How Do You Locate a VIN on a Trailer?

The VIN of a trailer and any commercial motor vehicle constructed after June 1976 is typically printed on a paper sticker inside the vehicle. This is the vehicle’s licence plate, which includes the VIN and other pertinent information. The VIN consists of 17 characters and is identified as the serial number assigned by the manufacturer. Note that the VIN and model numbers are distinct.

If there is no data plate inside the trailer, examine the trailer tongue, which consists of a series of front steel beams to which the tow hitch is linked. Check behind the metal bars’ front skirting to locate the I-beam. Most usually, the VIN is imprinted horizontally or vertically onto the metal. The VIN can also be found on the frame of the trailer, at the rear end, near the axle, and on any primary frame parts.

At the time of inspection, it is difficult to verify the VIN of many older trailers. The new owner of the trailer can seek a new VIN from the Department of Motor Vehicles in this instance. In addition to a legitimate title or proof of ownership, the buyer must present a bill of sale. Once a DMV inspector determines that a trailer’s VIN is unreadable or absent, the owner must write an affidavit and submit it to the DMV in order to have the VIN reassigned.