Military personnel can be stationed all over the world. Your home state driver's license will be recognized when you are living out of state and you are not required to get a new license in the state where you are stationed.

When you and your family live out of the state for a long period of time it can be hard to renew your driver's license or vehicle registration. The State of New Hampshire recognizes this difficulty and wants to make it easy for you to renew your license and registration.

Top Driver's License

Military drivers must apply for their first drivers license at any DMV office or substation.

Military drivers and their spouses can renew their driver's licenses through the mail. The process is slightly different for military spouses because the state offers two exceptions to military personnel:

• No vision test requirement

• No renewal fee

You will need to print off and complete the Application for Driver's License and the Armed Forces Affidavit of Residency, both of which are available online using the free Adobe Reader.

Mail these, along with a photocopy of your Military ID, to the DMV:

• Department of Safety

• Division of Motor Vehicles

• Driver Licensing

• 23 Hazen Drive

• Concord, NH 03305

Spouses of military personnel can renew their license through the mail, too. Because there are no licensing exceptions for military spouses, the process is just like any other out-of-state resident renewing a driver's license.

Top Vehicle Registration

As a resident of New Hampshire, regardless of where you are stationed, you still need to register your vehicle each year. Anytime before the registration expires, usually during your birthday month, you can renew.

Like any New Hampshire resident out of state at renewal time, you can go online and use the COMPASS system if there are no changes to your registration information.

Most town clerks will mail you a renewal packet. You may want to call ahead to give them your military address. The instructions mailed to you from the town office will be clear―a return a check to the town and your new registration and decals 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.

Being away from home at registration time is difficult and if you run into any problems contact the Department of Safety right away―their mission is to provide top quality customer service―so they can help you through the process.

Military drivers are often given temporary permits, extensions, or exemptions. For more information about these, refer to our Other License Information section.

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