I won a M101A3 that I am picking up in Barstow next Wednesday. I went to the DMV in Capitola, CA this morning to talk with them about paperwork.
The DMV clerk asked if there was a title and I told him no. Then he asked if I knew the VIN. I told him there is no VIN but the trailer does have a serial #. He was confused and explained again that this was a military owned trailer that I bought from the government in an auction. I also showed him a printout of the auction page and after looking at the trailer he knew immediately what to do.
He said what I would need to do was to fill out an Application for Title or Registration form and a Statement of Facts form. In the Statement of Facts I will describe the nature of the sale AND that the trailer had not been titled previously. He charged me $50 to begin the paperwork and he said that the charge will be adjusted when I get the plate. He gave me a 30 day temporary license to move the trailer and didn't charge me for it.
What I need to do is to come back to the DMV with the trailer next week. They will verify the serial # and assign a VIN. Once that is complete I will be issued a Permanent Trailer plate. He said the fee is based on the selling price so I may get a refund. I am not sure why he didn't charge me the correct fee because I offered him the bill of sale which lists the selling price. I told him about he SF97 and he said it wouldn't be necessary. They are treating this trailer as if it had never been titled before. This is fine with me because it saved me $60 for a SF97 and a long wait for the SF97 to clear. I have an appointment at 9 AM next Friday to get all this done.
Anyway, this is what I did. I have a friend that bought several surplus trailers and he drove them home without a temporary plate from Barstow back to the bay area. I tend to do things by the book and feel better with a temporary plate.
I would suggest doing what I did. Bring a copy of the auction page, bill of sale and your checkbook. Be sure to make an appointment online - it will save you time waiting. Tell them you want Permanent Trailer status and things tend to go easier. When I showed him the auction page and he saw that this was a "utility trailer" it also made things easier. Bring as much documentation as you can. Also, their debit machines aren't very good. Theirs wouldn't read my card and I wound up having to go home to get my checkbook. Next Friday I will bring my checkbook with me.
Anyway, I hope this helps. This really wasn't as bad as I thought. I was prepared for battle when I went to the DMV this morning. They were actually helpful and cooperative. Let me know if you have any other questions.