Question for the Texas folk……

Lol...you answered your own question.  ALL the trailers in Texas are for farm use.😉

Just get a 10' trailer with a ramp gate, make life easy. All my trailers have tags. You can run without them, but they will pull you over eventually.

They will indeed. 

Plates aren't required here in Tennessee. 

But troopers are notorious for pulling over trucks with trailers claiming they can't see the truck plates.

Chicken shit to say the least. 

But at that point they have you pulled over, and you're at their mercy.

Never give them a reason.

My trailer here has tags.

$18.

I have lots of trailers of different types and they are all plated,  most are farm plates.  But I do have 'regular' plates on the one I use for my bikes.

PS - in the old days getting a 'shop built' plate was pretty easy.  I have a few smaller trailers I cobbled together decades ago and it was easy to get them farm plated.   But that was exploited really bad with stolen trailers that they have made it a complete PITA to get a shop plate.

Just need a bill of sale and spend 15 minutes at the DMV.

FYI,  you cant get a Farm plate without an Ag/Timber card.

City boy ain't getting no farm tags, he gets the $100+ tags.

my old man sorta cobbled together a similar trailer years ago. Found an old plate lying around in the garage and put it on. almost 40y later, has the same plate. Just a thought.

In the end OP, just take your bill of sale to the county clerk's office, they're gonna register it to you, charge you tax, and plate you. No biggie.

You’re just asking for headaches buying an unregistered trailer and then getting it registered in Washington State. Save yourself problems and buy a trailer that has a plate.

Following just to see how many Texans are on here....  🤭

Oklahoma does not plate trailers and I just bought a Hi Point trailer in Okla with no title and brought it back to Colorado. I had to have a VIN inspection with the highway patrol he could not read it so he said the state would assign a VIN  and then took paper work to DMV and they gave me plates a new VIN and title. Colorado is a big hassle state for this kind of stuff but it was really easy and didn't take much time. Also you may be able to do a "home built trailer" at the DMV like I did on past trailers with no title.   

Sellers take them off, if you don't, you could be responsible if they are involved in mayhem.

The county clerks office will want to know the make, size, and gross trailer weight (I think that is right), plus bill of sale etc. should not be a hassle like Washington State though. 

The don't have titles that's why no plate. That's why they say bill of sale only,  Try to keep up. 

Cant beat a nice 3-rail if you find one thats decent.  But like you said everything nowadays is stinkin' high.   Only reason I got the little trailer my bikes are on in that picture,  is because the ramp door on back is spring assist and my wife and lift it by herself and she can put her zero-turn mower on it easily.  She hates hooking up my bigger trailers and cannot lift the very heavy ramps that are on them.  So the smaller one is actually her trailer, she can move it and hook it up herself if she wants to and I can also put the bikes on it if I want to.   I actually have always had a small enclosed trailer for bikes and my riding crapola,  but the one I had got old and I sold it.   When I got the RMZ I looked into a new replacement,  but damn they are high now.  Last enclosed I bought was in 2006 when I bought the RM250.   Back then things were a lot more reasonable.

Let us know what you end up getting.

Wisconsin under 3,000 lbs no.plate or title needed....

Illinois:  Plate , title transfer under 3,000 lbs.   $ 420.00 !!!!!

A coupl’a years ago I walked into a dmv in Boerne/Kendall and walked out with everything I needed for a trailer in minutes…(enclosed hauler)…had to go get it looked at by an inspector…boom…got a plate. 

As far as I know, every trailer in Texas must have a plate.

I sometimes wonder if matters if the 'trailer' is highway capable.   Ive noticed people who have running gear trailers and similar things that only have a SMV placard.  I have a Kory 5566 I restored for moving bales around that I only have a SMV placard on the back. Its basically on old running gear converted.  It never gets over 5-10 mph but I do tow it on roads when the situation warrants.

Yeah,  highway capable is what I meant. 

In other words, if you're going to be pulling it through cities or towns,  best have a plate.

You got me wonderin' now.  Im gonna do some calling tomorrow and see exactly what can you get away with using a SMV thingy.

In Wi. We don’t need a plate on a enclosed trailer, open , dirtbike , snowmobile or jet ski.  But need a plate if you cross the state line iL.  I know you need a plate. 

Just be glad you don't live in California. Oh, it's far cheaper than getting a car registered, don't get me wrong, but CA would have already charged you $100 just for asking. Then, they'd sell you a "permanent" trailer reg that still needs to be renewed. 

Just an FYI on getting your drivers license.  I'm not sure if you have to apply for it in your city/county, but if not, drive to a small town where they have a DPS drivers license office and sign up.  Yes, it may take a few hours out of a day, but you will have it done and not have to make an appointment 3 months early and wait for hours when you go to your appointment.  Plus, I think you only have a 30 day period to get your Texas license after becoming a resident, which you are a little late. 

My daughter in law had to renew hers with a new picture.  They live in Ft. Worth, but come visit us every month or so.  She called our DPS office and they said no appt. necessary, just stop by.  I think she was there for maybe 30 minutes.  Best time to go is early to mid morning or mid afternoon.  

The first picture threw my depth perception way off, I thought it was a little red wagon 😂