Free Michigan Trailer Bill of Sale
Michigan draws its trailer-title line at 2,500 pounds: trailers over that weight (and all trailer coaches) must be titled at the Secretary of State within 15 days of purchase, while lighter utility trailers transfer on registration and a bill of sale — the "every trailer needs a title" assumption is wrong here. The plate rule is the part that surprises even Michigan natives: trailer plates are PERMANENT and NON-TRANSFERABLE — one plate, one trailer, for life. It never renews, but it also never moves to your next trailer, so the buyer of a used trailer needs a new plate regardless of what's bolted on. The tax is Michigan's usual flat 6% with no local add-ons.
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Michigan Trailer Bill of Sale — What You Need to Know
Sales Tax Details
6% flat, same as cars.
Michigan Trailer Sale — Step-by-Step Checklist
- Weigh the trailer question first: over 2,500 lbs (or any trailer coach) means a title changes hands; under it, registration plus a solid bill of sale carries the deal.
- Verify the VIN on the trailer tongue against the title or registration.
- Complete the bill of sale with VIN, type, length, empty weight, sale price, date, and both signatures — on a light no-title trailer, this is the ownership record.
- Seller signs the title over (2,500+ lbs) with any lien release attached.
- Buyer files TR-11L at any Secretary of State office within 15 days.
- Buyer pays the flat 6% tax plus the title fee and buys a NEW permanent plate — the seller's plate cannot transfer.
- Seller: your old trailer plate is dead once the trailer sells — it's non-transferable, so don't plan to reuse it.
Common Pitfalls
- Expecting the seller's plate to convey — Michigan trailer plates are permanent AND non-transferable; every new owner buys a fresh plate.
- Demanding a title on a lightweight utility trailer — under 2,500 lbs Michigan doesn't issue one, and a seller who "lost" a title that never existed is telling the truth.
- Missing the 15-day SOS window on a titled trailer — the same short Michigan clock as cars.
- Skipping the bill of sale on a no-title trailer — with neither title nor transferable plate, that document is the entire ownership chain.
Pro Tip
Michigan trailers: titles start at 2,500 pounds, the SOS clock runs 15 days, the tax is a flat 6% — and every buyer purchases a fresh permanent plate, because trailer plates die with the sale.