Revision: Dec. 10, 2025, 10:08 a.m.
HB 1600-FN - AS INTRODUCED
2026 SESSION
26-3188
08/07
HOUSE BILL 1600-FN
SPONSORS: Rep. Wilhelm, Hills. 21; Rep. Berry, Hills. 44
COMMITTEE: Election Law
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ANALYSIS
This bill requires the division of motor vehicles to make available the opportunity to register to vote at the time of applying for or renewing a drivers' license or nondrivers identification card.
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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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
26-3188
08/07
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty-Six
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 New Section; Voter Registration at the Division of Motor Vehicles. Amend RSA 654 by inserting after section 7-c the following new section:
654:7-d Voter Registration at the Division of Motor Vehicles.
I. The division of motor vehicles shall provide each applicant who has proven age, citizenship, identity, and domicile for a driver’s license or nondriver identification card, including renewals, with a voter registration form and information on voter eligibility requirements under RSA 654:1.
II. The division of motor vehicles shall offer applicants the opportunity to complete the voter registration form at the time of application or renewal. Completed forms shall be collected by the division of motor vehicles and transmitted to the secretary of state on a regular basis, but no less frequently than once per week. The last transmission of completed forms shall occur 3 weeks before the date of the primary election and 3 weeks before the date of the general election.
III. The secretary of state shall forward completed voter registration forms to the appropriate town or city clerk based on the applicant’s domicile for verification and inclusion on the checklist in accordance with RSA 654:25.
IV. The division of motor vehicles and the secretary of state shall jointly develop procedures to ensure the secure handling, timely transmission, and confidentiality of voter registration information collected under this section.
V. The secretary of state shall adopt rules under RSA 541-A to implement the provisions of this section.
2 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 6 months after its passage.
26-3188
12/5/25
HB 1600-FN- FISCAL NOTE
AS INTRODUCED
FISCAL IMPACT: This bill does not provide funding, nor does it authorize new positions.
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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 | $208,000 | $87,000 | $91,000 | ||
Funding Source(s) | General Fund and 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 | ||||||
METHODOLOGY:
This bill requires the Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) provide each applicant who has proven age, citizenship, identity, and NH domicile for a driver’s license or nondriver identification card, including renewals, with a voter registration form and information on voter eligibility requirements under RSA 654:1. The DMV shall offer applicants the opportunity to complete the voter registration form at the time of application or renewal. Completed paper forms shall be collected by the DMV and transferred to the Secretary of State on a regular basis, but no less frequently than once per week. The Secretary of State will track and forward completed voter registration forms to the appropriate town or city clerk based on the applicant’s domicile.
To accept voter registrations and proof of qualification and forward them to the appropriate local supervisors of the checklist, the Secretary of State indicates it will need one additional staff member (records control clerk, SOC 43-02) at an estimated cost of $69,000 in FY 2027, $67,000 in FY 2028, and $71,000 in FY 2029. Also, the Secretary of State estimates it would incur approximately $10,000 in postage costs. Lastly, the Secretary of State does not have available legal staffing to draft rules and navigate through the administrative rules process. It states it will need to hire, or outsource, this role. The cost to hire an attorney position (attorney IV, SOC 23-09) is estimated to be $119,000 in FY 2027. This bill provides neither authority nor appropriation for new personnel.
The Department of Safety states this bill will require staff training to answer questions related to the voter registration form and procedures. The DMV will also incur additional courier expenses related to collecting completed forms from all 14 DMV locations and delivering them to the Secretary of State’s Office. This will also require administrative hours for policy development in partnership with the Secretary of State’s Office. The Department estimates total costs to be $10,000 per year.
AGENCIES CONTACTED:
Department of State and Department of Safety