NJ Trailer Bill of Sale: Notarization, Sales Tax, and MVC Steps

A New Jersey trailer bill of sale needs the buyer’s name and address, the seller’s name and address, the date of sale, the sale price, and a description of the trailer that includes the year, make, body type, and 17-character VIN. For any trailer under 2,500 pounds unladen, the seller’s signature has to be notarized, because those lighter trailers carry no certificate of title and the bill of sale becomes your primary proof of ownership.¹

What the Document Must Contain

The Motor Vehicle Commission expects the buyer’s name and address, the date of sale, and the sale price on any vehicle bill of sale.² For trailers, the MVC’s trailer page also calls for the year manufactured, make, and VIN.¹ Adding the seller’s name and address and a note on body type (flatbed, enclosed utility, boat trailer, and so on) closes any gap if a dispute comes up later.

The VIN matters more than any other field. Copy all 17 characters straight from the trailer’s VIN plate. A single transposed digit can get your application rejected at the counter. Write everything else legibly too; MVC staff verify the entries against their records, and unreadable handwriting causes delays.

Both the seller and the buyer sign. Whether that signature needs a notary depends on the trailer’s weight.

When the Seller’s Signature Must Be Notarized

New Jersey draws a firm line at 2,500 pounds unladen weight. Trailers and semi-trailers below that threshold have to be registered but are exempt from titling.¹ With no title in the chain, the bill of sale is the ownership document, and the state needs extra assurance that the seller actually owned what they sold.

To meet that standard, the seller has to provide a notarized statement listing the trailer’s year, make, VIN, and purchase price.¹ A notary public witnesses the seller’s signature and applies the stamp. In New Jersey the maximum fee a notary can charge for that acknowledgment is $2.50.³ Banks, UPS locations, and many law offices provide notary services.

If the previous owner still has the last registration card for the trailer, bring that to the MVC along with the notarized bill of sale. It helps confirm the trailer’s history in the system. When no prior registration exists, the notarized bill of sale is the sole record tying the trailer to you.

When a Title Comes With the Sale

Once the unladen weight reaches 2,500 pounds, New Jersey requires a certificate of title.¹ The seller signs the title over to you on the reverse side the same way they would for a car. A bill of sale should still accompany the transfer to document price and date, but the title is the controlling ownership record, and it does not need to be notarized.

Title fees at the MVC are $60 for a standard transfer, $85 with one lien on the trailer, and $110 with two liens.¹ If the seller can’t find the original title, they need to apply for a duplicate using Form OS/SS-UTA before the sale can be finalized cleanly.⁴ Waiting for that duplicate to arrive protects you from buying a heavier trailer with an undisclosed lien.

You have to title the trailer in your name within 10 days of the purchase date, or the MVC adds a late penalty fee.⁵ That window is tighter than most buyers plan for.

Sales Tax and the Gift Exemption

New Jersey charges 6.625% sales tax on private trailer sales, calculated on the price shown on the bill of sale.⁶ You pay it at the MVC during registration or titling, not to the seller.

Gift transfers are treated differently. If the trailer is a genuine gift, the transaction can be exempt from sales tax, but the price line on the title or bill of sale must clearly state that the transfer is a gift.² Writing “$1” on a bill of sale to shrink the tax bill is a bad idea. The MVC can question suspiciously low prices, and misrepresenting a sale price creates legal exposure for both the seller and the buyer.

Taking the Bill of Sale to the MVC

The MVC does not take walk-ins for title and registration from a private sale. Book an appointment through the online scheduler.⁷ Bring:

The bill of sale, notarized if the trailer is under 2,500 pounds and has no title.
The title, signed over by the seller on the reverse side, if the trailer is 2,500 pounds or more.
The previous registration card, if the seller can hand it over.
A certified weight slip, if the trailer is homemade.¹
Valid identification.
Payment for the registration fee, the title fee if one applies, and 6.625% sales tax on the purchase price.

New Jersey requires you to register a trailer before towing it on public roads.⁸ After the MVC processes the paperwork, you receive plates and a registration card; keep the card with the trailer whenever it’s in use.⁹

Homemade Trailers Need More Than a Bill of Sale

If you built the trailer or bought one someone else fabricated, a bill of sale alone won’t get you registered. A homemade trailer has no manufacturer VIN, so New Jersey requires a state-assigned VIN before registration. That process uses Form OS/SS-32 and calls for construction details, receipts for the materials, and color photographs of every side of the trailer. After the MVC assigns a number and you affix it, an inspection station confirms the trailer’s structural integrity, lights, brakes, and VIN placement. A certified weight slip from a public scale also has to accompany the application, showing the unladen weight, because that number decides whether the trailer needs only registration or both a title and registration.¹

1
State of New Jersey. Trailers, House Semi-trailers and Private Utilities
2
New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission. Transferring Vehicle Ownership
3
Cornell Law Institute. New Jersey Administrative Code 17:50-1.18 – Fees for Notarial Services
4
New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission. Duplicate Title
5
New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission. How To Get A Title For A New Vehicle
6
Justia. New Jersey Code 54-32B-3 – Taxes Imposed
7
New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission. NJ MVC Appointment Scheduling
8
Justia. New Jersey Revised Statutes Section 39-3-4 – Registration of Motor Vehicles and Trailers
9
New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission. Vehicle Registration