I recently purchased a boat and trailer (no motor). Owner has title for boat but nothing on the trailer. The vin sticker on the trailer has faded away completely. I have tried searching everywhere for a "stamped" or engraved vin. Can't locate. Previous owner has just had it sitting and has nothing to show he had it registered. No plates etc. What can I do to get this transferred. Also, TPWD is saying I have to have trailer vin on application to transfer hull and will be attaching my own motor on it. Any help on these subjects is much appreciated

I have the most financially sound advice I can give you, but you won't like it.

Sell boat and trailer for whatever you can get out of it. Forget you ever had any ideas of repowering or even owning a boat. Forget about fishing, or skiing, or duck hunting, or whatever you wanted to do in said boat.
You will be a much richer and less stressed man.

Curse me now. Thank me later.
#BOATmath #BringOnAnotherThousand #AmIRight?

Thaadventurer1 said:

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I recently purchased a boat and trailer (no motor). Owner has title for boat but nothing on the trailer. The vin sticker on the trailer has faded away completely. I have tried searching everywhere for a "stamped" or engraved vin. Can't locate. Previous owner has just had it sitting and has nothing to show he had it registered. No plates etc. What can I do to get this transferred. Also, TPWD is saying I have to have trailer vin on application to transfer hull and will be attaching my own motor on it. Any help on these subjects is much appreciated

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Depending on trailer GVWR there's a decent chance it's never been titled and isn't required to be.

I don't recall a section on our TPWD application where we had to list a trailer vin to transfer the hull when we purchased our boat last fall.

If you purchase a motor you register that w TPWD separately. Trailer is registered w DMV. I'm no help on the unregistered trailer without a visible VIN.

Edited to add: changed to DMV not DPS

It's been many years (I'm now out of state) but I believe you can call the trailer "home made" and they will issue you a vin. You might have to take it to them for inspection. Also believe you deal with DOT not TPWD on this right? Welcome to the affliction of boat ownership.

Yoo can probably go the "homeade"/shop-built route, on the trailer, and get it done.

For those that don't know, DO NOT buy a boat with no title. In Texas, you're not just going to get a bonded title or fill out some simpke paperwork. Avoid at ALL costs….

You can bond a trailer title but it will be difficult without a recoverable VIN. They want to make sure there is no other claim on it. The home made route might've more difficult now as they cracked down on that somewhat as lots of thefts and such were being retitled that way in the past.

TPWD does not require a trailer VIN to get a boat and motor title. Lots of people buy boats and hang them in boat lifts …. Carry them in pick up beds, etc. and never have trailers. TPWD has nothing to do with trailer titles or registrations. That is done by the TMV office.
Laws changed a few years ago due to so many theft of trailers and the ID tags being taken off and vin numbers being ground off.
The TMV office will instruct you on the procedure to accrue a title and registration of your trailer.

Registering a trailer is painful nowadays unless you have the proper documentation. Even for homemade trailers, you now have to obtain an inspection from your regional Auto Theft Task Force. Search up 68-A auto inspection in your locale to find out the procedure you'll be required to follow.

What the above poster said but it is a horrendous process that will take months and more back and forth than you will want to deal with. The state has intentionally made it as difficult as possible. If you want to keep the boat, take that trailer to a scrap yard and buy a previously registered one off of marketplace or Craigslist.

Dang it. I read the title of the thread and was hoping we would get to help give a title to your boat…like Sir Boaty McBoatFace

Link to TPWD to title boat and motor

aggiesundevil4 said:

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Dang it. I read the title of the thread and was hoping we would get to help give a title to your boat…like Sir Boaty McBoatFace

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or ...... Jenny

If the previous owner ever had it registered, ask him to go to the tax office with you. He can answer a few questions and they'll print him a copy of the old registration and give him the form you need to fill out to transfer. If not, scrap it and buy new. Probably needs bearings, tires, etc anyway.