HB 1479-FN - AS INTRODUCED
2026 SESSION
26-2844
06/09
HOUSE BILL 1479-FN
AN ACT repealing the motor vehicle registration permit fee.
SPONSORS: Rep. Ankarberg, Straf. 7
COMMITTEE: Municipal and County Government
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ANALYSIS
This bill repeals the authority for municipalities to impose and collect motor vehicle registration permit fees.
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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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
26-2844
06/09
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty-Six
AN ACT repealing the motor vehicle registration permit fee.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 Town Reclamation Trust Funds. Amend RSA 149-M:18 to read as follows:
149-M:18 Town Reclamation Trust Funds. A town which collects an additional fee under RSA 261:153, V shall create a town reclamation trust fund to receive the town share of such fee, to be used to pay the fees for the collection and disposal of the town's motor vehicle waste and to pay for the recycling and reclamation of other types of solid waste. For the purposes of this section, "motor vehicle waste" means used residential motor oil, residential motor vehicle batteries, and tires from residential motorized vehicles. ["Residential", for the purposes of this paragraph, means any motor vehicle registered in a municipality which collects the fee assessed under RSA 261:153, V.]
2 Maker's List Price. Amend RSA 259:51 to read as follows:
259:51 Maker's List Price. "Maker's list price," as used in RSA [261:153 and] 261:154, in the case of motor vehicles of foreign manufacture, shall mean the advertised port of entry retail list price, less the manufacturer's motor vehicle excise tax imposed by the United States if said motor vehicle excise tax is included in the advertised port of entry retail list price, at New York, New York, regardless of the actual port through which said motor vehicle entered the United States.
3 Collection of Fees. Amend RSA 261:74-n, II to read as follows:
II. When a dealer agent processes motor vehicle registrations, permits for registration, transfers of registration, and title applications the applicable town or city or clerk shall receive the following fees through the dealer agent and the EVR integrator: [the registration permit fee under RSA 261:153, I,] the town clerk fee under RSA 261:152, the town clerk and dealer title application fees under RSA 261:4, IV, the municipal agent fee under RSA 261:74-d, and, when applicable, [the waste reclamation fee under RSA 261:153, V, the municipal transportation improvement fee under RSA 261:153, VI,] the collection of permit fees in unorganized places under RSA 261:160, and the public parking facilities fee under RSA 261:154. The town or city may use the fees received under this paragraph to offset the expenses of examination and auditing of the EVR program, if required. Towns, cities, and the state shall inform the EVR integrator annually as to the details of the fees listed in this paragraph and provide timely notice to the EVR integrator of any changes to fees.
4 Fees to be Collected. Amend RSA 261:141, VI to read as follows:
VI. If a vehicle has been previously registered with the division, pursuant to RSA 261:141, III [and RSA 261:153], said vehicle registration shall not be renewed for less than a 12 month fee, provided that the renewal registration is effected within 12 months of the expiration of the registrant's last valid registration. If a vehicle has been previously registered, and the owner of said vehicle fails to renew the vehicle registration in the month said renewal was legally required to be made when said renewal is obtained within 12 months of the last valid registration, the 12 months renewal fees charged hereunder shall be computed at the applicable mill rate which applied in the month when the vehicle should have been legally registered. If the registration is renewed beyond the 12 months immediately succeeding the last valid registration, the 12 months fee charged shall be computed at the mill rate applicable on the date when any successive registration period would have begun, and the minimum fee in such cases shall be for 12 months, except in those cases where the registrant can demonstrate to the satisfaction of the director that the vehicle has not been operated since the expiration of the last valid registration, in which case the registrant may register at the applicable mill rate on the date of registration.
5 Additional Fees for Registration Permits. Amend RSA 261:154 to read as follows:
261:154 Additional Fees for Registration Permits. The governing bodies of towns and cities of a population greater than 50,000 as determined by the last federal census may, subject to the provisions of RSA 261:155, direct the city treasurer or the town clerk to collect [in addition to the fees imposed in RSA 261:153,] fees for such permits as follows: a sum not to exceed 5 mills on each dollar of the maker's list price for a current model year vehicle, a sum not to exceed 4 mills on each dollar of the maker's list price for the first preceding model year vehicle, a sum not to exceed 3 mills on each dollar of the maker's list price for the second preceding model year vehicle, a sum not to exceed 2 mills on each dollar of the maker's list price for the third preceding model year vehicle, and a sum not to exceed one mill on each dollar of the maker's list price for the fourth preceding model year vehicle and any model year prior thereto. In no event, however, shall the fee be less than one dollar. The director shall make the final determination of any vehicle model year in any case in which a dispute arises. All fees collected under this section shall be used for the construction, operation and maintenance of public parking facilities as provided in RSA [231:114-129] 231:114 through 129.
6 Repeal. RSA 261:153, relative to registration permits, is repealed.
7 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.
26-2844
11/30/25
HB 1479-FN- FISCAL NOTE
AS INTRODUCED
AN ACT repealing the motor vehicle registration permit fee.
FISCAL IMPACT: This bill does not provide funding.
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Estimated State Impact | ||||||
| FY 2026 | FY 2027 | FY 2028 | FY 2029 | ||
Revenue | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | ||
Revenue Fund(s) | None | |||||
Expenditures* | $0 | $140,000 | $0 | $0 | ||
Funding Source(s) | Restricted - Highway Fund Cost of Collections - Per the state constitution, costs associated with the collection/administration of highway fund revenue by the Department of Safety is deducted prior to funds being credited as unrestricted highway fund revenue | |||||
Appropriations* | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | ||
Funding Source(s) | None | |||||
*Expenditure = Cost of bill *Appropriation = Authorized funding to cover cost of bill | ||||||
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Estimated Political Subdivision Impact | ||||||
| FY 2026 | FY 2027 | FY 2028 | FY 2029 | ||
Local Revenue | $0 | $300,000,000 to $350,000,000 Decrease Per Year | ||||
Local Expenditures | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | ||
METHODOLOGY:
This bill repeals the authority for municipalities to impose and collect motor vehicle registration permit fees, however, it maintains RSA 261:154, which allows governing bodies of towns and cities with a population greater than 50,000, as determined by the last federal census, to assess additional fees for registration permits over and above the fee schedule in RSA 261:153. Nashua and Manchester are the only two municipalities with the ability to use RSA 261:154. The Department of Safety, for informational purposes, has provided the following totals for municipal motor vehicle registration fees collected in FY 2025:
FY 2025 Total MV Fees (Local Portion) | |
Total - All Municipalities | $346,101,214 |
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Manchester | $23,343,814 |
Nashua | $18,186,552 |
To implement the requirements of this bill, the Department of Safety states it would need to make comprehensive updates to its registration database, MAAP, certify all affected third-party software vendors, and revise workflows across all vehicle registration processes. These system modifications and vendor certifications would require coordinated development, testing, and deployment to ensure compliance with the new provisions. Based on current estimates, the Department anticipates a one-time cost of approximately $140,000 to complete these updates and implement the necessary registration-related changes.
It should also be noted that bills amending motor vehicle registration, title, or driver license laws typically are effective on January 1. This bill is effective 60 days after passage.
AGENCIES CONTACTED:
Department of Safety
| Date | Body | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Jan. 20, 2026 | House | Hearing |
| Jan. 20, 2026 | House | Exec Session |
| Jan. 20, 2026 | House | Floor Vote |
Feb. 5, 2026: Inexpedient to Legislate: MA VV 02/05/2026 HJ 3
Jan. 29, 2026: Committee Report: Inexpedient to Legislate 01/20/2026 (Vote 18-0; CC) HC 5 P. 13
Jan. 22, 2026: Executive Session: 01/20/2026 11:30 am GP 154
Jan. 14, 2026: Public Hearing: 01/20/2026 11:30 am GP 154
Dec. 4, 2025: Introduced 01/07/2026 and referred to Municipal and County Government