Trailer registration and plates by province and state

Does a trailer need to be registered?

Almost always. A trailer is a separate vehicle from the truck or car pulling it, so it needs its own registration and its own plate on the back. The truck's plate does not cover it.

We have read the rule for 62 of the 64 places in the tables below. 55 require every trailer on a public road to be registered, subject only to narrow farm and equipment exemptions. 4 set a weight below which a light trailer needs no plate: Kansas (2,000 lb (907 kg) operating weight (trailer plus load)), Oregon (1,800 lb (816 kg) loaded weight), Utah (750 lb (340 kg) trailer weight), Wisconsin (3,000 lb (1,361 kg) gross weight). 3 leave out whole classes of private trailer by type: Oklahoma, South Carolina and Tennessee. The other 2 are marked "Not yet verified". We would rather leave a row blank than copy someone else's chart.

Law, not advice. Each row is what the page or section we cite says, in plain words. Registration follows where you live: Alberta, for one, lets a visitor staying under 183 days keep an out-of-province registration and gives a new resident 90 days to switch.

Trailer registration in Canada, by province and territory

Weights are in kilograms, the unit the provinces use. "One-time plate" means you register once and never renew; "Renewed" means a yearly (or other fixed) term.

Every province and territory we have read requires a trailer to be registered, with no weight floor for an ordinary trailer. What differs is how long the plate lasts. Ontario and Quebec register a trailer once: in Ontario the plate says TRAILER, carries no sticker and the registration never expires. British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia and the territories renew, and Yukon will sell you 10 years at once.

Trailer registration laws by state

Weights are in pounds, the unit the state codes use. A state we could not settle from its statute or the DMV's own page says "Not yet verified" rather than a guess. Where a row rests on an agency page rather than the statute, its note says so.

Not yet verified: Hawaii and Kentucky. We could not settle the rule from the official sources we were able to read, so this page does not say either way. Ask the state's motor vehicle agency.

Trailer registration weight: which weight goes on the form

"Registration weight" does not mean the same thing everywhere, so check which one your agency means before you fill in the form. The places we have read use several different weights:

• Empty weight. Michigan's one-time tax is by empty weight: under 2,500 lb (1,134 kg), 2,500 lb (1,134 kg) to 9,999 lb (4,535 kg), and 10,000 lb (4,536 kg) and over. Florida (net weight) and Ohio (unladen weight) also charge on the trailer alone.
• Gross vehicle weight (GVWR). Minnesota, Maine and Texas use the trailer plus its load. Minnesota's line is 3,000 lb (1,361 kg): at or under, a plate for the life of the trailer; over, an annual tax. Maine's is 2,000 lb (907 kg): at or under, a flat fee; over, the truck weight schedule. Texas charges one fee up to 6,000 lb (2,722 kg) and requires a title over 4,000 lb (1,814 kg).
• Empty weight, as a fee split. Iowa charges one annual fee at 2,000 lb (907 kg) empty or less and a higher one above it. The District of Columbia uses the manufacturer's shipping weight, in classes starting at 3,499 lb (1,587 kg) or less.
• Trailer plus load, as an exemption line. Kansas lets the owner skip registration at an operating weight (trailer plus load) of 2,000 lb (907 kg) or less, and Oregon exempts a trailer never run above 1,800 lb (816 kg) loaded. Pennsylvania sets its fee by registered gross weight: 3,000 lb (1,361 kg) or less, then up to 10,000 lb (4,536 kg).
• Maximum gross weight. New York charges per 500 lb (227 kg) of the maximum gross weight you register.
• Registered weight. Nova Scotia adds the trailer's own weight to the maximum load you will carry and bills by that total. New Brunswick bands its fee by gross vehicle mass.

The gross figure is the GVWR printed on the trailer's VIN plate (PNBV on a Canadian plate); see how to read the trailer plate. Our guidance, not a rule: where you choose the registered weight, pick one that covers the heaviest load you will carry. In Minnesota the life-of-trailer plate holds only while the trailer stays registered at the same weight. For typical empty weights and GVWRs by trailer type, see utility, dump and enclosed trailer weights.

How to weigh a trailer for registration

When the agency wants an empty weight you cannot document, it wants a weigh slip. Ontario asks for one when a trailer from outside the province, or a homemade one, weighs over 900 kg (1,984 lb) empty, and lists where to get it: a grain scale, a recycler, a CAT scale, a municipal dump with a scale, or a Ministry of Transportation inspection station. A manufacturer's statement of the empty weight from a dealer is accepted instead for a bought trailer. Our guidance, not a rule: weigh it empty, with nothing in the bed and the truck unhooked, and keep the ticket.

How much does it cost to register a trailer?

We list a fee only where the government's own page or statute gives the amount and a date we can show you. Taxes, local fees, plate and title charges usually come on top.

Ontario's single fee and Michigan's one-time tax buy a plate that never needs renewing, so there is no yearly cost after the first visit. Ohio's multi-year and permanent options collect several years of fees at once.

Permanent trailer plates, renewals and expired registrations

A permanent or one-time plate is registered once and has no sticker or tab to renew. Among the places we have read:

• Arkansas: The trailer tag chart lists the plate for a trailer pulled by a car or a class one truck as a permanent registration.
• Michigan: A permanent, non-expiring plate with no tabs. It is not transferable to another trailer.
• Montana: All trailers must be permanently registered, with a single decal.
• Ontario: Registered once. The plate says TRAILER, carries no sticker, and the registration does not expire.
• Quebec: Paid once: the owner of a trailer is exempt from the yearly fee to keep the right to operate it. The plate starts with R or U.

Others renew, but also sell a permanent or multi-year plate:

• Alaska: Registered for two years at a time. A noncommercial trailer owned by someone living in the unorganized borough, or in a borough or city that has opted in, can take a permanent registration (a Z tab) and never renew.
• Arizona: A regular registration for one, two or five years, or a one-time permanent registration with a PERM tab. Travel and tent trailers cannot go permanent.
• Idaho: A utility trailer is registered for one, five or ten years. On a sale the plate stays with the seller and can go on another utility trailer the seller owns.
• Indiana: Yearly, or a permanent registration for a trailer of 3,000 lb or less.
• Louisiana: One year, four years, or a permanent (lifetime) plate that cannot be transferred.
• Minnesota: Permanent at 3,000 lb GVW or less if it stays at that weight; annual above it.
• Nevada: 12 consecutive months. A full trailer or semitrailer other than a recreational vehicle or travel trailer can instead take a non-transferable registration that lasts until the owner transfers it.
• New Mexico: A staggered one-year or two-year registration, or permanent for a utility or travel trailer not used in commerce under 6,001 lb GVW.
• Ohio: Annual; multi-year for 2 to 5 years; or permanent by paying 8 years of fees at once (a non-transferable plate marked no exp).
• Oregon: Biennial. A new trailer's first registration runs four years, and a trailer operated above 8,000 lb (3,629 kg) loaded weight (not a travel trailer) has permanent registration.
• Pennsylvania: One year, or five years at 10,000 lb or less; an optional permanent registration over 10,000 lb.
• South Carolina: A utility trailer plate is biennial, or permanent (one time, not transferable).
• Virginia: Annually, "bi-annually" (the DMV's word) or permanently. Permanent plates are open to every private trailer regardless of weight, for a one-time fee.
• Wyoming: Annual, or permanent for a trailer of 1,000 lb or less unladen weight; a permanent registration lasts as long as the owner keeps the trailer.
• Yukon: Yearly, or 10 years at once.

Michigan's trailer plate is not transferable, and neither is Ohio's permanent plate. Everywhere else the registration runs out on a date: New York's every December 31, British Columbia's after at most 12 months, Manitoba's with the yearly Autopac renewal. An expired registration is the same as none: Prince Edward Island makes it an offence to drive with one, and Washington makes it unlawful to operate any vehicle without current registration and plates.

How to register a trailer

1. Proof of ownership. A bill of sale, plus the New Vehicle Information Statement (NVIS) or manufacturer's certificate of origin for a new trailer, or the previous registration or title for a used one.
2. Identification. A driver's licence or other government ID.
3. Weight evidence if asked. A weigh slip for a homemade or imported trailer (Ontario over 900 kg (1,984 lb) empty), or the GVWR off the VIN plate where the fee is by gross weight.
4. The form. Ontario's is SR-LV-006 (Application for Vehicle Registration); New York uses MV-82 for trailers as for cars. Some places want a separate declaration for a homemade trailer: Newfoundland and Labrador asks you to declare you built it and paid tax on the parts.
5. Insurance, where it is part of registration. In British Columbia, Manitoba and Saskatchewan the plate and the public insurance come together. New York does not require insurance on a non-commercial trailer.
6. Pay and fit the plate. Ontario hands over the plate and permit in one visit; attach it to the back of the trailer where it is clearly visible, and carry the permit or a copy.

Over certain weights a title is required as well as a registration: Texas over 4,000 lb (1,814 kg) gross weight, Maine over 3,000 lb (1,361 kg) net (model year 1995 and newer), New York over 999 lb (453 kg) for model year 1973 and newer.

Trailer licence plate location, and checking a trailer's registration

The plate goes on the back. Ontario's instruction is to attach it to the back of the trailer where it is clearly visible, and British Columbia issues one plate for a trailer against two for most motor vehicles. Brackets and lights are a matter for the trailer's equipment rules, which this page does not cover.

To check a trailer's registration, look at the permit or registration certificate that goes with it: in Alberta it shows the owner, the VIN, the plate type and the plate number. Buying used, match the VIN on the paperwork to the trailer's VIN plate (where to find it), and get the signed permit or title from the seller, since that is what the next registration needs.

Trailer registration is not a driver's licence

"Trailer licence" is used for two different things. The plate on the trailer is registration, covered on this page. The licence in your wallet is a separate question that turns on weight: a heavy enough trailer can need a different licence class in Canada or a CDL in the US. That is on CDL and licence class thresholds.

Sources

Every page and section below was opened and read on the date shown. Where an official page refused our requests, the row says so and rests on the statute.

• Alberta.ca, Register a vehicle in Alberta: Vehicles on a public roadway in Alberta need valid insurance and a Vehicle Registration Certificate, and a trailer is one of those vehicles. Exempt while on public roads: trailers with permanently attached equipment (air compressors, welders, tar buckets, concrete mixers, converter dollies) when they carry no load, farm equipment, and mobile homes. No trailer term is stated. Checked 2026-10-24.
• Motor Vehicle Act, R.S.B.C. 1996, c. 318, s. 3(1) and (7), and s. 60(1): Every trailer used on a BC highway must be registered and licensed with ICBC. Section 3(7) issues one number plate for a trailer. Section 60(1) sets a licence term of more than 11 and up to 12 months, so the licence is renewed. Checked 2026-10-24.
• Manitoba Public Insurance, Registration: Manitoba requires registration of every vehicle on its roads, trailers included. Checked 2026-10-24.
• Manitoba Public Insurance, Your vehicle: determining your rates (Trailers): Utility, house, cabin and tent trailers are registered with a declared value. The Drivers and Vehicles Act does not allow registration of a trailer over 2.6 m wide, 12.5 m long or 4.15 m high. Checked 2026-10-24.
• Manitoba Transportation and Infrastructure, Over Length Recreational Vehicle and Cargo Trailers in Manitoba: Trailer registration and insurance in Manitoba are renewed annually, and an oversize permit is the route for a trailer outside the legal dimensions. Checked 2026-10-24.
• New Brunswick Driver's Handbook, Part 2: Registration of vehicles, s. 2.1: Every trailer used on a New Brunswick highway must be registered with Service New Brunswick. Checked 2026-10-24.
• Government of New Brunswick, Motor vehicle registration fees (Trailer and semi-trailer): Trailer registration in New Brunswick is annual and the fee is set by gross vehicle mass in bands. The page carries no date, so this site does not repeat its dollar figures. Checked 2026-10-24.
• Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, Motor Registration Division, Frequently Asked Questions: Trailers are licensed with the Motor Registration Division (a homemade trailer on a declaration that the owner built it and paid tax on the parts), and registrations are renewed annually. The page carries no date, so this site does not repeat its fee. Checked 2026-10-24.
• Government of the Northwest Territories, Register a vehicle for the first time: Trailers are registered annually; the page lists trailer certificates for 7 to 12 and 13 to 18 month terms. The page carries no date, so this site does not repeat the fees. Checked 2026-10-24.
• Service Nova Scotia, Registry of Motor Vehicles, Schedule of Fees (Motor Vehicle Permit; Trailer Fee Schedule): Every trailer needs a Motor Vehicle Permit. Trailer fees run January 1 to December 31 by registered weight, which the page defines as the vehicle's weight plus the maximum load to be carried. The schedule is headed effective June 1, 2015, so this site does not repeat its dollar figures. Checked 2026-10-24.
• Government of Nunavut, Private Vehicle Registration in Nunavut: Trailers need a registration certificate in Nunavut, renewed annually before the expiry date. Checked 2026-10-24.
• Ontario.ca (ServiceOntario), Register a trailer: Every trailer is registered once and the registration does not expire; the plate says TRAILER and has no sticker. Registration is in person at ServiceOntario, form SR-LV-006 can be filled in beforehand, and an empty weigh slip is needed over 900 kg for a trailer from outside Ontario or a homemade one (grain scale, recycler, CAT scale, municipal dump or MTO inspection station). Cost on the page, updated February 26, 2024: $72 for plate, permit and validation sticker, plus taxes. Attach the plate to the back, clearly visible, and carry the permit. Checked 2026-10-24.
• Highway Traffic Act, R.S.P.E.I. 1988, c. H-5, ss. 11 and 12: Every vehicle on a PEI highway, a trailer included, must be registered, apart from dealers', transporters', non-residents' and National Defence vehicles, temporary permits and implements of husbandry. Section 11 makes it an offence to operate one whose registration has expired. Consolidation current to May 29, 2026. Checked 2026-10-24.
• Regulation respecting road vehicle registration, CQLR c. C-24.2, r. 29, ss. 65 and 113: Section 113: a trailer plate bears the prefix R or U, and the owner of a trailer is exempt from the fees payable to retain the right to operate it, so the fee is paid once. Section 92 exempts a farm trailer from the fee. Consolidation up to date to July 1, 2026. The SAAQ's own fee page refused our requests, so other charges at the counter are not covered here. Checked 2026-10-24.
• SGI Driver's Handbook, Vehicle registration: Every vehicle in Saskatchewan, a trailer included, must be registered and display a plate; basic insurance coverage is required. Checked 2026-10-24.
• The Registration Exemption and Reciprocity Regulations, 2014, R.R.S. c. T-18.1 Reg 13, s. 2(2)(c): The farm exemption: a trailer under 4,600 kg GVW behind a Class F farm vehicle on farm work needs no registration. House, camping and boat trailers do not qualify. Checked 2026-10-24.
• SGI, Class T registration rates (T: Trailer, Private), Rate Release AA: The flat registration fee for a private trailer (utility, tent, cabin and other Class T body styles) is $28.00 under Rate Release AA, dated 01Jun2026. The insurance premium is charged on top. Checked 2026-10-24.
• Yukon.ca, Register a trailer: Registering a trailer costs $15 per year or $45 for 10 years, at any Yukon Motor Vehicles office, with the bill of sale and the statement of origin or NVIS. Page date modified 2025-12-11. Checked 2026-10-24.
• Alabama Department of Revenue, License plates: Trailer (Code of Alabama s. 40-12-252): The trailer plate is issued to trailers operated on Alabama public highways, with a separate fee class for a privately owned utility or travel trailer not operated for hire. The page is undated, so this site does not repeat the fee. Checked 2026-10-24.
• Alaska Division of Motor Vehicles, General Vehicle Registration: Alaska requires every vehicle to be registered unless state law exempts it. Checked 2026-10-24.
• Alaska Division of Motor Vehicles, New Vehicle: The DMV counts a trailer as a vehicle for title and registration, and registrations run two years. Checked 2026-10-24.
• Alaska Division of Motor Vehicles, Permanent Registration for Trailers and Older Vehicles: A permanent registration is a one-time fee paid with the regular registration fees and taxes; the owner gets a permanent Z tab and does not renew again. The page lists the boroughs and cities that have opted in, with ordinance dates as late as January 1, 2026. Checked 2026-10-24.
• Arizona Revised Statutes s. 28-2153, Registration requirement; exceptions: Subsection D exempts, among others, farm trailers hauling unprocessed fiber or forage and wheeled equipment (a compressor, forklift, portable cement mixer, single axle tow dolly, tar pot, water trailer for livestock, farm or domestic use, welder, and similar construction items). Checked 2026-10-24.
• Arizona MVD, Trailer Registration: Permanent registration (a one-time fee and a PERM tab, with no annual billing) is issued to a noncommercial trailer of 10,000 lb declared GVW or less; travel and camper or tent trailers are not eligible. The page is undated, so this site does not repeat the fee. Checked 2026-10-24.
• Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration, Vehicle Tag Renewal: Arkansas requires a trailer to be titled and registered within 30 days of a transfer, with penalties after that. Checked 2026-10-24.
• Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration, Trailer Tag Chart: The AA prefix tag, for a trailer pulled by an automobile or class one truck, is listed as a permanent registration. The chart carries no current date, so this site does not repeat its fees. Checked 2026-10-24.
• California Vehicle Code s. 4000(a)(1): California requires a trailer on a highway to be registered, either in the regular way or under the Permanent Trailer Identification program. Checked 2026-10-24.
• California DMV, Commercial Vehicle Registration: How to Register Trailers: Tow and auxiliary dollies are not required to be registered in California, though the owner may register one under PTI. Checked 2026-10-24.
• California DMV, Vehicle Industry Registration Procedures Manual 14.010: A PTI owner pays a maintenance service fee, or files a planned non-operation certification, every five years to keep the record on file. Checked 2026-10-24.
• Colorado DMV, Vehicle Registration: General Information: The page covers utility, camper and RV trailers and says renewals must be completed annually. Checked 2026-10-24.
• Connecticut General Statutes, chapter 246, ss. 14-1(60), 14-12(a) and 14-22(a): Section 14-1(60) defines a motor vehicle as any vehicle propelled or drawn by nonmuscular power, excluding farm implements; s. 14-1(10) makes camp trailer registration the type for nonbusiness camp and utility trailers; s. 14-22(a) has registrations expire two or three years from issue. Checked 2026-10-24.
• Connecticut DMV, Register a new vehicle or boat: Trailer, personal use: Personal trailers are registered in person at a DMV office. The page is undated, so this site does not repeat the fee. Checked 2026-10-24.
• Delaware DMV, Vehicle Services FAQs (boat trailers): Every trailer operating in Delaware must be titled and registered; the DMV handles all of them. Checked 2026-10-24.
• Delaware DMV, Fees: Trailer registration is listed as yearly, with fees in weight bands from 0 to 1,000 lb up. The list is dated January 3, 2017, and the later updates it notes are not marked on the trailer lines, so this site does not repeat the amounts. Checked 2026-10-24.
• Code of the District of Columbia s. 50-1501.02: Subsection (b) has a registration valid for a period set by the Mayor. Checked 2026-10-24.
• DC DMV, Fee Schedule for Commercial Vehicles: Trailer Class C: Annual trailer registration fees effective March 30, 2026: $85 at 3,499 lb or less, $175 from 3,500 to 4,999 lb, $275 from 5,000 to 5,999 lb, $400 from 6,000 to 6,999 lb, $650 from 7,000 to 7,999 lb, and more above that. Checked 2026-10-24.
• Florida Statutes (2026), s. 320.02(1) and s. 320.01(1)(a): Section 320.01(1)(a) lists a trailer in the definition of motor vehicle, so every trailer on Florida roads must be registered. Checked 2026-10-24.
• Florida Statutes (2026), s. 320.08(7), Trailers for private use: Florida private trailer fees are yearly and set by net weight. Travel and fifth-wheel trailers sit under s. 320.08(9) instead. Checked 2026-10-24.
• Georgia Department of Revenue, When and Where to Register Your Vehicle: Trailers are registered and plated at the county tag office like motor vehicles. Checked 2026-10-24.
• Georgia Department of Revenue, Vehicles Exempt from Registration: Georgia does not register a trailer under 3,500 lb used only to haul agricultural products on or between farms, springless farm trailers taking unprocessed farm products to first market, or tongue-pulled fertilizer trailers. Checked 2026-10-24.
• Georgia Department of Revenue, Vehicle Registration and License Plates: Georgia registrations are renewed yearly. Checked 2026-10-24.
• Idaho Code s. 49-456(1): Operating an unregistered trailer is unlawful in Idaho, subject to the exemptions in ss. 49-426, 49-431 and 49-432. Checked 2026-10-24.
• Idaho Code s. 49-426(2): Implements of husbandry, wheel-mounted tar buckets, portable concrete or mortar mixers, wheel-mounted compressors, tow dollies, portable toilet trailers and similar devices temporarily moved on the highways need not be registered. Checked 2026-10-24.
• Idaho Code s. 49-402A, Utility trailers: registration, fees and transfers: Five-year registrations cost $20 and ten-year registrations $30. On a sale the card and plate stay with the seller and may go on another utility trailer the seller owns. The section was last amended in 2026. Checked 2026-10-24.
• Illinois Secretary of State, Title and Registration FAQ: In Illinois trailers of every kind and size are titled and registered, and the plate carries an annual sticker. Checked 2026-10-24.
• Indiana Code 2026, IC 9-18.1-2-2 and 9-18.1-2-3: Section 2 lists the vehicles not required to be registered, among them farm wagons and disposable trailers. Checked 2026-10-24.
• Indiana BMV, Fee Chart (revised 1/1/26): Trailer of 3,000 lb or less: $16.35 a year; permanent registration for a 3,000 lb trailer: $82; heavier trailers in bands up to over 22,000 lb. The chart is marked revised January 1, 2026. Checked 2026-10-24.
• Iowa Code 2026, s. 321.18: The exceptions include implements of husbandry, special mobile equipment, and mobile and manufactured homes. Checked 2026-10-24.
• Iowa Code 2026, s. 321.123(1): Over 2,000 lb empty the annual fee is $30. Trailers of 2,000 lb empty or less are exempt from the title and lien provisions. Farm trailers, mobile homes and manufactured homes are outside this fee. Checked 2026-10-24.
• Kansas Department of Revenue, Division of Vehicles, Titling FAQ: Kansas requires trailers to be titled and registered, with three exceptions: farm trailers hauling 6,000 lb or less of agricultural product, hay and forage farm trailers, and trailers of 2,000 lb operating weight (trailer plus load) or less. Checked 2026-10-24.
• Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles, Policy 19.00 Trailer: Classes of License Plates (revised September 13, 2018): An identification trailer plate can be bought for one year, four years or permanent (lifetime); the permanent plate cannot be transferred. A tow dolly is not considered a trailer and is not eligible for registration. Checked 2026-10-24.
• Maine Revised Statutes, Title 29-A, s. 511, Trailers and semitrailers: Annual fee $10.50 for a trailer, camp trailer or semitrailer not exceeding 2,000 lb GVW; heavier trailers by gross weight on the section 504 schedule. Except camp trailers, a 2-year registration costs twice the annual fee. Text extracted October 5, 2026. Checked 2026-10-24.
• Maine Revised Statutes, Title 29-A, s. 504(1)(A): The first band of the gross weight schedule that a Maine trailer over 2,000 lb is registered on. Checked 2026-10-24.
• Maine Revised Statutes, Title 29-A, s. 510(1): The farm exemption: to or from the premises where kept, between farm lots, or to a filling station or garage. Checked 2026-10-24.
• Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles, Register a Trailer: A blue title application is needed for a trailer over 3,000 lb net weight and model year 1995 or newer. Registrations can be for 1 or 2 years, and long-term trailer plates are a separate product. Checked 2026-10-24.
• Maryland Code, Transportation s. 13-402: Subsection (c) lists the vehicles that need no registration, including a farm tractor or any farm equipment. Checked 2026-10-24.
• Massachusetts RMV, Register and Title Your Vehicle: Massachusetts requires a trailer to be registered with the RMV. Checked 2026-10-24.
• Michigan Secretary of State, License plates and tabs; Standard plate options (Permanent trailer): The plates and tabs page says all vehicles and trailers used on Michigan's roadways must be registered. Trailer plates have no tabs because they do not expire. Checked 2026-10-24.
• Michigan Vehicle Code, MCL 257.801(1)(l): The tax for a pole trailer, semitrailer, trailer coach or trailer is by empty weight: $75 from 0 to 2,499 lb, $200 from 2,500 to 9,999 lb, $300 at 10,000 lb and over. Compiled laws complete through PA 114 of 2026. Checked 2026-10-24.
• Minnesota Statutes 2025, s. 168.013, subd. 1d (Trailer): The one-time registration tax for a trailer of 3,000 lb or less registered in Minnesota for the first time is $55. Over 3,000 lb the tax is annual by gross weight, and from 3,001 to 7,200 lb it may be paid once every three years instead. Checked 2026-10-24.
• Minnesota Department of Public Safety, Trailer license plates and permanent registration sticker: Minnesota issues separate utility trailer plates under and over 3,000 lb GVW, and a self-adhesive permanent registration (tongue) sticker. Checked 2026-10-24.
• Mississippi Department of Revenue, Motor Vehicle Registration and Renewal: The page also says registration must be renewed every year. Checked 2026-10-24.
• Mississippi Department of Revenue, Motor Vehicle Frequently Asked Questions: Trailers over 5,000 lb GVW must be titled (since 1999); lighter boat trailers may be titled voluntarily. Checked 2026-10-24.
• Revised Statutes of Missouri s. 301.020.1: The application gives the gross weight and desired load only for a commercial motor vehicle or trailer. Checked 2026-10-24.
• Montana Motor Vehicle Division, Trailer Registration and Fees (citing s. 61-3-321(3), MCA): Montana trailers carry permanent registration with a single decal; the flat fee in lieu of tax splits at 6,000 lb declared weight. The page is undated, so this site does not repeat the fees. Checked 2026-10-24.
• Nebraska DMV, Vehicle Registration: Nebraska requires trailers on its highways and roads to be registered unless they fall in an exempt category. Checked 2026-10-24.
• Nebraska DMV, Motor Vehicles Exempt From Registration: The exempt list includes tow dollies and convertor gears, a welder permanently mounted on a towed device, implements of husbandry, and oversized cabin trailers and park model homes. Checked 2026-10-24.
• Nevada Revised Statutes 482.205, 482.206, 482.210 and 482.483: Registrations run 12 consecutive months (482.206). Exempt: special mobile equipment, implements of husbandry and towable tools or equipment (482.210). The flat trailer fee splits at 1,000 lb unladen, and a full trailer or semitrailer other than an RV or travel trailer may take a non-transferable registration that lasts until the owner transfers it (482.483). Checked 2026-10-24.
• New Hampshire RSA 261:40, Registration Required: Any vehicle not exempt must be registered and the fee paid before it is driven on New Hampshire ways. Checked 2026-10-24.
• New Hampshire RSA 261:141, Fees to be Collected: Automobile utility trailers are registered by weight including the maximum load, in bands from 0 to 1,000 lb up. The page is undated, so this site does not repeat the amounts. Checked 2026-10-24.
• New Jersey MVC, Trailers, House Semi-trailers and Private Utilities: Privately used trailers are registered as other non-commercial motor vehicles (Code 22). Checked 2026-10-24.
• New Jersey MVC, Registration and Title Fees (Code 22): The private utility trailer fee splits at 2,000 lb, and trailer registrations are due for renewal in March. The page is undated, so this site does not repeat the amounts. Checked 2026-10-24.
• New Mexico MVD, Vehicle Procedures Manual, Chapter 2: Title and Registration, General Information: Vehicles are registered on a staggered one-year or two-year basis, except freight trailers and permanently registered utility and travel trailers. Under s. 66-3-1(A)(6) and (7), farmers' and ranchers' own-produce trailers and trailers taking animals to fairs and rodeos need not be registered. Checked 2026-10-24.
• New Mexico MVD, Vehicle Procedures Manual, Chapter 13: Trailer: Permanent registration is for the life of the trailer; the manual section is dated November 2017, so this site does not repeat its fees. Checked 2026-10-24.
• New York DMV, Register a Trailer: The fee is charged per 500 lb of maximum gross weight, with a minimum, prorated daily. Titles are issued for trailers over 999 lb and model year 1973 and newer; others get a transferable registration. Insurance is not required for non-commercial trailers; an annual safety inspection is. Trailer-type machinery on form MV-274 is exempt. The page is undated, so this site does not repeat the dollar figures. Checked 2026-10-24.
• North Carolina General Statutes s. 20-50(a): North Carolina requires every vehicle used on its highways, a trailer included, to be registered. Checked 2026-10-24.
• North Carolina General Statutes s. 20-51, Exempt from registration: Exempt: farm trailers carrying the farmer's own products, supplies or equipment and not for hire (subdivisions 5 and 6), tobacco trailers (7), tow dollies (10), converter gear (11) and the other listed vehicles. Checked 2026-10-24.
• North Dakota Century Code s. 39-04-18: A semitrailer or farm trailer is registered annually or permanently at the registrant's choice. Subsection 2 lets farm tractors, special mobile equipment and road machinery run unregistered. Checked 2026-10-24.
• Ohio Revised Code 4503.11(A) and 4501.01(B): Section 4501.01(B) defines a motor vehicle as any vehicle propelled or drawn by power other than muscular power, which takes in trailers. Registration is annual unless the multi-year (4503.103) or permanent (4503.107) route is used. Checked 2026-10-24.
• Ohio BMV, Noncommercial Trailer Registration Fees, effective 01/01/2026: Fees by unladen weight, including the $16.00 administration and enforcement fee under R.C. 4503.10(C)(1). For 12 months, a 1 to 500 lb trailer is $21. Checked 2026-10-24.
• Ohio BMV, Multi-Year Registration: Non-commercial trailers are eligible for multi-year registration, with every year's fees paid up front. Checked 2026-10-24.
• Ohio Revised Code 4503.107, Noncommercial trailer permanent registration; Ohio BMV, Permanent Trailer Registration: A non-commercial trailer can be registered permanently by paying eight times the standard tax and fees. The BMV issues a non-transferable plate printed permanent and no exp, with no validation sticker. Checked 2026-10-24.
• Service Oklahoma, Vehicle Registration: The vehicles listed include non-commercial trailers: utility, boat and farm trailers. Checked 2026-10-24.
• Service Oklahoma, Motorcycles, Trailers, and More: A travel trailer needs both title and registration; private and farm trailers are registration only, and optional. Checked 2026-10-24.
• Oregon Revised Statutes 803.300, 803.305 and 803.415: Failure to register a vehicle owned in Oregon is a violation (803.300). Farm trailers used incidentally to farming are exempt (803.305(9)). Registration is biennial, a new trailer's first period is four years, and trailers operated above 8,000 lb loaded (not travel trailers) have permanent registration (803.415). Checked 2026-10-24.
• Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, Title 75 s. 1301(a): Pennsylvania requires every vehicle on a highway, a trailer included, to be registered unless exempt. Checked 2026-10-24.
• Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, Title 75 s. 1302: Exempt: tow dollies (19), trailers used exclusively for agriculture when towed by an implement of husbandry or farm vehicle within 50 miles of the farm (2.2), and trailers used primarily off highway and only incidentally on it (11). Checked 2026-10-24.
• PennDOT, Bureau of Motor Vehicles Schedule of Fees, MV-70S (4-26): By registered gross weight: 3,000 lb or less $7 a year or $35 for five years; 3,001 to 10,000 lb $15 or $75; 10,001 lb or more $46 a year or $223 permanent. Form revision 4-26. Checked 2026-10-24.
• Rhode Island General Laws s. 31-3-2, Vehicles subject to registration: The exceptions include farm vehicles only incidentally on a highway and special mobile equipment. Checked 2026-10-24.
• Rhode Island DMV, Trailer Registration: A safety inspection is required for all trailers of 1,000 lb or more. Checked 2026-10-24.
• Rhode Island DMV, Plate Types: Commercial trailers renew annually in March; non-commercial trailers every two years in April. Checked 2026-10-24.
• South Carolina Code of Laws s. 56-3-130: Section 56-3-110 otherwise requires every trailer on a South Carolina highway to be registered and licensed; s. 56-3-785 allows a permanent plate for utility trailers. Checked 2026-10-24.
• SCDMV, Camper, Trailer, or RV: A utility, pole or farm trailer must be registered only if it travels out of South Carolina; a boat trailer of 2,500 lb empty or more must be registered; camper, travel and horse trailers with living quarters must be registered. Utility plates are biennial or permanent. The page is undated, so this site does not repeat the fees. Checked 2026-10-24.
• South Dakota Codified Laws s. 32-5-2: The owner of a trailer used on South Dakota public highways must apply for its registration. Checked 2026-10-24.
• South Dakota Codified Laws ss. 32-5-1 and 32-5-1.3: Section 32-5-1 counts trailers as motor vehicles for the chapter. Section 32-5-1.3 exempts farm wagons and farm implements unless the farm vehicle is a stock trailer, gooseneck trailer or semitrailer towed by a licensed motor vehicle on a public highway. Checked 2026-10-24.
• South Dakota Codified Laws s. 32-5-5: Vehicle license fees in South Dakota are annual. Checked 2026-10-24.
• Tennessee Department of Revenue, VTR-26 Trailer Title and Registration: All other trailer types require registration. The help-desk answer is dated February 9, 2022. Checked 2026-10-24.
• Texas Department of Motor Vehicles, Trailers: A manufactured trailer over 4,000 lb gross weight (trailer plus what it can carry) must be titled; at or under 4,000 lb the title is optional. Checked 2026-10-24.
• TxDMV, Texas Registration Fees, effective January 1, 2026: The annual fee for a trailer or travel trailer of 6,000 lb gross weight or less is $45.00 plus local fees, on the chart effective January 1 to December 31, 2026. Checked 2026-10-24.
• Utah DMV, Trailers: Exempt per the page: trailers under 750 lb, those owned and operated by non-residents or the US government, and single axle trailers that are not commercial or for hire. We have not read the statute behind the single axle line. Checked 2026-10-24.
• Vermont Statutes, Title 23 s. 301(e): Vermont requires a trailer drawn on a highway to be registered. The online statutes include the actions of the 2026 session. Checked 2026-10-24.
• Code of Virginia s. 46.2-600: Virginia requires a trailer to be registered and titled before it is operated on a highway. Checked 2026-10-24.
• Virginia DMV, Trailer Registration: The fee is based on gross weight and the period chosen; permanent plates are available for all private, for-hire and rental trailers regardless of weight, for a one-time fee. Checked 2026-10-24.
• Revised Code of Washington 46.16A.030(1) and (2): Washington requires every vehicle on a public highway, a trailer included, to be registered and plated unless RCW 46.16A.080 exempts it. Checked 2026-10-24.
• Revised Code of Washington 46.16A.080, Registration: exemptions: Exempt from registration: converter gears, tow dollies, farm vehicles within 25 miles of the farm, farm implements, trailers used exclusively to move farm implements from farm to farm, and the other listed vehicles. None of the exemptions is by weight. Checked 2026-10-24.
• West Virginia Code s. 17A-3-2: The exceptions include implements of husbandry and farm trailers under the farm-use provisions, and government vehicles. Checked 2026-10-24.
• Wisconsin Statutes s. 341.05(13m) and s. 341.06(1)(am): Section 341.05(13m) exempts such a trailer from registration; section 341.06(1)(am) lets the owner register it voluntarily at the s. 341.25(1)(gd) fee. Checked 2026-10-24.
• Wyoming Statutes ss. 31-2-201(a), 31-2-206(n) and (o), and 31-3-101(a)(ii)(E): Registration is annual. A trailer within the 1,000 lb unladen weight band of s. 31-3-101(a)(ii)(E)(I) may be registered permanently, and then owes no further registration fees while the owner keeps it. The state fee for noncommercial trailers is by unladen weight. Checked 2026-10-24.