Registering a new trailer in Ma.

Commercial trailers running interstate is a lot different than a mass resident with mass insurance pulling a Maine trailer that is registered in maine with the mass residents address.
It may work, till your 1st accident
My understanding was if the tow car is registered in MA the trailer needed to be registered in MA?
 
Bought a used trailer from another state. The VIN was gone, the sticker was worn out. MA was a giant PITA. Called Vermont, they said no VIN, no problem. Registered by mail very easily and had the plates in a a few weeks.

Screw Massachusetts, register in another state
You can register a trailer in MA without a VIN, just do it as a homemade trailer. I believe they assign a number when you do that.
 
You can register a trailer in MA without a VIN, just do it as a homemade trailer. I believe they assign a number when you do that.

They were a PITA with that too. Vermont was as friendly as possible and they would return calls, etc.
 
I bought a used open snowmobile snowmobile trailer from a friend in Mass. I restored it with 3/4" marine decking new tie downs all around, spent three full days working on it. Went to the Registry, you need X, next timeY, after 4 tries. I gave up. EFF them
 
I'd say "in before the 'you can't drive a non-MA-registered trailer with a MA-registerd vehicle in MA' crowd, but we're deep on page 2 already. I'm SHOCKED at how many WORK trailers I see that are Maine registered. Contractors, landscapers, anyone. It's rare to see a MA registered trailer. I'm talking fairly large businesses as well.
 
My insurance for a 5x7' utility trailer was $18/yr then MA charges me $60 every 6 months for the plates?!? It's B.S.
Then I switch insurance providers and they said I don't need insurance for a $1000 trailer... but I still have the plates.
 
My insurance for a 5x7' utility trailer was $18/yr then MA charges me $60 every 6 months for the plates?!? It's B.S.
Then I switch insurance providers and they said I don't need insurance for a $1000 trailer... but I still have the plates.

Most insurance carriers in MA don't charge for trailers that have liability only coverage on them since liability coverage comes from the vehicle pulling the trailer, you won't usually even see them only the policy if they're liability only coverage. Some carriers have a small fee for trailers. You do need to provide proof of insurance in order to register a trailer in MA but the trailer itself doesn't need to appear on the policy.
 
I’ve had Maine registered trailers from 2005 on and until 14 months ago they were solely pulled by a Massachusetts tagged truck.
One boat should have had a wide load permit as it was over 102” wide and close to 13 feet tall on the trailer and not one LEO ever gave me a second look and I pulled it at 75mph on the interstates.
I can’t imagine what a porking I would have got in Mass with a 13k GWR registration fee every year.
 
My insurance for a 5x7' utility trailer was $18/yr then MA charges me $60 every 6 months for the plates?!? It's B.S.
Then I switch insurance providers and they said I don't need insurance for a $1000 trailer... but I still have the plates.

I'm not aware of MA charging trailer registration every 6 months, it's once a year. They did change the registration process though. They charge you registration based on the month you initially registered the trailer. If you don't renew that month, you will still get a renewal on that following month. For example, if your registration expires in November and you renew in March. Your registration is from March to November. It won't be a full year (March to March). That's what happened to me this year.
 
I'm not aware of MA charging trailer registration every 6 months, it's once a year. They did change the registration process though. They charge you registration based on the month you initially registered the trailer. If you don't renew that month, you will still get a renewal on that following month. For example, if your registration expires in November and you renew in March. Your registration is from March to November. It won't be a full year (March to March). That's what happened to me this year.
It's always in November.
 
The Maine registration is not technically legal if you use it in the state of ma

 
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My understanding was if the tow car is registered in MA the trailer needed to be registered in MA?

Hmm. I have rented a few U-Haul trailers including one on Sunday. The trailer I got was not registered in MA. I'm thinking it was legal.

My uncle lives in NH. He has a trailer, registered in NH, to tote the sleds on. I have used it many times in MA and never had an issue.

One year I forgot to renew the trailer plate on my boat (MA tags). I drove it almost the whole summer before someone noticed the tag was expired. Oddly enough it was the Game Warden at a lake in NH and he casually told me my tag was expired and I should take care of it before I get a ticket.
 
The trailer you rented and or borrowed was not owned by you a resident subject of Ma.

It is nothing more than the state wants "its" money. You are skipping out on registration tax and excise tax.
 
The trailer you rented and or borrowed was not owned by you a resident subject of Ma.

It is nothing more than the state wants "its" money. You are skipping out on registration tax and excise tax.
Don’t kiss the Mass ring.
I’m living proof nobody cared or I’m extremely lucky.
It’s not like a 30+ foot trailer with a white load hanging off the back of your truck on triple axels doesn’t stand out. 😂
 
NH wants $200/yr plus inspection. Maine is $200/10 years. For a trailer that is
going to sit in my yard for the most part, it is a no Brainer to register it in Maine.

Malodave

Clarification: NH trailer inspections look like they are only required if it's over 10000 lbs.


.... (a) All trailers, semi-trailers and full trailers with a registered weight of 10,001 pounds or more shall be inspected unless otherwise noted in RSA 266:1-b....
 
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Brand new utility trailer (5x10 ) for the house, Title in hand plus all the paper work from seller. Walk into RMV (Mass) took 5 seconds and was told I need an insurance stamp. Ok call agent and she says no stamp needed and no insurance needed for the trailer to get a plate the motor vehicle towing the trailer would expand to trailer if needed for liability or I can buy more insurance if I wanted but not needed to register in line again to explain and all I heard was stamp needed NEXT!!!! Although I was extremely happy to hear perfect English being spoken (heheheh )Anyone been thru this or have an answer?

Freemen don't need to register their trailers with the government!

Sorry, wrong thread ;)
 
Don’t kiss the Mass ring.
I’m living proof nobody cared or I’m extremely lucky.
It’s not like a 30+ foot trailer with a white load hanging off the back of your truck on triple axels doesn’t stand out. 😂
Not kissing the ring. i ran an expired plate for years and was lucky. just simply trying to clear up miss information so people can make an proper decision on how best they want to break the law
 
Clarification: NH trailer inspections look like they are only required if it's over 1000 lbs.

It is basically if it has Electric Brakes. My 8.5' x 24' Enclosed Cargo Trailer is at 9,990 lbs.

Malodave
 
I’ve had Maine registered trailers from 2005 on and until 14 months ago they were solely pulled by a Massachusetts tagged truck.
One boat should have had a wide load permit as it was over 102” wide and close to 13 feet tall on the trailer and not one LEO ever gave me a second look and I pulled it at 75mph on the interstates.
I can’t imagine what a porking I would have got in Mass with a 13k GWR registration fee every year.

So how does registering in Maine deal with sales tax? I have a 24ft enclosed car trailer I got last year - that's been sitting in my driveway unregistered because I've got to get some work done on it. I bought it from a guy in Florida - who towed it all the way up here for me (without even having a plate on it!) . I've been putting off even getting it registered here in MA - because they'll immediately want to charge me the sales tax. I have the title for it. If Maine doesn't give a crap about the sales tax - I'd probably just go get it registered so I could at least tow it around locally.

Now I'm looking at an open equipment trailer on auction - that says it has no title. How does Maine handle the no title thing? Do they even care?
 
Freemen don't need to register their trailers with the government!

Sorry, wrong thread ;)

LOL

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So how does registering in Maine deal with sales tax? I have a 24ft enclosed car trailer I got last year - that's been sitting in my driveway unregistered because I've got to get some work done on it. I bought it from a guy in Florida - who towed it all the way up here for me (without even having a plate on it!) . I've been putting off even getting it registered here in MA - because they'll immediately want to charge me the sales tax. I have the title for it. If Maine doesn't give a crap about the sales tax - I'd probably just go get it registered so I could at least tow it around locally.

Now I'm looking at an open equipment trailer on auction - that says it has no title. How does Maine handle the no title thing? Do they even care?
You will have to pay the sales tax at title and registration time. At least you won’t get fined for not getting your papers in order within 30 days or whatever the hell MA does.
I know a title is needed if over 1500 tare I think is the number.

I know there is a service that takes care of this for non residents. I always just went to town hall.
 
I bought and registered my 7'x14' enclosed trailer for my part-time carpentry business in 1996. That was the last time I registered it.
I tend to pull the trailer to a job and leave it there until the project is complete. And since I tend to do whole house remodels the trailer often sits at the job for weeks or months. It only travels on the roads a few times a year.
I'm guessing that one of these years I'll get pulled over, but whatever fine I'll get must be far less costly than what renewing the registration for the last 2-1/2 decades would have cost.
 
I have an enclosed MC trailer I bought from the original owner. I had bill of sale and certificate of origin from the trailer dealer to my seller. Tried to register it in MA "You need the previous owner's registration to prove he owned the trailer". WTAF? Paid the sales tax to ME and registered it there.
 
Realize that this is a thread on new trailers but food for thought. You buy a new (or used) trailer either 3000 pounds under or over it is in your best incentive to either a) register if under 3000, or b) title if over 3000 no matter what your plans are to use it. The difference is when you eventually do go to sell it someone giving it what you want for it vs someone who will demand it for damned near close to free like myself who knows just how difficult it can be to make it "legal" again in Massachusetts without going through a third party.
 
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