NewStateDrive
Virginia trailer move

Move a Trailer to Virginia

Use the trailer's title record, gross weight, brakes, and intended registration period to prepare its separate Virginia transaction.

Use this order

Prepare the trailer before the office visit

The government instructions are free. We show a private provider only when it is authorized for this vehicle and task.

  1. 1. Check when the application becomes due

    Title and register the trailer within the 30-day new-resident vehicle window. Do not treat the tow vehicle's plate or deadline as the trailer's registration.

  2. 2. Prepare the correct ownership record

    Use the out-of-state trailer title and Form VSA 17A. When the title is unavailable, Virginia requires the applicant to explain why, document the effort to obtain it, and provide the supporting ownership trail and bill of sale or vehicle price certification.

  3. 3. Complete identification and inspection

    A trailer at 3,000 pounds or more actual gross weight must have brakes and be inspected. A lighter trailer with brakes must also be inspected; a boat, utility, or travel trailer without brakes is exempt from the annual safety inspection.

  4. 4. Register the correct vehicle class

    Choose annual, two-year, or permanent registration based on the trailer's use and gross weight. A private trailer of any weight can use a permanent plate; a trailer at 4,000 pounds gross weight or less may use the small permanent plate.

Vehicle classification

Check the exact vehicle class

Trailer liability coverage follows the insurance coverage of the towing vehicle. The vessel on a boat trailer keeps a separate Virginia DWR title and registration record.

Open the primary Virginia source before completing a form or paying a fee. The official agency decides which forms and checks apply to the specific vehicle.

Open the primary official source
No verified provider is listed for this exact transaction yet

Use the official state instructions. We do not show a near-match, unverified business, or provider with an expired authorization.

Open the official state guide
Separate state records

Other vehicles moving to Virginia

Open only the guide for the vehicle you are registering.

  • motorcycle
    Move a Motorcycle to Virginia

    Title and register an out-of-state motorcycle with the Virginia safety inspection, insurance, and rider endorsement kept separate.

  • rv
    Move an RV or Motorhome to Virginia

    Move an out-of-state motorhome through Virginia's title, registration, insurance, inspection, and personal-use license rules.

  • boat
    Move a Boat and Trailer to Virginia

    Transfer the watercraft through Virginia DWR and the highway trailer through DMV without combining their titles, inspections, identifiers, or deadlines.

Reviewed 2026-08-24

Official Virginia sources

These are the state pages and forms used to prepare this guide.