Tardily in July 2020 I found a small roof rack trailer for sale in a neighboring boondocks. It came with a canoe and the toll was reasonable. I had been eyeing a trailer buy for some fourth dimension because, well, let's non go into this now. The reasoning is multi-faceted and warrants a split post.

And so, I contacted the seller and we met so that I could inspect the setup. The seller gave me what looked like a copy of the Certificate of Origin. He asserted that this was all he had and he was able to annals it. I quickly wrote up a Beak of Auction, and I towed it home.

Up to this point, I hadn't actually thought much nigh what it would take to annals a trailer, other than that I wanted to do it. And so the research started.

Registration Requirements

The RMV website does not actually spell out the registration requirements for trailers purchased from an individual – they are the same as for other vehicles:

  • A completed Registration and Title Application
  • The previous possessor's certificate of titleor the previous possessor'southward registration and bill of auction for vehicles that are exempt considering of its age
  • Applicable fee

The site further mentions that trailers with a gross weight of less than 3,000 pounds do non crave a title (mine has 1,200). And the person registering must be present in person (lawful presence when registering/titling your vehicle).

With this information, I downloaded the application, filled information technology out, and printed information technology. In that location is also this checklist on the RMV site. It mentions proof of insurance. I did only a superficial search on insurance requirements for trailers, something that would come back and seize with teeth me subsequently.

The first hit that Google brought up was an insurance site, and it said this:

Although it's not a legal requirement to maintain insurance on your trailer, …

At this point I stopped reading and decided that I wouldn't need an insurance stamp on the application form. I had the rest – a bill of auction AND the certificate of origin signed over to me.

So I went to the website and began the procedure of getting an appointment at i of the RMV offices that were open during the pandemic. The ones that were open up for business to the public were all at least an hour away, so I decided I would accept the Harley and pick the ane with the near scenic ride – Plymouth, MA.

First RMV Visit

The earliest appointment that I constitute came with a 2 calendar week await time. I booked information technology. During those initial ii weeks, I made several trips with the trailer and ii canoes, a couple around boondocks to the Charles River, one to Lake Cochituate in Framingham on a busy summer weekend. I made certain I had the paperwork with me. Luckily, I did not get pulled over, then I can't tell you what would have happened.

Cerberus, the mythical hound of Hades, garding the gates to the Underworld

Finally the appointment came. It was a warm August day and I arrived on time for my date. I was a little irritated that at that place was a line of people wrapped around the edifice, just I wasn't in a bustle, then I waited the 45 minutes or so until I was finally chosen inside. Cerberus awaited me in the anteroom and demanded to review my paperwork. After a brief glance, he pointed at my Certificate of Origin and said: "We don't take copies". I tried to explain that this was all the previous owner had given me, and that the trailer had previously been registered in Massachusetts, only he wanted no part of this. He would non permit me in. I had to ride back with cypher accomplished, having wasted one-half a day in the procedure.

Regrouping

The things I looked into to resolve this were

  • reaching out to the seller once again and ask him to double-check for the original title (negative) or his registration (too negative – already discarded)
  • researching the abode-built path for trailers (seemed sketchy – I had ordered a list of accessory parts from the manufacturer already that cost more than than what I had paid for the trailer, but would this be sufficient bear witness?)
  • researching out-of-state registrations

The best choice seemed to be to enquire a friend in New Hampshire to register it temporarily and and so sell it back to me. With the NH registration, then said many forum posts, I would exist able to register it in MA.

Duplicate Certificate of Origin

But but when I was about to reach out to my friend, I remembered that the folks at the manufacturer had been friendly when I ordered parts – shouldn't they exist able to send a duplicate certificate? I called, and – bingo. They took my information and promised to send a duplicate Certificate of Origin. Meanwhile, I scheduled several new appointments at the RMVs in Worcester and Fall River (but in instance, using different email addresses and phone numbers).

A calendar week passed and the envelope did non arrive. Information technology seemed that they had forgotten to mail it. I cancelled my appointments and called once more. This fourth dimension, communication worked better, and the letter of the alphabet with the new certificate arrived within a calendar week.

Second RMV Visit

Once I had the document, I contacted the seller so that he could sign it over to me again. Unfortunately he was out of state and we could not meet until Friday that week. It was already late in Baronial by now. I scheduled more than RMV appointments, but I had found out that the RMV in Milford, MA offered drop-off service for application packages and would turn them around in a few days, much shorter than the await for an in-person appointment at another location. One time I had the signature that Fri, it was 3:30 pm. I checked the hours of the service heart on their website – 9 to five pm – and was on my way with the Harley to the RMV office. I arrived there at 4:15 pm, merely before I could get in line, I was told that drib-off packages were simply accepted until 4 pm. So I rode home over again, having accomplished aught – a familiar feeling past now.

3rd RMV Visit

Undeterred, I returned get-go thing the following Monday morning, right when they opened. I already had the instruction canvass and the bar code that I needed to scan with my phone from the Friday visit, and within x minutes I was inside.

Once once again, someone reviewed my application documents, and in one case once again they were rejected. I learned that I needed an insurance stamp after all, even though insurance was not required.

So I hopped on the cycle and went to the AAA office one town over that would stamp my class. On the way there I was nearly killed, only I made it to the AAA. They were open up for business organization without an appointment and willing to provide the required stamp. I learned that, even though a policy it not required and at that place is no toll, a trailer rider needs to be added to the machine insurance.

Quaternary RMV Visit

Back to the RMV I went. I briefly considered registering there via SMS prior to leaving the AAA location, just dismissed the idea as something that could cause embarrassment if the look was short and I wasn't there yet. Mistake. When I arrived, in that location were twenty people alee of me.

And on the fashion I lost the AM/FM of my Harley! I thought I would just order a replacement and non worry about information technology. This was some other error – I had not just lost the antenna, merely also the stud, and replacing it turned out to exist a plush and complicated project. In one case I realized this, I even returned that same evening and rode the stretch of Interstate 3 times, just I was not able to find it again.

Anyway, the expect concluded upwards being less than an hour and I was finally able to drop off my application package late that Monday morning.

Fifth RMV Visit

Wednesday afternoon I received a telephone call that my application was processed and that, afterwards payment, I could pick up my plate and registration. This was a four:15pm. Knowing that it would have me thirty minutes to get there, I speedily sent payment and got in the car (information technology was raining, and then no riding that day).

The much coveted registration and (temporary) license plate
The much coveted registration and (temporary) license plate

I arrived at 4:55 and stormed inside, mask on. My envelope was ready and I received

  • one temporary plate (they were out of metallic license plates)
  • one temporary registration (to go with the plate)
  • the Certificate of Origin

The adult female who handed me the documents was kind enough to mention that the Certificate of Origin was not needed because THEY HAD THE ORIGINAL ON FILE!

I broke out into a hysterical laughter. So much gas wasted.

Conclusion

The permanent plate will make it in the mail, I was told, so I won't have to go back again for this.

The take-away for others and myself for futurity trailer purchases and the Massachusetts trailer registration process:

  • If the trailer was registered in Massachusetts before, you lot DO Non Demand A Document of ORIGIN!
  • Do not bother bringing a copy that the previous owner may have had – it will misfile the heck out of RMV guard dogs
  • If your trailer was NOT previously registered in MA, you lot will need the original or a duplicate Document of Origin, or the previous registration. Make certain you accept one or the other!