CTFishTalk.com: Trailer Registration - Connecticut Bass Fishing ( CT Bass Fishing ) - A Community Built for Connecticut Fisherman.

hila2006 · Joined: 22 Jul 2011 Posts: 582 Location: Ellington

Ok, so most everyone on here knows we just moved to Ct last fall. Transfering our drivers licenses and registrations was quite a ridiculous chore in itself. So this year we had a vacation day for Memorial day weekend and spent 4 hours of it at the DMV to register our boat and trailer here. Boats all set, got our numbers etc. They gave us a temporary registration and plate for our trailer(only good for one week?). They said we have to go to either Wethersfield or Hamden with the trailer to have the V.I.N. verified? They gave us a paper license plate for a boat trailer Shocked

Needless to say when we launched our boat into Beseck to drive the boat to our dock the plate disintegrated? My question is did everyone on here have to go thru this with their trailer? And do we now have to get a new registration because it's after the one week? Seems kind of stupid to give someone a paper plate for a boat trailer. Any advice would be helpful guys.

hila2006 · Joined: 22 Jul 2011 Posts: 582 Location: Ellington

One more thing, our temp plate said "camper trailer". We didn't put 2+2 together til the plate fell apart. Did we get the wrong registration? Gonna call the DMV tomorrow either way.

therieldeal · Joined: 20 Oct 2010 Posts: 245 Location: Thompson, CT

All lightweight trailers are registered as “Camp trailers” in CT, that’s normal. Also all the temp plates are paper… crappy paper. Even on a car, rain will make them fall apart in short order. I usually cover them in clear packing tape front and back.

You should be able to buy a second 7 day temp plate, usually they let you do 2 weeks of temporary registration. You can either get a single 14 day plate, or two 7 day plates. After that, you’d have to trailer your trailer (or car, or whatever).

Also, don’t even bother trying to call them. They have the worst automated phone system ever, and it’s essentially impossible to actually get a live person. All the info that’s in the phone system is also on their website. I’d recommend just going there…
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PB's:
LMB - 4 pounds - Stump Pond, Thompson
Carp - 11 pounds - W. Thompson Lake, Thompson

Still searching for some toothy critters big enough to be worth weighing...

hila2006 · Joined: 22 Jul 2011 Posts: 582 Location: Ellington

Ok, so everybody get's a temp plate now? A guy my wife works with said he's never heard of that. He said no one he knows has had to get the "vin" number verified on their trailer. That's why I thought I ask on here. So you really have to take the trailer to get it looked at? I didn't need to have my boat with a 70hp outboard on it looked at,but I do my trailer?

hila2006 · Joined: 22 Jul 2011 Posts: 582 Location: Ellington

Thanks realdeal for the website idea. I finally get it, because we are transfering from Mass we have to have a vin inspection done. Of course it's a Monday-Friday thing, which doesn't work for people who work for a living. So at least the trailer is in our yard at Beseck now, just won't be able to go anywhere else until we get the time to go to Wethersfield to do it. Might just renew in Mass for this year.

therieldeal · Joined: 20 Oct 2010 Posts: 245 Location: Thompson, CT

I don’t know why but all of the emission testing stations will do the VIN checks on cars, so you probably had that done and didn’t even know it. Why they can’t also check trailers is beyond me… gotta love it right?
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PB's:
LMB - 4 pounds - Stump Pond, Thompson
Carp - 11 pounds - W. Thompson Lake, Thompson

Still searching for some toothy critters big enough to be worth weighing...

SAP284 · Joined: 07 Jun 2011 Posts: 655 Location: Central, CT

Really stupid question...I'm assuming that your trailer is single axles from the picture. Do you know how much it weighs? CT has some really ridiculous laws and when my buddy had to register his from RI it was an absolute nightmare. He had a dual axle trailer and there were brakes on two of the four wheels. Because of CT laws, he actually had to pay to get two additional brakes on it just to register it here. RI doesn't require it, so it wasn't a problem when he had it there - go figure? Anyways that's why I was asking on the weight, just curious. Since it was an out of state trailer and boat, he got a temp tag and then had to go through inspection. Temp tags only last a certain amount of time like you said, if you don't get the inspection before the expiration date...you have to get a new one.

And I guess they have to do a VIN verification, this is what I read on it...

"If the trailer was previously registered out-of-state, a VIN verification is required. Please note that VIN verifications for any type trailer are not performed at the Bridgeport, Danbury or Norwalk offices."

http://www.ct.gov/dmv/cwp/view.asp?a=810&q=245094
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Steve

rxpxtx · Joined: 06 May 2012 Posts: 259

My first thought was yep, go with the MA registration, but I could see you getting your nads broken with a CT boat registration and a MA trailer. Hate to say it Hila, but you may be better off grabbing your ankles for the day at DMV and just getting it over with. They suck so hard!!
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Dave..... I can be a pain in the bass.

hila2006 · Joined: 22 Jul 2011 Posts: 582 Location: Ellington

No doubt guys. Our trailer is less than 1000 pounds I guess, and single axle, but yes if we go with Ct registration we have to jump thru hoops to do it. They only do the VIN inspections Monday-Friday 8-3, so that means another day off from work to go to the DMV, so this year is probably going to be a Mass renewal for sure. We can do it online, print out our new reg. and be done and perfectly legal. Yeah the temp tags last 10 days for $21, then if you can't get time off from work you have to pay again, what a racket. But at least we don't need to install extra brakes, wow, that must've pissed your bud for sure. Thanks for all the help guys.

SCUBAshep · Joined: 23 May 2012 Posts: 15

I fully understand your frustration HILA. When I purchased my boat from a buddy of mine. He had never re-registered it after he bought it since he never used it. So I had to track down the previous owner. Luckily he still lived in CT, and get a bill of sale from him to the guy I bought it from and from the guy I bought it from to me. To make things even worse it was a homemade trailer, so it was never previously registered it (huge hassle, and needs the vin stamped into it). Got the temp plate and like you said I forgot to take it off before I went in the water and it fell apart, lol. I guess what I'm still trying to figure out is if I absolutely need to get the temp plate again, in order to take it to one of the full service DMV offices? Or could I just take it there without it and get one while i'm getting everything done with the trailer? I really think that they should do this on weekends so people don't have to waste an entire day of work during the week. It's just easier to have a buddy take the boat off the trailer and fish on the weekend while you take care of the reg. than having him do it on a week day eh?

hila2006 · Joined: 22 Jul 2011 Posts: 582 Location: Ellington

Yeah I think it would be good to have at least some weekend hours for working people, they have Saturday DMV hours for regular business. A homemade trailer will have the VIN asigned by the DMV. We're going to go with the Mass renewal for this year, now that we know the hassle, but nest year we'll make plans to take a day off and go to Wethersfield directly and do the whole thing there, I'm not paying another $21 for another paper temp plate, for damn sure. But good luck to you.

NWDarkcloud · Joined: 23 Apr 2012 Posts: 474

I would recomend launching the boat and going with a emtey trailer they broke my nads when I didnt the 1st time I rebuilt a trailer. there excuses ran from we cant see all the trailer for rot to wires look loose because even if its for just VIN verifacation they will do a total trailer inspection. so make sure tires ...wires...hitch...LIC PLATE LIGHT!!! are all ship shape or expect a return visit ....if you need a boat sitter for the day you do this let me know ill keep a eye on her for ya while your at MVD weathersfield cove is just down the road so if you dont mind the launch fee thats the way to do it........before you go you can get all paperwork ahead of time so you dont need to to anything but the inspection part Weatherfeild MVD is no place to stand in line (on any day). I dont want to sound negitive about MVD but expect to spend most of the morning there if you get there 30 min before they open... let me know if there anyway I can help hila...... even if it just to sit in truck drink coffee and talk fishing may keep you from a manslauther charge Very Happy

P.S im only 20-30 min from there so if you do need repairs count on my shop and tools so you dont need to run all the way back home for quick fix
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I Love to fish......Not a big fan of sitting in the boat alone ....the Conversation and the company make it perfect

x182dan · Joined: 19 Mar 2009 Posts: 329 Location: Seymour, CT

Did you get your trailer situation fixed? If you want to send me a PM I can tell you what I had to do with my trailer to get it registered.