Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Canada Trailer question

I'll be driving to Alaska soon and pulling a 16 foot utility trailer. Tennessee does not require plates on a trailer like mine.
Will I run into any issues at the border crossing or while driving thru Canada without plates on the trailer?

I do have the title for the trailer as well a up to date insurance card.

I don't see why you would. If you carry the title with you, you can show that if necessary. GD

Hi Snowwolfe,

You may want to call The Canadian Custom's General Information Line, to avoid any unwanted hassles!

Their Toll-Free Phone Number is: 1-800-461-9999

Every cop who sees you driving through Canada will pull you over. All trailers need plates here. It might be legal once you show them your papers but would be a pain in the a$$! I know you said they don't need plates but is there some kind of temporary permit or something you can put the back to avoid getting pulled over?

You don’t need anything but the ownership to the trailer. You can’t do anything about getting stopped—it’s not like you can hide in the traffic.

If you want to show a plate, just put a spare Tennessee plate on it. Or, don't worry about it. GD

Or call the number I provided and know what to do to avoid any annoying BS LOL

You’ll get stopped by all the new guys that don’t know any better. As stated I’d call and see if there is anything you can get as a tag to reduce the hassle. Or get a laminated sign to put on the back reading “ I’m from Tennessee and we don’t do trailer plates!” Or write “Tool Crib” across it. Those are exempt from plates in most places. JK.

I will call before I head into your country.
Thank you

Good choice. We require trailer plates in Western Canada. Checking on what you can do to avoid being pulled over is the best thing.

We require trailer plates if you are a resident. When I pulled my daughters trailer up here (Kentucky trailer, no plate) I just carried her title in my truck just in case. As it happened, I was never stopped, so it didn't matter. Same situation if I'm towing one of the son's trailers (Alberta), I have to carry his registration with me but that's all. His trailers do have Alberta plates, of course. When towing his travel trailer across the border, there is, on occasion, some confusion but it's never a real problem.
Speaking of plates, a few years back, the plate on my KLR 650 broke from the vibration and fell off somewhere up on the Flathead, I suppose. I don't know for sure how long I rode that bike with no plate, but I suspect it was quite a while. I noticed it one day when I was walking up to it in the parking lot. The corners of the plate were there, but the rest was gone. I went into the office (conveniently located in the mall) to get a new plate. I was told I had to surrender the old plate. I pointed out, if I had the old plate, I wouldn't need a new one. I went back out and brought in the two corners. GD