Trailer registration required to park?

[nanvanplan]

I am a Texas resident.  I have purchased a travel trailer out-of-state (NV).  The dealer will deliver it with temporary plates to the site where it will be parked for the winter season.  Do I need to register the trailer? 

[lappir]

At some point there will be the need of registration. I am not a legal expert, but have been around the block a few times and may be a closet procrastinator. Any thing you put off doing today may very well be more difficult, more expensive and may be overwhelming in a week, a month  a year or a decade. Do it while all the paper work is in your hands and not filed away in that special place known to me as "Where in the hell did I put that? At the time it seemed like the most logical place. Now I have no idea what logic I had in mind that day. I sure as hell don't have it now."

In reality contact a legal expert or even the DMV in Texas for the real answer. 

Rod

[Jinx & Wayne]

Ask the Texas DMV. Here is their contact page.

[Kirk W]

If the winter storage is not on your property but in a stoage lot, check with them also as some  of them require stored RVs to have a current license. 

Edited October 19, 2022 by Kirk W

[DJohns]

Check with Texas. In my state if you register late your registration  date starts from the purchase day. Also if you title later than due date there is a large penalty to pay.

[TXiceman]

More than likely, you will need to register the trailer.  The states all want their tax revenue.  

Check with the DMV.

Ken

[ms60ocb]

Yes register it within 30 days. The expensive part could be a sales tax issue. Was sales tax paymant required in NV? TX can give a credit for all or a portion ( it has been a couple weeks since I read that and didn't apply for me). But you have a sales tax payment due in 30 or 31 days if not paid , a 5% penalty and that goes up if paid later. 

You buy out of state, it is easy to register in your home county. Purchase in TX, the selling dealer is responsible for all collections and paper work per TX law.

Clay   Been there and done that buying a car out of TX and RV in TX.

Side note I discovered of interest. If you sell a vehicle to a relative in TN there is no sales tax as I signed a form stating I was the father. I don't if TX has such a waiver.

[Darryl&Rita]

There used to be a thread on here, from a poster who was on the other side of your question. It's been a long time since I remember seeing it, but if you dig, it should be there.

[Ray,IN]

8 hours ago, lappir said:

At some point there will be the need of registration. I am not a legal expert, but have been around the block a few times and may be a closet procrastinator. Any thing you put off doing today may very well be more difficult, more expensive and may be overwhelming in a week, a month  a year or a decade. Do it while all the paper work is in your hands and not filed away in that special place known to me as "Where in the hell did I put that? At the time it seemed like the most logical place. Now I have no idea what logic I had in mind that day. I sure as hell don't have it now."

In reality contact a legal expert or even the DMV in Texas for the real answer. 

Rod

Hah, welcome to the club! Been there, still doing that.

 

nanvanplan; Some states require a trailer to be registered and currently licensed, even though they are setup permanently and will never be moved. I agree with advice to consult the TX DMV

Edited October 19, 2022 by Ray,IN

[RV_]

If I understand you correctly you said it will only be stored there for the winter season. I inferred that meant you were going to take it out of storage at some point and have it on the road. " The dealer will deliver it with temporary plates to the site where it will be parked for the winter season." 

Are you going to be living in it during storage? Is storage going to be in a trailer or RV park?

I agree with all of the above advice but since you are a resident already, can I assume you will be storing it in your town or county? Last time I checked, years ago, Texas required all vehicles to be registered within 30 days of the date you brought it into the state.

 

I would go further and go to a private titling company in the county it will be stored in, if they have them there, and ask them what it will cost to title it right then and if you can wait until next summer without penalties. That would be more in line with local fees and if there is enforcement. Each city/county can charge different city/county fees/taxes in many states, over and above the state taxes and fees. I used titling services that also have plates in Louisiana and don't know if they have them in Texas. It was worth the ten or fifteen bucks to me to not wait in line and avoid being in the congested DMV in Louisiana for an hour or more. That might give you exact costs now and later. I would have my docs needed to register it in Texas so you could save a trip if you decided to just go ahead and register it.

I had a heckuva time registering my Harley I bought new when assigned to Germany for seven years and returned to San Antonio for my last active duty tour. It also had not been registered and delivered directly to me in Germany. I hope it is easier these days to get it registered when no previous state has registered it.

[Chad Heiser]

I don't know if Texas offers this, but in California you can register a vehicle as PNO or planned non-operation.  It keeps all the paperwork on the vehicle current with DMV and the fee is significantly less than actual registration.  However, when the vehicle is in PNO status, it cannot be operated on the road and if caught operating it with PNO, there are penalties greater than the original registration would have been.  I would check with Texas DMV and see what they say you need to do or what options they offer.

[GlennWest]

With my work I have went past registration due to having to get it inspected. I just don't have time to situate everything to run sides in hook up and get it inspected. It has never been a problem.  Now we are Texans  

[Chalkie]

18 hours ago, GlennWest said:

With my work I have went past registration due to having to get it inspected. I just don't have time to situate everything to run sides in hook up and get it inspected. It has never been a problem.  Now we are Texans  

I think that must depend on the park you are in. In the park we are in the owners routinely check that all RVs in the park have current valid registrations. If not, they will ask (tell) you to get it done or be asked (told) to find another park.

Edited October 27, 2022 by Chalkie

[GlennWest]

Oh, as soon as leave I get it inspected. Go on line and register.