Do You Need Insurance For A Trailer In Michigan?
Under Michigan No-Fault law, auto insurance is legally required for any trailer with more than two wheels. Trailers with two wheels or fewer are legally exempt from separate insurance policy mandates, as liability coverage typically extends from the towing vehicle.
But just because you may not be legally required to get No-Fault insurance coverage doesn’t mean you should go without coverage. As a car accident lawyer, I always recommend that people hauling a trailer still get some level of coverage for a trailer as it’s very inexpensive.
I’m writing about auto coverage for a trailer today because I always get asked about it this time of year. People want to know what happens if someone rear-ends them on the highway and causes damage to their trailers and to the toys – all the boats, camping gear, jet skis, motorcycles, ORVs, mopeds and mountain bikes – that we see people hauling to cottages and lakes in the summer months.
As an accident attorney, the legal analysis starts with what type of trailer they have. The type of trailer and whether that trailer has auto coverage that includes auto No-Fault coverage will determine how damage to the trailer and to the “toys” – such as the boats, camping equipment, jet skis, motorcycles, ORVs, bikes and mopeds – gets paid or not.
Is insurance required on a travel trailer in Michigan?
Under Michigan No-Fault law, legal coverage mandates depend strictly on your rig’s wheel count:
- 2 wheels or less: No-fault auto insurance is not legally required for a two-wheel trailer. Liability insurance coverage from the primary towing vehicle typically extends to cover the trailer while it is attached and in motion.
- 3 or more wheels: If a trailer has more than 2 wheels, it is legally classified as a “motor vehicle” under MCL 500.3101. This classification means the state requires a valid separate trailer insurance policy or a specific auto insurance endorsement linked to the pulling vehicle.
As I mentioned at the beginning of this blog post, whether a hauler has only two wheels or more than two wheels will determine whether travel coverage is required under Michigan’s No-Fault law.
It doesn’t matter whether it’s called a travel trailer, a camping trailer or a trailer coach.
Specifically, if a vehicle “has more than 2 wheels,” then it will be deemed a “motor vehicle” under Michigan’s No-Fault law and, thus, the law will require that a valid trailer insurance policy be obtained. (MCL 500.3101(1); 500.3101(3)(i)(“Motor vehicle” means a vehicle, including a trailer, that is operated or designed for operation on a public highway by power other than muscular power and has more than 2 wheels.”))
On the other hand, if the travel trailer has only two wheels, then it is not a “motor vehicle” under No-Fault and a travel trailer policy will not be required.
As you will see below, a trailer’s status as a “motor vehicle” under No-Fault also plays an important role in fixing damage after a car accident.
How do I pay for damage if my trailer is rear-ended on the highway?
If your trailer is a “motor vehicle” for No-Fault purposes and is insured by a valid Michigan No-Fault auto insurance policy, then you can file a mini tort claim to make the at-fault driver pay for damage to your trailer.
The maximum mini tort recovery limit is currently $3,000 as a result of the Michigan mini tort law change that was part of the new No-Fault law that was passed in 2019. The $3,000 mini tort maximum recovery limit applies to accidents occurring after July 1, 2020. Accidents that occurred prior to that were subject to previously mini tort maximum of $1,000.
Significantly, if your trailer damage results from a rear-end crash, then Michigan law may be able to help you prove your mini tort claim by making it easier to show the other driver was at-fault. Under MCL 257.402(a), the driver (and owner) of a car that rear-ends another vehicle “shall be deemed prima facie guilty of negligence.”
How do I pay for damage to the toys I’m hauling on my trailer if it gets rear-ended?
Unfortunately, the mini tort only applies to “motor vehicles” and, thus, cannot help with paying to fix toys that were damaged when a trailer is rear-ended on the freeway.
Those fixes would have to be covered by insurance policies taken out on the specific items.
I recommend to everyone in the state that they cover their haulers and the cargo separately – an individual policy for each item, i.e., jet ski, boat, motorcycle and, even trailer. Then, if any of the items are damaged as a result of a crash, the owner seeks coverage for repairs or replacement through that insurance company. Then, if any of the items are damaged as a result of a crash, the owner seeks coverage for repairs or replacement through that insurance company.
What if my trailer – and my toys – are damaged while I’m parked?
Interestingly, being parked or not will make a huge difference.
Say you and your family stop for ice cream as you’re going up M-22 to visit Sleeping Bear Dunes and someone crashes into your trailer which you have safely parked far away from the crowds, damaging both your trailer and the motorcycle, jet ski and mountain bikes you were hauling.
So long as you were truly “safely parked,” the repair/replacement costs for the motorcycle, the jet ski, the mountain bikes and even the trailer, itself, would likely be covered by Michigan No-Fault “property protection insurance” benefits.
Property protection insurance pays benefits up to $1 million to cover “accidental . . . damage to tangible property [that] consists of physical injury to or destruction of the property and loss of use of the property so injured or destroyed.” (MCL 500.3121(1), (3) and (5)) Notably, this includes “damage” to “[v]ehicles and their contents, including trailers” when “the vehicle is parked in a manner as not to cause unreasonable risk of the damage which occurred.” (500.3123(1)(a))
What are the optional and specific travel trailer insurance options in Michigan?
While separate No-Fault policies aren’t always legally mandated for personal use, specialized trailer coverages vary by use case:
- Commercial use: If you utilize your trailer for commercial business operations, a dedicated commercial trailer insurance policy is strictly required under Michigan law, regardless of its total size or wheel count.
- Physical damage: For two-wheel trailers where insurance isn’t mandated, adding optional comprehensive and collision coverage safeguards your personal financial investment against sudden theft, severe weather, or highway crashes.
- Contents and cargo: Standard personal trailer plans routinely exclude the cargo, gear, or “toys” hauled inside. These items must typically be insured via standalone policies or through specific personal homeowners or renters insurance endorsements.
Under Michigan law, there are no specific travel trailer insurance requirements.
Instead, the general insurance rules discussed above – where the number of wheels on a trailer play a determinative role – would apply.
However, even if auto coverage isn’t required under No-Fault, it is wise to get coverage for a trailer to ensure that you have the following types of protections:
- Liability coverage
- Comprehensive coverage
- Replacement cost coverage
- Contents coverage
Do you have to register a trailer in Michigan?
Yes, all trailers operated on state roadways must be officially registered. Under Michigan law, registration and title rules break down as follows:
- Registration is mandatory: Regardless of whether insurance is required, all trailers must be registered with the Michigan Secretary of State (SOS) and display a valid license plate.
- Titles are weight-dependent: In Michigan, you are only required to obtain an official vehicle title for a trailer if it weighs 2,500 pounds or more empty. Trailers weighing under 2,500 pounds do not receive a title.
This requirement applies across the board, regardless of trailer type or axle size. Under the explicit language of MCL 257.216, the state mandates that:
“Every motor vehicle, recreational vehicle, trailer, semitrailer, and pole trailer, when driven or moved on a street or highway, is subject to the registration and certificate of title provisions of this act . . .”
Injured in a car accident with a vehicle with a trailer in Michigan and need help with your No-Fault insurance claim? Call the attorneys at Michigan Auto Law now for a free consultation!
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Written By
Steve M. Gursten,
Attorney,
License#: P53632
Steven Gursten, attorney at Michigan Auto Law and one of the most successful auto accident attorneys in Michigan. Michigan Auto Law represents people seriously injured in car, truck, motorcycle, and bus accidents, including catastrophic injury, traumatic brain injury, and No-Fault insurance cases. Steven has recovered the largest reported auto and truck accident settlement of any Michigan lawyer, and has been named Michigan Lawyer of the Year and a Top 50 Michigan Super Lawyer.
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