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All motor vehicles and trailers used on the highways of New Hampshire must be registered. Effective January 1, 2016, if a nonresident business entity has established a place of business in New Hampshire and principally garages or regularly keeps overnight in New Hampshire a vehicle or vehicles owned by or leased to the business entity for conducting intrastate commerce in New Hampshire, the business entity is considered to be domiciled in New Hampshire. The entity has up to 60 days from the date of establishing domicile in which to register the vehicle(s) or vehicles with the Division of Motor Vehicles or with an apportioned registration through the International Registration Plan.
Application for the registration of motor vehicles are made to the director of the Division of Motor Vehicles. The director is authorized to issue initialed number plates upon payment of a service fee in addition to the regular registration fee. Also, for preparing documents in connection with vehicle registration, the town clerk shall receive a fee for each application processed. The registrant, by state law, is required to pay the town/city a vehicle permit fee based on the year and manufactures suggested list price. Title required for all vehicles less than 15 years old and trucks with gross weight exceeding 18,000 pounds with three or more axles. The registration period is determined by the owner’s date of birth or the company’s first letter of its name. The first registration is prorated according to date of birth and will be prorated from 5-16 months. Renewal registrations are required in the month of expiration of the registration period.
New Hampshire issues two license plates, to be displayed on the front and rear of the vehicle, except trailers are issued one plate to be displayed on the rear, and truck-tractors are issued one plate to be displayed on the front.
New Hampshire grants interstate reciprocity to carriers from all non-IRP jurisdictions when properly licensed and registered in their base jurisdiction.
New Hampshire is a member of the International Registration Plan (IRP). The IRP is a base jurisdiction system for vehicle registration fees allowing a registrant to apply for vehicle registration and pay fees to a single jurisdiction.
Under the IRP, carriers from the member states and provinces, operating vehicles having a gross weight in excess of 26,000 pounds, or three or more axles regardless of weight, or used in combination when the weight of such combination exceeds 26,000 pounds, may prorate in lieu of full registration.
Temporary Permit: A temporary permit may be issued for a period of 45-days and a fee.
Hunter's Permit: A hunters permit is valid for 20 days and enables a carrier to travel in all jurisdictions for the purpose of finding a job. This type of permit is issued to owner-operators who terminate a lease and who must surrender the apportioned license plate and cab card to the lessor.
Agency: The Department of Safety; see Regulatory Agencies for address(es).
Commercial vehicles are registered on basis of gross vehicle weight or gross combination weight (truck-tractors to be used in conjunction with a semitrailer, gross weight includes the weight of such tractors, the weight of the heaviest semi-trailer to be used, and the weight of the maximum load to be carried).
Fee charged for each additional trailer used in conjunction with the truck-tractor. For each semitrailer not registered in connection with a truck-tractor, the gross weight includes the weight of such trailer and the weight of the maximum load to be carried. The registration fee is per 100 pounds gross weight and the trailer cannot be registered for less than 10,000 pounds.
Registration fees are prorated for registrations issued for more or less than 12 months.