Article: Contact local car garages, body shops, and public officials to determine where your closet car weight scale is located. Take your empty trailer to the weight scale to be measured. Drive the trailer over the scale, unattach your car, and drive your car off the scale. The scale will record your trailer's weight. Cat Scales and Penske both offer weight scales around the US. You can visit their websites to find a location near you. You will be given a weight slip when you get your trailer weighed. Save this, as you will need to submit it with your application. The weight of your trailer may determine which forms you fill out, how much you pay in fees, and whether you need to title your trailer. Most states and countries will require you to present bills of sales for the materials of the trailer. This will determine the value of the trailer, and it may affect what you pay in fees. Add up the cost of materials before you fill out any forms, as you may need to state the total value of the trailer on the application. In the US, you can bring original receipts with you to the DMV. In most cases, they will return the receipts to you when they are done. Most states and countries may require a safety inspection on your homemade trailer to make sure that it is stable. These inspections usually cost between $10-20 USD, although the inspector may charge their own fee on top of that. Some areas will require the safety inspection to be done by DMV or transport officials. In this case, call your local transport officials to set up an appointment. Some areas will let you get an inspection done at approved garages, body shops, or even gas stations. In this case, call your local DMV or other motor vehicle authority to locate the most convenient safety inspector for you. In some areas, you may need a notarized statement detailing how you built the trailer. Include the materials and techniques that you used to construct the trailer. If you used salvaged materials, you may need to state that as well. You can take the document to a notary at a bank, library, or law office to be notarized. Some US states may have a special form for this called a Statement of Ownership. In this case, use the form to report this information. Some places, such as British Columbia, may just require a summary of the components that you used. Break this list down into tires, axles, frame, deck, and rim. You may need to pay the notary a small fee to have it notarized. While this can vary, it is usually around $25-40 USD. Some banks offer this service for free to their clients. Some areas may require additional photographs of the sides of the trailer. Print these photos out and attach them to your application if required. Trailer insurance is sold by automobile insurance agents. You can use the same agent that you use for your car insurance, although you may need a separate policy for the trailer. The insurance agent may require the weight slip, bills for materials, and safety inspection to complete your application. Trailer insurance may be required for some US states and Canadian provinces. It may be optional elsewhere.
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Weigh your trailer at a local weight scale. Collect receipts for the materials to determine the car's value. Take the trailer in for a safety inspection at a certified inspector. Write a description of how you built the trailer. Take photographs of the front and back of the trailer. Apply for trailer insurance if it is required.