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Registering trailers (CO specifically)

45K views 25 replies 20 participants last post by  seydou  
#1 ·
So I build a little raft trailer out of a snowmobile trailer I got on Craigslist. Just waited in line for 30m at the dmv only to find out I was at the wrong dmv. I was told I need to go to a county office, but first need to schedule an inspection at a police station, but before that trip I need a temporary trip permit. Then I can title and register it. All of which i need to pay for.

This is a lot of work and time for a itty bitty trailer. Seems silly and I'm tempted to just skip registration and take my chances. Does anyone else do this? And what's been your experience?
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#3 ·
Definitely a pain. Plate registrations are through the county clerks office. Do you have a title from snowmobile days? Or are you going "home built"? If so, you'll have to get the VIN inspection and make sure you have all paperwork required to show home built to clerks office. The pain is probably less than a cop accusing you of pulling around a stolen trailer.
 
#4 · (Edited by Moderator)
If its not registered it won't have a (valid) license plate, probably won't have one at all.

I recently picked up an old beat up free trailer and before doing so got a "bill of sale" form from the county clerk office. This can act as a temporary pass to use the trailer without it being registered, but is only supposed to be for situations where you just bought the trailer from someone, and can't get to the registration office immediately because it is closed. I think this temporary pass is technically good for 3 days. Here is a link to a bill of sale form, although the online one does not have the note on the bottom indicating that it can be used as a "pass" before the trailer is registered.

http://www.dmv.org/images/bill-of-sale.pdf

I had the old title (and the trailer has a VIN), and although I told the clerk I was going to cut the top off of the horse trailer to convert it to a raft trailer, I did not need a new inspection/ VIN to get it registered.

If you really want to risk pulling it without registration I would recommend carrying a bill of sale to at least have something to show to a cop in case you get pulled over.

I am by no means an expert, but did just go through the process so PM me if you have any more questions.

P.S. title and registration cost about $50, and if you bring a check instead of running a credit card you can save about a $5 fee.

P.P.S. Some county clerk offices in CO now offer appointments. You can go online to the county clerk website and set up an appointment so you don't have to wait so long when you do go to get it registered.
 
#6 · (Edited by Moderator)
How often are you going to use it? Twice a year long trips or every other weekend?

CO is a huge PITA with trailer registration/titling. Then you go through that and it still will cost you $40-50 a year to keep it up. They nail you if let it lapse though, something like $25/mo late fees. I’d be curious what the fine is if they pull you over for not having a plate and CO plates on your car.

Back in the day I had a little harbor freight deal that I only used a couple times a year for multi-day trips, never registered it and never had a problem. Might have just been luck but cops didn’t seem to be watching out for it; and I didn’t happen to get pulled over for any other reasons. Again, it was only on the road a handful of days a year.

Once I got a bigger trailer to use all the time now I keep it registered. It was a bit of a pain to title since I bought it from a guy in a state that didn’t require registration, but I just had to get back to him and have him sign some stuff. If you are going to use it regularly, I’d just suck it up and get it done and not have to worry about it.
 
#7 · (Edited by Moderator)
If it has a Michigan title then you'll have to have a vin inspection. All they are looking at is the title matches the vin. If it has a Colorado title you shouldn't need a inspection and should just be able to get it registered. If it needs inspected ask to get some temp paper plates on it so you can take it to get inspected.

If it has no title the best way is to get a home built trailer title. You'll just need the dimensions. On the paper work where it ask you for a material build sheet just put down materials on hand. They should give you a vin placard and send you a title.

The less info you divulge the better. So don't go in cranking your jaw how your uncle rick in Michigan gave you some pos trailer with no title that he got off a meth head and how you'd like to get a home built title. Just go in and ask for the form for a home built trailer.
 
#9 · (Edited by Moderator)
You can do two things when a trailer comes from a state that doesn't have titles for trailers. If you have a bill of sale then they HAVE to honor the bill of sale and issue you a Colorado title. If it has a VIN it'll need to be inspected to verify it. Or you just shut your mouth and do a home built trailer VIN. Most people that work at the county clerks are idiots and would rather tell you no you can't do that then actually look into the right way of doing it.

I gave a old pop up camper trailer to a friend. We ripped off the camper and made a raft trailer out of it. When he went to get the title swapped he mentioned it was no longer a camper but a utility trailer. It shouldn't of been no big deal, a trailer is a trailer is a trailer in co eyes. But the dumb clerk told my friend he couldn't do that and the CSP would have to inspect it and issue a new vin and blah blah blah. He rolled dirty with it for a year a bought a nicer trailer. Fast forward a few years later , old title now lost its given to another friend. Walks into the clerks office gets the form for a home built trailer fills out materials on hand and sulks out with a title and VIN placard.
 
#10 ·
Yeah, I got one of those MN trailers when I bought a rig from a guy that moved here to MT, from MN. Had to use a Bill of Sale, and then the trailer didn't have a VIN so MT had to assign me a VIN which I had to permanently "etch" into the tongue of the trailer and then have that VIN artwork inspected by the Sheriff Dept, then I could get a real MT title, tag and reg ....

Probably better than VT where I used to live - they have mandatory yearly trailer inspection - but maybe that's a good thing because I see way too many inoperable trailer lights ... way too many
 
#11 ·
Thanks everyone. I called all the police stations around me and nobody would do an inspection. Each one would tell me to call another, and so on, and so on. Finally was able to get a hold of the state patrol in Golden, but they couldn't even get me an appointment until the 25th. So I guess I'm taking a half day at work to get the inspection done.

Hoping to go the home built route, so I'll keep my mouth shut. I have a bill of sale, no title. It's from CO, but the guy had no title or reg.
 
#16 ·
Haven't read all the responses, so maybe someone covered this, but when they ask you its value or what you paid for it, lowball that figure. As I understand it, the state bases your fees, and future tag renewals, on that figure.

Our trailer was part of our used raft package. When I went to register it they asked me its value - I should have said $250 but I think I said something like $1800. DUMB.
 
#19 ·
If you have a bill of sale in hand and get pulled over, I bet you can talk your way out of it. Make sure all the lights are working or you will more than likely get a ticket for that. I try to avoid from getting tickets by "breaking only one law at a time".
 
#18 ·
We got a trailer from sister in law in Wisconsin. No tags or title. Got a bill of sale. Had to have inspection by State patrol got a VIN tag from them then to County DMV for title and registration. Pretty easy this time.
Did the same thing on an out of state drift boat trailer years ago. Almost went Postal after multiple trips to dmv and every trip they found another hoop to jump through.
Good luck 🍀
 
#20 ·
I bought my trailer last year. It was manufactured out of Colorado and had never been titled. Colorado required a title search in state of manufacture, and title search in Colorado. Then a certified VIN inspection by the city. Then I could apply for a VIN and register the trailer. Entire process took about 8 months. I used the trailer the entire time and just didn't bother worrying about it, although I did keep a bill of sale in my truck just in case. Never pulled over or hassled about it even once. As already mentioned, if you have the option, put a low amount on the bill of sale as that figure is what is used to calculate taxes and fees.

ETA: the guy I bought it from had been using it for 7 years without ever being pulled over or hassled. And he used it from Montana to Florida to Colorado. Some states don't even require trailers under a certain weight be titled, just registered. Unfortunately Colorado is not one of them.
 
#21 ·
Mine was built in Oregon without a vin or registration.

I did the "wrong dmv", then temp tags, then vin inspection, then final registration process.

I recall doing the inspection with state patrol north of Denver.

It's a bit of a pain, but you only have to go through it once and be able to pull it with peace of mind forever after.
 
#23 ·
Another option for VIN confirmation in Colorado is at emissions stations
This is an option if your trailer has a vin and it’s on the trailer on an original manufacturer vin plate. Mine had a vin on an out of state Nebraska title, but the vin was not on the trailer anywhere. The emission place wouldn’t do it, so I got a cheap Amazon vin plate and put it on. That didn’t work either.
You need to go to the county patrol in this situation.
 
#24 ·
This is an option if your trailer has a vin and it’s on the trailer on an original manufacturer vin plate. Mine had a vin on an out of state Nebraska title, but the vin was not on the trailer anywhere. The emission place wouldn’t do it, so I got a cheap Amazon vin plate and put it on. That didn’t work either.
You need to go to the county patrol in this situation.
The best way to start is with your phone. I thought I had to go with the county/sheriff but it turned out that the city police had to do the certified VIN inspection before the county could apply for title and issue registration.