Frequently Asked Questions

• Registrations are due yearly during your birth month (or assigned month for Trusts/Businesses). Please note that the Town of Chesterfield does not send out paper reminders to register your vehicle. If you have supplied the office with an email, you will receive an email reminder to that address at the beginning of your birth month.
• You may renew registrations up to 3 months in advance.
• Renewals may be done online.
• Renewals may be done via mail or by leaving your request in the drop box on the right side of the main entrance. These methods require the following:
  • License plate number, one signed blank check made out to the Town of Chesterfield, and a stamped, self-addressed envelope.
  • We will fill in the amount on your check and mail you a receipt and registration.
  • Registrations by mail will include a $1 for mailing the registration back to you. This includes the envelope + postage fee.
• You may renew in person with a current ID at the Town Clerk's office. Current Office Hours are posted on the main Town Clerk Page.

• This depends on when you send it in and the volume of requests that we get. To be safe, you should allow for a week to 10 days turnaround.

• When you are registering cars online and have advanced to the Verify and Pay Screen, there is a place to Add a Message to Your Agent. See the + button and type in any special information or temporary address to receive your registrations.

• You can use the online estimator to provide an estimate of the registration fee. Timing will affect the total amount due for registrations, so we do not recommend filling out checks in advance.
• State fees for a new vehicle are based on the weight.
• Town fees are based on the MSRP for the vehicle when it was new. This value depreciates for the first 6 years, after which the fee remains the same.
• Additionally, you may be charged for the title ($27) and license plates ($8). There are also small additional fees, usually amounting to about $5 - $10.
• Remember, depending upon when you register, you may be paying for fewer months or up to 15 months.

This can depend. If you are a resident of Chesterfield who already has registered vehicles in the town, for all transactions, you will need a valid ID such as a license or passport.

• A CTA (from the dealership) in your name. Note, because signatures are provided on the CTA form for title paperwork, only one purchaser needs to be present to register the vehicle as long as both signatures are present on the CTA. (Although a CTA is typically all we need, make sure to bring all other information given to you by the dealership because, at times, some information is unreadable on the CTA forms.)
• Or a Title properly completed with purchase/buyer signatures and an odometer reading. When a title is presented, the person/s who purchased the vehicle MUST be present to sign the title paperwork. If this is not possible, a Power of Attorney (PDF) must be completed and notarized, allowing someone else to sign in their stead.
• If you are transferring plates from a previously owned vehicle, you must bring the registration for your prior vehicle with the title, or the CTA form. Note, if you don't bring this with you, we will need to print a duplicate that costs $17.50.
  • Be sure when you purchase your new vehicle that the dealership does not keep the prior registration.
  • Please note that there are DMV transfer fees.

If you are a new resident and your vehicle is registered in another state AND you have a loan or lease on the vehicle, so you do not have ownership of the title, you will need the following information to register your vehicle. Remember to register a vehicle, you always need two proofs of vehicle ownership instead of a title.

• A new resident form - see the left-hand side of the screen to print.
• The current actual registration for the vehicle from your previous state, AND a completed VIN verification (we have these forms in our office)
  • Note if you are registering your vehicle in town and have moved from another NH town, a NH vehicle registration will be sufficient as long as it is the current registration. No copies or prior year registrations.
• Lien holder information including: Name, Address
• Lien holder form TDMV-121 signed. (We have these in the office.)
• Odometer reading for the vehicle at the time of purchase.
• Valid ID
• 2 documents demonstrating residency. These can include a rental agreement, mortgage document, utility bill, work or bank statement, which has the current Chesterfield address. (This includes West Chesterfield, Chesterfield, or Spofford)
  • If these documents are not available and you live with a resident who has a currently registered vehicle, they may write a letter attesting to your current address. This letter should include their full name, your full name, the length of time you have lived at the address, and they should date and sign the letter.
• If the vehicle has a lease, you will need to bring this agreement with you as well.

• The only way to recoup money on a registration is if you transfer the registration and plates to a new-to-you car.
• To do this you must bring the old registration with you at the time you register your new vehicle. We cannot accept a copy and we cannot supply you with a copy from our records.
• If you have lost the old registration or left it with the person who bought your car, your only alternative is to buy a copy from the state for $17.50.

• Currently, all motorcycles and other motor vehicles year 2000 or newer need to be titled.
• Mopeds 50cc or under are registered at DMV offices

• All vehicles 1999 and older require:
  • A bill of sale (Example Bill of Sale (PNG)) must include the following information: 
    • The date of the sale.
    • A detailed description of the vehicle, including: Make, Model, Color, Vehicle identification number (VIN), Model year, Year of manufacture, Type of body, Number of cylinders, Name, signature and legal address (no PO Box) of purchaser, and Name, signature and legal address (no PO Box) of seller.
  • AND either a title, an NH registration from the prior owner, or a VIN verification. 
• VIN verification forms are available from our office, or you can find them online at the New Hampshire Department of Safety Website under vehicle registration/forms. Note that the local police, as well as locations that conduct car inspections, can do a VIN verification.

Note: that all vehicles and trailers 1999 or older do not require titling. If you desire an NH title for your vehicle, you must turn in the existing vehicle title in your possession.

• An antique motor vehicle or motorcycle shall mean any motor vehicle, including a truck, regardless of its weight, over 25 years old, which is maintained for exhibition, club activities, parades, or other functions of public interest, but not for use in commerce. For the purpose... "maintained for use" shall mean a motor vehicle or motorcycle in its original condition or restored to original or better condition and not intended for daily use.

• There is no fine at the Town Clerk's office; however, if the police pull you over, fines for an unregistered motor vehicle are more than $100.