NEW RESIDENTS RELOCATING FROM OUT-OF-STATE: 

New Hampshire allows new residents only 60 days to change over driver’s licenses and/or motor vehicle registrations.  Make sure that whoever is on the out of state paperwork (i.e title or registration), needs to be the person present at the time of processing the paperwork.  If you cannot physically come in and process your own paperwork, you will need a notarized Power of Attorney form for someone else to sign the title application and registration on your behalf.   The following documents are what you will need to start titling and registering your vehicle(s):

1. Present to the Town Clerk’s Office documentation from the closing of your home (ie. HUD statement), OR, if renting, you must present one (1) of the following: a signed lease or rental agreement, a notarized written statement from the current property owner confirming your residency, or a current utility bill within 30 days of service.
2. NH is a ‘title state’, and as such, any existing title must be surrendered at the time of registration. It must the actual title, a photocopy is NOT sufficient.If your vehicle is 2000 or newer, you must present your original title from out of state.  If your vehicle is 1999 or older, and you do not have a title, you will need to have a 19a vin verification form completed by the appropriate party, along with the original bill of sale or purchase contract given at the time of purchase.
3. If your title is currently held by an out-of-state lienholder or leasing company, at the time of application, provide name and address of lienholder or leasing company. The Town Clerk’s Office is not authorized to make request for a title on your behalf. It must be made by the NH Title Bureau. Also, please jot down your current mileage so we can prepare a NH title application for a fee of $2 for the Town and $25 for the State. Upon receipt, they will request your title from your lienholder or leasing company.  This process can take up 5 weeks.  Once the title is received at the Bureau’s office, a notice will be sent to you authorizing the Town Clerk’s office to issue your registration and plates. If you have any questions, or if your notification is taking longer than expected, then please contact the Title Bureau at 603-271-3111 or 603-271-3112. Make sure to bring the letter of notification in to the Town Clerk’s Office that the State sends you. Please note that the letter from the State is a little confusing so please have patience.
   4.  If your insurance or registration has already expired, or will expire within the next twenty (20) days, please bring to the Town Clerk’s Office your current out-of- state registration and/or your insurance showing the proof of expiration, along with the lienholder or leasing company’s name and mailing address you will qualify for a “Hardship Registration”. We will prepare a NH title application and registration, and collect your town registration taxes. You will then be directed to the Salem Motor Vehicle Sub-station, where you will pay your registration fees for the State. Salem will issue a sixty (60) day temporary plate, and at some point during that time, upon receipt of your out-of-state title, Concord Motor Vehicle will forward your metal plates directly to you.

NH RESIDENTS RELOCATING TO WINDHAM:

1. Same as #1 above.
2. We will provide you with a change of address request, which you must complete and forward to the Division of Motor Vehicles within ten (10) days of moving.
3. If you do not receive a renewal notice from the Town of Windham for your vehicle, or if your renewal is due the month you move to Town, you must present to the Clerk’s Office your expiring registration from your previous town of residence.  If you do not have your registration, you must obtain a copy from the town where it was issued prior to obtaining a renewal with the Town of Windham.

 

ALL RESIDENTS:

1. NEW VEHICLE REGISTRATIONS: Any new registrations need to be processed by whomevers name is on the new paperwork.  If the registrant(s) can't make it to the office due to scheduling conflicts or physically unable to, a notarized power of attorney form will need to be completed prior to processing the paperwork.  Registration fees paid to the Town of Windham are based on the Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) when the vehicle was new.  The MSRP is taken from the “Red Book” published by National Market Reports.  The same book is used state-wide, and all taxes are calculated from the same, state-regulated tables.  Current year vehicles are taxed at $18.00/thousand for the first year.  The rate is then reduced by $3.00/thousand per year until the vehicle is six (6) years old.  At that time, the rate remains at $3.00/thousand. The State registration fee is based on the gross vehicle weight (GVW). You may calculate the estimated costs of your registration by clicking here.

The Town Clerk cannot register a new vehicle for less than five (5) months, nor more than sixteen (16).  A resident who comes to the office in July, and whose birthday falls in November would register for five (5) months.  The same registration processed in August would run for sixteen (16) months.

2. TRANSFERRING VEHICLES: Make sure that the name(s) on the previous registration match the new paperwork for the new vehicle-that is the only way you will receive the credit from the previous registration.  When transferring license plates to a newly purchased vehicle, please bring the paperwork for the new vehicle (Certificate of Origin or title) as well as the prior (current) registration from the vehicle being replaced. If you cannot find your previous registration for that the vehicle that is coming off the road, you will have to purchase a duplicate registration for $17.50 and then we will use that to transfer the plates and credit to the new vehicle.  Please remember that your license plates and registration are your property and responsibility, and should remain in your possession after the sale or trade-in of any vehicle.  Please note:  Whomever's name is on the paperwork needs to be the person that comes into the office to process the registration.  If the registrant(s) can't come in due to scheduling or physically unable, a notarized power of attorney form will need to be completed in order to process the registration.

3. RENEWING VEHICLES: Vehicle registrations expire on the last day of the owner’s birth month, except in the case of a company owned or leased vehicle.  In this case, the expiration date is determined by the first letter of the company name.  The Town of Windham forwards registration reminders to vehicle owners, however, it is the registrant’s responsibility to renew the vehicle in the event of lost or misdirected mail. Registrations being renewed by mail must  include a self-addressed stamped envelope in order to avoid mailing delays. There is no grace period on expired registrations. If you would like to receive your renewal notice by e-mail, please complete this form and send to the Town Clerk's Office

Please note that you MUST bring in either a previous registration, the renewal reminder, or the plate number per RSA 261:148#4. Staff can no longer look up registrations by your name. If you cannot find any previous registrations for that vehicle, the mailer that we sent, or have your plate number, you will have to purchase a duplicate registration for $17.50 and then we will use that to renew your vehicle.

You also have the opportunity to register your vehicle online with the Town Clerks’ Office. Please follow the link at the top of the page to complete your registration. Please be prepared to be asked your vehicle information as well as your bank information. 

PLATE CHANGES

You may change your plate type at any point during the year. A completed Application for Replacement Plates and Decals is required, and you will be required to pay the plate fees ($8), the new registration fee ($15), plus any other applicable fees for the plate type requested.

DUPLICATE COPY OF A REGISTRATION

A Duplicate Copy of a registration is available when a current registration has been misplaced, lost or has been destroyed. Please complete a Copy of a Registration form. The fee for this transaction is $15.00 per registration and can be completed at any DMV office. 

ADDITIONAL FORMS AND LINKS:

• Check the availability of a vanity plate
• Application for vanity plates
• Salvage Inspection locations
• VIN Verification forms
• Application for duplicate title
• Application for walking disability privileges
• Record Change Request
• Sample Power of Attorney for vehicle registration and titling purposes only