Car Registration

Registering your car in New Hampshire is very easy and can be done close to home, in your own town. The towns and cities in our state register cars while the Division of Motor Vehicles substations play a role in registering commercial vehicles.

You need to register your car before you can drive it on the roads in New Hampshire. All legally registered cars must have a New Hampshire state issued title and registration.

Registering Your Car

When you have a car to register make sure the get the proper paperwork together and stop in to see your local town clerk.

To register your car, the town clerk will need proof of ownership, proof of identification, and proof of residency. In most New Hampshire towns, the citizens are very familiar with each other and proving your identification and residency is not necessary. But just in case, bring your driver's license with you.

Proving ownership of the vehicle is a very formal process and the State of New Hampshire will not register a vehicle without a valid title, title application, or proof of ownership.

If you bought your car from a licensed New Hampshire dealer you will be given a copy of the title application. The dealer has already filed this with the state and you can take the blue town clerk copy with you to register the car.

Private sale of a vehicle will not come with a title application. Bring the Bill of Sale and the original title, assigned to you as buyer, to the town clerk. A title application will be filled out by the town clerk and filed with the New Hampshire Title Bureau.

You can register some cars without a title. Vehicles over 15 years old, at the time of registration, don't need a title but a Bill of Sale is needed to transfer ownership.

Older vehicles, categorized as title exempt, now require some additional documents before a registration is issued:

• Previously issued New Hampshire registration.

• Valid out-of-state title.

• Valid New Hampshire title.

• Verification of Vehicle Identification, which is available online using the free Adobe Reader.

The State of New Hampshire is concerned with stolen vehicles being registered under the older vehicle exemption and has decided to require more documentation at registration time.

If you car is leased or financed by a loan you may not have the title; many banks keep the title. Other documents can be used to register the vehicle in New Hampshire:

• Out-of-state registration.

• Lease agreement.

• Verification of Vehicle Identification.

• Letter with lienholders name and address.

Fees

The registration fees can be paid with cash, check, money order, or credit card. There will be two payments―one to the town and one to the State. The fees for registering your vehicle in New Hampshire will vary by the age and make of your car. More expensive cars are more expensive to register. If you keep the same car you can expect your fees to go down every year.

Vehicle Inspection

The town clerk or DMV representative will remind you to inspect your car within 10 days of registration. Inspections are done at an official inspection station. You will need to make an appointment and can expect to pay anywhere from $25 to $50. Of course, if they find something that needs repairing you will pay more.

Lost Registration

A valid New Hampshire registration must be in your vehicle at all times when you are driving on the road. The penalty for not having the registration present includes a ticket with DMV Demerit Points against your license.

What can you do when you lose the registration? File for a copy of the registration―it's easy. Mail the Application for Copy of Registration and $10 to DMV Headquarters, or take it to any DMV substation or your town clerk.

If you have moved, be sure to file the Record Change Request. If you don't, the registration copy you have applied for might not reach you in the mail. New Hampshire law requires you to notify the DMV within 10 days of any address or name change.

Renewals

Every year, during your birthday month, your car registration must be renewed. You have the whole month to accomplish this but don't procrastinate because after you register you still need to inspect your vehicle at an official inspection station.

Renewal can also be done online using C.O.M.P.A.S.S if there are no changes to your registration information.

You may even get a renewal packet from your town clerk, mailed directly to your home. The instructions will be clear, something like return a check to the town and your new registration will be mailed to you.

Registering your vehicle is important to do on time because it is against the law to drive an unregistered vehicle. Registration time is also an opportunity to check the safety of your vehicle because the state requires an official inspection within 10 days of registration.

Nonoperational Vehicles

You are not required to pay registration fees if you take your vehicle off the road and place it in storage.

When you bring your vehicle out of storage, you will need to visit your town clerk and provide proof that your vehicle was nonoperable. A storage receipt will suffice. Your town clerk will instruct you on how to proceed with getting your vehicle re-registered.