Trailer Registration in the UK – V5C, DVLA Documents and Step-by-Step Guide [2026]

Trailer registration in the UK works differently from car registration. A trailer used only on UK roads is not registered with DVLA and does not get a V5C — it carries the towing vehicle's registration mark. DVLA registration applies to trailers over 750 kg that are taken abroad, under the Haulage Permits and Trailer Registration Act 2018. This guide explains when you need to register a trailer, how the online service works, what the trailer plate looks like, what to do if the trailer has no VIN, how VED applies and what the customs side of importing a trailer from the EU involves.

Which trailers require registration in the UK

According to DVLA guidance INF291, you must register all trailers over 750 kg to drive them in most countries in Europe, apart from Ireland, Cyprus, Malta and Spain. This applies to commercial and non-commercial trailers, including caravans and animal carriers. The scheme does not apply to trailers that are only used in the UK.

Gross weight	Used only in the UK	Driven in most European countries
750 kg or less (e.g. O1)	No registration	Cannot be registered in the DVLA trailer registration service
Over 750 kg (O2, O3, O4)	No registration	Must be registered with DVLA (except for Ireland, Cyprus, Malta and Spain)

A-frame trailers cannot be registered in the service. For non-European countries, check with that country's licensing authority or embassy whether visiting trailers must be registered. If you have an abnormal load trailer, you also need a keeper's certificate from DVSA.

How to register a trailer to take abroad

Registration is done online at gov.uk/register-trailer-to-take-abroad — forms V55/4 and V55/5 (used to register vehicles with DVLA) are not part of this service. You need:

• the name of the trailer manufacturer
• the trailer type — for example box trailer, container trailer, horsebox or caravan
• the VIN (usually 17 characters) or chassis number
• the gross and unladen weight of the trailer
• an email address and a debit or credit card
• a Government Gateway user ID and password (you can create one in the service)

DVLA fees (gov.uk): £26 to register a trailer for the first time, £21 to issue a new registration certificate for a new registered keeper, £10 to replace a lost, stolen, damaged or destroyed certificate.

After registration you receive a confirmation email with a trailer number plate authorisation certificate (eV948/2). The physical trailer registration certificate is posted within 3 to 5 working days and is valid for 10 years. You must carry it with the trailer so it can be shown to a foreign authority on request.

Importing a trailer from the EU — the customs side

Bringing a trailer permanently into Great Britain is an import of goods. An import declaration is made in the Customs Declaration Service (CDS) and any VAT and customs duty are paid at the border — usually by a customs agent. Keep the purchase invoice, the EU registration document and the import declaration together as evidence of ownership and of the import.

DVLA trailer registration is a separate step that you only need if the trailer over 750 kg will be driven abroad. Heavy trailers may also need an annual test (HGV trailer MOT) with DVSA — for example semi-trailers and trailers with an unladen weight of more than 1,020 kg with powered braking systems. Trailers must usually be tested one year after they were first sold or supplied.

Trailer VIN — what to do when there is none

The VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) has 17 characters and cannot include the letters I, O or Q. The chassis number can be shorter than 17 characters. Both are usually on a metal plate fitted to the trailer by the manufacturer or stamped into the chassis.

• Some caravan manufacturers use a CRIS (Central Registration and Identification Scheme) number as the VIN — it can be used provided it does not contain the letters I, O or Q.
• Some trailers have a serial number instead — it can be entered in the chassis field of the service.
• If the trailer has no VIN, chassis number or usable CRIS, you must obtain a VIN before registering it: from DVSA if the trailer is over 3,500 kg, or from DVLA if it is 3,500 kg or under.

Form V765 — not a route for trailers without documents

Form V765 (“Application to register a vehicle under its original registration number”) is used to register an old vehicle under its original registration number. It must be endorsed by a vehicle owners' club and supported by a recent photo and documentary evidence linking the vehicle to the original number. It is not a general procedure for trailers without documents — for a trailer without a VIN, follow the DVLA/DVSA route described above.

VED (road tax) for trailers

Vehicle excise duty is charged on mechanically propelled vehicles (Vehicle Excise and Registration Act 1994, section 1). A towed trailer or caravan is not a mechanically propelled vehicle, so it is not taxed separately — the towing vehicle must be taxed.

No VED does not remove other obligations: an annual test for trailers that require one and, for businesses, checking whether a vehicle operator licence is needed.

Trailer number plates — own plate or towing vehicle's plate

On UK roads the rear registration plate of a vehicle towing a trailer must be fixed on the rear of the trailer (or the rearmost trailer) — so the trailer displays the towing vehicle's registration mark (Road Vehicles (Display of Registration Marks) Regulations 2001, regulation 5).

A trailer registered to travel abroad also needs its own trailer registration plate:

• format: one letter followed by 7 numbers, set out over 2 lines (e.g. A123 / 4567); a DVLA-issued trailer number never starts with the letter C
• the same shape as a standard motorcycle plate, with solid black characters on a white background
• displayed on the rear of the trailer as well as the towing vehicle's plate, fixed as far as reasonably possible from it
• made by a registered number plate supplier on presentation of the eV948/2 (valid for 5 days) or, after that, the trailer registration certificate, plus documents proving your name and address

According to DVLA, anyone whose trailer plate does not display the registration number correctly could be fined up to £1,000.

Buying, selling or removing a registered trailer

If the trailer has already been registered (the service reports “VIN matches trailer that has already been registered”), the new keeper acquires it using its trailer registration number and VIN or chassis number. You must tell DVLA if the trailer is sold or transferred, scrapped or written off, or exported, remove the registration plate and give any new keeper the registration number. You can also remove a trailer from your account if you no longer use it outside the UK.