How to Transfer a Vehicle Title in New Hampshire (TDMV 23A)

To transfer a vehicle title in New Hampshire, the seller signs the existing title over to the buyer, and the buyer brings it along with a bill of sale to the town or city clerk’s office where they live. The clerk prepares the title application and registration, then forwards the paperwork to the Division of Motor Vehicles, which mails the new title within 40 to 50 calendar days.¹ A few situations change the paperwork: older vehicles that don’t need titles at all, inherited vehicles, joint titles, out-of-state titles, and vehicles with an active loan. Each is covered below.

What the Seller Signs

The seller fills in the assignment section on the back of the certificate of title. That means the buyer’s full name, the buyer’s address, the current odometer reading, and the date of sale, with both parties signing where indicated. Do not use white-out and do not cross anything out. A mistake on the title means applying for a duplicate before the sale can go through.¹

If more than one owner is listed on the title, every listed owner must sign the seller’s section. The same rule applies on the buyer’s side when the new title will carry multiple names.²

One thing sellers often overlook: New Hampshire holds the last recorded owner liable for the costs of an abandoned vehicle. Make sure the ownership change actually reaches the state, either through the buyer’s new registration or by contacting the DMV directly to report the sale.³

The Bill of Sale

Every private vehicle sale needs a bill of sale, whether or not the vehicle is titled. Under RSA 261:148, the document must contain:

The date of sale
Vehicle description: make, model, color, VIN, model year, year of manufacture, body type, and number of cylinders
The buyer’s printed name, signature, and street address (no P.O. boxes)
The seller’s printed name, signature, and street address (no P.O. boxes)

The DMV publishes a standard form, but any written document carrying all the required information will do.⁴ Include the purchase price. The clerk’s office uses it when processing the transaction.

Odometer Disclosure

Federal law requires an odometer disclosure for most transfers. The seller records the mileage on the title assignment and both parties acknowledge it. As of 2026, vehicles with a model year of 2010 or older are fully exempt. Vehicles model year 2011 or newer remain subject to disclosure until they are at least 20 years old, so a 2011 vehicle will not become exempt until 2031.⁵

Where to Go and What It Costs

Bring the signed title, the bill of sale, and any supporting documents to the clerk’s office in the town or city where you live. The clerk prepares the title application and the registration together, then sends everything to the DMV. You cannot start this process at the DMV directly.⁶³

Registration has two layers. The municipal permit fee is calculated from a mill rate applied to the vehicle’s original manufacturer’s list price, which declines with age:

Current model year: 18 mills per dollar of list price
One year old: 15 mills
Two years old: 12 mills
Three years old: 9 mills
Four years old: 6 mills
Five years and older: 3 mills, with a $5 minimum

The list price rounds to the nearest $100 and the resulting fee rounds to the nearest dollar.⁷ A five-year-old vehicle with a $35,000 list price would owe roughly $105 in municipal permit fees. If the clerk’s office acts as a municipal agent for the state, it can also handle the state registration portion for an additional processing fee.⁶

After the DMV receives the title application, the new title arrives by mail in 40 to 50 calendar days. It goes to you unless a lienholder is listed, in which case it goes to the lienholder. Errors in the paperwork cause the application to be returned for correction, so keep your temporary registration in the vehicle while you wait.¹

Vehicles That Do Not Need a Title

Under RSA 261:3, vehicles with a model year before 2000 (1999 or older) are exempt from title requirements. This is a fixed cutoff, not a rolling age calculation.⁸ For exempt vehicles, ownership transfers through the bill of sale alone, and the clerk uses that document to process registration. 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 age.⁹ Owners of exempt vehicles can request a title voluntarily if they want one.

Gifts and Inherited Vehicles

A gifted vehicle moves through the same process as any sale. The giver signs over the title and the recipient brings it to the clerk with a bill of sale showing a purchase price of zero or marked as a gift.

For a vehicle owned by a person who has died, New Hampshire allows a shortcut in two situations. If the deceased was married and a title had been issued, the surviving spouse can transfer the vehicle by signing the certificate of title and providing a copy of the death record, with no probate filing needed. If the title listed joint owners with rights of survivorship, the surviving owner transfers the vehicle the same way: a signature and a copy of the death record.¹⁰ Vehicles that fall outside those situations typically require court documentation establishing your right to the vehicle.

Joint Titles: “And” vs. “Or”

How the names appear on the title decides who has to sign. Two owners joined by “or” are treated as joint tenants with rights of survivorship. Either owner can sign to transfer the vehicle alone, and the vehicle automatically passes to the survivor on the other’s death. Married couples and civil union partners get this survivorship protection automatically when the vehicle is used for family purposes.²

If the title uses “and” between the names, every listed owner must sign for any transfer or duplicate request. One uncooperative or unavailable co-owner can stop the transfer entirely.

Vehicles With a Loan on the Title

When a lender holds a lien, it also holds the title. To transfer a vehicle out of a lien, you need a signed release of lien from the lienholder. Submit it to the DMV with the title application, and a clean title is issued.¹ If you are buying from a private seller who still owes money on the vehicle, confirm that the lender has released the title before you pay. An active lien on a title means the lender still has a legal claim on the vehicle, no matter what the seller tells you.

Replacing a Lost or Damaged Title

A missing, damaged, or destroyed title has to be replaced before any transfer can happen. Only the current owner, a listed lienholder, or a licensed New Hampshire dealer can request a duplicate.¹¹ File the Application for Duplicate Certificate of Title (form TDMV 18) with a $35 fee payable to “State of NH-DMV.” The application and payment go in one of the designated NH DMV drop box locations.¹² If a lien is recorded on the vehicle, include a signed lien release with the duplicate application or the DMV will reject it.

New Residents With an Out-of-State Title

If you have moved to New Hampshire, you have 60 days from establishing residency to register your vehicle in the state.¹³ Go to the clerk’s office in your town or city with your out-of-state title (for vehicles model year 2000 or newer that require one) and proof of residency. The clerk prepares both the New Hampshire title application and the registration at the same visit.¹⁴

If a bank or finance company holds your out-of-state title because of an active loan, bring your current out-of-state registration along with the lienholder’s name and address. The clerk sends the application to the NH Title Bureau, which contacts the lienholder directly to obtain the title and then issues a New Hampshire title to the lienholder.¹⁴

For title-exempt vehicles (model year 1999 or older), bring your out-of-state registration and proof of residency. No title is needed because New Hampshire does not issue titles for those model years.

1
New Hampshire Division of Motor Vehicles. Apply for a Title
2
New Hampshire Division of Motor Vehicles. Title Frequently Asked Questions
3
Nashua, NH. Transfer of Vehicle Ownership and Title
4
New Hampshire Division of Motor Vehicles. Bill of Sale
5
eCFR. 49 CFR Part 580 – Odometer Disclosure Requirements
6
New Hampshire Division of Motor Vehicles. Vehicle Registrations
7
New Hampshire General Court. New Hampshire Code 261-153
8
New Hampshire General Court. New Hampshire Code 261-3 – Exempted Vehicles
9
New Hampshire Division of Motor Vehicles. Exempt Vehicles
10
New Hampshire General Court. New Hampshire Code 261-17 – Joint Tenancy
11
NH Division of Motor Vehicles. Apply for a Duplicate Title
12
NH Division of Motor Vehicles. Duplicate Title
13
New Hampshire Division of Motor Vehicles. New Resident to New Hampshire
14
Town of Merrimack. Motor Vehicle Registrations – Resident New to NH