relative to permanent vehicle registrations.

HB 1551-FN - AS INTRODUCED

2026 SESSION
26-2800
06/09

HOUSE BILL
1551-FN

AN ACT
relative to permanent vehicle registrations.

SPONSORS: Rep. Granger, Straf. 2; Rep. Spillane, Rock. 2; Rep. Morse, Merr. 3; Rep. Tom Mannion, Hills. 1; Rep. Giasson, Hills. 29; Sen. McGough, Dist 11

COMMITTEE: Transportation

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ANALYSIS

This bill establishes permanent registration for the owner of a vehicle that is 11 years old or older, sets associated fees, prohibits transfer of registration upon ownership change, and allows non-residents and entities to obtain permanent registration with residency disclaimers

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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in
bold italics.
Matter removed from current law appears [
in brackets and struckthrough.
]
Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
26-2800
06/09

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty-Six

AN ACT
relative to permanent vehicle registrations.

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

1 New Section; Permanent Registration; Transfer of Vehicle Ownership. Amend RSA 261 by inserting after section 182 the following new section:
261:183 Permanent Registration; Transfer of Vehicle Ownership.
I. The owner of a vehicle that is 11 years old or older, subject to the registration fee as provided in RSA 261:141, III(a) through III(s), III(v), or III(aa) through III(dd), may permanently register the vehicle upon payment of a $50 registration fee, and:
(a) An amount equal to 3 times the fees to be collected under RSA 261:141, III;
(b) An amount equal to 3 times the fees for registration permits under RSA 261:153 and 154, if applicable; and
(c) An amount equal to 3 times the electric vehicle registration fees under RSA 261:141-c, if applicable.
II. Notwithstanding any other provisions of law to the contrary, the registration of a vehicle permanently registered under this section shall not expire.
III. The owner of a motor vehicle that is permanently registered under this section is not subject to additional registration fees or to other motor vehicle registration fees described in this section for as long as the owner owns the vehicle.
IV.(a) The permanent registration of a vehicle under this section may not be transferred to a new owner. If the vehicle is transferred to a new owner, the department shall cancel the vehicle’s permanent registration.
(b) Upon transfer of a vehicle registered under this section to a new owner, the new owner shall apply for a certificate of title under RSA 261:4 and register the vehicle under RSA 261:40, and may apply for a new permanent registration under this section.
V.(a) Notwithstanding RSA 261:45 or any other law to the contrary, a permanent registration may be granted to any natural person, corporation, limited liability company, partnership, trust, or unincorporated association whether or not the vehicle is garaged in this state, and to any natural person whether or not they are a resident of this state.
(b) If the person is not a resident in this state, the registration granted under this section shall not be used to establish residency as defined by RSA 21:6 or 21:6-a, nor domicile as defined by RSA 654:1. Such a registration certificate shall clearly indicate that the person is not a resident by including the phrase “NON-RESIDENT PERMANENT REGISTRATION” on the face of the certificate.

2 Effective Date. This act shall take effect January 1, 2027.

LBA
26-2800
12/2/25

HB 1551-FN- FISCAL NOTE
AS INTRODUCED

AN ACT
relative to permanent vehicle registrations.

FISCAL IMPACT:

Estimated State Impact

FY 2026
FY 2027
FY 2028
FY 2029

Revenue
$0
Indeterminable Decrease

Revenue Fund(s)
Highway Fund

Expenditures*
$0
$0
Indeterminable Decrease

Funding Source(s)
Highway Fund

Appropriations*
$0
$0
$0
$0

Funding Source(s)
None

*Expenditure = Cost of bill *Appropriation = Authorized funding to cover cost of bill

Estimated Political Subdivision Impact

FY 2026
FY 2027
FY 2028
FY 2029

Local Revenue
$0
Indeterminable Decrease

Local Expenditures
$0
$0
$0
$0

METHODOLOGY:
This bill, effective January 1, 2027, establishes permanent registration for the owner of a vehicle that is 11 years old or older. The fee for such a registration would be $50, plus three times (3x) the amount to be collected under RSA 261:141, III (state registration), and if applicable, three times (3x) the fees for RSA 261:153-4 (municipal registration) and RSA 261-141-c (state electric vehicle registration). It is assumed that the permanent registration option would be voluntary and to the extent registrants who choose the permanent registration would no longer renew annually, the Department of Safety states future highway fund and local revenues would decrease over time as annual registration fees are no longer collected from those vehicles. The total revenue loss is indeterminable, as it would depend on the number of registrants choosing the permanent registration option and the timing of their participation. Also, pursuant to RSA 235:23 (“Apportionment A”), 12 percent of highway fund road toll and motor vehicle fee revenue collected is distributed to municipalities in the year following collection. Therefore, this bill would also reduce state expenditures and local revenue by an indeterminable amount in FY 2028 and beyond. For context, the number of vehicles falling within the parameters of this proposal was as follows:

2023: 117,418 new registrations and 546,088 renewals
2024: 120,861 new registrations and 555,924 renewals

The Department has not identified any costs to implement this bill.

AGENCIES CONTACTED:
Department of Safety