Registering a home made trailer

[weave]

I am working on a trailer to haul my kayak around.  I need to ask a few questions of anyone who has experience with registering a homemade trailer in NYS.  Specifically regarding documentation.  Like most homemade trailers, there is alot of scrap and scavenged parts involved.  I know the DMV requires me to provide receipts for materials that were purchased.  Before I get too far down a hole, I''d like to get some feedback from folks that have done this.  What am I going to need for receipts, and what happens if I don't have what they want to see because it was scavenged and spare materials?

 

PM is fine for the conversation as well.

[Double Dipper]

It was cheaper and less aggravating to buy a used jet ski trailer and extend the tongue for my square back canoe . This was in PA. They wanted serial numbers off the axel, GVW of axel, pictures,inspection, and $79 for title. I got a used jet ski trailer for $125 it needed tires and $30 for tubing. All said and done I didn’t have more than $200 into it.


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[rbonnell1]

I have registered a home made trailer before and if I remember right the only thing I had was a weight slip from a certify scale the laws might of changed now though

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[Silver Fox]

Google Maine trailer registration. This is how I did my boat trailer.
Pretty much no questions asked and no need for inspections anymore. You'll have a "Maine" plate is all.

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[JJBat150]

I trailer my kayaks and went thia used jet ski trailer route. Found mine on Craigslist for $200, then bought crossbar brackets drom malone trailer.

I'll post some pictures when I can pull them off the home computer.

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[Kaz]

I get a weight slip from a certify scale couple receipts don't go too crazy because you're going to have to pay the taxes of
I did show them $200 on receipts are made them up out of the eBay and you need nothing else very easy

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[LakerTaker]

I fabricated a snowmobile trailer in Michigan and they only required a weigh slip from a certified scale. I brought a couple receipts that I had, but not all of them. It felt like the DMV was more interested in the license fee than the details.


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[JJBat150]

Regarding homemade trailers - I've registered 2 trailers as homemade.

1st time - Had the trailer weighted empty on a certified scale, and presented most of the receipts (axle, tires, steel frame materials, etc.) to the DMV for their review approval.  They didn't care about what was purchased, only that the sales tax was paid on materials I used.  Quick and easy process and was out the door ~ 20 minutes.

 

2nd time - Same process, same DMV office, a few less receipts - Got into a disagreement with the DMV clerk because she didn't feel I had enough receipts to justify the trailer's existence.   I ended up leaving that DMV office, went to another DMV office in a neighboring county with the same paperwork and was out the door again ~ 20 minutes.

 

IMHO it's not about what materials you used to build the trailer, it's about NYS getting the biggest cut of sales tax they can.

 

From the DMV website - https://dmv.ny.gov/registration/sales-tax-information

 

Quote

Sales tax information

 

Proof of sales tax payment or sales tax exemption, or purchase price

When you register a vehicle in New York (at a DMV office), you must either

• pay the sales tax
• prove that sales tax was paid
• prove your vehicle registration is exempt from sales tax

You probably also will need to pay county use tax when you register. See estimate registration fees and taxes for information about county use taxes.

You must get a sales tax receipt from the DMV even if the transaction is exempt from sales tax.

 

 

[MCF]

As above in NYS the most important thing is the certified weight slip and then an appropriate amount of receipts so they can get their sales tax cut.

[weave]

7 hours ago, JJBat150 said:

Regarding homemade trailers - I've registered 2 trailers as homemade.

1st time - Had the trailer weighted empty on a certified scale, and presented most of the receipts (axle, tires, steel frame materials, etc.) to the DMV for their review approval.  They didn't care about what was purchased, only that the sales tax was paid on materials I used.  Quick and easy process and was out the door ~ 20 minutes.

 

2nd time - Same process, same DMV office, a few less receipts - Got into a disagreement with the DMV clerk because she didn't feel I had enough receipts to justify the trailer's existence.   I ended up leaving that DMV office, went to another DMV office in a neighboring county with the same paperwork and was out the door again ~ 20 minutes.

 

IMHO it's not about what materials you used to build the trailer, it's about NYS getting the biggest cut of sales tax they can.

 

From the DMV website - https://dmv.ny.gov/registration/sales-tax-information

 

 

 

 

Thanks for the detail.  Do you happen to recall what receipts the first office wanted to see that you didn't have?