How many years can you go in Texas without renewing registration?

[The motor guy]

I have a small landscape trailer that doesn't get used much. I just realized the tag was dated 12-24, so i skipped 2025 and they gave me a sticker dated 2026. Always thought you had to pay previous years to make it current. The lady at the dmv says their is only a fee if you get a ticket. That's not true though. I think after a certain number of years they'll make you renew it as if its a new trailer you just bought.

 

[Little_Lebowski]

It's always been my policy to "BEG" for forgiveness when i get caught breakin the law......
Here in MI we have Permanent trailer plates. Literally the only thing Grandhole did right.

 

[The motor guy]

It's always been my policy to "BEG" for forgiveness when i get caught breakin the law......
Here in MI we have Permanent trailer plates. Literally the only thing Grandhole did right.

Well when you have like 4 trailers and 3 out of the four only get used a few times a year. That's a lot bread to be burning up in the oven for registration. I see people with tags expired like 2 years ago out on the road. They must just give you the same month of whatever year you're in now. They used to give you the current date, so if you were 3 months late on renewing, that's basically 3 months you didnt have to pay for. I guess you have to skip an entire year now to get a break lol

 

[The motor guy]

It's always been my policy to "BEG" for forgiveness when i get caught breakin the law......
Here in MI we have Permanent trailer plates. Literally the only thing Grandhole did right.

So no registration on trailers? You still still have registration for vehicles though, right?

 

[skyactiv]

A trick you often see New Englanders and New Yorkers do is to register their trailer in Maine. Legal if you’re doing interstate commerce

 

[GRUMPYDUDE2]

How many years can you go in tx without renewing registration?​

As many as you want. Until you get caught!!

 

[JunkdrawerDog]

A friend once had an old, home built utility trailer that he hadn't used in years. During the period of inactivity, he allowed the registration to lapse. Eventually, a need for the trailer arose and he tried to register the trailer again. He was denied a registration until he paid all the back registration and property tax fees (about 5 or 6 years worth). He went home and returned with the trailer, a long chain and a padlock. He went inside and asked "Where do you want your trailer? Obviously, you want my trailer or you wouldn't be trying to trying to rob me with all these back fees. I'm going to chain and lock it right here in front of your building and it will be your problem." It was decided the he could just pay the current year fees and they would forget the rest.

 

[Overfill]

It doesn't make enough sense to me from a tax standpoint. If I don't use this vehicle on state roads, then there shouldn't be anything due. Also, consider the licensed trailer (/vehicle) that is sitting under renovating projects and is in an auto garage/barn for decades--suddenly all those years registration are due? At some point it will cost less money to gift it back and forth between friends paying retitling and sales tax.

 

[crashz]

I don't understand that. If you register something for a calendar year, then let the registration lapse, you've done no wrong unless you were using that vehicle on the road unregistered. And if you re-register, why would you have to back back-registration fees for the years you weren't using it on the road? Its not a tax, its a fee to use the roads.

 

[The motor guy]

A friend once had an old, home built utility trailer that he hadn't used in years. During the period of inactivity, he allowed the registration to lapse. Eventually, a need for the trailer arose and he tried to register the trailer again. He was denied a registration until he paid all the back registration and property tax fees (about 5 or 6 years worth). He went home and returned with the trailer, a long chain and a padlock. He went inside and asked "Where do you want your trailer? Obviously, you want my trailer or you wouldn't be trying to trying to rob me with all these back fees. I'm going to chain and lock it right here in front of your building and it will be your problem." It was decided the he could just pay the current year fees and they would forget the rest.

I wonder if it falls off of their computer system after a while? They have all this online stuff now and yet theyre still asking me for the vin and plate number. Took pics of all the titles and went up their with that because one of the trailers the vin is illegible. Personally, I think they should already know.

 

[JunkdrawerDog]

It doesn't make enough sense to me from a tax standpoint. If I don't use this vehicle on state roads, then there shouldn't be anything due.

In that particular state, we used to have to pay not only registration fees but also personal property tax on trailers. They were holding my friend hostage for back fees on both. They were fairly aggressive, at the time, try to collect these fees. I got into a phone argument with the township assessor over this. He called my home regarding the personal property tax fee I had paid for my motorcycle trailer. His issue was that since I had a motorcycle trailer, I must therefore have a motorcycle that I was not paying personal property tax or registration fees. He was insistent that he wanted to come over and have a look around my garage. I told him where he could go. Never heard from him again.

 

[4wd]

I don’t know the longest I have been - maybe 2 years ? but have signed that no ticket form many times on late renewals …
Best just ask at the counter …

 

[The motor guy]

In that particular state, we used to have to pay not only registration fees but also personal property tax on trailers. They were holding my friend hostage for back fees on both. They were fairly aggressive, at the time, try to collect these fees. I got into a phone argument with the township assessor over this. He called my home regarding the personal property tax fee I had paid for my motorcycle trailer. His issue was that since I had a motorcycle trailer, I must therefore have a motorcycle that I was not paying personal property tax or registration fees. He was insistent that he wanted to come over and have a look around my garage. I told him where he could go. Never heard from him again.

Where could he go? Just let the neighbor use your bike for the weekend

 

[JunkdrawerDog]

Where could he go? Just let the neighbor use your bike for the weekend

I told him to go to the place that's real hot, lol!

 

[The motor guy]

I told him to go to the place that's real hot, lol!

Hawaii? Lol I follow you now....

 

[andrew_j]

I am not clear on trailers and liability of this , howver know with auto insurance in certain states will deny claim if have accident with unregistered car.

 

[RooflessVW]

I am not clear on trailers and liability of this , howver know with auto insurance in certain states will deny claim if have accident with unregistered car.

Unregistered ≠ expired registration

 

[97prizm]

I have a small landscape trailer that doesn't get used much. I just realized the tag was dated 12-24, so i skipped 2025 and they gave me a sticker dated 2026. Always thought you had to pay previous years to make it current. The lady at the dmv says their is only a fee if you get a ticket. That's not true though. I think after a certain number of years they'll make you renew it as if its a new trailer you just bought.

In Colorado if a plate stays dormant for 18 months it gets purged out of the system. This was a real headache on my cavalier due to it not passing emissions.

 

[97prizm]

A friend once had an old, home built utility trailer that he hadn't used in years. During the period of inactivity, he allowed the registration to lapse. Eventually, a need for the trailer arose and he tried to register the trailer again. He was denied a registration until he paid all the back registration and property tax fees (about 5 or 6 years worth). He went home and returned with the trailer, a long chain and a padlock. He went inside and asked "Where do you want your trailer? Obviously, you want my trailer or you wouldn't be trying to trying to rob me with all these back fees. I'm going to chain and lock it right here in front of your building and it will be your problem." It was decided the he could just pay the current year fees and they would forget the rest.

In Colorado you used to be able to sign paperwork showing non-use ie the odometer hasn't changed and you wouldn't have to pay anything if your vehicle was off the road. Now for whatever reason it has come to light that the state wants money for not driving your vehicle.

 

[4wd]

I don't understand that. If you register something for a calendar year, then let the registration lapse, you've done no wrong unless you were using that vehicle on the road unregistered. And if you re-register, why would you have to back back-registration fees for the years you weren't using it on the road? Its not a tax, its a fee to use the roads.

I have never paid anything but the go forward year … if I go 20 months - I sign to agree that I never got a ticket during the 8 extra months it was parked … then good for a year …