Dirt Legal

View Original

Registering A Boat Trailer: The How's and Whys of A Montana Boat Trailer Registration

Why Smart Owners Choose Montana LLC Registration for Their Boat Trailers (and Boats!)

In recent weeks, we’ve focused on boats and boat registration for our followers and fans. And why not? Summer just ended, but it is still prime boating season. Our Montana boat & vessel registration is a great option for boats that need a title, are missing a title, or just need registration. 

But what about the trailer? 

"F-150 with Diamond Plate Bed Cover Pulls Boat Trailer" by DiamondBack Truck Covers is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.

Afterall, what good is a boat if you can’t get it to the lakes or rivers? And a boat trailer is not part of the boat; it is a trailer. It is a completely different registration process, but it’s easy to overlook. Boat trailers are kind of the unsung hero of boating, so we are going to give them some love and talk about how you can register a boat trailer through our services, and even keep them in the same LLC as the boat!

The Hassles of Traditional Boat Trailer Registration

Ok, so some states we can safely call it a hassle while others we can call it an inconvenience. But more than anything, in a lot of states it is just plain expensive because of sales tax. The national average sales tax rate hovers in the ballpark of 7 ½ percent, but it has been on the rise. 

But also, there is the matter of convenience. Most states haven’t gotten with the program yet and are not allowing for the registration of vehicles to be done its entirety online. What a pain. But that’s okay.

Our Montana LLC registration program is the best way to avoid sales tax, PLUS we handle all of the registration process remotely. That’s right, friend. All you have to do is hit the buy button, follow the instructions, sign paperwork, and wait. 

"Pickup Truck Towing Boat Trailer and Hauling Side by Side on Heavy-Duty Truck Bed Cover" by DiamondBack Truck Covers is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.

Introducing the Montana LLC Solution

Typically, you think of LLCs in terms of a small business (or a large business, for that matter). But that is not really the whole picture. There is more than one type of LLC, one of which is the asset holding variety. 

An asset holding LLC is there for the explicit purpose of holding assets as a business to shield them from unnecessary taxation. The great thing about these types of LLCs is that you can add as many assets to them as you want. 

Why Choose Montana for Your Boat Trailer Registration?

The obvious reason to choose Montana for your boat trailer registration is saving money. But on its face that might not be worth it since a boat trailer isn’t all that expensive. But wait…

Generally speaking, when you buy a boat, the trailer comes with it. Well, why not register both the boat and trailer together in Montana under the same LLC? That’s right. You can open the LLC with either registration, but then add whatever other assets you want to it as you procure them. 

The best part is that it costs less of your end to do this because only one LLC is formed. This is also a very attractive option if you have already registered a vehicle through our Montana LLC registration program in the past. And it doesn’t matter what kind of vehicle you’ve registered before!

Hauling boats with class and style. "Atlantic City boat ramp, 1980" by Seattle Municipal Archives is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

Car, truck, van, RV, trailer, OHV, or surplus army truck. It doesn’t matter because all of our Montana title and registration programs start with the formation of an LLC. Once it’s formed, all of your toys can go in it so every time you purchase something that requires titling and registration, you already have the LLC set up and can go ahead with one of our registration programs. 

The Step-by-Step Process with Dirt Legal

Here’s the best part about how Dirt Legal gets your vehicle registered: you don’t have to do much. You don’t really need to know what the step-by-step is because we make it happen for you!

But here’s the process anyway:

  1. Press the buy button.

  2. Complete the order form. 

  3. Receive some paperwork and complete it. 

  4. Mail the paperwork back to us.

  5. We prepare it all, package it up, and send it all to the DMV. 

  6. The order is shipped straight to you from the DMV. 

We make the process extremely simple for you and give you instructions through every step of the process, and we will give you updates so you know exactly what is going on. 

With this process, you will get:

  • Montana Permanent Registration

  • Permanent Montana Plate

  • Montana Title In Your LLC Name

  • Montana Address

  • Registered Agent Service for Your Montana LLC

  • DMV Processing Fees Covered

  • Pre-Filled Paperwork

  • Shipping Label with Tracking Number

  • Step-By-Step Checklist & Instructions

  • What To Do If You Get Pulled Over Guide

  • Text & Email Support

Common Concerns Addressed

There are a few common questions and concerns that we address. 

Is it legal?

Yes, of course it’s legal. Montana not only knows about it, they wholly support it! It is a net win for the state, and they are savvy. They completely understand why people use our services. 

Since you have an address in Montana and residence, you are completely legal to use a Montana registration no matter what state you call home. The legal term for this is your ‘domicile’ and it is where you live, but it doesn’t mean you can’t or don’t have residency in another state. Lots of snowbirds do this, with their primary residence in a northern state but maintaining property in a warm state. It’s the exact same principle and not any other state can tell you that you can’t do that. 

What about my home state?

Again, this is considered your domicile. You are not forbidden by anyone for any reason from having multiple residences. So let’s play a little dumb here. 

Say I decide to buy a beach house on the Texas coast. I also want to keep a car down there for whatever reason. It’s my house, my choice. Since I have legal residence in Texas (I have a physical addy there with the beach house), I can register that car in Texas. But for whatever reason, I’ve got to drive that car home to my domicile in Kansas. My driver’s license is in Kansas, but if I get pulled over am I really going to catch hell because the Texas plated car is registered in Texas with my beach house’s address? Not likely. 

The same applies with Montana. You have proof of residence and an address in Montana. The authorities don’t need to know what your business is there; it’s your business! Maybe Americans have just lost a little too much of that “mind your own business” acumen.  

This same idea and process works with any vehicle, including a boat and boat trailer. There are no limitations for crossing state lines. 

How to Get Started with Dirt Legal Today

Getting started with registering your boat trailer couldn’t be easier. When you go to our homepage, you just go through a series of questions that will direct you to exactly what service you need to buy. 

Once you hit buy, you’ll have a few things to fill out and sign, send them back to Dirt Legal, and we handle it all for you. No DMV trips, no lines, no waiting. You send it, we do it, they send the final product to you. 

So easy. 

And remember: you can put as many vehicles as you want in the same LLC. 

See this content in the original post