Belatedly in July 2020 I found a small roof rack trailer for sale in a neighboring boondocks. Information technology came with a canoe and the price was reasonable. I had been eyeing a trailer purchase for some time because, well, let'due south not go into this at present. The reasoning is multi-faceted and warrants a separate mail.

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 information technology. I quickly wrote upwards a Beak of Sale, and I towed it habitation.

Upwards to this betoken, I hadn't actually thought much about what it would take to register a trailer, other than that I wanted to practice it. And then the research started.

Registration Requirements

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

  • A completed Registration and Title Application
  • The previous owner's document of titleor the previous owner's registration and pecker of sale for vehicles that are exempt because of its age
  • Applicable fee

The site further mentions that trailers with a gross weight of less than iii,000 pounds do not require a championship (mine has ane,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 it out, and printed it. There is besides 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 bite me later.

The first hit that Google brought upward was an insurance site, and information technology 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 remainder – a bill of sale AND the document of origin signed over to me.

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

Offset RMV Visit

The earliest appointment that I constitute came with a 2 week wait time. I booked it. During those initial ii weeks, I made several trips with the trailer and 2 canoes, a couple around town to the Charles River, one to Lake Cochituate in Framingham on a busy summer weekend. I made sure I had the paperwork with me. Luckily, I did non get pulled over, so I can't tell y'all what would have happened.

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

Finally the appointment came. Information technology was a warm August day and I arrived on time for my appointment. I was a little irritated that there was a line of people wrapped effectually the building, but I wasn't in a hurry, so I waited the 45 minutes or and so until I was finally called inside. Cerberus awaited me in the lobby and demanded to review my paperwork. Subsequently a cursory 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, merely he wanted no office of this. He would not let me in. I had to ride back with nada accomplished, having wasted half a mean solar day in the process.

Regrouping

The things I looked into to resolve this were

  • reaching out to the seller again and ask him to double-check for the original title (negative) or his registration (also negative – already discarded)
  • researching the habitation-built path for trailers (seemed sketchy – I had ordered a listing of accompaniment parts from the manufacturer already that price more than than what I had paid for the trailer, but would this be sufficient evidence?)
  • researching out-of-state registrations

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

Duplicate Certificate of Origin

Simply only when I was almost 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 data and promised to ship a indistinguishable Document of Origin. Meanwhile, I scheduled several new appointments at the RMVs in Worcester and Fall River (only in case, using different e-mail addresses and phone numbers).

A calendar week passed and the envelope did non arrive. Information technology seemed that they had forgotten to post it. I cancelled my appointments and called again. This fourth dimension, communication worked ameliorate, and the letter with the new certificate arrived inside a week.

Second RMV Visit

In one case I had the document, I contacted the seller and so that he could sign it over to me again. Unfortunately he was out of land and nosotros could not meet until Friday that week. Information technology was already late in Baronial past now. I scheduled more than RMV appointments, but I had found out that the RMV in Milford, MA offered driblet-off service for application packages and would turn them effectually in a few days, much shorter than the expect for an in-person date at another location. Once I had the signature that Friday, it was 3:30 pm. I checked the hours of the service center on their website – 9 to 5 pm – and was on my way with the Harley to the RMV office. I arrived there at 4:fifteen pm, but before I could become in line, I was told that drop-off packages were but accepted until 4 pm. So I rode habitation once more, having achieved nothing – a familiar feeling by at present.

Third RMV Visit

Undeterred, I returned first thing the following Monday morning, correct when they opened. I already had the instruction sheet and the bar lawmaking that I needed to scan with my phone from the Friday visit, and within 10 minutes I was within.

One time again, someone reviewed my application documents, and once once more they were rejected. I learned that I needed an insurance stamp after all, even though insurance was not required.

And so I hopped on the bike and went to the AAA office one town over that would stamp my form. On the way at that place I was nearly killed, only I made it to the AAA. They were open for business without an engagement and willing to provide the required postage stamp. I learned that, even though a policy it not required and at that place is no cost, a trailer rider needs to be added to the auto 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 thought as something that could cause embarrassment if the wait was short and I wasn't there yet. Fault. When I arrived, there were 20 people ahead of me.

And on the way I lost the AM/FM of my Harley! I thought I would just order a replacement and not worry near it. This was another mistake – I had not only lost the antenna, but also the stud, and replacing it turned out to be a costly and complicated project. One time I realized this, I fifty-fifty returned that aforementioned evening and rode the stretch of Interstate 3 times, but I was not able to discover it once more.

Anyhow, the wait ended up being less than an hour and I was finally able to drop off my application package tardily that Monday morning.

Fifth RMV Visit

Wed afternoon I received a telephone telephone call that my application was candy and that, after payment, I could pick up my plate and registration. This was a 4:15pm. Knowing that it would take me xxx minutes to go in that location, I speedily sent payment and got in the car (information technology was raining, so 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 fix and I received

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

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

I bankrupt out into a hysterical laughter. And so much gas wasted.

Decision

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

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

  • If the trailer was registered in Massachusetts before, you Exercise NOT NEED A CERTIFICATE of ORIGIN!
  • Do non carp bringing a re-create that the previous owner may have had – it will confuse the heck out of RMV guard dogs
  • If your trailer was NOT previously registered in MA, y'all will demand the original or a duplicate Document of Origin, or the previous registration. Make sure you lot have i or the other!