Motor Vehicle Registration Information
The following information is intended to answer the most frequently asked questions regarding motor vehicle registration. The information is not intended to be complete or specific to all individual circumstances. For further information please contact the Town Clerk’s Office at (603) 746-3180.
Registration Process Summary
1. Residents must pay fees to the Town of Hopkinton (one’s place of residence or where the vehicle is housed). Always begin the process at the Town Clerk’s Office at 846 Main Street, Contoocook, NH.
2. Fees are paid to the State of New Hampshire – DMV. The Hopkinton Town Clerk is an online agent for the State DMV; therefore, registrations may be completed in entirety in our office, OR residents may complete the State portion at the State Office located on Hazen Drive (off Loudon Rd) in Concord or any substation.
How do I renew my registration?
Registrations can be processed by mail or in person at the Town Clerk’s office. Hopkinton/Contoocook residents should receive a pre-registration notice. Residents may renew in person in our office, or mail the remittance notice to the Town Clerk’s office with two separate checks (one to Town of Hopkinton, one to State of NH-DMV) for the amounts indicated. The registration and the stickers will be mailed to you.
What if I want to complete the process at the State? You must always begin the process at the Town Clerk’s office. You will take the registration the Town completes to the DMV for completion of the two-part process. DMV will issue your new decals.
When do I renew my registration?
Registrations are renewed annually during one’s birth month. The month prior to the expiration date of the registration, the town will mail a registration notice with the amounts due. You may renew a registration up to four (4) months early if you will be out of the state during your renewal month.
What do I need to bring to the Town to register a vehicle I just purchased?
You will need ONE* of the following:
o If purchased from a dealer - the Certificate of Title Application (light blue Town Clerk’s copy) provided by the dealer.
o If purchased private sale - The original Certificate of Title signed over on the back to the new owner(s). It must include the signatures of the seller(s) and the buyer(s), buyer’s address and current odometer.
o If purchased out of state, the original Certificate of Origin signed over on the back to the new owner.
*If you are transferring NH plates from a vehicle (you have traded or are taking off the road) to a vehicle new to you, your current registration will also be necessary.
For vehicles that are 15 years or older, you will need a bill of sale from the seller to the buyer, signed by the seller, AND one of the following documents:
o A copy of the prior owner's previously issued NH registration.
o A valid out of state title.
o A verification of VIN (Form 19A) completed by the appropriate agency - law enforcement officer, NH State Inspection station, or NH dealer. 19A forms are available at the Town Clerk’s office.
What if I am a new resident?
If you have moved to Hopkinton/Contoocook from another NH city or town, please bring in the previous NH registration before the end of your renewal month.
If you are moving to Hopkinton/Contoocook from another state, please provide us with your original title (for vehicles that are 15 years old or newer). We will complete a NH title application for you. We will need to know the current mileage on the vehicle.
If you have a bank loan on your vehicle, your title is held by a bank or finance company. You will need to call or write the lien holder to request the original title (we cannot accept a copy). Explain the request is for re-titling purposes in NH. If the lien holder will not release the title to you directly, contact our office (746-3180) with the following information: the name, mailing address and fax number of your lien holder, the year, make, model and VIN of your vehicle, and your name, address and telephone number. We will make the request to the lien holder and the title will be mailed to the Town Clerk’s office. We will call you when it is received.
How does a new resident get a NH drivers’ license?
Licenses are issued at the Department of Safety on Hazen Drive in Concord. New residents are required to register a vehicle prior to applying for a NH license. The fee for a drivers’ license is $50.00. It is valid for five (5) years. Note: You will be required to show your original birth certificate.
What is the difference between a new, renewal or transfer registrations?
A new registration is registering the vehicle for the first time under your name in the State of New Hampshire. If the vehicle was registered in NH, then registered in another state; and then you return to NH – then a new registration is processed.
A renewal registration is when a NH registration is being renewed for another 12 months. There is no proration on renewal registrations. They are always for the full 12 months.
A transfer registration is when you have taken a vehicle (vehicle A) off the road, and you are registering a new vehicle (vehicle B). A transfer allows you to apply the unused portion of the permit fees from Vehicle A to Vehicle B’s registration fee due. In doing a transfer, the owner of the new car and the old car must be the same.
What is the State fee?
State motor vehicle registration fees are calculated per RSA 261:141. The state fee is based upon weight.
0 - 3000 lbs. pay $31.20/year ($2.60/month)
3,001 – 5,000 lbs. pay $43.20/year ($3.60/ month)
5,001 – 8,000 lbs. pay $55.20/year ($4.60/month)
8,001 – 73,280 lbs. pay $.96 per hundred pounds gross weight
Motorcycles pay $15 per year, $1.25 per month
What is the Town Fee?
The town permit fee is calculated per RSA 261:153. The fee is based upon:
· the manufacturer’s model year for 1996 and newer; for model year 1995 and prior the fee is based upon the year of manufacture.
· the manufacturer’s list price before options
· the owner’s date of birth.
The owner’s date of birth determines when the registration will expire. The registration is prorated from the month of registration to the expiration month. This period will be calculated for no less than 5 months or greater than 16 months. Each registrant is assessed one dollar for a town clerk fee (RSA 261:152). For registration in which the town completes the state part of the registration, registrants are charged $2.50 per vehicle.
When will my registration expire?
Expiration dates are the last day of the owner’s birth month (unlike one’s license that expires on one’s birthday).
For companies, the registration date is based upon the company name. For example, companies whose name begins with "A" or "B" expire in the month of January. For vehicles leased, the month is based upon the first letter of the lease company's name.
Can I transfer my spouse’s car to my name?
The plate belongs to the registered owner. The first name on a registration "owns" the plate. If your spouse’s car did not have your name on the old registration and the new car purchased has both names, provided you list your spouse’s name first on the registration, you may transfer. If the new vehicle is in your name only, you cannot transfer.
I am buying a car out of state. How do I register a car I don’t have possession of yet? The State of New Hampshire may issue 20-day temporary plates with a signed bill of sale. (RSA 261:57) The cost is $10. This fee cannot be applied to your permanent registration. The town does not issue temporary plates.
I am moving to another NH city/town. Is my registration valid? Yes, please contact the State of New Hampshire with your new address.
What forms of payment do you accept?
Cash and checks only. We do not accept credit or debit cards.
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