Trailer registration
Trailer registration in Vermont: the agency, the required documents, and the exact steps, sourced from Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).
Who to contact
Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV)
Visit the official Vermont pageStep by step
Complete the Vermont Registration/Tax/Title Application (VD-119)
Provide proof of ownership
Choose a 1-year or 2-year registration term and pay the fee
Receive the plate (rear plate only for trailers)
What to bring
Fees & renewal
Fees
1,500 lbs or less: $33 (1 yr) / $62 (2 yr); 1,501 lbs or more: $63 (1 yr) / $123 (2 yr)
Renewal
Renews annual or biennial (1-year or 2-year term).
Good to know
It is illegal to draw a trailer on a highway unless registered. Vermont does not issue titles for trailers with an empty weight of 1,500 lbs or less. Only a rear plate is required.
More for Vermont
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 — Vermont requires registration for this vehicle type. Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) handles it; see the steps above.
Vermont lists a annual or biennial (1-year or 2-year term) 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.