Free Ontario Trailer Bill of Sale
Trailer ownership in Ontario transfers by bill of sale alone — there is no provincial title for trailers, no UVIP requirement, and no Safety Standards Certificate. What is required is a complete bill of sale and a transfer of the trailer's Ownership Permit (registration) through ServiceOntario. Plates stay with the seller.
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Ontario Trailer Bill of Sale — What You Need to Know
Tax Details
13% HST applies to private trailer sales in Ontario, calculated on the sale price. There is no Canadian Red Book for trailers; the stated price is the tax base.
Exemption: Farm trailers used exclusively in agricultural operations may qualify for HST exemption under certain conditions — consult the CRA agricultural exemption rules.
Inspection Requirements
No Safety Standards Certificate is required for trailers. However, lighting, brakes (for trailers over a certain weight), and coupling hardware should be verified before use on public roads.
Ontario Trailer Sale — Step-by-Step Checklist
- Confirm the trailer VIN — trailers manufactured after the early 1980s have a 17-character VIN on a metal plate, typically on the tongue or front left frame rail.
- Complete a bill of sale with the trailer year, make, model, VIN, GVWR (gross vehicle weight rating), intended use (utility, flatbed, enclosed, etc.), sale price, and date.
- Seller signs over the Ownership Permit (registration document) to the buyer.
- Seller removes Ontario licence plates — plates stay with the seller.
- Buyer registers the trailer at any ServiceOntario centre, paying 13% HST on the purchase price and applicable registration fees.
- Both parties retain a signed copy of the bill of sale.
Common Pitfalls
- Assuming the bill of sale alone is sufficient to register the trailer — the buyer also needs the signed Ownership Permit from the seller to complete the transfer at ServiceOntario.
- Forgetting that plates are not transferred with the trailer — the seller's plates come back to the seller; the buyer must apply for new plates.
- Selling a trailer with a VIN that doesn't match the Ownership Permit — discrepancies create registration holds and delays.
- Failing to disclose known structural defects — selling a trailer "as-is" protects the seller from mechanical claims, but not from fraudulent non-disclosure of known safety issues.
Pro Tip
Ontario trailer sales are among the simplest vehicle transactions in the province — no UVIP, no SSC, no inspection. Sign the bill of sale, sign over the Ownership Permit, keep your plates, and let the buyer handle the registration. A clean, dated bill of sale with the trailer VIN is all that's needed to establish when ownership legally changed.