Overview
The trap is for everyone else. If you're a Massachusetts, Maine, or Vermont resident who drives to Salem or Nashua to buy a car tax-free and then registers it back home, your home state still collects its use tax when you title it there - dealers are required to report the sale, and the DMV cross-checks addresses. "NH tax-free car shopping" only works if the car is actually registered in New Hampshire. This calculator confirms the $0 and shows what New Hampshire charges in its place: town and state registration fees.
01 - Official fees
New Hampshire car sales tax fees at a glance
| Fee | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| New Hampshire sales tax | $0 | no rate exists - dealer, private, or gift |
| Municipal permit fee (in place of tax) | 18→3 mills × MSRP | by vehicle age, RSA 261:153 |
| State registration fee (in place of tax) | $42–$66/yr | by weight, RSA 261:141 |
| Title fee | $37 | |
| Out-of-state resident registering elsewhere | Owes home-state use tax | based on registration address, not purchase location |
Figures verified June 2026 against official sources (listed below). Always confirm the final amount with your town or city clerk (NH DMV) - counties can add small local fees.
03 - Same state, other costs
More New Hampshire vehicle costs
04 - Common questions
New Hampshire car sales tax FAQ
Is there really no sales tax on cars in New Hampshire?
Correct - zero, for any type of sale: dealer, private party, or family gift. New Hampshire has no general sales tax and has never added a vehicle-specific excise or use tax to replace it, unlike Delaware's document fee or Montana's registration-based system.
I'm from Massachusetts - can I buy in New Hampshire to skip the 6.25% tax?
No. Massachusetts (and Maine, Vermont, and every other state) taxes vehicles based on where you register them, not where you bought them. A Massachusetts resident who buys in Salem, NH and titles the car in Massachusetts still owes Massachusetts use tax - the dealer reports the sale, and the RMV checks it against your registration address.
So what does New Hampshire charge instead of sales tax?
Two annual fees: a town "municipal permit fee" based on the vehicle's MSRP and age (starting at 1.8% of MSRP for a new vehicle and stepping down each year), and a flat state fee based on weight ($42–$66 for most passenger vehicles). Neither is a one-time transaction tax - both recur every year you own the car.
Does gifting a car between family avoid any NH tax?
There's no tax to avoid in the first place, so a gift transfer in New Hampshire costs exactly the same as it would for two strangers: the $37 title fee and, if the recipient needs new plates, the normal town and state registration fees.
Do New Hampshire dealers charge a documentation fee like other states?
Some do - a dealer doc fee is a private charge for paperwork handling, not a state tax, and New Hampshire doesn't cap or regulate it the way some states do. It's negotiable and separate from anything on this page.
Is boat or motorcycle sales tax also $0 in New Hampshire?
Yes - the same zero-sales-tax rule covers boats, motorcycles, trailers, and every other titled vehicle. All of them still owe New Hampshire's registration fees instead; see the boat and motorcycle calculators for those specifics.
05 - Receipts
Official sources
Every number on this page comes from these documents - check them yourself.