Do 30 year old tractors have titles?

[Ron67]

Looking at YM1510D and trailer. I have had some correspondence with seller and would like to move forward with deal, but seller only has a certificate of origin for trailer and nothing for tractor. How do I know it's his? Do I need a title for tractor - I thought I would. Will certificate of origin get me a title for the trailer in NC? Anyone with input? Thanks!

 

[whistlepig]

Looking at YM1510D and trailer. I have had some correspondence with seller and would like to move forward with deal, but seller only has a certificate of origin for trailer and nothing for tractor. How do I know it's his? Do I need a title for tractor - I thought I would. Will certificate of origin get me a title for the trailer in NC? Anyone with input? Thanks!

I may be wrong but I don't think there is such a thing as a title for a tractor. In Ohio a certificate of origin for a trailer is all you need. Be careful. I bought an used ATV from someone and asked for the title as part of the deal. When he went after the title he found out the ATV was stolen. The police took the ATV. He was honest enough to refund my $3,500. That's the closest I ever want to be to being burned.

 

[California]

For the tractor, insist on a written Bill Of Sale. That is the only way you can push responsibility back onto the seller if it later turns out to be stolen. There isn't any central registry at DMV or anywhere else.

For the trailer, here at least, the Certificate of Origin is like a birth certificate. You have to show it to register it and get plates. I assume NC is like here, with plates required on any trailer that goes on the public roads.

Anybody know if there are still states that don't require trailer plates?

Long ago I knew a contractor who got vehicle plates for his backhoe so he could drive it to jobs. He said it was a huge hassle to bring turn signals etc up to Vehicle Code standards. Does anyone have recent experience with this?

 

[mus302]

In Tennessee, only commercial trailers have to have tags.

 

[deepNdirt]

as far as 30 year old tractors having titles? I don't believe there is a requirement here in Ga, although as already mentioned I would have a owners/sellers written BOS, here in Ga a trailer has to be a certain weight before requiring to be titled and I think is 2001 lbs.? A c.o.o. is all that is required for any trailers under this weight, also here in Ga, a law recently pass that all trailers will need to be inspected ( home Built ) in order to get one registered/tag for the roadways,
as when before any Joe could throw together a rigged up trailer by using a car axle and go to the tag office to receive a Vin# and tag plates without any such inspection, I live on a rout that folks take to get to a recycle business and I see many kinds of rigged up trailers/Death traps, I even owned one myself about 25 years ago, I bought from sitting on side of the road,
I was in need of one and it was very affordable so I purchased it, I used it for about 2 weeks and traveled roadway under construction ( Bumpy ) one morning on the way to work we heard a noise and I felt my truck slowing down, the 4 of us sitting in the truck watch the axle as it pass us by
it was a car axle that had been welded under only with 2 short pc of I-beam......
lucky enough without the axle the trailer slid backward into the truck and then we lift the axle back into the trailer, of course we had to unload all the tools from the trailer first, while all along the road crew watching and laughing ........ anyway this law pass 25 years later was well needed

 

[Smoody]

No titles on tractors, Just get a BOS, you can get them freely off the internet or write it on a napkin, date/sign and get phone #. simple.

No requirement of plates on trailers here in South Carolina, Exception is if the trailer weighs excess of 3,500lbs empty, then you need a tag.


North Carolina you need a trailer title or BOS, if no title the seller needs to write/date/sign explaining how he obtained it. I have sold numerous boats to NC residents.

 

[clemsonfor]

SC does not require trailer plates. You can get them but why you would then have to pay for the plate and then property taxes for the life of the trailer, so you do not try and get a title or tag for one ever. You dont need triailer titles here either and tractors dont have them in this state or any.

Boats dont have tags either so for everything from 4x8 to 7x20 gooseneck tralers to boats dont need one. Campers like fithwheel or large bumber pulls always seem to have one there must be a limit on size that requires one, but since im not into campers im not sure what it is but they always have one once they get over like 18-20 ft.

If tractors and trailers had titles in this state they would want their tax on them for the county in which they reside im glad we do not have them on these items.

 

[California]

Here, any trailer needs plates to go on the road but they now issue a lifetime plate for the small utility trailers. They send a renewal/small fee notice I think every 5 years. I think the whole idea is theft recovery and accountability if abandoned, not road tax.

About 1998 I bought HF's tiniest trailer, 40x48 inches, for a camping 'jeep trailer'. $129 out the door for the kit.

The VIN label had to be seen by DMV to get plates so I carried in just the tongue, where the label was riveted on. No joy. I had to take whole completed trailer back for a safety inspection. Your Tax Dollars At Work!

 

[teg]

I titled a "homemade" trailer several years ago... o Bought it from a company that makes them )... I had to bring the trailer to a DMV office to make sure that there were no VIN # stamped on the axle AND the tongue, and also, that there are no signs that the VIN was ever removed. They then issued a VIN # and I stamped it on the axle and tongue, and brought it back to them to show them the stamp... Call DMV near you and they can tell you what to do BUT before you buy it... I would look very closely on the axle and tongue to see if there is any grinding marks.

Tractors don't have titles... only serial numbers. Not sure if there is a data base that you can check if it's stolen??

 

[careyo63]

The VIN label had to be seen by DMV to get plates so I carried in just the tongue, where the label was riveted on. No joy. I had to take whole completed trailer back for a safety inspection. Your Tax Dollars At Work!

I know what you mean California.
And that is correct what DND stated to have a inspection in GA. Not so on the weight though I'm 1920 Lbs. When I went to go get the new tag for my trailer, I had the Title, My Old tag which you keep Your Trailer tag if you sell it now?, Bill of sale, PO. tag and Tag reciept in hand. Told him about the Tag. He didn't need it anymore.
The trailer was not even a Yr old and they stated they had to inspect it. and guess who had to get up under to read the VN#. One Bullet Barney wasn't going to get dirty I had to crawl under it!! all he did was check the # to the title. I was going to a buisness appointment and was just going to stop and get the Tag Real quick. Ended up back home and waited for Hrs. pretty much a all day Fiasco
Carey