I know this was discussed before so I’ll just add something to it. I asked the lady at the DMV if you are supposed to have one if you travel out of state where one is required. She said that the states that require one are supposed to honor the requirements of the state from which the tow vehicle tag is from. However…she also said that if you don’t want to get hassled by the Troopers patrolling, it’s best to get one.
With that being said, I got one. 75$ for a one time fee, or 10$ every two years. I went with the 10$ because it would take 14 years to reach 75$ and I won’t have this boat that long…
Make sure you bring the certificate of origin, the bill of sale, and you will have to pay a 15$ title fee to get it titled here in SC.
Not sure that is true. If you state doesn?t require a tag than you wont need one. What do you do when you drive your car in a state that required a front license tag? Nothing.
Hope they don?t tax you on that trailer yearly since you now have a tag.
I got pulled over in Florida in a van with a paid dive charter from here in Charleston. They said the trailer needed a plate and tried to give the charter owner a ticket. A police officer was in our charter group and took issue with that and they had words for a while. Some states use this situation to generate revenue. If your boat is from a state that doesn’t require trailer tags then of course you won’t have them and you can’t go around every state that does.
It’s worth it for me to get one just to avoid the hassle. I don’t want to get pulled for any reason, even if it’s bogus. Technically, if what the lady said was true, then I would need a trailer tag because I’m pulling the boat to the Keys using my buddy’s diesel truck that is from NC. I think NC is a state that requires one.
But the boat is registered in SC. Easy enough to prove.
My dad used to pull his bass boat to Alabama every year. He would inevitably get pulled at some point, sometimes he got pulled more than once. He always kept a copy of the SC law that stated non-commercial trailers were exempt from tags in SC. Most officers would apologize for the inconvenience and send him on his way. One particular trooper though took offense and made it into a personal matter. It was tense for a little bit but a cooler head prevailed and we were sent on our way.
I can understand your not wanting the hassle.
i’ve pulled my boat to the keys numerous times and have never been stopped b/c of the tag. Now getting stopped because of weight/height is another story
Got stopped for no trailer plate 2 years ago. Held me for nearly an hour an wrote me a warning. My 11 year old said she hadn’t never been stopped before LOL
‘87 Pacemaker 31’ SF
‘04 Renegade 29’ 2 225’s
‘97 Maycraft 17’ 40 hp
The difference to me is thirty minutes standing on the side of the interstate with kids and a wife staring at you while you explain to the cop your state doesnt require a tag… besides after you prove them wrong they tend to pick your rig apart and look for anything to justify pulling you over… oh by the way safety cables are not allowed on trailers… even if you just bought the new boat and new trailer from a dealership… IN FLORIDA!
-Albemarle 248xf “Chella”
-Dolphin 18BC Pro
-HT Bugbuster
The difference to me is thirty minutes standing on the side of the interstate with kids and a wife staring at you while you explain to the cop your state doesnt require a tag… besides after you prove them wrong they tend to pick your rig apart and look for anything to justify pulling you over… oh by the way safety cables are not allowed on trailers… even if you just bought the new boat and new trailer from a dealership… IN FLORIDA!
-Albemarle 248xf “Chella”
-Dolphin 18BC Pro
-HT Bugbuster
What do you mean by “Safety Cables”? All I can find is that the trailer be equipped with “Tie down straps”. I have the transom straps on both my boat trailers.
“Florida law requires boat trailers to have proper lighting including turn signals, tail lights, and brake lights. Trailers must be equipped with safety chains and tie-down straps. Trailers weighing more than 3,000 lbs. must be equipped with brakes that act on all wheels. Trailers weighing less than 2,000 lbs. must be registered with the county tax collector. Trailers weighing 2,000 lbs. or more must be registered and titled.”
This was back in the late 90’s i received a citation for it and had to change them out to chains. Cables can be used but had to be tagged with the tested load rating (just like rigging cables). Just a warning at the time but very irritating since the trailer came from the factory that way…
-Albemarle 248xf “Chella”
-Dolphin 18BC Pro
-HT Bugbuster
I know this was discussed before so I’ll just add something to it. I asked the lady at the DMV if you are supposed to have one if you travel out of state where one is required. She said that the states that require one are supposed to honor the requirements of the state from which the tow vehicle tag is from. However…she also said that if you don’t want to get hassled by the Troopers patrolling, it’s best to get one.
Our requirement is that you must have a tag when towing a recreational trailer out of state. I spoke with one of the supervisors there last year and he actually gave me the document. If I can find it, I’ll scan it in.
2000 Sportcraft Sport Cat 255
Wilderness Systems Tarpon 160
This was back in the late 90’s i received a citation for it and had to change them out to chains. Cables can be used but had to be tagged with the tested load rating (just like rigging cables). Just a warning at the time but very irritating since the trailer came from the factory that way…
-Albemarle 248xf “Chella”
-Dolphin 18BC Pro
-HT Bugbuster
the same an be said for chain. is it high carbon? hardened? chinese?
if they make that argument, then all devices must be tagged.
All good information…I have a call into Ameritrail (my trailer brand) for clarification on the cable/chain issue but seems pretty clear to me with the Florida Statutes 316.530(2) towing requirements.
Out of respect to Florida law enforcement, I put on a plate and switch to chains when going through their fine state. And it is a great state.
I,do not want to be held up on the side of the road explaining to law enforcement when they can be elsewhere doing their job. It’s a long way to the keys from chuck dragging a boat. Down time explaining makes it longer.