Wheel ScoutWhat a New Hampshire plate lookup shows
A license plate points to one car. We turn the New Hampshire plate into the car's 17-character VIN, show you the year, make and model, then read its history: salvage, flood and rebuilt brands, title history by state, odometer readings and theft records. You also see the factory specs and the safety recalls for that model year before you pay. What it never shows is the owner: the federal Driver's Privacy Protection Act keeps names and addresses in DMV records private, and we don't sell them.
What a New Hampshire plate looks like, and the 2026 changes
State law requires the state motto on every New Hampshire passenger plate, so it is the one line every car plate in the state shares. Under the Department of Safety's rules, when two plates are issued one goes on the front and one on the rear; a few vehicle types, such as custom vehicles with the state's identifying decal, are excused from the front plate. Type the plate with or without spaces; we find the car.
- The plates stay with the seller. When a car is sold its registration expires on the spot (RSA 261:66). The seller keeps the plates and the old registration certificate, which they need to move the plates to another car they own and get credit for the unused months. Town clerks move plates only to a car with the same primary owner (Londonderry's clerk spells this out), so a buyer never drives away on the seller's plates.
- The 20-day plate. A New Hampshire resident buying a car from another person, or in another state, can get a 20-day registration from the state DMV before registering the car for real. The fee is $20, the driver has to carry the bill of sale, and one car can get no more than three of these in 12 months (RSA 261:57). Town clerks do not issue them; you get them at a DMV office.
- Dealer temporary plates are also good for 20 days from the day they are issued (RSA 261:56).
- No inspection sticker for now. The law that required an annual inspection, RSA 266:1, was repealed effective January 31, 2026, and since February 2026 the state has kept the inspection program suspended until further notice while a federal lawsuit and an EPA review play out. A New Hampshire car with an old or missing sticker is not a sign of anything by itself right now; see the inspection section below.
- Higher title fees. On January 1, 2026 the fee for a title after a sale went from $25 to $35, and the salvage-vehicle decal from $50 to $60.
New Hampshire title brands: what the lookup can show
New Hampshire marks a car that has been totaled and a car that has been rebuilt. Our $5 report reads the NMVTIS record, so a New Hampshire brand and a brand from any other state both show up. That matters here more than most places: New Hampshire does not require a title for cars built before model year 2000, so for an older car there may be no New Hampshire title to read. The national record still carries every brand another state ever put on it, plus total-loss reports from insurers and the theft check.
| Salvage | New Hampshire calls it a total loss vehicle: an unrecovered stolen car, a car an insurer settles as physically or economically impractical to repair, or a car whose repair costs reach 75% of its fair market value before the damage, when the damage happens in its model year or the four calendar years after. Airbags, tires and the sound system do not count toward the 75%. The insurer has to apply for a salvage certificate of title within 20 days of paying the claim ($10 application fee). |
|---|---|
| Rebuilt vehicle | A salvage car cannot be titled or registered again until the DMV director or an authorized representative inspects it. The inspection checks the VIN and the bills of sale or titles for the major parts used in the repair; a new VIN can be attached when needed. The new title and registration carry the legend "rebuilt vehicle", and a "salvage vehicle" decal is fixed to the left front door post. The decal costs $60 since January 1, 2026, and removing it is a misdemeanor. |
| Seller's disclosure | Before selling a car whose title is marked salvage or rebuilt, the seller has to tell the buyer in writing that it is a salvage vehicle and why (RSA 261:22, IV-a). If that disclosure is missing, or the decal was removed, the buyer can undo the purchase within 3 business days of getting a title or registration that shows the brand. If the door-post decal is missing on a car the report shows as rebuilt, ask why. |
| Flood, junk, odometer, theft | Brands from other states, such as flood or junk, come through NMVTIS even on a car New Hampshire never titled. Odometer readings reported at each title event and active theft records show in the report too. |
The rebuilt inspection is about identity and paperwork: is this the car on the title, and were the parts bought rather than stolen. It does not grade the repair. A shop does that.
What a New Hampshire title transfer costs
New Hampshire has no sales tax, so nothing is charged on the price you paid, whether you buy from a dealer or an individual. Instead you pay two registration charges every year: a municipal permit fee to your town or city, based on the car's original list price and age, and a state fee based on weight. You pay both at your town or city clerk's office, along with the title fee. Amounts below are from state law; your town clerk has the final word on the total.
| Title fee | $35 for a title after a sale (it was $25 until January 1, 2026). Filing a lender's lien is $20 more. Cars from before model year 2000 do not need a title, though an owner can apply for a voluntary one. |
|---|---|
| Municipal permit fee (town) | A set number of mills (thousandths of a dollar) on the maker's original list price: 18 mills for a current model year car, 15 for last year's model, 12, 9 and 6 for the next three years, and 3 mills for anything five model years old or older. The list price is rounded to the nearest $100 and the fee is never less than $5. On a car that listed at $30,000, that is $540 the first year and $90 a year once it is five years old. |
| State registration fee | By weight: $42 a year up to 3,000 pounds, $48 from 3,001 to 5,000, $66 from 5,001 to 8,000. For a passenger car the weight counts the car plus 150 pounds for every adult seat. There is also a $4 plate manufacturing fee per plate when new plates are issued. |
| Electric and plug-in | $100 a year for a battery electric car and $50 for a plug-in hybrid. From January 1, 2027 the electric fee switches to weight tiers ($50 for 1,001 to 3,000 pounds, $100 for 3,001 to 8,000). |
| Transfer to your own next car | Moving a registration and plates to another car you own carries the fees you already paid over as a credit; the town charges $5 for the permit credit, and you pay the difference if the new car costs more to register. |
| 20-day registration | $20 at a state DMV office, if you want to drive the car before registering it. |
| Gift or family transfer | With no sales tax, there is nothing to waive. A gift costs the same title and registration fees as a purchase. |
The town fee is the one that surprises people moving in. It follows the original sticker price, not what you paid, so a five-year-old luxury car can cost more to register than a new economy car.
New Hampshire forms and deadlines
| Model year 2000 or newer | The seller signs the title over to you at the time of the sale. Bring the title, signed on the back by every seller and every buyer, with the odometer reading. Bring the bill of sale too if you have one. The Londonderry town clerk, for one, says every buyer listed on the title must be present. State law gives a buyer from an individual 20 days from the sale to get the title application to the DMV; after that a penalty equal to the title fee applies. |
|---|---|
| Model year 1999 or older | No title exists. Bring a proper bill of sale plus one of: a copy of the old title, the last owner's original registration, or a VIN verification from the local police department or an inspection station. |
| Financed car | The lender prepares the New Hampshire title application; bring the town clerk's copy with the lienholder's name and address, or have the lender mail the title to the clerk. |
| Where you go | Your town or city clerk's office, first, for the municipal permit and usually the state registration and title application too. The 20-day plate is the exception: that comes from a state DMV office. |
| Your driver's license | Always. The car is registered where you live. |
| The seller's side | The seller keeps the plates and the expired registration certificate. They need the original certificate, not a copy, to move the plates to another car. |
| Salvage disclosure | In writing, from the seller, before the sale, if the title is marked salvage or rebuilt, with the reason. |
Inspections in New Hampshire since 2026
New Hampshire used to require an annual state inspection with a windshield sticker. A 2025 state law repealed that law, RSA 266:1, effective January 31, 2026. Four days before that date, on January 27, 2026, a federal judge ordered the state to keep the program running until the EPA approves the change. On February 13, 2026 the Department of Safety and Department of Justice said the program is suspended until further notice: inspection stations are not authorized to issue state stickers, and cars are not required to get an annual state inspection. On April 30, 2026 a federal appeals court put the judge's order on hold while the state's appeal goes forward. Drivers are still responsible under state law for keeping a car safe to drive.
The federal piece is still open. New Hampshire's emissions testing was part of its federal clean-air plan, so ending it needs EPA approval. On August 11, 2026 the EPA proposed to conditionally approve removing the program, and public comments closed on September 25, 2026. When this page was checked the EPA had not published a final decision, and the state says the program's status can change as the legal picture develops. Check the DMV's inspections page, or ask the town clerk when you register.
What it means for a buyer: while the program is suspended, no one in state government looks at a New Hampshire car's brakes, tires, lights or exhaust before it is sold or registered. A clean registration says nothing about condition. Pay a shop for a pre-purchase inspection. For a car built before 2000, you may also need a VIN verification from the police department or a shop to register it, which checks the car's identity, not its condition.
Before you meet a New Hampshire seller
- Run the plate or the VIN here first, before the deposit. Match the year, make, model and trim to the car in front of you, and look for a salvage or rebuilt brand from any state.
- Know which paperwork to expect. A 2000-or-newer car needs a title signed by every owner on it. A 1999-or-older car comes with a bill of sale and an old registration or title copy instead.
- Match the name on the title or old registration to the seller's ID.
- Look at the left front door post. A rebuilt car should carry the salvage vehicle decal there.
- Check for a lender. If a lienholder is on the title, the lien has to be released or handled by the lender before you can title the car.
- Work out the town fee. Ask the seller for the original list price, or call your town clerk; on a newer car it is the biggest number in the transfer.
- Get the bill of sale with the price, date, VIN and both signatures. You need it for the 20-day plate and, on an older car, to register at all.
- Book a shop inspection. The state inspection is suspended, so nobody else will.
Where these New Hampshire facts come from
Read on the state's own pages on October 31, 2026. Fees and rules change; the county tax office has the final word on the day you file.
- NH RSA 261:3: vehicles exempt from title (model year before 2000)
- NH RSA 261:20: title fees (raised January 1, 2026)
- NH RSA 261:22: total loss, salvage and rebuilt vehicles
- NH RSA 261:153: municipal permit fees
- NH RSA 261:141: state registration fees
- NH RSA chapter 261: title application deadline (261:4), electric vehicle fee (261:141-c), 20-day registrations (261:57) and transfers (261:66)
- NH RSA 266:1: inspection requirement, repealed effective January 31, 2026
- NH DMV: inspections and emissions (program suspended, Feb. 13, 2026 guidance)
- NH Department of Justice: vehicle inspection litigation (First Circuit stay, April 30, 2026)
- US EPA: New Hampshire inspection and maintenance program SIP revision
- NH Department of Safety rules Saf-C 500 (514.03, location of plates)
- Town of Londonderry: registering a newly purchased vehicle
Look up a plate from another state
The reports
Works for New Hampshire plates and every other state. You see the car before you pay.
Basic history report
By VIN or license plate · official NMVTIS record · shows right away
- Salvage, junk, flood and rebuilt title brands
- Title history by state, with dates
- Odometer readings and rollback flags
- Total-loss records from insurers
- Theft check
- Market value for the car
Full vehicle history report
By VIN or license plate · Not instant: emailed or texted to you within two hours
- Every owner, how they used it (personal, lease, rental or fleet) and where
- Accidents and damage reports
- Title brands: salvage, junk, rebuilt, flood, fire, hail, lemon
- Odometer readings over time, checked for rollbacks
- Service and maintenance history
- Open recalls and common owner complaints for the model
New Hampshire license plate lookup questions
How do I look up a New Hampshire license plate?
Type the plate above with New Hampshire selected. We turn it into the car's VIN and show the year, make and model at no charge, then the $5 report shows its title brands, odometer readings, total-loss records and theft check.
How much does it cost to transfer a car title in New Hampshire?
The title fee is $35 since January 1, 2026 ($20 more to record a lien). On top of that you pay the town's municipal permit fee (18 mills on the original list price for a new car, falling to 3 mills at five years old, minimum $5) and the state fee by weight ($42, $48 or $66 for most cars), plus $4 per new plate. Your town clerk gives the exact total.
Is there sales tax on a car in New Hampshire?
No. New Hampshire has no sales tax, so nothing is charged on the price you pay. The value-based charge is the town's municipal permit fee, which follows the car's original list price and age, not the sale price.
Does New Hampshire still require a vehicle inspection?
Not at the moment. The annual inspection law, RSA 266:1, was repealed effective January 31, 2026, and since February 2026 the state has kept the inspection program suspended until further notice while a federal lawsuit and an EPA review continue. The EPA proposed approving the end of the program in August 2026 and had not issued a final decision when this page was checked. Get your own pre-purchase inspection at a shop.
What does a rebuilt vehicle title mean in New Hampshire?
The car was a total loss (for a newer car, repairs of 75% or more of its pre-damage value) and was then repaired and inspected by the DMV, which checked its VIN and the receipts for the major parts. The title and registration say "rebuilt vehicle" and a salvage decal goes on the left front door post. The inspection does not grade the repair.
Why doesn't my New Hampshire car have a title?
New Hampshire does not require a title for cars built before model year 2000, though an owner can apply for a voluntary one. Without one, the sale runs on a bill of sale plus a copy of the old title, the last owner's registration, or a VIN verification from the police or an inspection station. The national record our report reads still covers those cars.
Can I find the owner of a New Hampshire plate?
No. The federal Driver's Privacy Protection Act keeps owners' names and addresses in New Hampshire DMV records private, and no legitimate plate lookup shows them. You see the car, not the person.
Who runs vehicle titles in New Hampshire?
The Division of Motor Vehicles in the New Hampshire Department of Safety issues titles and plates and runs the 20-day plate and rebuilt inspections. Your town or city clerk collects the municipal permit fee and handles most registrations and title applications locally.
More ways to check a car
Find the deal, then check it.
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The basic history report uses NMVTIS data from an approved NMVTIS data provider. NMVTIS records come from states, insurers and salvage yards; not every event is reported to it. Vehicle specs and recalls come from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Wheel Scout is not affiliated with any marketplace or government agency. Wheel Scout is not affiliated with the New Hampshire Department of Safety, Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV).