Title XXI, Motor Vehicles

I. The director of motor vehicles is directed to solicit designs for a vanity plate clearly identifying the owner of the vehicle to be an amateur radio operator and including the call sign of said operator, who shall present Federal Communications Commission (FCC) certification a…

The certificate of title shall be mailed or delivered to the first lienholder named in it or, if none, to the owner. In the event the lien has been satisfied by a dealer, the dealer becomes the owner and the state is authorized to mail the title to the dealer.

The following organizations are authorized to issue decals under this chapter: I. Rotary District 7870 Foundation. II. The Daniel Webster Council of Boy Scouts of America. III. The New England Patriots Charitable Foundation, Inc. IV. Granite Pathways. V. The New Hampshire Law Enf…

Upon payment of a fee, the director may issue and shall designate official cover plates with the reproduction of the state seal thereon to be affixed to a vehicle of United States senators from this state, representatives to congress from this state, the governor, members of the …

Upon payment of the motor vehicle registration fee, if any, the director shall issue and shall designate a special plate, to be affixed to the vehicle of the county sheriffs, deputy sheriffs, members or retired members of the national guard of any state, active-duty members of th…

The director is authorized to adopt rules pursuant to RSA 541-A for the design, sale, and distribution by towns and cities celebrating the centennial, bicentennial, tricentennial, sesquicentennial, or sestercentennial of the founding of the town or city or similar special occasio…

The director is authorized to adopt rules pursuant to RSA 541-A for the design, sale, and distribution by the department of safety celebrating the 250th anniversary of American Independence, and the display of said plates in place of the front license plate on vehicles, during wh…

The director shall have the authority to prescribe special rules relative to registration of vehicles owned and driven by the government of the United States, the state, or by any county, city, town, regional planning commission, school district, volunteer fire department, eligib…

For the purposes of RSA 261:92, motor vehicles owned by or issued to, and driven by, the New Hampshire Civil Air Patrol, shall be deemed as owned and driven by the government of the United States.

Notwithstanding any other provisions of law any official cover plates and special number plates which are issued to elected or appointed officials who have a term of office shall expire at the expiration of their terms of office or upon their retirement, resignation, disqualifica…

The owner or the surviving spouse of the owner who returns number plates with an affidavit that they have never been used and if the director is satisfied that the number plates have never been used, shall be refunded the registration fee paid, provided such plates are returned w…

If any number plate supplied by the department is lost or mutilated, or if the registration number thereon becomes illegible, the owner or person in control of the vehicle for which said plate was furnished shall apply in writing to the department for a new plate and deposit with…

The director shall have the authority to adopt rules pursuant to RSA 260:5 relative to the issuance and use of dealer number plates by motor vehicle dealers, motorcycle dealers, OHRV dealers, snowmobile dealers, utility dealers, boat dealers, transporters, repairers and wholesale…

I. The director is hereby authorized to issue special conservation number plates, in lieu of other number plates. The design of these special plates shall be determined as provided in RSA 261:97-d. The plates shall retain the "live free or die" logo. Such plates shall be issued o…

[Paragraph I(intro. par.) effective until September 8, 2026; see also paragraph I(intro. par.) set out below.] I. There is hereby established a conservation number plate fund under the administration of the commissioner of safety. The fund shall be used for the promotion, protect…

The moneys in the fund shall be distributed as provided in RSA 261:97-b. The proceeds shall be used as follows: I. The funds transferred to the department of natural and cultural resources shall be used to promote the use and conservation of cultural resources in New Hampshire an…

I. A New Hampshire conservation number plate advisory committee is hereby established. The conservation number plate advisory committee shall be composed of the following: (a) The commissioner of natural and cultural resources, or designee. (b) The executive director of fish and …

Plates may be used on passenger motor vehicles and recreation vehicles.

I. The members representing the department of transportation, the department of natural and cultural resources, the department of fish and game, the state conservation committee, and the department of safety shall each submit a report to the New Hampshire conservation number plat…

I. The director is hereby authorized to issue special New Hampshire first for veterans number plates, in lieu of other number plates. The design of these special plates shall be determined as provided in RSA 261:97-k. The plates shall retain the "live free or die" logo. Such plat…

I. There is hereby established a New Hampshire first for veterans number plate fund under the administration of the commissioner of safety. The fund shall be used to promote the general welfare of the state's veterans, service members and their families by providing quality servi…

The moneys in the fund shall be distributed as provided in RSA 261:97-h. The proceeds shall be used as follows: I. The funds transferred to the department of military affairs and veteran services shall be used to promote the general welfare of the state's veterans, service member…

Plates issued under this subdivision may be used on passenger motor vehicles and recreation vehicles.

I. There is established a New Hampshire first for veterans number plate advisory commission to attract and retain veterans in New Hampshire and perform other tangential duties. II. Notwithstanding RSA 14:49, II, the members of the commission shall be as follows: (a) Two members o…

I. The department of military affairs and veteran services, employment security, the department of business and economic affairs, and the department of safety shall submit an annual report to the New Hampshire first for veterans number plate advisory commission on or before Octob…

I. (a) Every retail vehicle dealer as defined in RSA 259:89-a, every auto wholesale dealer as defined in RSA 259:5-a, every automotive recycling dealer as specified by RSA 261:123, and certain utility dealers as defined by RSA 259:121 if required by rule of the commissioner, shal…

Dealers shall be required to file a bond or equivalent proof of financial responsibility in accordance with this subdivision with the department.

I. A person who, with fraudulent intent: (a) Alters, forges or counterfeits a certificate of title or certificate of origin; (b) Alters or forges an assignment of a certificate of title or a certificate of origin, or an assignment or release of a security interest, on a certifica…

It shall be a misdemeanor for any person or persons to remove or cause to be removed a vehicle identification number plate assigned to a vehicle by the manufacturer or the director for the purpose of concealing the identity of a vehicle, and it shall be unlawful for any person or…

The director or his agents, including title investigators, are authorized to examine any vehicle on the premises of any new or used car dealer, at any body shop, auction, salvage yard, or any shop where vehicles are repaired or restored for the purpose of checking vehicle identif…

If any person shall willfully, or mischievously take, drive, or use any motor vehicle without the consent of the owner or person having control thereof, but not with intent to steal the same, he shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.

No person shall have in his possession a motor vehicle master key except for the following: I. Motor vehicle dealers registered under RSA 261:104. II. Garage mechanics, parking lot attendants or others engaged in the business of repairing, storing or maintaining physical security…

No person shall purchase, print, circulate, distribute, sell, or offer for sale advertising or publications containing advertisements promoting the sale of master keys as defined herein except in connection with trade publications or other advertisements intended primarily for th…

Any person who violates the provisions of RSA 262:13 and 14 shall be guilty of a class B felony if a natural person, or guilty of a felony if any other person.

I. Any person who shall make, cause to be manufactured or issued, or shall display, use, offer for sale, possess, sell or alter an unofficial inspection sticker or an unofficial vehicle registration validation decal with intent to defraud or facilitate a fraud shall, if a natural…

The director and such employees of the department, and peace officers as he shall designate, are hereby authorized to take possession of any certificate of title, registration or license issued by this or any other state, which has been revoked, cancelled, or suspended, or which …

I. A person is guilty of an offense if: (a) He changes, tampers with or defaces, or attempts to change, tamper with or deface, any gauge, dial, or other mechanical instrument, commonly known as an odometer or an hour meter in a motor vehicle, highway building appliance, snowmobil…

It is hereby declared to be the policy of New Hampshire: I. To provide maximum safety for all persons who travel or otherwise use the ways of the state; and II. To deny the privilege of driving motor vehicles on such ways to persons who by their conduct and record have demonstrat…

I. When the director determines that any person is an habitual offender within the meaning of RSA 259:39, the director shall issue an order requiring that person to appear for a hearing to show cause why he or she should not be barred from driving a motor vehicle upon the ways of…

I. A peace officer who learns of the theft of a vehicle not since recovered, or of the recovery of a vehicle whose theft or conversion he knows or has reason to believe has been reported to the department, shall forthwith report the theft or recovery to the department. II. An own…

No license to drive motor vehicles in New Hampshire shall be issued to an habitual offender: I. Until such time as the period of revocation imposed pursuant to RSA 262:19, III has been served; II. Until such time as financial responsibility requirements are met, or until the comm…

I. It shall be unlawful for any person to drive any motor vehicle on the ways of this state while an order of the director or the court prohibiting such driving remains in effect. If any person found to be an habitual offender under the provisions of this chapter is convicted of …

Upon the expiration of the revocation period imposed pursuant to RSA 262:19, III, or under conditions established by the commissioner pursuant to RSA 262:19, VI, such person may petition the director for restoration of his license to drive a motor vehicle on the ways of this stat…

An appeal to the superior court of Merrimack county may be had from any final action or order of the director pursuant to this chapter within 30 days of the date of the final action or order. All findings of the director upon all questions of fact properly before him shall be dee…

Nothing in this subdivision shall be construed as amending, modifying or repealing any existing law of New Hampshire or any existing ordinance of any political subdivision relating to the driving or licensing of vehicles, the licensing of persons to drive vehicles or providing pe…

I. Other provisions of law to the contrary notwithstanding, a police officer making an arrest for a traffic violation shall issue a citation as appropriate to any motorist who is a resident of or holds a license issued by a reciprocating state and shall not, subject to the except…