I bought a 2008 Triton from a guy a month or so ago. He had title for the boat and motor but nothing for the trailer, which I thought was normal. It has been a decade or so since I had bought/sold a boat here, but I thought I remembered no trailer titles in Texas were needed. Once I had all paperwork and bill of sale stuff needed, I sent the wife to the DMV to execute the sale and get it all moved over into our name. She came back saying that the DMV told her we would need the title for the boat trailer and that a bank still had a lien on the boat trailer.

I went back to the seller to discuss. He said there has never been a title for the trailer and everything was long paid for (boat, motor/trailer) years ago.

When I do a little research on the google machine, it seems to support that there are no trailer titles needed in Texas.

Does anybody have any insight they can share here?

When I bought my boat a little over 2 years ago I did have to have a trailer title. I priced the trailer at 100 bucks putting most of the value on the transaction on the boat and motor but yes I had to have one.

Oh, okay. So the seller gave you title for boat, motor and the trailer?

Dilly trailer

He did.

you don't have to have a title in Tx. you can just register it.

you will have to get it weighed and declare a weight it will carry, 4,000 # (if I remember right) and up has to have title and all trailers have to be inspected now.

they changed the law a few yrs. back, I bought my last boat in mo. and didn't have a problem transferring things.

https://www.txdmv.gov/motorists/buying-or-selling-a-vehicle/trailers

No title on a boat trailer in Texas. Just a bill of sale, taxes paid, and a registration for plates. Only parts titled are hull and motor.

I’ve recently had a different experience then those mentioned above. I purchased a pair of jet-skis w/trailers a couple of months ago. On one, it had Texas plates (previously registered) so absolutely no issue at our local tax office.

For the other, although it is a branded (not homemade) trailer, I could not register it locally. The provide a LE Form and explained that I had to contact our Sheriff’s Office and make an appointment to have it inspected by a law enforcement officer (I did), take pictures, and mail all forms and supporting information to TPWD in Austin for their review - I haven’t…

if the trailer has been titled before in tx you have to have the title to get it in your name if it was just registered it is not a big deal to get it transferred.

trailer titles are optional, you can get either but a title requires a little more "stuff" to get.

mine is just registered on the 202, the 184 was titled (was prior to the law changing)

hoppy.. over 6k pounds has to be inspected.

in texas, it's not required to have a title .. even on new boats.. but.. i can tell all of you guys.. it's 28 dollars more.. get the darn title.
it'll save you alot of hastle when you go to sell it or get a loan or anything. quit being tight wads on a title... it's worth it.

I believe it is >4500. I bought mine in LA 3 years ago. It had a title but no weight on the title so I had to weigh it. I was fortunate and the county clerk let me deduct the boat and motor weight. They told me back then that I needed an inspection only because I bought out of state. My trailer capacity is over 7500 but I have not had to get annual inspections. They may have changed the laws where you need to get an inspection on any resale. My Ranger trailer was not titled it only had a Certificate of Origin. If the lien was paid off I suspect the lienholder released the lean on the boat and motor but failed to do so for the trailer.

In state of Texas you now have to weigh trailer and have to get title