# Used Trailer registration



## MichiganderFisherman (Jun 15, 2012)

Not sure if this is the correct forum or not but hopefully someone can help. Bought a used trailer for my 12ft flat bottom. It's in a little rough shape but tows fine and will get the job done. All lights work and it's structurally sound. I got a bill of sale, but cannot find a vin on the trailer anywhere. It doesn't seem like it's homemade, but it looks like it may have been modified at some point. I want to register it and get a plate, I know I have to go get it weighed but is that all I need? Or do I need to get it inspected if I don't have a VIN. And if so how strict are the inspections? Thanks for any help clearing this up!


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## Mike (Nov 26, 2000)

Should just need to take the weight and the bill of sale to the Secretary of State. It will be registered as homemade.


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## GettinBucky (Jul 18, 2007)

They will most likely use ur drivers license # as the VIN. I insure trailers like that often.


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## homebrew87 (Oct 19, 2014)

You only need a weight slip from a certified scale and a bill of sale. There are no inspections that I know of in Michigan for private use.


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## MichiganderFisherman (Jun 15, 2012)

Perfect that's what I was hoping to hear, I saw something on the SOS website about inspection but that will just be a hassle to find an officer to do it. Searched the trailer for a vin and still cannot find one so planning on just getting it weighed and hoping I can just pay the $75 and get a plate


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## hawgeye (Mar 3, 2011)

MichiganderFisherman said:


> Perfect that's what I was hoping to hear, I saw something on the SOS website about inspection but that will just be a hassle to find an officer to do it. Searched the trailer for a vin and still cannot find one so planning on just getting it weighed and hoping I can just pay the $75 and get a plate


Just get a certified weight ticket. I have registered many like this.


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## MichiganderFisherman (Jun 15, 2012)

hawgeye said:


> Just get a certified weight ticket. I have registered many like this.


Do you know any place I could get it weighed at near Bay City Hawgeye?


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## wicklundrh (Mar 18, 2014)

Do a search online for "certified scales". A lot of the truck stops have them. Grain elevators also have them.


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## hawgeye (Mar 3, 2011)

MichiganderFisherman said:


> Do you know any place I could get it weighed at near Bay City Hawgeye?


I always went to the UAP in Standish. Not familiar with bay city but any scrap yard or grain elevator should have a scale.


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## MichiganderFisherman (Jun 15, 2012)

Got her weighed at a grain elevator today. Taking the slip to the SOS tomorrow hopefully that's all I need plus the $75 to get a plate


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## growninmi (Feb 27, 2013)

Sorry to hijack, but I got a question. 

I just picked up a boat with matching trailer. Previous owner (he was second owner ) never registered the trailer. Told me I would need to get weighed and such. 
Amongst the paper work he gave me from original owner, and I suspect guy I got from never saw, I found original registration as well as a renewal of trailer.

Any chance I can just transfer and save save the trip of getting it weighed?
I'm hoping it's the case.


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## Buckbaker (Aug 3, 2015)

Sounds almost exactly like what happened to me when I got mine a few months ago. Had no problem using the original paperwork. Just check the VIN so you can attest that it is the correct paperwork.


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## growninmi (Feb 27, 2013)

Buckbaker said:


> Sounds almost exactly like what happened to me when I got mine a few months ago. Had no problem using the original paperwork. Just check the VIN so you can attest that it is the correct paperwork.


Was my hopes.
Glad to hear others been in same boat...how punny lol

Edit: where are my manners, thank you bbaker


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## GettinBucky (Jul 18, 2007)

growninmi said:


> Previous owner (he was second owner ) never registered the trailer.



I'll never understand why people do this....you buy a boat for tens of thousands and too cheap to spend $75 bucks.

I sold a 98 Rinker 5 years ago, the J...wagon never registered the trailer. When I sign in to SOS they still show me owning it, notified them a few times that I no longer own that trailer but they say there is nothing they can do until it is registered to someone else. I guess the guy won't mind when it disappears because I decided too use *MY* trailer again.


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## growninmi (Feb 27, 2013)

GettinBucky said:


> I'll never understand why people do this....you buy a boat for tens of thousands and too cheap to spend $75 bucks.
> 
> I sold a 98 Rinker 5 years ago, the J...wagon never registered the trailer. When I sign in to SOS they still show me owning it, notified them a few times that I no longer own that trailer but they say there is nothing they can do until it is registered to someone else. I guess the guy won't mind when it disappears because I decided too use *MY* trailer again.


Yeah, I was bit shocked this guy hadn't registered it. With how anal he seemed about the transaction and from what I can see, meticulous about the boat, I was surprised. 
I was planning to go weigh trailer after I can put boat in water, but was glad to find some old paper work on it.
Trailer is original to boat, colors match, and the numbers do match the old registration I found. I am thinking this will keep me from needing to go use a scale. 
Thanks for input you guys an for allowing the hijack.


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## sullyxlh (Oct 28, 2004)

GettinBucky said:


> I'll never understand why people do this....you buy a boat for tens of thousands and too cheap to spend $75 bucks.
> 
> I sold a 98 Rinker 5 years ago, the J...wagon never registered the trailer. When I sign in to SOS they still show me owning it, notified them a few times that I no longer own that trailer but they say there is nothing they can do until it is registered to someone else. I guess the guy won't mind when it disappears because I decided too use *MY* trailer again.


bottom line it's still registered to you
your going to have fun with the lawyers if that's ever involved in an accident.
i'll never understand why people sell stuff and never sign off on it leaving them open for liability..


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## hawgeye (Mar 3, 2011)

sullyxlh said:


> bottom line it's still registered to you
> your going to have fun with the lawyers if that's ever involved in an accident.
> i'll never understand why people sell stuff and never sign off on it leaving them open for liability..


You go to the SOS and watch them register everything you sell? Just because you sign it don't mean the other person's going to register it. Lol, lawyers? I doubt you'd get a lawyer to waste his time on suing a previous owner for damages. One thing is to make sure you take the plate. Then then would have to put an illegal plate on it, which would be more proof they were n the wrong.


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## growninmi (Feb 27, 2013)

hawgeye said:


> You go to the SOS and watch them register everything you sell? Just because you sign it don't mean the other person's going to register it. Lol, lawyers? I doubt you'd get a lawyer to waste his time on suing a previous owner for damages. One thing is to make sure you take the plate. Then then would have to put an illegal plate on it, which would be more proof they were n the wrong.


I had a seller couple years ago on a pontoon tell me the registration was new and good for 2 years so don't even bother changing title over...he signed title and left date and such blank...
For "legal" reasons, I cant recall when/if I went and had it changed over to me.


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## hawgeye (Mar 3, 2011)

growninmi said:


> I had a seller couple years ago on a pontoon tell me the registration was new and good for 2 years so don't even bother changing title over...he signed title and left date and such blank...
> For "legal" reasons, I cant recall when/if I went and had it changed over to me.


I'm always surprised when people advertise boats or sleds with "registration good untill 2018". I want it out of my name right away. I got a registration renewal this spring for a sled I sold 2 years ago, pretty agrevating.


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## sullyxlh (Oct 28, 2004)

hawgeye said:


> You go to the SOS and watch them register everything you sell? Just because you sign it don't mean the other person's going to register it. Lol, lawyers? I doubt you'd get a lawyer to waste his time on suing a previous owner for damages. One thing is to make sure you take the plate. Then then would have to put an illegal plate on it, which would be more proof they were n the wrong.


Yes, I've accompanied people to the states office for transactions before, it's not unheard off.

If someone is towing a trailer that is still registered in your name and a joebiker plows into that trailer for lack of lights or whatever and dies
all the Sam Bernstein's are gonna come knockin and your going to be involved in some legal aspect to where it's going to at the least cost you time and money for a lawyer to go to court to say you had nothing to do with it.
We live in a sue happy world nowadays so yes there can be ramifications.


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## MichiganderFisherman (Jun 15, 2012)

Thanks for all the help insight guys, got my plate today all I needed was a weight slip


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## UplandnWaterfowl (Jan 3, 2010)

Knew it would work out like everyone had said. For others in the same situation, I have found that rural SoS offices don't even blink at giving you a plate with only the bill of sale and weight slip, they see 100's of these scenarios, city location SoS offices tend to be more cautious. Had one time got a trailer weighed at a very small elevator company, they were out of forms so just wrote the weight on a piece of box they tore off and signed, the local SoS possessed it like Ruth had signed it herself.


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## JimP (Feb 8, 2002)

SOS also collects sales tax against the bill of sale when re-plating.
Many people fudge that BoS lower for that reason.


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## GettinBucky (Jul 18, 2007)

sullyxlh said:


> bottom line it's still registered to you
> your going to have fun with the lawyers if that's ever involved in an accident.
> i'll never understand why people sell stuff and never sign off on it leaving them open for liability..


Boat and trailer were both signed off.....Sold through a broker and the plate was removed. Anything else you'd like to say?


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