Boat trailer license

[Hershey102]

The state of Ky does not require it but if you pull to a state that does you need one. I think it is ALabama that does not require drivers to have insurance but if you come to KY and don't have it you get a ticket.

I have a license plate for my trailer for this very reason.

You are mixing apples and oranges. Almost every state, but not all, require you to have auto liability insurance. All states have financial responsibility laws. This means that even in a state that does not require liability insurance, you need to have sufficient assets to pay claims if you cause an accident. That has nothing to do with pulling a boat trailer with or without a license plate.

[kyjake]

Thanks every one for replies.I bought this older boat and trailer used from the second owner who says the trailer has never been licensed and the bill of sale has been lost.Have been trying to get a license for the boat by doing what the clerk's office recommends,has been to Frankfort twice and rejected.I can't find a serial number on the trailer but it is obviously a brander trailer.Have another boat that the trailer is licensed and thinking about using that license but that could cause complications.If I can get the serial number tag off that one I may put the serial number tag and license tag on it and feel good to go.Don't have time to try again for registration from the state as I leave in four days.
Thanks,
Jake

[cumberlandguy1]

I've pulled a boat out of state several times....been stopped for speeding several times. KY does not require a plate so you will not need one in any state.

[jamesdenson]

funny story was fishing green one night got pulled over for no plates on my boat trailer i tried to tell him you didnt need one here as i think he was from ohio or michigan. he argued and was wanting to give me a ticket and all sorts of bad stuff. boy i never seen a gw so ticked off that he didnt get to write a ticket.

[sglass]

My aunt works for the county clerk in Fayette and she told me KY does not require a plate but if you go out of state one is required. I think it is 20 bucks to get one and this includes all trailers not just a boat trailer. I am guessing this is for the states that do require one. I would rather pay the 20 bucks and be safe than try and fight a ticket in another state.

[fcfishman]

I have bought Ky plates for a number of years. Cheap insurance and saves you time on the road as I have been stopped several times out of state. My problem though, was pulling it with my company truck, which had Indiana Plates. Even though I had a Ky license, it was a bitch trying to explain that to the cops. Finally got the plate and now have not had a problem in several years.

[bigrod]

Tell your aunt she is sadly mistaken.

[Hershey102]

My aunt works for the county clerk in Fayette and she told me KY does not require a plate but if you go out of state one is required. I think it is 20 bucks to get one and this includes all trailers not just a boat trailer. I am guessing this is for the states that do require one. I would rather pay the 20 bucks and be safe than try and fight a ticket in another state.

There's something to be said for having peace of mind and, if 20 bucks buys it, nothing wrong with that.

However, while your aunt may be very familiar with KY law, she is less knowledgeable about what other states do and do not require. Having working as a police officer in Ohio, I would not cite you for an unlicensed trailer if your residence and vehicle registration was KY. Nor would you be convicted in a court of law in Ohio. As with almost any encounter with law enforcement officers, your demeanor and ability to respectfully educate the officer regarding KY's regulations will be an asset. Just like fishermen, police officers learn something new every day too.

[zx150]

Tell your aunt she is sadly mistaken.

No she is not. If another state requires people to have a license plate on a boat trailer it is for all people who want to drive in their state.

Hersey you missed the point I was trying to make. KY does not care if you have assets to pay for the other's damages if you are at fault in an accident. They want auto insurance.


Trust me I know what I am talking about. I deal with this stuff everyday.

[Hershey102]

"Trust me I know what I am talking about. I deal with this stuff everyday."

Not sure what "stuff" you deal with every day, but I'm always open to being educated. Please cite an instance where a KY resident driver was convicted in a court of law out-of-state for driving a KY registered vehicle pulling a boat trailer without a plate. And I don't mean voluntarily paid a ticket, but rather contested the ticket and lost.

And I'm going to assume that while you are at the DMV picking up that trailer plate, you'll also purchase a license plate for the front of your truck.

[bigrod]

Ryan I will bet you whatever you want that you are dead wrong. I've been pulled over numerous times in TN, OH, FL, GA pulling my unlicensed 21foot Triton and have never gotten a ticket for my trailer. KY does not require it so you are waived in all the states but to exit the country you are required to license it. I'll stand by what I know, why don't you call a police buddy in another state and see what they would do. I have and it's what I have said from the start. Not Required!!!

[zx150]

Because you don't get a ticket that is law? If a state requires it's residents to have a license plate on their boat trailer than anyone who enters that state pulling a boat must have one as well. Unless their is specific law that grants some type of exception, which most states don't include exceptions to laws like that.

If a state requires all boats on their water ways to be registered then to put a boat in that state water way you must have it tagged. Even if in a state like KY does not require a canoe to have a registration.