Motor Vehicle Information
Motor Vehicle Registration General Information
Town Clerk-Tax Collector Hours:
Monday 8:00am to 7:00pm
Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday 8:00am to 4:00pm
Friday 8:00am to 12:00pm
You will be asked to provide your driver's license to process any type of motor vehicle transaction.
Please note you may renew your vehicle up to four months early in the office.
Online renewals are typically available approximately 1 month early.
For Registrations and Titles:
Copies of lost registrations (DSMV 106) can be purchased at any State of NH DMV substation for $15.00 or you may purchase one at the Town Clerk's Office for $18.00.
For a duplicate of a lost title (TDMV 18), you need to fill out an application for duplicate title and submit it (along with $25.00) to the Title Bureau in Concord. The applications are available at all MV substations or at the Kingston Town Clerk’s Office.
For Plates or Decals:
You can order replacements (DSMV 23) for either one or both plates and/or decals at any State of NH DMV substation or the Town Clerk's Office.
Temp plates are issued only at DMV locations.
VANITY PLATES:
The Primary owner can complete an application for vanity plates at the Town Office at the time of registering your vehicle. We will give you a temporary (cardboard) plate, and will send your application to Concord. If approved,they will send you the permanent (metal) plates. If denied, Concord will send you number plates, and a corrected registration along with a letter explaining the denial. You will be credited the Vanity fees from Concord.
New Residents:
If you have never registered a vehicle in the Town of Kingston then you are not established as a resident in our database and you will not be able to register a vehicle without establishing your residency. To do that, you'll need to bring in your current driver's license or other official photo ID and proof of your address in Kingston, NH. You can prove residency with items such as a utility bill or other official mail recently received by you at your address or a signed lease. If your address in Kingston is a PO Box, then you will need to provide a utility bill in your name to prove residency.
If you have just moved to NH you have 60 days to apply for a NH Driver's License by NH State Law (RSA 263:35). If you do not apply for a NH Driver’s License within the 60 days you will not be allowed to renew your vehicle registration as a N.H. resident or register any other vehicles as a NH resident.
Moving in from out of State with an out of State Lienholder:
If you have an out of state lien holder that retains your title, or you are leasing your vehicle, you will need to come into the Town Clerk's Office with:
- Proof of residency in Kingston
- All owners to the vehicle must be present to sign the NH Title application
- Your out-of-state registration
- The mileage on your vehicle when you purchased it
- The name and mailing address of your lien holder or lessor
- If leasing, your leasing papers showing who the lessees are
We will prepare the NH Title Application for you, and issue you plates and a NH registration. We will mail the Title application to Concord to start the process of changing your Out of State title to a NH title. We will give you a copy of the NH title application.It is your responsibility to notify your Lien Holder or Lessor that you have moved to NH, and the State of NH Title Bureau will be requesting the Out of State Title.
Moving in from out of State with a NH Lienholder:
In this case, the Registrant must go to their NH Lienholder, and have them prepare a NH title application.The registrant will then bring the NH title application to the Town Clerk's office, along with their proof of residency, a NH registration will be processed, and NH license plates will be issued.
New Vehicle Registrations:
If you recently purchased or leased a vehicle that is model year 2000 or newer, you will need the following:
The Town Clerk's copy of your NH Title Application (blue or white sheet) if your vehicle was purchased or leased from a NH Dealer, or the actual Title or Certificate of Origin that has been signed over to you by the seller if you purchased or leased your vehicle from a private person or from an out-of-state dealer. (If leased, we will also need to see the lease paperwork showing who the lessees are.) If you are making payments on your vehicle, please be sure to have the name and mailing address of your lien holder or lessor, where the title is being held.
If you recently purchased a vehicle that is the model year 1999 or older, you will need one of the following along with a Bill of Sale: The seller's previous NH registration, or the seller's NH or out of state title, or the form TDMV 19A -Verification of Vehicle Identification, properly completed. The TDMV 19A's are available at the Town Clerk-Tax Collector's Office in Kingston, NH, State DMV substations, licensed NH Dealers, and licensed State Inspection Stations.
Please Note: The Bill of Sale must be signed by both the buyer(s) and seller(s) and must include their address. The Bill of Sale must also include the make, model, year, and VIN # of the car you purchased.
Renewing Registrations:
For vehicles owned by a person or persons, the expiration date is the last day of the primary owner's (first name appearing on the registration) birth month. For vehicles owned by businesses, the expiration month varies according to the first letter of the business name.
Transferring Vehicle Registrations:
A transfer registration is when you have taken a plated vehicle off the road and would like to transfer the same plates from your old vehicle over to your new vehicle. On a transfer registration, we are able to apply the remaining unused permit fee credit over to the cost of the permit fee on the new vehicle. To do a transfer, the primary owner (the 1st owner listed on the registration) or lessee of the old vehicle must be the listed primary owner or lessee of the new vehicle.
To complete a transfer registration (moving the plates from your old vehicle on to your new vehicle), you must bring in the original registration to the vehicle you took off the road. (Per RSA 261:66) If you do not have it, we can process a State-Certified duplicate registration for $18.00. If you are turning your car in to a dealer as a trade in, do not let them keep your original registration. If you are selling your car to a private owner, do not let them keep your original registration. This will save you $18.00!
Transferring Your Vehicle(s) Into Your Trust:
You will need to bring in your original Title or Titles to your vehicles, and your registrations.The vehicles cannot have a lien on them.You will also need to bring in your Trust paperwork. At least one of the Trustees must be present to sign the paperwork.You must be here at least 30 minutes before closing as this can be a lengthy process..
We accept these forms of payment:
- Checks -One check made out to: The Town of Kingston. (We will transfer the funds allocated to the State electronically.)
- Cash
- Credit Cards - Master Card, Visa, Discover, and American Express. Please note that a debit card is processed as a credit card atthe counter. Processing fees are applied if using a credit card online or over the counter. These fees go directly to our third party processor and are not retained by the Town. Processing fees cannot be refunded.
Proof of Residency Requirements:
Acceptable Proofs of Residency:
- A Current New Hampshire, or out of State driver's license, along with one of the following:
- If you own your home in Kingston – a utility bill or other official mail recently received at the Kingston address.
- If you rent/lease -A notarized letter or signed lease from your landlord.
