The short answer
| Item | New Hampshire answer |
|---|---|
| Title fee | $35 ($37 at the town counter). |
| Deadline | No single day count for buyers. Dealers file within 10 days. |
| Late title | $35, flat. |
| Tax | No sales tax. A town permit fee and a state weight fee instead. |
| Plates | Stay with the owner. Moving them to your next car is $10. |
How much does it cost to transfer a car title in New Hampshire?
The title is the document that proves who owns the car. In New Hampshire it costs $35, the same for a first title, a transfer and a duplicate. It went up from $25 on January 1, 2026. At your town clerk's counter it's $37, because the town adds a $2 title application fee.
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Title (first, transfer or duplicate) | $35 |
| Town title application fee | $2 |
| Lien (notice of security interest) | $20 |
| Late title paperwork | $35 |
| Plates | $4 each ($8 for two) |
| Moving your plates to another car | $10 |
Only model year 2000 and newer cars get a title. A 1999 or older car is title-exempt. It's registered on a bill of sale plus the seller's old registration or title. Heavy trucks over 18,000 lbs are titled whatever their age.
Worked example: new car, $30,000 list price, 3,001 to 5,000 lbs
- Town permit fee: $18 per $1,000 of $30,000 = $540.00
- State registration fee: $48.00
- Title: $35.00
- Town title application fee: $2.00
- Plates (two): $8.00
- Town clerk fee: $2.00
- Municipal agent fee: $3.00
Total: $638.00 for a full 12 months.
The New Hampshire calculator below starts from the same $638.00.
Your first bill will differ. Registrations end in your birth month, so the first one runs 5 to 16 months and the permit and state fees are prorated. The next year, the same car renews for $503 (permit $450, state $48, clerk $2, agent $3).
Does New Hampshire have sales tax on cars?
No. New Hampshire has no sales tax and no tax on buying a car, from a dealer or a private seller. So there's no trade-in credit either, because there's no tax to reduce.
What you pay instead is the two-part registration below.
What is the New Hampshire town permit fee?
This is the big New Hampshire line. Your town or city charges it when you register, based on the car's original factory list price (MSRP), not what you paid. The rate falls as the car ages:
| Car's model year | Per $1,000 of list price | On a $30,000 list price |
|---|---|---|
| Current model year | $18 | $540 |
| 1 year older | $15 | $450 |
| 2 years older | $12 | $360 |
| 3 years older | $9 | $270 |
| 4 years older | $6 | $180 |
| 5 years older and more | $3 | $90 |
The minimum is $5.
State registration fee by weight
| Gross weight | State fee a year |
|---|---|
| Up to 3,000 lbs | $42 |
| 3,001 to 5,000 lbs | $48 |
| 5,001 to 8,000 lbs | $66 |
| Over 8,000 lbs | $1.06 per 100 lbs |
| Motorcycles | $30 |
This schedule took effect January 1, 2026. Some towns add small optional fees. Manchester, for example, adds $3 for waste and $5 for transportation, so the same car there costs $646.
How many days do you have to transfer a title in New Hampshire?
New Hampshire law sets no single day count for a private buyer. You title and register together at your town clerk, and the car must be registered before you drive it. The rules that do exist:
- Dealers must send in the title application within 10 days of the sale, or 40 days if a lender holds the old title.
- Title papers delivered more than 20 days late draw a penalty equal to the title fee: $35. It doesn't grow.
- Driving meanwhile: a 20-day temporary registration costs $20.
Family sales and gifts
With no sales tax, there's no family exemption to claim and no gift form. The $35 title fee applies to a family sale or gift like any other transfer, and the permit and state fees are the same.
Two cases pay no title fee: a surviving spouse within 13 months of the spouse's death, and qualifying disabled veterans.
Plates
Plates stay with the owner (the first person named on the registration). When you sell, the seller keeps them. A buyer gets new plates ($4 each) or moves their own.
Moving your plates and registration to a replacement car costs a $10 state fee. The unused part of your old permit fee is credited to the new car.
Electric and hybrid cars
New Hampshire adds a yearly surcharge to the registration:
- Electric car: $100 a year.
- Plug-in hybrid: $50 a year.
- Regular hybrid: no surcharge.
New residents
- Deadline: 60 days after you move to register and title your car.
- No tax on a car you already own. You pay the same permit fee, state fee and small fees as a local buyer.
- If a lender holds your title, the clerk prepares the application and the state requests the title. That can take up to 6 weeks.
What documents do you need?
- From a New Hampshire dealer: the bill of sale and the town clerk's copy of your title application (the "blue paper") from the dealer.
- Private sale or out-of-state dealer: a signed bill of sale and the title signed over to you.
- 1999 or older car: a bill of sale plus the seller's old registration, title, or Form TDMV 19A (VIN verification).
What this guide doesn't cover
Which towns charge the optional local fees, motorcycles in detail, trailers and heavy trucks.
Frequently asked questions
How much are car registration fees in New Hampshire?
A town permit fee of $3 to $18 per $1,000 of list price, plus a state fee of $42 to $66 by weight, plus small fees. A new car with a $30,000 list price comes to $638 for a year, including the $35 title.
How much does it cost to transfer a car title in New Hampshire?
$35, or $37 at the town counter with the $2 title application fee. A lien is $20 more.
Do you pay sales tax on a car in New Hampshire?
No. New Hampshire has no sales tax on cars. You pay the town permit fee and state registration fee instead.
How long do I have to transfer a title in New Hampshire?
There is no single day count for buyers. Dealers must file within 10 days. Title papers more than 20 days late cost a $35 penalty.
Does a 1999 car need a title in New Hampshire?
No. Model year 1999 and older cars are title-exempt, except heavy trucks over 18,000 lbs.
See title transfer fees for all 50 states
Calculate your New Hampshire fees
Example for a $30,000 car. Enter your own price to update it.
- Municipal permit fee18 mills x $30,000 list price$540.00
- State registration feeBy gross weight (3,600 lbs)$48.00
- Title fee$35.00
- Town title application fee$2.00
- Plates (2)$8.00
- Town clerk fee$2.00
- Municipal agent fee$3.00
Total excludes items marked "not available".
What you'll pay later
Renewal at today's rates: $503.00/yr
5-year total: not shown, because the municipal permit fee drops each year for five years.
Estimate only, at today's rates for the same car.
Rates and sources for every fee are on the New Hampshire car registration fee calculator page.
- New Hampshire RSA 261:20 (title fees from January 1, 2026: first title, transfer and duplicate $35; lien $20; penalty equal to the fee after 20 days; surviving spouse and disabled veteran $0)
- City of Manchester – Explanation of Fees (permit fee $18 / $15 / $12 / $9 / $6 / $3 per $1,000 of list price, clerk, title application and municipal agent fees, optional town fees, EV $100 / PHEV $50 surcharge)
- Town of Hampton – Motor Vehicle Fees 01-01-2026 (state weight fees $42 / $48 / $66, $1.06 per 100 lbs, motorcycles $30, title $25 to $35) (cited by name, not linked)
- City of Nashua – Registration & Title Fees ($37 title application; first registration 5 to 16 months) (cited by name, not linked)
- City of Manchester – Types of Registrations (model year 2000 and newer titled; documents; plate transfer credit) (cited by name, not linked)
- City of Lebanon – Title Exempt Vehicles (1999 and older title-exempt; new residents 60 days) (cited by name, not linked)
- New Hampshire DMV – Title and Anti-Theft Handbook (dealers 10 days, 40 with a lienholder; process only, its fee list predates 2026) (cited by name, not linked)
- New Hampshire Department of Revenue Administration – Overview of New Hampshire Taxes (no sales tax on vehicles) (cited by name, not linked)
- New Hampshire RSA 261:141 (state fee by weight, $10 transfer), 261:141-c (EV surcharge), 261:153 (permit fee), 261:66 (plates and transfer credit), 261:75 ($4 plates) (cited by name, not linked)
General information, not tax or legal advice. Fees and tax rules change; confirm with the agency listed before you pay.
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