Trailer registration
Trailer registration in Alabama: the agency, the required documents, and the exact steps, sourced from Alabama Department of Revenue, Motor Vehicle Division.
Who to contact
Alabama Department of Revenue, Motor Vehicle Division
Visit the official Alabama pageStep by step
Complete a title application first if the trailer is subject to Alabama title law (travel trailers and folding/collapsible camping trailers not more than 20 model years old)
Provide proof of ownership and required documents to the local license plate issuing official
Obtain a license plate (tag) within 20 calendar days of acquisition
What to bring
Fees & renewal
Fees
Privately owned utility or travel trailer (not for hire/lease/rental): $12; utility trailer rented or leased for compensation: $15; truck, tractor trailer, or semitrailer: $20 (per Code Section 40-12-252)
Renewal
Renews annual.
Good to know
Trailers other than manufactured homes operated on Alabama public highways must be registered. Travel trailers and folding/collapsible camping trailers not more than 20 model years old also require an Alabama certificate of title; trailers more than 20 model years old are title-exempt. Registration renewal is annual under Alabama's staggered system (renewal month set by first letter of owner's last name). Exact fees are the most volatile field; verify at the county licensing office.
More for Alabama
General guidance
Most states require any trailer towed on public roads to carry a title or registration, but the agency, the paperwork, and whether the rule depends on trailer weight vary by state. Pick your state below for the sourced, step-by-step process.
Nearly every state asks for a title, a manufacturer’s certificate of origin, or a bill of sale before it will issue a registration or plate. A homemade or older trailer without a title usually needs a separate title-application process before registration.
A number of states only require registration above a set gross weight, or price the fee by weight class. Check your state’s page below for whether a weight threshold applies before you assume a small utility trailer is exempt.
Most states issue the trailer plate through a county tag office, license plate agent, or DMV field office rather than by mail from the state capital. Confirm the exact office in the state guide below before you drive over.
Common questions
Yes — Alabama requires registration for this vehicle type. Alabama Department of Revenue, Motor Vehicle Division handles it; see the steps above.
Alabama lists a annual renewal cadence for this vehicle type.
It depends on the state and, in several states, on the trailer’s weight. Some states exempt trailers under a set gross weight from registration entirely, while others require every trailer towed on public roads to carry a plate. Check your state’s guide below — never assume a small trailer is exempt without confirming with the agency listed there.
Homemade trailers and some older trailers were never titled. Most states have a bonded-title or title-application process for exactly this situation — it usually starts at the same agency that handles trailer registration. The state guide below names that agency.