MA trailer reg fee - Striper Talk Striped Bass Fishing, Surfcasting, Boating

Mr. Sandman · 11-03-2005, 09:35 AM

I just got my reg for my boat trailer for the next year in the mail. They want $101.00 for a boat trailer for the next year. That seems high to me for a trailer. What do you pay?

mooncusser · 11-03-2005, 10:02 AM

That's not right. It's $41 for a MA trailer registration as long as it's under 3,000 lbs and registered in a person's name.

Mr. Sandman · 11-03-2005, 10:09 AM

My gross load is 7500, maybe that is correct after all?

mooncusser · 11-03-2005, 10:15 AM

It should be based on the weight of the trailer, but if you listed the gross load instead of the actual weight of the trailer, you may have screwed yourself.

Swimmer · 11-03-2005, 12:26 PM

It can't be based on the actual trailers weight. It has to be based on the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating for the vehicle (trailer or truck.) To register the trailer for 1322 #'s which might be what it weighs when you can legally load a boat on it that weighs 5000 #'s for a combined weight of 6322 #'s isn't legal. Thier is such a law, 90 3 1/2 that says if you register a vehicle to avoid taxes or premiums you could be fined $500.00. Most people including cops don't know anything about it though. Anything you might want to know in this regard PM me and I'll fill you in.

Mr. Sandman · 11-03-2005, 12:36 PM

Just came back from the RMV. Swimmer is right, the price of the reg is based on the total weight of the the trailer + what is carrying rounded up to the nearest 1000#.
I was able to save a little by figuring the actual weight instead of the maxium weight that was listed.

For example: if the boat and motor weighs 4000# and the trailer weighs 1700# your weight is 5700 but they round it up to 6000. Don't enter the maxium gross weight that the trailer can haul, your actaul may be less by a few 1000#.

mooncusser · 11-03-2005, 12:41 PM

Swimmer: Thanks for clearing that up. I suspect there are a lot of folks out there that are not in compliance. I know I am, but until the registry starts asking for GVWRs and not trailer weights, I'll continue to pay my $41 each year.

mooncusser · 11-03-2005, 08:28 PM

I stand corrected.

I have three boat trailers, 2 of which are under 3,000 lbs. GVWR, one of which is a 7500 lb Loadmaster. My boat on that only weighs 3,500 so it's gross weight on the registration is listed as 6,000 lbs. I pay $77.00 on that one and $41 on the other two. Sorry for the confusion, but my accountant (wife) usually pays the bills and I rarely look a them. The renewals were on the counter when I came home tonight however.

Cod Hunter · 11-04-2005, 01:26 PM

$77 for me this year. Up from $65 last year I think.

Elmo · 11-04-2005, 05:49 PM

I am at a loss as to why some of you would believe "what the DMV charges you for your trailer registration" could equate into you being at fault, if you had an accident and did not pay the right fee? As long as the vehicle, boat and trailer are all in compliance with the load you are actually towing, you will not have a problem.

Swimmer · 11-04-2005, 07:04 PM

is true. Thier are different ways that certain non-compliance issues may cause grief if someone was to be involved in some sort of collision while towing a boat on a trailer. None of them have to do with fees paid for registration even if the fee paid was well under what the G.V.W.R. was. If someone were to put a boat on a trailer that weighed well over what the trailer gross vehicle weight limit was could cause problems, and a crash occurred as a result of the over the limit load. If some towed a trailer with a load on it by a vehicle that was not large enough to tow the boat and trailer could certainly cause legal issues, because the trailer controls where the towing vehicle goes and not the reverse, and I have seen this. If the trailer frame had cracks in it and was used and came apart while towing, which I have seen happen.
I'll tell you all something that is very ambiguous, and that is, brakes are not required on boat trailers, whether they are commercial haulers, or just like you and I taking the boat to the ramp once a week. But if the trailer was born with brakes then they have to work. If they had no brakes when it left the factory then it does not have to be retrofitted with brakes when you buy it unlike trailers that are used for other purposes like landscaping or other like work as long as the trailer has a G.V.W.R. of 3,000 pounds or more. Also, surge brakes are not legal in most states including Massachusetts, because they do not brake in every direction, and most of the surge brake fitted trailers do not have a break-away activation devices. Some boat trailers used to be fitted with electric brakes, which is assinine given the fact that one dip in salt water probably makes them defective. U Haul trailers are outfitted with break-aways on the rental units, but because most of the time they are being used by some poor bastard who had to move no one bothers the person. I should also say that 999 cops out of a 1000 do not have a clue about some of this stuff. So there are issues to be concerned with, and if anyone has any questions they need answered PM me believe I can answer them. And keeping that in mind I may not tell you what you want to know and I am not the reason why laws are in place but I'm glad to help.