Manufactured boat trailer - no tag?

I recently traded for a 14' fiberglass fishing boat on a trailer. The boat registration is no problem, but the trailer it's on is manufactured and the previous owner broke off the tag on a boat ramp and never replaced it. I can find instructions for registering it as a homemade, but am worried about repercussions for lying on the affidavit as it is clearly not home-made and is fairly old (1992). Is there a way to get a new tag for it as a manufactured trailer, or do they just expect folks to fudge their way through a home-made trailer form and get it done that way?

Have you looked on the tongue for a tag or possibly stamped serial number? If there isn't one, I'd just go the homemade route.

ryanh487 said:

Is there a way to get a new tag for it as a manufactured trailer, or do they just expect folks to fudge their way through a home-made trailer form and get it done that way?

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from MY experience and MY good friend's experience, YES.... - they are expecting you to fudge your way through.

My friend up the street has a boat trailer that holds his SeaRay. It is a manufactured trailer, no doubt about it. The original decal sticker that had the VIN# is worn away. The local tag office told him he needed to put a HOMEMADE DECAL VIN on it and have it inspected by law enforcement.
So we did. Right in the tag office parking lot. Police came, filled out papers, done. He got a tag 15 mins later.

I had a SHORELAND'R jet ski trailer, same thing. The darn decal sticker that had the VIN on it was so faded it was unreadable. Slap on a homemade trailer VIN and done.

................................

with that said, your results may vary.

mattech said:

Have you looked on the tongue for a tag or possibly stamped serial number? If there isn't one, I'd just go the homemade route.

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Doesn't look like there is one, but there is a manufacturer logo engraved on the fender. Would that cause me trouble?

Honestly I bet they run I to this all the time. All they care about is getting your money. I got a utility trailer brand new a couple years ago. The VIN is stamped on the tongue, but after they painted it you can barely read it. If the government really cared they would have more laws on it to be visible.

Any suggestion on what I should put as the manufactured date? It's from 1992 but I was 5 at that time soo...

I just did this earlier this year. Bought a 1993 boat/trailer that was not tagged and no visible ID number on trailer. It is a Javelin trailer and the logo is clearly visible on both sides of trailer. Told the tag office about this and they gave me the homemade trailer form and a ID number that I had to mount to trailer. Came back and deputy came over to parking lot and 'inspected' trailer and signed form. Went back inside tag office and got a tag.
It's your only option if there's no tag or visible ID number of some sort on trailer.

Years ago ran into this with a camper I bought, couldn't find a number on it anywhere, the tag office lady asked me if I were going to have to do any repairs/fix anything about the camper ? I said sure , a few things, she said okay, then we can call it homemade! I got a small plate to mount to the camper and a tag right then and there . I never had to have anyone inspect the camper, but that may have changed since then.

Does not matter.

Does not matter.

All you need is a bill of sale and Po Po
or DNR come verify the plate is gone.

Take that affidavit and bill of sale to tag
office for tag and to DNR for registration.

Been there, done that. Less than a year ago.

Awesome, thanks guys! I need to replace the lights on it and then I should be good to go for the new tag.