them to send a trooper out to inspect the trailer. My trailer is made by a company called Sail Trailers or something. Clearly affixed with their name, the trailer was blatantly obviously not homemade. I was scarred to call the state police, but I sucked it up and called.
The tropper showed up and did not give a dam the trailer was not homemade. He did not care at all. He was very nice, asked me to show him where the VIN was affixed, told me he had to put it in the system in his car. Came out with the trooper verification for DMV signed, told me to make copies in case DMV messed it up and to have a nice day.
TLDR: If you are afraid of calling state police to inspect a homemade trailer because your trailer is obviously not homemade, don?t be. They do not care about the trailer manufacturer.