Free North Dakota Trailer Bill of Sale
North Dakota exempts the little guys entirely: personal-use trailers under 1,500 pounds need NO registration — the garden and small utility class runs free on a bill of sale. Heavier trailers title and register through an NDDOT motor vehicle office on form SFN 2872, with a 30-day deadline and the 5% excise tax. Two classes — semi-trailers and farm trailers — can take North Dakota's PERMANENT registration: no renewals, though the permanent plate is non-transferable and must be redone when ownership changes.
Free PDF includes a small watermark at the bottom. Go Pro to remove it. Already subscribed? Sign in.
North Dakota Trailer Bill of Sale — What You Need to Know
Sales Tax Details
Same 5% excise tax on trailer sales.
North Dakota Trailer Sale — Step-by-Step Checklist
- Weigh the class: personal-use under 1,500 lbs = no registration needed, bill of sale carries it; heavier = SFN 2872 title and registration.
- Verify the VIN or serial plate on the tongue against the title where one exists.
- Write the bill of sale with VIN/serial, type, weight, sale price, an EXACT date, and both signatures — the 30-day clock runs from that date.
- Seller signs the title over on registrable trailers.
- Buyer files SFN 2872 at an NDDOT motor vehicle office within 30 days.
- Buyer pays the 5% excise tax — no local additions in North Dakota.
- Semi-trailer or farm trailer? Ask about permanent registration — no renewals, but note it's non-transferable and re-issues at each ownership change.
Common Pitfalls
- Registering a sub-1,500-lb personal trailer — North Dakota doesn't require it; save the fee and keep the bill of sale safe instead.
- Assuming a permanent plate conveys — ND's permanent trailer registration is non-transferable; the buyer re-registers even though the plate never expired for the seller.
- Letting the 30-day window lull you across a season — day 91 brings penalties as surely as anywhere.
- Vague sale dates on the paperwork — with the longest deadline in the country, the start date matters most.
Pro Tip
North Dakota trailers: free under 1,500 pounds, 30 days and 5% above it, and a permanent-registration option whose one quirk — non-transferability — matters exactly on the day you sell.