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 title or a new registration for the vehicle. Although a bill of sale is required for either action, the bill of sale, by it itself, does not establish change of 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 State Motor Vehicle Department. Usually the registration is prepared in the Tax Collector’s Office at the same time that the title application is prepared, and both are submitted to the NH Motor Vehicle Department by the Tax Collector’s 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 Tax Collector’s Office and submitted to the Division of Motor Vehicles, Bureau of Title and Anti- Theft, Concord, NH. When the Bureau of Title has received the outstanding title to a previously registered and titled vehicle, the Bureau will issue to the owner a proof of ownership form which shall constitute sufficient proof of ownership for registration purposes and that form shall be surrendered to the Division of Motor Vehicles with the application for registration.
When the owner of a vehicle entering from another country (Canada, Europe, etc.) seeks a NH Title, the Tax Collector’s Office shall give the owner a Verification of Vehicle Identification (Form 19A). 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 NH Title Application, Foreign Registration, Notarized Bill of Sale if applicable, and the completed verification of vehicle identification form 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.