California title transfer

[Dana T]

OK, so I bought this new-to-me trailer from a private party, and I have the pink slip (really old, really pink!) that he signed. All's good.

So I set up an appointment with the CA DMV which won't be until next Wednesday, which is exactly 10 days from date of purchase -- the absolute limit. They don't have anything earlier.

They tell me to bring the pink slip, the fees, smog and odometer certificates (not applicable to a trailer), but they don't say Boo about whether I need to bring the trailer.

From some other comments I had heard I thought they needed to see the vehicle (trailer) but their automated website doesn't say anything about that.

There's no way to talk to a real person there unless I make an appointment...

So my question is, do I bring the trailer?

[Ed Harris]

I don't understand.....what is the appointment for?

[curtis c]

if the trailer is from out of state you have to bring it in. 9 times out of 10 they want to verify the vin on the trailer. just take it. and you can call dmv and select the talk to an operator option and talk with someone on the phone.

[Dana T]

Thanks Curtis -- when I called the 800 number I didn't go through the whole menu so I didn't realise that there is a choice that allows one to talk to a real human.

Ed Harris -- when I read the info on the CA DMV web site about buying and selling any vehicle (including trailers as best I can tell) they state you must come into a DMV office within 10 days of the sale.

Here's what the web site has as the first step when purchasing a car from a private party:
"Visit a DMV office to transfer vehicle ownership. Call 1-800-777-0133 to make an appointment at a local DMV office near you for faster service."

The link is http://www.dmv.ca.gov/vr/vr_info.htm#BM2522

[Ed Harris]

OK

Here in Missouri you have to go wait in line so they can tell you to obtain something you didn't know about and come back and wait again and again.....

I have never heard of nor can imagine anyone here would ever go outside and eyeball any vehicle ever to get this done.
It just doesn't work that way here.

Good Luck
Ed

[Frederick L. Simson]

I would suggest you read thru this topic:
California PTI program

[curtis c]

its different state to state. i just took mine in because it was from out of state and they have to verify it for a pti tag. i didn't make an appointment because the local dmv is slow. she did a full inspection, propane regulators, vin number size and weight etc. just be careful and read the signs going into the dmv parking lot and only park in the "trailer" area.

[Bobbie Mayer]

I had to get my VIN number verified three times. Yes, bring the trailer in, or if you have Triple A they can do it there (but that didn't work for me... DMV didn't like how they filled out the form.) No inspection when I brought mine in; the person just looked at the VIN number and wrote it on the form. (But I was doing the registration mail order since I had started it out of state.)

[BobB]

Hi Dana,

I went thru registering our Bigfoot in 2007. Keep your appointment and take along exactly what they say you will need. By starting the process within 10 days you will avoid penalties for late registration even if you don't get the process completed. You said "pink slip" so I assume the trailer is currently registered in CA. If that is the case, you won't need to take the trailer in with you. Once you have been in to the DMV, you can finish the process by mail, if necessary. For instance, I took some forms home for my wife to sign and then mailed them to the DMV office in order to complete the joint ownership of the title. They require the spouse to sign the forms if you want joint ownership. As you may know, the fees have been increased recently. They used to have you sign an affidavit regarding the purchase price, so it was possible to fudge a little (wink). California also has a perm trailer category of license, mostly for utility trailers, but some folks have registered their small travel trailers under this category at a substantial saving. Dealing with the DMV has always been a pain and now that they are cutting back on their hours, it is even more so.

[Joy A]

California also has a perm trailer category of license, mostly for utility trailers, but some folks have registered their small travel trailers under this category at a substantial saving.


PTI is not mostly for utility trailers....it's for trailers 16 foot and under.

DMV were the ones that sent it to me when my trailer was up for renewal. I didn't know a thing about it until they sent the renewal. I questioned them at the time about it telling them this is not a utility trailer but a travel trailer. They said it didn't make any difference it's under 16 feet so it qualifies. So it's not some folks registering under the category but DMV registering under the category. Thank you DMV

Having said all this, I won't be surprised if they take it away. You know the knuckleheads here in CA need more of our money to mis-manage . Nothing in this world is permanent except for the final act.

[BobB]

I certainly didn't intend to mislead anyone about Permanent Trailer Identification (PTI to the well informed). It was offered on my utility trailer in 2002 and I paid $20 at the time. The expiration says "perm" and the plate says "California Perm Trailer". PTI has been applied to travel trailers inconsistently IMHO, possibly because the law is not clear. I have personally seen a new Casita 17 registered PTI. I have nothing against anyone registering their camper in this way.

[Dana T]

Hi everybody, thank you for all the information.

The trailer is registered in CA and already has the PTI license, so I'm not expecting much of a problem there.

Thank you for the head's up about getting my wife's signature before I go in -- I just hadn't thought of it, thinking I'd fill out the form while I was there.

[Frederick L. Simson]

PTI has been applied to travel trailers inconsistently IMHO, possibly because the law is not clear.

The PTI law was written primarily for the Semi-trailer long haul trucking industry. ALL commercial semi trailers registered in California were put into the PTI program when the taxing burden was shifted from the leasing companies who owned the bulk of the trailers, to the Commercial Haulers and Independent Operators of the "Tractors" or Tow Vehicles.

Utility Trailers were included; the bulk of them being owned by small businesses, such as general contractors and landscapers.

I believe certain small Travel Trailers and Tent Trailers were included in the law due to the efforts of the RV Industry, which now carries the brunt of the <strike>taxes</strike> fees collected on trailers in California. This is where the law becomes unclear because of the differences in the definition between a [b]Camp Trailer (CMP) which is included in the PTI, and a [b]Trailer Coach (CCH) which is specifically excluded. In the past, many small travel trailers were classified as CCH (My Fiber Stream included) while Tent Trailers were classified as CMP. This didn't make any difference back when all trailers paid annual License Plate fees equally, but now is important.

[Herb Sutton]

Some folks here in geezertown register their vehicles "Freddy OR Wilma" instead of "Freddy AND Wilma". That way if one of them expires the survivor can sell the vehicle with just one signature on the title. We have SUV, trailer and golf cart registered that way.

[Bobbie Mayer]

My trailer is classed as a camp trailer and registered with PTI. My boat trailer also is PTI- that was automatic when they went to the PTI program (freaked me out as I thought I'd missed a registration.)

[Dana T]

Some folks here in geezertown register their vehicles "Freddy OR Wilma" instead of "Freddy AND Wilma". That way if one of them expires the survivor can sell the vehicle with just one signature on the title. We have SUV, trailer and golf cart registered that way.

Yes, Herb, I had noticed that distinction and had already chosen the "OR". Thank you for the heads-up in case I had missed that distinction!

[Francine P]

I live in So Cal, the first Bigfoot we had was from Canada, we had to take it to the DMV. The second one was from So Cal and we took the papers to our credit union and they did they whole process.
The other option is AAA.