Home Built Trailer Registration in CA

[dallen341]

What a pain in the rear. I built an expedition type trailer and need to register it here in California. I look @ the DMV web site and pull the forms I needed to complete prior to heading to the DMV. So I head to my local DMV and stand in line some 30-40 minutes to talk to the person at the information booth, She issues me a call tag and I wait another 30 minutes or more to get to the registration window.

I know I need a VIN issued by either the DMV or CHP. No problem there. The dude at the window looks at my papers and asks where is my inspection and VIN info. I explain that since I have no registration started I need to get it started and also get a permit to move the trailer for said inspection.

Dude tells me I should have done inspection and VIN 1st (not sure how witout permit to move)/ Anyway, I get registration started and a permit to move the trailer. The guy tells me he left the date open so I can use the permit at my convenience. Pretty cool.

Today I head to the local CHP office for the inspection and VIN issue. Local CHP dude says "got an appointment?". Sorry, but no mention of need for appointment on CHP website. I am also told that local DMV office to me is not within the jurisdiction of where I live and I need to go to a different CHP office. Mr. CHP gives me the phone number of the office I need to go to.

I call the new CHP office from the existing CHP office and Mr. CHP tells me DMV does the inspection and VIN for trailers under 5000 pounds and that appointments are 6 weeks out. He also tells me I'd be better off going to the DMV. Seriously I exclaim, have you been to the DMV. Mr. CHP chuckles and gives me an appointment for early October.

So headed home from 1st CHP office I realize there is a DMV office about 2 miles away. I head over there and they are closed till Tuesday next week for computer upgrades.

My God, there must be a better way of doing all this. If Joe Citizen has this much hassle dealing with state agencies I can only imagine what it is like for the local businesses that need to deal with them.

OK, rant mode off. Anyone know of an approved private company that can do the inspectiona dn VIN issuance? AutoClub can not from what they tell me.

Thanks!

 

[seanz0rz]

when i did mine, there was no vin. i brought the trailer with me, my bill of sale and the previous owner's bill of sale. (for you, take your receipts and any photos of the build process, anything else that proves you built it). we went in and said we needed a vin and to register it, we got some run around and some lip, but we were incredibly polite and nice, and they reciprocated.

filled out the paperwork, including an affidavit saying it wasnt stolen, etc.

transferred to another window and we went outside and she inspected the trailer (didnt even look at the lights, just commented on the paint) asked me how much it weighed and applied a new VIN sticker to the tongue, and we went back inside.

it was fairly painless.

i never had to take it to CHP, get it inspected, weighed, etc.

tip: make an appt.

 

[alosix]

What a pain in the rear. I built an expedition type trailer and need to register it here in California. I look @ the DMV web site and pull the forms I needed to complete prior to heading to the DMV. So I head to my local DMV and stand in line some 30-40 minutes to talk to the person at the information booth, She issues me a call tag and I wait another 30 minutes or more to get to the registration window.

I know I need a VIN issued by either the DMV or CHP. No problem there. The dude at the window looks at my papers and asks where is my inspection and VIN info. I explain that since I have no registration started I need to get it started and also get a permit to move the trailer for said inspection.

Dude tells me I should have done inspection and VIN 1st (not sure how witout permit to move)/ Anyway, I get registration started and a permit to move the trailer. The guy tells me he left the date open so I can use the permit at my convenience. Pretty cool.

Today I head to the local CHP office for the inspection and VIN issue. Local CHP dude says "got an appointment?". Sorry, but no mention of need for appointment on CHP website. I am also told that local DMV office to me is not within the jurisdiction of where I live and I need to go to a different CHP office. Mr. CHP gives me the phone number of the office I need to go to.

I call the new CHP office from the existing CHP office and Mr. CHP tells me DMV does the inspection and VIN for trailers under 5000 pounds and that appointments are 6 weeks out. He also tells me I'd be better off going to the DMV. Seriously I exclaim, have you been to the DMV. Mr. CHP chuckles and gives me an appointment for early October.

So headed home from 1st CHP office I realize there is a DMV office about 2 miles away. I head over there and they are closed till Tuesday next week for computer upgrades.

My God, there must be a better way of doing all this. If Joe Citizen has this much hassle dealing with state agencies I can only imagine what it is like for the local businesses that need to deal with them.

OK, rant mode off. Anyone know of an approved private company that can do the inspectiona dn VIN issuance? AutoClub can not from what they tell me.

Thanks!

No better way in CA that I know of. I've been there numerous times with my GF trying to get her a CA license from an MD one. She once had a medical flag on it, and damn... it takes a lot of trips to the DMV to get it right.

I'm still waiting for stickers I paid for online for my WRX nearly 1.5 months ago. Guess I need to call again and see what's up.

And all this for 2x the cost of what I used to pay in MD for like 1/4 of the service.

 

[DNTL740]

Hey man sorry hear its been so hard for you to register your trailer. I had the same hesitations about registering my trailer, so I decided I would just drive it to the DMV to see what would happen.

Since I had built the trailer from scratch, I had no title, or bill of sale, I parked my car and trailer at the parking spot where they inspect out of state cars and rang the door bell for an inspection. Ten minutes later a man comes out with a clip board, and some paper work, and starts asking me questions. I told him what I knew and I spcifically stated it was going to be used as a UTILITY trailer. He told me to wait, 5 minutes later he came back with a VIN, stuck in on the trailer, and told me to take the paperwork inside and get in line to register it. I told him there was no place to park it, so I would drive it home and come back, he said that was fine.

I went back to the DMV and got inline and registered the trailer as a UTILITY trailer, handed the lady all the receipts I had and she came up with a number for me to pay. Since it got registered as a UTILITY trailer, the plate has no stickers and I think the plates are good for life.

It was so easy I don't know what I was stressing about.

I hope this helps, and again am sorry you are having so much trouble getting it done.

 

[Smksignals]

Hey man sorry hear its been so hard for you to register your trailer. I had the same hesitations about registering my trailer, so I decided I would just drive it to the DMV to see what would happen.

Since I had built the trailer from scratch, I had no title, or bill of sale, I parked my car and trailer at the parking spot where they inspect out of state cars and rang the door bell for an inspection. Ten minutes later a man comes out with a clip board, and some paper work, and starts asking me questions. I told him what I knew and I spcifically stated it was going to be used as a UTILITY trailer. He told me to wait, 5 minutes later he came back with a VIN, stuck in on the trailer, and told me to take the paperwork inside and get in line to register it. I told him there was no place to park it, so I would drive it home and come back, he said that was fine.

I went back to the DMV and got inline and registered the trailer as a UTILITY trailer, handed the lady all the receipts I had and she came up with a number for me to pay. Since it got registered as a UTILITY trailer, the plate has no stickers and I think the plates are good for life.

It was so easy I don't know what I was stressing about.

I hope this helps, and again am sorry you are having so much trouble getting it done.

Identical situation with my M416. Could not of been easier ...

 

[dallen341]

I should have taken it with me instead of sweat the lack of a permit to move since it had no plates. With the permit to move it (still no plates) I have hauled it all over today with no problem.

I'll just pick a day and haul *** to the DMV and suck it up.

Don

 

[Airmonger]

In Idaho all you need is a bill of sale, no inspection required. After I bought my m416 I was in and out in 15 minutes with a 10 year trailer license, sans $40 of coarse. One more reason to love Idaho.

 

[Serg5000]

I have done this exact dance when I was building choppers. You learn fast. I would set an appointment with the CHP. Go get the brake light inspection done prior to that. With papers in hand, and an appointment it only took 20 minutes. Then wait for my DMV appointment and drop some cash and thats it.

The websites don't tell you enough about what and how. I found it best to ask others doing the same thing. Got good sound advice from some good folks in how to deal with this stuff. Sorry you learned the hard way.

 

[JPNCA]

Sorry to hear about the trouble. Try a smaller DMV. I had no bill of sale, no receipts and no VIN on my 416. I was in and out with a VIN # and licence plate in 55 min. :Wow1: Shocked the heck out of me:Wow1:

 

[UK4X4]

I did my last build in CA and was done in 30 mins, a folder with reciepts, they inspected and stuck on a vin no and issued the plates.
< 1500lbs utility trailer

 

[ntsqd]

The small trailer plate has no registration stickers, but I'm under the impression that it is a bi-annual renewal. If I'm wrong I'm sure someone will correct me, but I seem to recall my friend & 1/2 owner of the Cheep Utility Trailer saying that he had received a renewal for it (his is the registered address). Which surprised the both of us.

Re: KA DMV offices. Some are good, some are bad, some are cause to want to show up wearing a clown suit carrying an AK-47 with a bandoleer of full magazines. :Wow1:
No idea where you are, but if it was the Oxnard office it's a wonder that I haven't read about you in the papers.
When at all possible use the AAA.

 

[dallen341]

Victory! Well I sucked it up and headed to the DMV this morning. I tried the appointment scheduler on line but it's 30+ days out for the 1st appointment.

So this AM I whip into the inspection line with trailer in tow. Three ladies from the DMV come out start checking the trailer out and asking questions. One thought it was "real cure" and that her son would like one like it. She assigns the VIN and I head inside to finish registration.

2+ hours later I'm done. I could have gone the appointment route but the 30+ day wait and the fact that I was off today helped me decide today was the day.

Whaahoo...I'm done.

 

[JPNCA]

AAA only works if you have a VIN #
I went to the Ventura DMV:sombrero:

 

[PAToyota]

Going to have to experience this in PA. Picked up a trailer off CL without a title - needs some work before I can even consider getting it registered, but the parts were worth more than I paid for them. So have to see how it goes...