How to Complete the New Hampshire Title Application (TDMV 23A)

New Hampshire’s TDMV 23A is the title application you complete with your local town or city clerk whenever you buy a vehicle, move into the state with one, or need to correct or replace an existing title. The clerk prepares the form using the documents and information you bring, collects the fees, and forwards the package to the Division of Motor Vehicles. Once the DMV processes it, your Certificate of Title arrives by mail within 40 to 50 calendar days.¹ As of January 1, 2026, the state title fee is $35.²

When You Need to File TDMV 23A

File a TDMV 23A when you buy a new vehicle from a dealer, buy a used vehicle in a private sale, register a vehicle in New Hampshire for the first time after moving from another state, or need to correct information on a title you already hold.³

Not every vehicle needs a title. Any motor vehicle with a model year of 2000 or newer must be titled, and vehicles with a 1999 or older model year are generally exempt, though the owner may still request a title.⁴ One exception overrides the age rule: heavy trucks with three or more axles, and truck-tractors with a gross vehicle weight over 18,000 pounds, must always be titled regardless of model year.⁵

If you bought from a New Hampshire dealership, the dealer typically completes the TDMV 23A and sends it to the DMV directly, so you may not need to visit the clerk yourself for the title portion.¹

What to Bring to the Clerk’s Office

The clerk fills out the TDMV 23A from what you hand over, so a complete packet is what makes the visit work. Under RSA 261:4, the application must show your name, home address, and mailing address, along with the vehicle’s make, model, VIN, model year, body type, number of cylinders, and whether it is new or used. It also records the purchase date, the seller’s name and address, and the current odometer reading.⁶

Proof of Ownership

Which ownership document you bring depends on how you got the vehicle:

New vehicle from a dealer: the Manufacturer’s Statement of Origin (MSO) the dealer provides. RSA 261:4 requires it with any first-title application on a new vehicle.⁶
Used vehicle: the seller’s New Hampshire title, signed over to you on the back with the buyer’s name, address, and odometer reading filled in.
Out-of-state vehicle: the title from the previous state. If it isn’t in English, bring a notarized translation.⁶

All ownership documents must be originals. Photocopies aren’t accepted.

Bill of Sale

A bill of sale carries real weight in private-party transactions. RSA 261:148, III requires it to include the sale date; the vehicle’s make, model, color, VIN, model year, year of manufacture, body type, and cylinder count; and the name, signature, and physical street address (no P.O. box) of both buyer and seller.⁷

Lienholder Information

If you financed the purchase, bring the lender’s full legal name and mailing address. When a dealer arranges the financing, the dealer is required to include the lienholder’s information and sign the application.⁶

Proof of Residency

The clerk needs to confirm you live in the state. Accepted documents include a current utility bill, a property tax bill for the current year, a signed lease or rental agreement, a mortgage statement, a payroll check or employment contract, or a government-issued document from your municipality. Many of these must be dated within the last 60 days, and every document must show your current legal name and physical street address.⁸

When You Also Need a VIN Verification

Most routine purchases don’t need a separate VIN check, but certain situations do. A completed VIN Verification form (TDMV 19A) is required for:

Vehicles from a state that titles only vehicles 10 years old and newer
Vehicles from a foreign country
Abandoned vehicles and U.S. government vehicles
Antique vehicles
Vehicles registered in New Hampshire when the new owner lacks the previous registration
Homemade trailers under 3,000 pounds
Any vehicle where the VIN on DMV records doesn’t match what the customer provides

Only a New Hampshire authorized inspection station, a New Hampshire authorized vehicle dealer, or a New Hampshire law enforcement officer can complete the TDMV 19A. The DMV charges no fee for the form itself, but the person doing the verification may charge their own.⁹

Where You File and What It Costs

You don’t mail the TDMV 23A to the state yourself. Take it to your local town or city clerk in person. The clerk reviews everything, collects your fees, and either mails the package to the DMV or submits it electronically.³

Effective January 1, 2026, the state title fees under RSA 261:20 are:

First certificate of title: $35
Title after a transfer of ownership: $35
Duplicate title: $35
Filing a notice of security interest (lien): $20
Assignment of a security interest: $2

The title fee is separate from the local municipal permit fee the clerk collects at the same visit, which is calculated from the vehicle’s original manufacturer’s list price and decreases as the vehicle ages.

After You Submit

Expect the Certificate of Title by mail 40 to 50 calendar days after the DMV receives your application. If no lien is recorded, the title goes to the owner; if a lienholder is listed, it goes to the owner or the lienholder, and the lender releases it to you when the loan is paid off.¹

Salvage, Inherited, Corrected, and Duplicate Titles

Some situations run through a different track before the standard TDMV 23A process picks up. A salvage vehicle must first be rebuilt for road use and pass a salvage inspection. You bring the vehicle along with the salvage title (properly transferred to you) or a letter from the DMV, the insurance adjuster’s report itemizing the original damage, proof that the salvage items have been repaired, and any other documentation showing the vehicle was declared a total loss and rebuilt for safe operation. Once it passes, a salvage decal is permanently attached and you receive a salvage VIN verification report (DSMV 547), which you then take to the clerk to register and title the vehicle through the normal TDMV 23A process.¹⁰

When a titled owner dies and the vehicle was held jointly with rights of survivorship, the surviving co-owner transfers ownership by signing the existing certificate and providing a copy of the death record. No new title application is required in that case. If the vehicle was titled solely in the deceased person’s name, the transfer typically goes through probate. When a surviving spouse needs a first certificate of title issued in their name, the application must include all the standard RSA 261:4 information, a copy of the death record, and the applicable fee.¹¹

To correct an error on an existing title, bring the current title to your clerk, who prepares a new TDMV 23A. The corrected application, the old title, the $35 fee, and a written explanation of the change go to the DMV together. Odometer corrections also require a signed statement from the person who originally misstated the reading.¹

If your title is lost, stolen, or destroyed, apply for a duplicate. The fee is $35, any existing lien must be released before a duplicate is issued, and the replacement is mailed to the first listed owner.¹²

1
NH Division of Motor Vehicles. Apply for a Title
2
New Hampshire General Court. New Hampshire Code 261:20 – Fees
3
New Hampshire Division of Motor Vehicles. Make Corrections to a Title
4
New Hampshire Division of Motor Vehicles. Exempt Vehicles
5
New Hampshire General Court. New Hampshire Code 261:3 – Exempted Vehicles
6
New Hampshire General Court. New Hampshire Code 261:4 – Application for First Certificate of Title
7
NH Division of Motor Vehicles. Bill of Sale
8
New Hampshire Division of Motor Vehicles. Identity and Residency Requirements
9
New Hampshire Division of Motor Vehicles. Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) Verification
10
New Hampshire Division of Motor Vehicles. Salvage and Rebuilt Vehicles
11
New Hampshire General Court. New Hampshire Code 261:17 – Joint Tenancy With Rights of Survivorship
12
New Hampshire Division of Motor Vehicles. Apply for a Duplicate Title