Free New Hampshire Vehicle Bill of Sale

New Hampshire Vehicle Bill of Sale — What You Need to Know

Sales Tax Details

New Hampshire has NO general state sales tax — one of only five states without one. You pay $0 in sales tax on a private vehicle purchase, full stop. This is the single biggest financial reason out-of-state buyers cross into NH for cars.

Exemption: Not applicable — there is no sales tax to be exempt from. (Note: if you register the vehicle in another state later, that state will likely charge use tax based on purchase price, so keep TDMV 22A as proof of what you actually paid.)

Inspection Requirements

NH requires an annual safety inspection at a state-certified inspection station within 10 days of registration for new owners, then annually by the end of the owner's birth month. The sticker goes inside the windshield. Driving on an expired or missing inspection sticker is a moving violation and the vehicle can be ordered off the road until repaired.

Registration

Registration for this vehicle type is handled by Town or City Clerk (municipal portion) + NH DMV (state portion) — not the same agency that handles cars in New Hampshire. Plan for separate filings.

New Hampshire Vehicle Sale — Step-by-Step Checklist

1. Use NH DMV form TDMV 22A — it is the official state bill of sale and town clerks recognize it on sight.
2. Record full VIN, year, make, model, body style, color, and exact odometer reading at delivery.
3. List the sale price in dollars and cents (NH has no sales tax, but towns use this number to sanity-check the municipal fee).
4. For 2000-or-newer vehicles, have the seller sign off the NH title and complete the odometer block; pre-2000 vehicles only need the bill of sale plus the prior registration.
5. Both buyer and seller sign and date; print names exactly as they appear on the title and on a government ID.
6. Buyer takes paperwork to their TOWN or CITY CLERK first to pay the municipal registration fee, then to NH DMV for plates and title.
7. Within 10 days of registering, get the vehicle through a state-certified annual safety inspection and place the sticker in the windshield.

Common Pitfalls

• Going to the DMV before the town clerk. NH registration is a two-stop process — the DMV cannot register you until your town or city clerk has collected the municipal portion. First-time NH buyers waste an entire afternoon on this.
• Assuming "no sales tax" means "no fees." It doesn't. The municipal fee on a $30,000 newer vehicle can run several hundred dollars in year one because it is based on the manufacturer's list price, not your purchase price.
• Skipping the safety inspection. NH is one of the stricter inspection states — failed brakes, tires, lights, or emissions equipment can pull a sticker fast, and police actively cite expired stickers.
• Forgetting the 2000 model year title rule. Sellers of pre-2000 cars sometimes hand over no title because there never was one — that is correct, but the bill of sale and prior registration must both be present or the buyer can't register.
• Buying out of state and assuming NH's no-tax rule follows the car. If you register in MA, ME, or VT later, that state will charge use tax on the purchase price shown on TDMV 22A.

Pro Tip

NH's no-sales-tax rule is real, but the savings are easy to give back if you bungle the town-clerk-then-DMV order, miss the inspection window, or buy a pre-2000 vehicle without a clean prior registration. Use TDMV 22A, keep copies, and route the paperwork in the right order.

New Hampshire Vehicle Bill of Sale — FAQs