Trailer (camper) license

[Bronson512]

Well, I don't think it's hardly as bad as the old oil, oil filter or tire plugging question or a few other questions that never seem to get solved but here goes.

Has anyone who lives in a state not requiring a license on their trailer or camper had any issues while traveling out of state?

 

[trikeleader]

Other states MUST honor the states requirements of your home state.

:clapping:

 

[ISP-FL]

Years ago in Illinois there was an issue. I can't recall if it was Wisconsin or another northern state, but small trailers were traveling through Illinois from there without any type of registration. Driver's from that state claimed they were not required to register them up to a certain weight or something of that nature. Illinois would of course honor any other state's registration, but they would not honor unregistered vehicles traveling through, so tickets were issued. Now that is going back at least 15 years. Unknown what current situation would be.

 

[Bronson512]

Other states MUST honor the states requirements of your home state.:clapping:

Trikeleader, I'm not trying to start an argument as I agree with you but some riders/drivers have been stopped and let go on their way but some have been cited (according to some post on other forums). I guess a trip back to a strange court in some far away state might get you a not guilty verdict however at what price or cost? ...........and you might finish second in a two man race!

Years ago in Illinois there was an issue. I can't recall if it was Wisconsin or another northern state, but small trailers were traveling through Illinois from there without any type of registration. Driver's from that state claimed they were not required to register them up to a certain weight or something of that nature. Illinois would of course honor any other state's registration, but they would not honor unregistered vehicles traveling through, so tickets were issued. Now that is going back at least 15 years. Unknown what current situation would be.

I will have to get the details but the only incident I've got personal knowledge of involves a Ky resident and friend of my brother. He was cited in NC (I think) a few years back. It cost him dearly after it was all done. This situation was not related to a motorcycle/trike but a pickup pulling a trailer. My parents have been stopped while pulling their boat to FL. To fish. They were allowed to go on their way with just a slight delay.

I have pulled a cargo trailer in a few states surrounding KY and have not had any issues. I assume our surrounding states are used to seeing KY residents running around with no plates on their trailers.

There are are a few states that concern me and my travels just might take me into at least 1 of them this year.

Thanks

 

[kybigmac]

Illinois is notorious for issuing tickets for this, but they can't make it stick. They can cause a lot of aggravation and seem to enjoy it!

 

[rhino 2]

If you have a trailer and its Not a requirement to have it registered in Your state' And you will be traveling though/in states where it is required ,Then i would suggest you carry a copy of Your state requirement with you, As a get out of jail card......

 

[Philip R]

Last year, I drove to Andalusia Alabama to pick up a boat that I purchased. I asked about some kind of dealer tag to temporary to get back to Texas. He said they don't register in Al. Boat trailer didn't even have a license plate holder. I pulled it back home to no incidents, but I was nervous about it. Luck was on my side for that trip.

 

[jc1300]

Interesting as this has just come up for me in Tennessee. No license required here, but as the plate cost $14.....I figured it was worth the cost to avoid the stop and any issues from bored officers. jc

 

[rhino 2]

Interesting as this has just come up for me in Tennessee. No license required here, but as the plate cost $14.....I figured it was worth the cost to avoid the stop and any issues from bored officers. jc

I hear you... Not really the same' but the same idea .. I had initially registered my Rhino in my home state NJ... But i ride it mostly in NY.. The NJ registration is just a paper card to keep in the glove box, Whereas the NY registration is a medal license plate..So as not to get stoped in NY, When/if a cop doesn't see a plate, I transferred it to NY. They see a plate they don't bother to stop you , No plate they will..

 

[trikeleader]

I find it interesting that people think it is acceptable to be stopped and or ticketed for doing nothing wrong. The state of Wisconsin does not require or want you to license and title any trailer that has a gross weight of 3000 lbs or less. As I stated earlier, other states must respect the rights of all citizens and if there is a pattern of illegal citing of people from another state, the state issuing the summons can and should be sued. We should not sit back and say well I guess that is the way it is. As a retired law enforcement officer this is my feeling on the subject.

 

[rhino 2]

I hear you... Not really the same' but the same idea .. I had initially registered my Rhino in my home state NJ... But i ride it mostly in NY.. The NJ registration is just a paper card to keep in the glove box, Whereas the NY registration is a medal license plate..So as not to get stopped in NY, When/if a cop doesn't see a plate, I transferred it to NY. They see a plate they don't bother to stop you , No plate they will..

So there isn't any misunderstanding ; In NY all ATV'S have to be registered to Ride them in NY.. It doesn't matter which state its registered in just has to be registered , And if you ride off of private property it at also has to be insured..

So without a visible plate it is Probable cause to be stopped.. And asked can i see your registration......

 

[Bronson512]

I find it interesting that people think it is acceptable to be stopped and or ticketed for doing nothing wrong. The state of Wisconsin does not require or want you to license and title any trailer that has a gross weight of 3000 lbs or less. As I stated earlier, other states must respect the rights of all citizens and if there is a pattern of illegal citing of people from another state, the state issuing the summons can and should be sued. We should not sit back and say well I guess that is the way it is. As a retired law enforcement officer this is my feeling on the subject.

trikeleader, I agree with you. The big problem in many states this one being one, is the not black and not white spots left in the books by our law makers and the interpretation of those grey areas by the LE community.

I have been told directly by my local clerk when I transferred my trailer into my name that I didn't need to license it. I ask specifically about other states honoring that an was told they would. Reading the KY laws gives me great concern (more on this later).

There are those that argue the KY law not requiring trailers to be licensed was meant for a boat trailer only because the boat itself is licensed for use on the waters an the boat needs to be transported by trailer to those waters.

 

[keepinon]

I find it interesting that people think it is acceptable to be stopped and or ticketed for doing nothing wrong. The state of Wisconsin does not require or want you to license and title any trailer that has a gross weight of 3000 lbs or less. As I stated earlier, other states must respect the rights of all citizens and if there is a pattern of illegal citing of people from another state, the state issuing the summons can and should be sued. We should not sit back and say well I guess that is the way it is. As a retired law enforcement officer this is my feeling on the subject.

Tom, I agree with you, and would probably be hard-headed enough to argue about it with an officer. But I would have a copy of my State's statute & perhaps a note from the county that license plates were not required where I lived.

The problem is, so many small localities are in a financial bind, many receiving a healthy dose of operating capital from traffic law enforcement. So the officer will write a $100 ticket for no license plate displayed, betting that the operator will pay the ticket, rather that spend 3 times that returning to argue his case in court.

State's laws should be uniform, across the board. IE; Texas requires no helmet to operate a motorcycle, but if I travel into Louisiana with no helmet, I'll get a ticket, even though I'm legal in my state. But there is no legal relief there....

CYA... carry a copy of your states statute, and hope the officer has a little common sense.

 

[Keystone]

Back in the late 90's when MN did away with the plate on certain small trailers I was stopped for not having one in another state. Now-a-days those other states are used to seeing trailers with out tags on them in certain weight classes (mostly under 3,000 lbs).

 

[1dn5up]

In NY the trailer issue is so confusing :Shrug:

If you haul a wood chipper , no reg is required. You haul a camper trailer, reg is required. The reasoning is that you can't haul stuff in a wood chipper, but you can in a camper.

Dont question me, Question Mario Cuomo, our leader.

 

[rhino 2]

In NY the trailer issue is so confusing :Shrug:

If you haul a wood chipper , no reg is required. You haul a camper trailer, reg is required. The reasoning is that you can't haul stuff in a wood chipper, but you can in a camper.

Dont question me, Question Mario Cuomo, our leader.

And if you put that wood chipper in a trailer 'the trailer has to also have brake/turn single and side marker lights, Whereas the chipper can be towed dark...

 

[Marc H]

I agree it is amazing how things vary.About 10 years ago the lawn and garden dealer I worked for got some new trailers to sale from Alabama.When they were delivered I asked about a title or certificate of of origin.Not needed in Alabama so don't supply them.So what about when you supply them to a dealer in a state that requires registration?Never had a problem.I didn't like it and it took some work to find out how to handle it. I don't remember what we did but I talked to the county clerk here.Being an hour drive from Georgia,Alabama, North Carolina,and South Carolina I saw potential for a problem.I was told that it wasn't a problem as long as it stayed in Tn. But if it was going out of state the cost of the tag was cheap insurance against getting stopped.I agree its be and you shouldn't have to deal with it and carry a copy of the statute in your state with you.But is the time sitting on the side of the road having this discussion with multiple leos really worth taking a stand on over a $14 dollar I think permanent tag?Knowing how I am not really cause if I got stopped by a stubborn Leo having a bad day before I took a ticket the trailer and a cruiser would be totalled.Not worth it to me.

 

[ISP-FL]

Illinois is notorious for issuing tickets for this, but they can't make it stick. They can cause a lot of aggravation and seem to enjoy it!

There are certain things that are reciprocal between states when it comes to vehicles, but they generally only apply to equipment issues. License, registration, and safety issues apply to everyone, state residents or foreign residents alike. If your state allows you to tint your front windows and you are traveling through another state, which has laws against front window tint, then obviously you can't be cited because you are registered in another state. If you come through without a helmet from another state and the state you are visiting requires a helmet, then you will be cited. If you come through intoxicated and get stopped and your home state's limit is .10, but the state you are visiting is .08, would you expect the cops to go by your home state's rules?

My point is if your state does not require registration on a trailer, a vehicle, or anything else driven on highways, that is fine if you stay in their jurisdiction, but may not be acceptable traveling elsewhere. You can carry a copy of your state's statutes if you want but in reality another state's LEO doesn't abide by another state's statutes, only his own state's statutes. If the state you are traveling through has statutes which state that every vehicle being driven or towed on the roadways shall be registered, then when you visit that state it applies to you.

Try driving past a LEO in a state that has strict laws on yacking on a cell phone while driving, with a cell phone up to your ear and see how long it takes you to get stopped and cited. I am pretty sure pulling out a state statute from you home state saying it is allowed wouldn't get you out of a ticket.

 

[DakotaTG]

I have a Aluma MCT motorcycle trailer and according to what the ND DMV office here in Jamestown told me I would not be required to have a license plate on the trailer as long as I stayed in ND with it. However from what I understand from them is that ND law states you must have a license on the trailer if you are pulling it outside of ND. It basically says that as long as you keep it in the state you don't need one but if you take it out of state you will need to have a license on it. The cost for a ND small trailer license is $5.00. My boat trailer does not have a license plate on it as the boat itself is registered and licensed so no need to put a plate on the trailer.

2016 Jade Green and Black TG

 

[Phu Cat]

​I almost got arrested FOR having a license plate on a motorcycle I was hauling in the bed of my truck. My BIL in Illinois gave me his KZ-400 that he couldn't get running when I lived in Cincinnati. I picked up the bike and title in Illinois and headed for Cincinniti and quickly was stopped by an Illinois State trooper. I wondered what he was stopping me for cause I wasn't speeding or doing anything else wrong and said he stopped me cause I had a bike with a states plate that was different than my truck so he thought it might be stolen. Even tho I had the title that carried no weight. Fortunately my BIL was still at home and a phone call cleared everything up and he let me go but I stopped at the next gas station and took that plate off the bike.

PC

 

[rhino 2]

When ATC'S First came out, And before i built a barn at my club to keep it in i would trader it back and forth to my club..Got stopped twice buy the local cops... Once in PA. And once in NY. Both times the reason for stopping me [so they said] was that my trailer lights were flickering when i rode over a bump, Which is quite possible back then most small trailers were grounded at the Ball. But i knew what the real reason was... They wanted to make sure the ATC wasn't stolen...