In Michigan, trailers have titles only when they weigh 2,500 pounds or more empty. Anything lighter skips the title entirely and just needs registration and a permanent license plate from the Secretary of State. The weight threshold is the whole ballgame, and it’s based on the trailer’s empty weight, not its hauling capacity.1Michigan Legislature. MCL – Section 257.216
How the Weight Is Measured
Empty weight is the number on the fee chart, the title application, and the plate calculation.2State of Michigan. Vehicle Title and Registration Application – Individual TR-11L If it isn’t printed on the existing title or manufacturer paperwork, take the trailer to a commercial scale and get a certified weight slip. The Secretary of State will ask for it.
Registration and the Permanent Plate
Every trailer used on Michigan roads needs registration and a plate, no matter how light. Michigan issues permanent trailer plates: you pay once, and the plate stays valid for as long as you own the trailer. No annual tabs.3State of Michigan. Recreational Vehicles and Watercraft
For a trailer under 2,500 pounds, that registration is your proof of ownership because no title exists. Keep the paperwork somewhere you can find it. When you sell, the next owner will need your signed registration or a bill of sale to register in their own name.
What It Costs
The permanent plate fee is set by empty weight:4State of Michigan. Motorcycle and Trailer Plate Fee Chart
- Under 2,500 lbs: $75
- 2,500 to 9,999 lbs: $200
- 10,000 lbs and over: $300
If the trailer is heavy enough to require a title, add a $15 title fee.5State of Michigan. Title Transfer and Vehicle Registration You’ll also owe 6% use tax on the purchase price or fair market value, whichever the state applies.6Michigan Department of State. Titles Everything is collected in one visit.
What to Bring
For any trailer, bring your Michigan driver’s license or state ID and documentation showing the empty weight.3State of Michigan. Recreational Vehicles and Watercraft Proof of ownership depends on how you got it:
- New from a dealer: the Manufacturer’s Certificate of Origin that came with the trailer.
- Used with a title: the assigned title, signed by the seller with your information filled in on the back.
- Used without a title (under 2,500 lbs): the previous owner’s signed registration, or a bill of sale showing the trailer’s year, make, VIN, and both parties’ full names and addresses.
If a title is required, you’ll complete Form TR-11L, which asks for the VIN and empty weight.2State of Michigan. Vehicle Title and Registration Application – Individual TR-11L Check that the VIN stamped on the frame matches the paperwork. Mismatches get applications rejected at the counter.
The 15-Day Deadline and the In-Person Rule
Michigan gives you 15 days from the date of sale to transfer the title. Missing that adds a $15 late fee.5State of Michigan. Title Transfer and Vehicle Registration Trailers cannot use Michigan’s online title transfer system, so plan on a Secretary of State branch visit. Booking an appointment through the state portal saves a lot of standing around.
Out-of-State Trailers and Private Sales
A trailer coming in from another state goes through the same process. Bring the out-of-state title if it has one, your ID, a weight slip, and payment for the plate fee, title fee, and 6% use tax.3State of Michigan. Recreational Vehicles and Watercraft If the prior state didn’t require a title but the trailer weighs 2,500 pounds or more, Michigan will still title it. Bring whatever registration or bill of sale you have.
Private sales of lighter, untitled trailers are where buyers most often run into trouble. There’s no formal chain of ownership. A handwritten bill of sale can still get you registered, but it has to include the year, make, VIN, and both parties’ full names and addresses. Missing any of that and the application gets denied.
Homemade and Assembled Trailers
A trailer you built yourself won’t have a manufacturer VIN, and Michigan requires a law enforcement inspection before you can register or title it. An officer completes Form TR-54, verifying lighting and reflectors and confirming that no components came from stolen vehicles.7Michigan Department of State. Instruction for Titling an Assembled Vehicle BFS-72
After passing, bring the TR-54 and bills of sale for the parts to a Secretary of State branch. The office assigns a new VIN, which you engrave or permanently affix to the frame. From there the normal rules apply: title if it weighs 2,500 pounds or more, registration and plate either way. Sales tax at 6% applies to build materials unless you can show receipts proving tax was already paid.3State of Michigan. Recreational Vehicles and Watercraft
Penalties for Running Unregistered
Operating an unregistered trailer on Michigan roads is a misdemeanor, punishable by up to 90 days in jail, a fine of up to $100, or both.8Michigan Legislature. MCL – Section 257.256 A traffic stop usually ends in a citation rather than jail, but the misdemeanor classification still creates a criminal record. The bigger practical headache is trying to sell an untitled trailer that should have been titled. Untangling missing paperwork after the fact is slower and more expensive than doing it correctly at the start.