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Explanation of Fees

Vehicle registration requires fees to be paid to the local municipality (City of Manchester) and to the State of New Hampshire Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV).  As an Agent of the NH DMV, in most cases the full registration cost can be paid directly to the City, eliminating the need for a separate trip to the State to complete the registration.

City of Manchester, NH Registration Permit Fees

The City permit fee for registration is based on the vehicle model year, the original Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of the vehicle, and the length of time for which the vehicle will be registered until the registration expires.

Auto registration tax rates per $1,000 of MSRP:  $18, $15, $12, $9, $6 and $3

Calculation:  Tax Rate x MSRP / 12 (months) x Number of Months Vehicle will be Registered / 1000

Other fess authorized under State Statute and approval by the Board of Mayor and Aldermen (BMA). 

  • Town Clerk (TC) - $2.00:  Administrative costs of preparing an auto registration permit.
  • Title Application (TA) - $2.00:  For the “preparation, examination, record-keeping and filing” of a title application.
  • Municipal Agent (MA) - $3.00:  Charged on all registrations completed on behalf of the Division of Motor Vehicles.  A “Municipal Agent” is a municipality that has been authorized by the Department of Safety to perform certain functions on its behalf, like issue new plates, decals, plate transfers, replacement registration, decals and plates.
  • Waste Reclamation (WR) – Based on vehicle type: $2 for light trailers and motorcycles; $3 for Sedans, SUVs, Light Trucks; $5 for heavy trucks and trailers, and vans.  This fee is placed in a reclamation trust fund for the purpose of paying collection and disposal fees for the City's motor vehicle waste.  Manchester residents or businesses can dispose of motor vehicle wastes (namely, used tires, used batteries and used motor oil) at the solid waste disposal facility on Dunbarton Road at no charge. The BMA enacted this fee as of July 1, 1996.
  • Municipal Transportation Improvement (MTI) - $5.00:  Charged and set-aside in a municipal transportation improvement fund, which is used exclusively for improvement to the local and regional transportation system. This system includes “roads, bridges, bicycle and pedestrian facilities, parking and intermodal facilities and public transportation.” The BMA adopted this fee on June 2, 1998 with an effective date of July 1, 1998.
  • Parking Trust Fund (PTF) - $2.00:  Collected and used for the construction, operation and maintenance of public parking facilities. The Parking Trust Fund was adopted on June 2, 2003 and was effective July 1, 2003.
  • Data Processing Fee (DPF) - $1.00:  This fee applies to renewals only and helps to cover cost involved with renewal data management.  This includes electronic State and local renewal data files, management of paper renewal notices, registration renewals, envelopes, postage and related costs.  The DPF also covers all data processing involved to ensure accurate and timely renewal processing, problem resolution, and secure data destruction.  This fee was authorized by the BMA on May 6, 2014, effective August 1, 2014.

State of New Hampshire Registration Fees

State of NH fees vary based on vehicle type, fuel type, gross weight, plate type and other factors. For details please call 603-227-4030 or visit the following:

*** Effective July 1, 2023

E  -Battery electric vehicles, as defined in RSA 236:132, I, shall be assessed a surcharge of $100.

P  -Plug-in hybrid vehicles, as defined in RSA 236:132, V, shall be assessed a surcharge of $50.

RSA 261:141-c

  1. Battery electric vehicles, as defined in RSA 236:132, I, shall be assessed a surcharge of $100 on annual registration, and plug-in hybrid vehicles, as defined in RSA 236:132, V shall be assessed a surcharged of $50, to be deposited in the highway fund. The department of safety, division of motor vehicles shall determine necessary procedures for determining vehicles subject to this surcharge.
  2. The division of motor vehicles and the department of transportation shall report annually on or before January 1 of each year to the New Hampshire transportation council, speaker, president, and chairs of house and senate transportation committees on the surcharge revenue.