I give up (DMV Rant)

Sawdustguy

Sawdustguy

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I don't have a clue what to do now. I went to DMV to register my Lang 84 and they wouldn't register it. It wasn't because I had the wrong paperwork or misfilled out the forms. The people at DMV told me that BBQ trailers are not required to be registered. I guarranty the first time I take it to a contest I will be pulled over and given a ticket. I even tried to register it as a utility trailer and when they saw the certificate of origin that said BBQ trailer they refused. I have no idea what to do now. I apologize if I offended anyone who may work at DMV but they were nasty, condesending and acted as if I should have known that and wasted their time. I am still not convinced I do not have to register it but what can I do? Even the manager at DMV told me he wouldn't register the trailer. I had a check ready to pay the sales tax and the paperwork in hand and they turned me away.
 
sounds like it was your lucky day, but if your worried about a ticket double check with your local police or sheriff to see what they say. if they say you need it and dmv says you don't, have somebody down there put it in writing with a signature so you got something to protect yourself with if you do have to fight a ticket. about the people in dmv being nasty and condesending, thats so unlike them! i've never heard of such a thing! but seriously though, did you go to riverhead? they really are pretty accomadating. and i wouldn't worry about getting a ticket because the police love bbq! you might even get a police escort!
phil
 
Bro, I have run into basically the same situation here in FL. I too have the certificate of origination, etc. and have gotten a similar (but not rude - must be a NY thing) :biggrin: response from the tax folks.

My Kingfisher still has no tag - usually I skank the RV tag and hang it on the back - but when we went to Key Largo Tim pulled it sans tag and I had the travel trailer (I KNOW it needs a tag!).

I've talked to several guys that compete all over the area and they don't tag the cookers.

Like the others said, check with your local law enforcement guys - they'll be the ones giving you the ticket. If they say it's clean - you're a few hundred $$ ahead.
 
Guy,

See if you can send an email to their website and if you get a response just print it out and keep it with you.

Steve
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Speak of the devil! I just registered my cooker, and I really feel that it was a waste of time! Although I am only out $12.00, the hassle has made me question registering at all. In Georgia, only certain counties make you register your trailer if it is under 2000#(Cobb is one!), and you only need a title if it is over 2000#. The problem is that although my county requires registration, they use the state manufacturer database to register the vehicle. As most pit builders are too small to make the state's list, you cannot register the pit! The poor lady at the tag office finally called it a "utility trailer" with a description as a bbq pit, but I noticed that a couple of other pits in the area are not tagged at all. I agree with the guys above, if the cops say it is ok, and you have an e-mail from the tag office, then you should be ok.

The next problem is mounting the tag! I am going to get some of those adhesive backed magnets to place on the plate so that I can just stick it on the fire box door. This will allow me to remove it when I'm cooking, but allow it to be displayed in the best possible place when on the road.
 
Guy - I'd check with another DMV office. I know for a FACT - yes, God Almighty FACT - that Rob from Big Island BBQ has his Lang registered and tagged with its own license plate. PM me if you need his email. I don't know which DMV office you went to, but the one in Haupauge has told me incorrect information in the past.
 
A lot of states do not license single use trailors, such as generators, bbq pits, etc. If the trailor can be used for nothing else other than a pit, then I would not worry about it.
 
I absolutely believe you Rob. I spoke to Bobby. When I told the people the people at DMV about Bobby's Lang, thats when they copped the attitude.
 
hmm... It must be a county thing here in FL.. I registered my Lang 84 when I got it, and paid $18 a year.
 
Parrothead is right, at least up here in MN. The DMV told me that if the trailer could not be used for anything else, it did not have to be taged. Guess I'll have to go with that.
Haul that bad boy and if you get a ticket, go give it to the idiot at DMV that told you that it didn't need to be taged.
PARTY!!!!!!
ed
 
Here in VA they'll give plates to anything with wheels that passes inspection, little red wagons, soap boxs, prams, $14 a year or $44 for the life of the trailer.
 
homebbq said:
hmm... It must be a county thing here in FL.. I registered my Lang 84 when I got it, and paid $18 a year.
Click to expand...

Kevin: Here is an excerpt from a State WebSite.

Auto Registration



All motor vehicles and trailers in the State of Florida must be registered and /or titled. It is the responsibility of the Tax Collector, in his capacity as agent for the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, to provide the necessary services and operations to accomplish this job. The Tax Collector works very closely with this state agency to ensure all transactions are conducted according to state statutes. For answers to your specific questions, select from the menu or go directly to the DHSMV Home Page!


It is state law that all trailers be registered-the and/or in the above refers to an exception made for mobile homes that are permently installed on foundations-they only have to be titled.

The local county tax collector is responsible for inforcing the regisration laws.


Also--if your BBQ Pit is used for commercial/catering etc, you are supposed to pay TANGIBLE PERSONAL PROPERTY tax on it every year, too.:eek:
 
I think the lady at the Pinellas tax office was really trying to help...I had the bill of lading, etc. with weight tag and such but she wouldn't process my request - something in the rules about ownership longer than 6 months --- yada yada yada...so I'm going to try again - I'm hoping it winds up as a "utility" or "special use" trailer and the fee is around Kevin's $18!! I now have the certificate of origination from OK -- that ought to really confuse them!

I don't mind paying my tag fees and staying legal -- but repeated trips to the tag office are NOT on my list of favorite things to do!
 
Kind of off topic but trailer registration related. I built a trailer and went in to get it licensed. The lady at the DMV asks me to describe the trailer to her. I start with "I took a solid axle from an old pickup". She stops me right there and tells me "no you didn't, you used the axle from a combine". She then explains that if I had salvaged parts from a registered motor vehicle that it would take tons of paperwork. Using parts salvaged from an unregistered farm vehicle does not require this. In essence she instructed me to falsify the description.

Gotta love small town folk.
 
Dave, all I know is the lady didn't hesitate when I went in. All she asked for was the bill of sale (or sales receipt), the weight, and a serial # if it had one. She then issued the tag...
 
I never had a problem with trailer registration in Orange County [Fla] but I have run across offices that did not seem to know what they were doing in other counties around here.
 
homebbq said:
Dave, all I know is the lady didn't hesitate when I went in. All she asked for was the bill of sale (or sales receipt), the weight, and a serial # if it had one. She then issued the tag...
Click to expand...

I guess it depends on the tag agent - I had the bill of lading with weight (gross and tare), bill of sale, photos of the welded serial number and the manufacturer's tag -- and walked out with nothing but a headache!! :eek:

I am going to try again - I've now got more documentation and I've owned it for over 6 months!!

Gotta love a bureaucracy!! :biggrin:
 
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