Texas Title and Registration for a Used Travel Trailer or 5th Wheel

TxDMV says registration is required for all non-farm trailers operating on public highways. Whether it also needs a title depends on its gross weight, which TxDMV defines as the trailer’s weight plus the weight it can carry:

• Over 4,000 pounds gross weight: it must be titled.
• 4,000 pounds or less: the title is optional, but per the TxDMV motorist FAQ, a trailer that was titled before must continue to be titled.

Go by the gross weight on the trailer itself, not the dry weight in a brochure. The tow guide explains the difference, and what it means for your truck.

TxDMV’s buying a vehicle page says that when you buy from a dealer, the dealer is required to file the title application on your behalf, so you will not have to visit the tax office. It also says to make sure the dealer gives you a receipt showing the vehicle has been titled in your name.

On sales tax, the Texas Comptroller says the dealer collects motor vehicle sales tax from the buyer when the vehicle has a gross weight of 11,000 pounds or less, and sends it to the county tax assessor-collector.

Here, sales tax, title and registration are added at closing and depend on where you register the RV. Out-of-state buyers usually handle tax and registration with their home state, so tell us where you are registering it; buying in Texas from out of state covers the plates and the tax exemption. Bring your driver’s license or state ID, plus one for anyone else going on the title. The whole day is in how buying an RV works.

A private sale puts the paperwork on you. TxDMV says to get these from the seller:

• The signed title, with the seller’s printed name, signature and the date of sale. TxDMV’s advice is plain: never walk away from a private sale without the title.
• Form 130-U, the Application for Texas Title and/or Registration, signed by the seller with the sales price on it.
• Any supporting documents, such as a release of lien if there was a loan on it, or a power of attorney.

For a used trailer of 4,000 pounds or less that was never titled, the trailers page lists a bill of sale plus the registration receipt as the proof of ownership.

Before you pay, TxDMV suggests running the VIN through Title Check, which shows the title history, including any total loss. It also suggests having the seller go to the county tax office with you, where a representative can tell you whether the title is correct and whether it has salvage or legal issues. Then walk the trailer with the used trailer checklist.

Title and registration happen at your county tax assessor-collector’s office. TxDMV says a vehicle must be titled in the buyer’s name within 30 days of the date of sale, and that missing it can bring delinquent transfer penalties.

On a private sale, TxDMV says the motor vehicle sales tax is 6.25 percent of the purchase price or the standard presumptive value, whichever is higher, paid when the vehicle is titled, plus the title, registration and local fees. Your county tax office can estimate what you will owe.

Once the application is in, TxDMV asks you to allow at least 20 business days for the title to be processed. If there is a lien, the lienholder receives the title.

The TxDMV motorist FAQ adds a form for travel trailers and park model trailers that were last titled or registered out of state: the Trailer Verification Statement of Fact (Form VTR-141). It also lists a weight certificate for out-of-state trailers, unless the empty weight is shown on the out-of-state title or the manufacturer’s certificate of origin. Every trailer application in that answer also calls for your current driver license or other government-issued photo ID.

Checked October 9, 2026. If this page and the state ever disagree, the state is right.

• TxDMV: Buying or Selling a Vehicle
• TxDMV: Trailers
• TxDMV: Motorist FAQs ("I just purchased a manufactured trailer. How do I title/register my trailer?")
• TxDMV: Title Check, Look Before You Buy
• TxDMV: Application for Texas Title and/or Registration (Form 130-U, PDF)
• TxDMV: County Tax Offices
• Texas Comptroller: Motor Vehicle Sales and Use Tax