Overview
What does add cost is something people don't expect: New Hampshire plates belong to the person, not the vehicle, so a gift recipient almost always needs their own registration from scratch - the giver's plates don't come with the car unless the giver specifically arranges a plate transfer for themselves onto a different vehicle. That means the full town mill-rate fee and state weight fee apply to the recipient just as they would on any purchase, on top of the $37 title.
01 - Official fees
New Hampshire gift a car fees at a glance
| Fee | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Gift/sale tax | $0 | identical to any private sale in NH |
| Title application fee | $37 | |
| Municipal permit fee (recipient registers) | 18→3 mills × MSRP | by vehicle age |
| State registration fee (recipient registers) | $42–$66/yr | by weight |
| New plates for recipient | $8 | one-time, unless transferring their own existing plates |
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.
02 - Step by step
How to gift a car in New Hampshire
- 1
Giver signs the title over to the recipient, writing "Gift" or "$0" as the price - no notarized gift affidavit is required, since there's no tax to document around.
- 2
Giver removes their own plates before handing over the car; those plates stay theirs to keep, transfer to another vehicle, or surrender.
- 3
Recipient takes the signed title to their own town or city clerk within 20 days and files TDMV 23.
- 4
Recipient pays the $37 title fee, the town mill-rate fee, the state weight fee, and $8 for new plates (or a small transfer fee if moving their own existing plates).
- 5
If the vehicle is model year 1999 or older, skip the title step entirely - register with a bill of sale noting the gift.
03 - Same state, other costs
More New Hampshire vehicle costs
04 - Common questions
New Hampshire gift a car FAQ
Do I save money by calling it a gift instead of a sale in New Hampshire?
No - there's no purchase price to tax either way, so "gift" and "sale" cost identically: the same $37 title fee and the same registration fees. New Hampshire has no gift-tax carve-out because it never needed one.
Can I just add my kid to my existing registration instead of gifting the title?
You can add a co-owner without a full transfer, but a true gift - moving the vehicle entirely into someone else's name - requires a new title in their name and, in most cases, a new registration, since your plates stay attached to you as the owner, not the car.
Why does my daughter need to pay a full mill-rate fee on a car I already registered?
Because your plates don't come with the car. Once you remove them, the vehicle has no active NH registration in her name, so she starts fresh - the town calculates her own mill-rate permit fee based on the vehicle's MSRP and current age, same as it would for a purchase.
Is there a family-transfer discount on the title fee?
No. The $37 title fee is flat regardless of relationship - spouse, child, sibling, or a total stranger all pay the same $35 state fee plus $2 municipal agent fee.
What if the car still has a loan on it?
You can't gift a financed vehicle until the lien is released and the lender has sent a lien release to the titleholder - the title has to be clear before it can be signed over as a gift, exactly as with a sale.
Does the recipient need their own NH insurance before registering a gifted car?
Yes - New Hampshire is unusual in not legally mandating auto insurance for driving, but you cannot register a vehicle without proof of financial responsibility (typically an insurance policy) on file, gift or not.
05 - Receipts
Official sources
Every number on this page comes from these documents - check them yourself.