Transfer of Ownership/Vehicle Titles

TRANSFER OF VEHICLE OWNERSHIP
As current regulations hold the last owner liable for the costs of abandoning a vehicle, it is important to ensure that the State of NH is notified of any vehicle ownership change. This is accomplished by either applying for a new title or a new registration for the vehicle, or notifying the State that the vehicle has been sold. Although a bill of sale is required for either transaction, the bill of sale, by it itself, does not establish a change in ownership.   

VEHICLE TITLES
New Hampshire is a title state, and title to a motor vehicle must be proven before registration can be obtained. When the owner of a vehicle with a previous title from another state seeks a NH title for that vehicle, the owner shall have a NH title application completed and submit it to the Motor Vehicle Division. The owner shall surrender his out of state title to the Motor Vehicle Department. Usually the registration is prepared by the City's Municipal Office at the same time that the title application is prepared, and both are submitted to the NH Motor Vehicle Department by the City's Municipal Office. Please note that the only acceptable proof of ownership is the actual title. Photocopies or fax copies are unacceptable.

When a lienholder is in possession of the out-of-state title to a vehicle for which title is sought in NH and where the ownership is unchanged, a NH title application shall be prepared by the City's Municipal Office and submitted to the Division of Motor Vehicles, Title Bureau, Concord, NH. Bringing in your purchase and sales agreement, current registration mileage, proof of residence and current ID will be required to start the registration and titling process.  When the Title Bureau has received the outstanding title to a previously registered and titled vehicle, the Bureau will issue to the owner a Permission to Register Letter for registration purposes and that form shall be surrendered to the Division of Motor Vehicles with title the application for registration and plates.

When the owner of a vehicle is entering from another country (Canada, Europe, etc.) and seeks a NH Title, the City's Municipal Office shall give the owner a Verification of Vehicle Identification (Form 19A). This form can be obtained online at http://www.nh.gov/safety/divisions/dmv/forms/tdmv19a.pdf . This form must be completed by an authorized agent before a NH Application for Title and Registration can be prepared. The owner may then register his vehicle upon presentation of the Plate. Foreign Registration, Form HS-7 (obtained at http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/rules/import/racing/box7form.pdf ), Notarized Bill of Sale if applicable, and the completed verification of vehicle identification form 19A and current mileage (kilos or miles okay) to the Motor Vehicle Department. Title not required for passenger vehicles with a manufactured model year prior to 1993. (Effective January 1, 2003 – No Certificate of Title need be obtained for any motor vehicle whose manufacturer’s model year is older than 15 years.