"homemade" trailer registration in FL

[paulharvey]

I have a 5' x10' single axle landscape trailer that I bought from a rather shady character 6 years ago. I didn't get a title or bill of sale from him, and I've never tagged it. What does it take in Florida to get it legal, and more importantly how much does it cost. Trailer weights about 750-1000 lbs.

Do I need a certified scale ticket
Do I need the lights 100% first (ie do they inspect a first time registration)

 

[Turbys_1700]

I don't know the procedures for Florida but I can tell you what they are in North Carolina...
For a trailer considered home made you pay $5 for a VIN #...
You can get that at the tag place...
Go to Harbor Freight and get a steel lettering/number kit for $10...
Put the vin# assigned to the trailer on the tongue and one of the axles...
Take the trailer to a DMV office for inspection...
I think that the inspection fee is $75...
Once passed the trailer tag registration is $19...
That is the way we do it here in NC...

 

[paulharvey]

I know a new car tag is ~$400 here, so that kind of worried me. I don't use the trailer much, but i think I would more if it was legal. I don't think I could get away with a SMV emblem, even staying off major state roads...

 

[CliffordK]

In Oregon, there is an exemption for small trailers.

[OREGON] Note: You do not have to register a light trailer (which includes a utility, boat, or horse trailer) or obtain a trip permit to operate it on the road if the trailer, plus the heaviest load carried, weighs 1,800 pounds or less

Your trailer is likely quite marginal depending on what you are carrying. Check with the Florida laws.

I had a trailer licensed once. The DMV insisted that I go get a bill of sale. I was able to find the original seller, but I certainly wasn't impressed with the concept as there was no chain of custody verification. One could get one's cousin to write out the bill of sale, and it would seem as if nobody would be the wiser.


Actually,
Looking at the Oregon exemptions, they are more extensive.
http://www.oregonlaws.org/ors/803.305

farm trailers on highways are exempt from registration when the operation of the vehicle upon the highway is incidental to its use in an agricultural operation.

That could be considered to cover just about ANYTHING!!!

 

[RoMad]

Here in Citrus county you get it weighed somewhere that gives you a weight ticket.the county dump does it for five bucks. You then take the weight slip,but not the trailer to the tag agency and tell them it is home made. They will give you a registration and tag. As long as it is below 2k you will not get a serial number. I just sold one to a fellow and he said it cost him $70 including the new tag. After that it is about $40 a year.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Here in Indiana you go to the BMV (license branch), and apply for a vin. Pay a fee and set up a inspection, they come to your house, once completed you take all paperwork back to the BMV and get a registration, title, and a plate.

All must be in good order(lights, tires, wiring, fenders, coupler, safety chains).

Chris

 

[paulharvey]

Here in Citrus county you get it weighed somewhere that gives you a weight ticket.the county dump does it for five bucks. You then take the weight slip,but not the trailer to the tag agency and tell them it is home made. They will give you a registration and tag. As long as it is below 2k you will not get a serial number. I just sold one to a fellow and he said it cost him $70 including the new tag. After that it is about $40 a year.

Thanks, that's a relief. I paid $150 for trailer and mostly want to be able to transport my kubota l285 15 miles to moms house to bush hog, miscellaneous other stuff that I don't really "need" to do, but would like to be able to with out "imperial entanglements" to quote Han Solo

 

[Stimw]

I have registered several, I'm in St Johns County Fl.
I take them to the Truck Stop at I-95 and SR 210 (I can't remember the name), I pull on the scales, they tell me to come inside and I get a Certified CAT SCALES weight reciept after paying $10.00.
I take that to the tag agency, tell them it is homemade and they register it and issue a tag.
Here they are issuing Motorcycle size Tags. They said it was because people were putting regular size tags on cars so they wouldn't buy insurance. ( the small tag is great because it fits on the fender.)
The tag fee is based on weight.

 

[CliffordK]

I'm surprised there isn't some kind of VIN inspection in Florida. It sounds all too easy to get ANYTHING registered.

While the State of Oregon apparently lost the info about the old state-issued tag that was on my trailer, the person at the DMV personally affixed the new tag to my trailer.

 

[Kent B]

I have a trailer tagged as "homemade" in LEON county Florida. The tag office always asks what the model is when I renew any of my trailer tags. I don't know the specific reason for their questions but I do know some trailer tags are more expensive than others.
It seems like the "homemade" trailer tag was cheaper.
There is some debate about what the legal parameters are if the tag is used on multiple trailers. But that was not your question.
Unless things have changed recently they "county tag office" doesn't require a vin number. If there is a vin number then they do want to know.
I have never had a problem.
Sales tax is a topic to keep in mind however. You might be obligated to pay sales tax if you do present a bill of sale.