Inspection and maintenance - New Hampshire

New Hampshire has adopted Part 396 of the Federal Regulations.

Part 396 applies to any self-propelled or towed motor vehicle used on a highway in intrastate and interstate commerce when the vehicle has a gross vehicle weight rating, gross combination weight rating, gross vehicle weight, or gross combination weight of 10,001 pounds or more, or is of any size transporting a placardable amount of hazardous materials.

An official mandatory periodic vehicle inspection program is administered by the Division of Motor Vehicles, Department of Safety. All vehicles over 10,000 pounds gross vehicle weight must be inspected once a year. All school buses over 10,000 pounds gross vehicle weight must be inspected every six months. All trailers, semitrailers, and full trailers with a registered weight of 3,000 pounds or more must be inspected annually. In case of the owner being a private individual, inspection is required on the birth date of the owner and again six months later. In the case of the owner being a company or corporation, the month assigned is based on the registration month for the legal entity.

Newly registered vehicles and vehicles for which ownership has been transferred, ten days are allowed following registration. If a vehicle is purchased at retail from a licensed dealer, the vehicle shall be inspected no later than 30 days after the date of transfer. In all cases, inspections are made at officially designated inspection stations.

This mandatory inspection program is considered equivalent to the Federal annual inspection requirement in Part 396.