Registered trailers
Trailers registered with ICBC are sold with the registration and a Transfer/Tax form. Every registered owner signs, and you keep the plate. Bring photo ID for each person signing, and the registration if you still have it.
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BC paperwork
Selling a Reefer Trailer in BC: The Paperwork
Plated trailers transfer through ICBC like any vehicle. Storage reefers with no plates are simpler. Here's both.
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Plain-language guideBC only
- Plated trailers
- Unplated storage boxes
- Liens and refrigerant
Plated trailers
Selling a registered reefer
Registration
Signed by every registered owner, with photo ID.
Get paid
On pickup day, before it leaves.
Transfer/Tax Form
ICBC's APV9T, signed after payment.
Plates
Come off. Keep them or return them to ICBC.
Unplated and storage trailers
No plates? Still sellable
- Old registration, even long expired, helps.
- Invoice or bill of sale from when you bought it.
- Company records for fleet trailers.
- A VIN, from the data plate or frame.
Reefer sitting idle? Get a number today.
Liens
Check BC's Personal Property Registry by VIN. Money owing has to be cleared or released.
Refrigerant
BC's halocarbon rules mean refrigerant is recovered, not vented, when a unit is scrapped.
Company trailers
Whoever signs needs authority for the company or the fleet.
Sources: BC Personal Property Registry, BC Ozone Depleting Substances and Other Halocarbons Regulation. General information, not legal advice.
On the day
Have these ready
- The registration, signed by every owner
- Photo ID
- Company authority if a business owns it
- A lender release if money is owing
BC details
Reefer paperwork in BC, in more detail
Most reefer sales are straightforward. These are the parts that trip people up.
Fleet plates
Trailers on fleet or apportioned plates are handled through whoever manages your fleet registration. Sort that out before pickup. If the trailer runs on apportioned plates for travel outside BC, your fleet manager handles the change.
Liens
Financed trailers may have a lender's interest registered at the BC Personal Property Registry. The lender has to release it first. A search by VIN shows what's registered. A lawyer, notary or search company can run the search for you if you'd rather not do it yourself.
Company trailers
Someone with signing authority for the company signs the paperwork. Bring proof that you can sign. If the company has been dissolved, tell us early, because the paperwork takes longer.
Containers and storage units
Containers and storage reefers without registration need a bill of sale or other proof of ownership. An invoice from when you bought it, or a bill of sale from the last owner, is the usual proof.
Refrigerant
BC rules require refrigerant to be recovered, not vented. We handle that at the yard. Recovery happens before the unit is taken apart, so there's nothing for you to arrange.
Insurance
Once the transfer is signed, cancel or move the insurance at an Autoplan broker or with your fleet insurer. Don't cancel it early if the trailer still sits on a street or a shared lot where it needs coverage.
Taxes on the sale
In BC, the buyer of a used vehicle or trailer usually pays the provincial sales tax at registration. Business sellers may have their own GST obligations. Ask your accountant if you're unsure. We don't give tax advice, so check with your accountant before the sale if you have questions.
Estates
If the trailer belonged to someone who has died, the estate's executor signs. Tell us early so we can explain what ICBC usually needs. Bring the death certificate or probate documents if ICBC asks for them, along with the registration.
Questions
Common questions
Do I need to cancel the insurance?
Once the trailer is sold and the plates are off, talk to your Autoplan broker about the insurance.
What if I lost the registration?
ICBC or an Autoplan broker can help, or we can work from other proof of ownership.
Can a company sell a trailer?
Yes. The person signing needs authority for the company.
Do I need a lien search?
If the trailer was ever financed, it's worth checking. A search at BC's Personal Property Registry shows any registered interest.
Can I sell a trailer registered in another province?
Usually, yes, with the registration and proof of ownership. Tell us where it's registered.
What about a trailer with lapsed registration?
That's fine. Bring the old registration or other proof of ownership.