Guidance

Selling small trailers

Rules on certificates you need to provide and details you need to record when selling small trailers and larger trailers that are exempt from annual testing.

Documents

Details

There are rules you must follow when selling:

  • small trailers (trailers with a ‘maximum authorised mass’ (MAM) of no more than 3,500kg
  • trailers that are exempt from the MOT (annual test) with a MAM of 3,500kg or more

If the trailer has not been sold before, when you sell the trailer you must:

  • provide the buyer with a certificate of approval
  • record and keep certain information about the trailer

It’s against the law to sell the trailer without doing this.

You can be fined or in serious cases be sent to prison for up to 3 months for not following these rules.

Published 7 December 2022
Last updated 19 December 2022 + show all updates
  1. Updated to include trailers with a maximum authorised mass (MAM) of 3,500kg or more that are exempt from the MOT (annual test).

  2. First published.