LAW 5290/2026 ART. 14 · MD 2805/2021 · CATEGORIES O1 and O2
O1 and O2 Trailer Licence
Every trailer needs its own registration certificate and plates. The case can only start if an old Special Towing Note exists. If you hold one, we handle the rest — inspection, chassis number, study, dossier, delivery.
The Special Towing Note (no. 16823/8.6.1978) evidences that the trailer was in use before the present procedure and is the document that opens the file. Without it, registration cannot follow the route under article 14 of law 5290/2026, whatever the condition of the vehicle. If you are unsure which document you hold, send us a photograph and we will check whether the case can proceed.
Which trailers need a licence
All of them. The law draws no line between the small trailer carrying a dinghy and a company’s heavy unit.
- O1, up to 750 kg — cargo box, boat, motorcycle, camping.
- O2, up to 3,500 kg — caravan, car transporter, horse trailer.
Is it required?
Yes, without exception. Article 5(1)(a) of MD 2805/2021 requires both vehicles in the combination, the towing and the towed one, to hold a registration document. A trailer without its own document and plates cannot circulate legally whatever its use, and in a roadside check the penalties of articles 92 and 94 of the new Highway Code (Law 5209/2025) apply.
The role of the qualified Mechanical Engineer
The law requires a mechanical engineer’s signature at the critical points of the dossier: a solemn declaration of the trailer’s technical data when there is no certificate of conformity or manufacturer’s statement (Ministerial Decision 2805/2021), and a new engineer’s declaration for towing notes issued under the old regime (Article 14, Law 5290/2026). The engineer signs, answers to the authority, and the registration and plates are issued on the basis of his documentation.
Until the licence and plates are issued, use on the road is expressly prohibited. If stopped, the trailer is treated as uninsured and unregistered, with the penalties the Highway Code provides. Note also that a trailer is insured separately from the towing vehicle — check with your insurer.
- 01Inspection and recording. We examine the trailer and record every characteristic accurately, so the licence is issued correctly the first time.
- 02We stamp the new seventeen-digit chassis number and fit the manufacturer’s plate.
- 03We prepare the technical description with photographic documentation, the chassis number imprint and all supporting papers.
- 04We file the complete dossier with the competent authority and follow it through to the licence and plates.
Do you have a trailer, cargo box or caravan without plates? Send us photographs and whatever paperwork exists — we will tell you whether it can be done and what it costs.
Request a quoteTRAILER — Legalization and Registration Guide
- Total fees of €230, issued electronically via e-paravolo.
- For vehicles with ESR before 1999: an inspection report from the Regional Transport Authority or a successful KTEO technical check.
- Submission of a complete documentation file to the competent authority, with accurate recording of vehicle characteristics.
- Copy of National ID or Passport
- Tax Registration Number (VAT/AFM)
- Contact details (phone, e-mail)
- Application with certified signature (KEP or gov.gr)
- Power of attorney with certified signature (KEP or gov.gr)
- Statutory declaration of ownership
- €200 fee via e-paravolo, code 15 — under the owner's AFM (can be paid later)
- €30 fee via e-paravolo, code 2992 — under the owner's AFM (can be paid later)
- Original Towing Note / Engineer's Declaration
- Purchase invoice or proof of ownership (if available)
- Old chassis number — photo (if available) and imprint if possible
- Photo of old manufacturer plate (if available)
- Photos of all sides of the trailer (full view, centred)
- Photo of the coupling point
- Weighbridge certificate (if available)
- Photo of the towing vehicle's registration certificate
Until the registration and plates are issued, circulation of these vehicles is strictly prohibited. If stopped during a check, they are treated as unregistered and uninsured, with all the legal and financial consequences that entails.
- 01Inspection and recording — We inspect the trailer and accurately record all its characteristics, ensuring the new registration is issued correctly.
- 02VIN and plate — We stamp the new 17-digit chassis number (VIN) and fit the characteristic plate.
- 03Full technical study — We prepare the technical description including photographs, chassis number imprint, and all required documents.
- 04File submission — We prepare and submit the complete file to the competent authority. All you need to do is call us.
Contact us about legalising your trailer or cargo box.
Request a quoteRelevant Legislation
Article 5 of MD 2805/2021 sets out which vehicle may tow which. Passenger cars M1, buses M2 and M3 and light goods vehicles N1 may tow only trailers of subcategories O1 and O2. Lorries N2 and N3 may tow trailers of every subcategory, while tractor units may tow only semi-trailers O2 to O4.
Beyond the category, the masses are checked. The maximum technically permissible towable mass of the towing vehicle, fields O.1 and O.2 of the registration document, must cover the laden mass of the trailer.
For an unbraked O1 trailer behind an M1 or N1, half the towing vehicle’s mass in running order must additionally cover the trailer’s laden mass, with an absolute ceiling of 750 kg. For a braked O1 and for O2, the laden mass of the towing vehicle must be at least equal to that of the trailer; for off-road M1G and N1G vehicles that limit is relaxed by a factor of one and a half.
Article 8 restricts the use. Behind a private car, category O1 is allowed without restriction; category O2 only for carrying horses, boats, vehicles of historic interest, racing cars and motorcycles, other equipment for the owner’s amateur or sporting activity, and for driver-training vehicles and caravans. The list is closed: anything not named in it is not permitted.
Trailer Road Checks
The checkpoints verified to ensure the trailer is compliant with Road Code and road-safe — reflectors, rear triangles, lights, number plate, and coupling system. Category O1 and O2.
Who handles O1 and O2 trailer registration and plates in Greece?
Moudiotis Technical Office, based in Athens and Thessaloniki, handles registration certificates and plates for O1 and O2 trailers (luggage, boat and caravan trailers) under Article 14 of Law 5290/2026: inspection, chassis number, study, dossier and delivery. The prerequisite is the old Special Towing Note. Across Greece and within the EU. Phone +30 210 756 1836.
How much does a trailer licence cost?
There are two parts. The first is the state fees; for the Article 14 Law 5290/2026 procedure the fee is €200. The second is our fee for the dossier, which depends on what already exists: whether the towing note is complete, whether a new engineer’s declaration and a KTEO inspection are needed, and the trailer category. Send us a photo of the towing note for an exact quote.
How long does it take?
It depends on the competent Transport Directorate and on the documents that already exist. We file a complete dossier so it is not sent back for additions, and keep you informed at every step.
What changed with Law 5290/2026?
Since 30.3.2026 Article 14 of Law 5290/2026 applies, replacing Article 69 of Law 5108/2024. O1 and O2 trailers put on the road with a Special Towing Note get a registration certificate and plates on application to the Regional Transport Directorate, with a €200 fee. Where the note comes with an engineer’s declaration under the old rules (before 1999), a new engineer’s declaration and a special technical inspection at a KTEO are required. Until the certificate and plates are issued, the trailer may not be used on the road.
Is the old towing note mandatory?
Yes, and it helps: a shorter route exists for exactly these cases. If the note predates 1999, an additional roadworthiness test and a fresh engineer’s declaration are required.
I have a home-built trailer. Can it be licensed?
If it was put on the road with a Special Towing Note, yes: it follows the Article 14 Law 5290/2026 procedure like any trailer with a note. Without a note, the transitional deadlines for home-built trailers have expired (18.12.2023 under Ministerial Decision 2805/2021 and 30.6.2024 under Law 5039/2023). Send us photos and any document you have, and we will tell you whether there is a route for your case.
I have no paperwork at all for the trailer.
Then this procedure does not apply. Trailers with no prior document — self-builds, imports — follow a different route, at a different cost and a different timeline. Send photographs and we will tell you plainly what stands up.
What is needed for the tow bar?
A tow bar does not get a separate licence. What matters is the towable mass on the car’s registration certificate (fields O.1, O.2) and the type of tow bar, which on cars must be removable or folding. We explain it in detail on the Tow Bar and Trailer Towing page.
Can my car tow it?
For O1 up to 750 kg, yes. For O2 it is allowed for specific uses: horses, boats, caravans, historic and racing vehicles, motorcycles. The mass of the towing vehicle also matters.
Service area
Based in Athens - Thessaloniki, serving all of Greece and the EU.
It has a CoC from an EU country but registration will not go through. Why?
Usually the type has not been recorded in the TAO. For a new vehicle the answer is a type approval notification certificate; for a used one, the route is decided from the vehicle’s documents.
Let’s talk
We’re here for any question or need. Get in touch and we will look at your case personally.
Moudiotis & Associates Technical Office
Mechanical Engineer AUTH, 3× MSc | Based in Athens - Thessaloniki | Serving all of Greece and the EU