New System in Place for Trailer Licensing

LINCOLN – The New Year will bring changes for owners of utility and farm trailers in Nebraska. From January 1, owners of utility or farm trailers will be asked to include the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) of their utility or farm trailer when registering their trailer for the first time, or when renewing their registration. If the trailer does not have a VIN, or if the VIN is unknown, the County Treasurer office will provide one. The County Treasurer will also provide a decal to display the assigned VIN on the trailer at no additional cost to the owner.

“This is an important step to bringing the registration of utility and farm trailers into line with other, similar types of trailer,” said Rhonda Lahm, Director of the Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles. “By including the VIN, or allocating a VIN to a trailer which doesn’t have one, we are able to track ownership of trailers more accurately. In the event of theft, a VIN displayed on the trailer and registration document will assist in pairing the trailer with its owner.”

Currently, Nebraska residents are not required to provide a VIN to the County Treasurer office when registering a utility or farm trailer. In 2017, there were 184,770 utility and 81,784 farm trailers registered in Nebraska.

“Without a VIN recorded on the registration document, it can be a challenge to track ownership of a trailer,” said Betty Johnson, Administrator of the Driver and Vehicle Records Division. “We have been working closely with County Treasurer offices and agricultural groups to prepare for the upcoming changes. Existing utility and farm trailer owners do not need to do anything until their trailer registration is renewed. At that time, they can renew their trailer as normal and include the trailer VIN to ensure it is properly registered. The new information will ensure greater consistency in how trailers are registered and result in us providing a more comprehensive service to our customers.”

New trailer registration is completed at the owner’s local County Treasurer office. Renewals can be completed online at dmv.nebraska.gov, by mail, or at their local County Treasurer office.

Cheyenne County Treasurer Shelly Bowlin said residents do not need to bring the information into the office until trailers are renewed or registered.