If you’re looking to install a ball hitch, you’ll have several questions in mind. Three of them could be the following:
- What should I do to fit it?
- How much time do I have to register it?
- Which documents do I need?
Here are a few pointers.
Simply put, installation of a ball hitch involves modification of a vehicle. Any such modification after registration must undergo a technical inspection. So when looking to install one, you should ask a dealership or garage which are those recommended for your vehicle. On this note, remember that the ball hitch mustn’t cover any part of the number plate, indicators, brake or other lights.
In registering it, the documentation required is the following:
- The vehicle log book or equivalent.
- The installation certification or documentation provided by the dealership or workshop where the ball hitch was fitted.
- The compliance report usually provided by the ball-hitch or vehicle manufacturer.
- The ball-hitch assembly instructions.
- The manufacturer declaration that the respective product meets European Union (EU) standards for health, safety, and environmental protection (known as CE marking) or the certification pertaining to the ball-hitch manufacturer, depending on vehicle type.
- The vehicle owner’s identification (if another person takes the vehicle to the inspection centre, they should present their own identity documents and those of the owner too).
After the ball hitch is installed, you’ll have 15 days to register it. In order to do so, you should present the documents at an inspection centre. Once you’ve done that, you’ll receive an appointment for a technical inspection (there’s no need to take the vehicle to the station before installing the ball hitch). If your vehicle passes, this will be noted on the inspection certificate. Note that a record of ball-hitch installation must be included in the vehicle log book or equivalent, even if it had been fitted at the dealership at purchase.
