New Hampshire License Plate Lookup

License Plate Lookup in New Hampshire

License plate lookup involves searching the particulars linked to a license plate, including information about a person registered to it, using the numbers inscribed on the plate. There are various ways an individual can run a New Hampshire license plate lookup. When considering looking up license plates, people usually opt for some privately-run online free license plate lookup sites.

An interested person can also do a New Hampshire license plate lookup at the office of the state's Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV). Although expensive, another means of looking up a license plate in New Hampshire is hiring a private investigator. License plate lookup in New Hampshire is particularly helpful for anyone purchasing a used vehicle. It reveals a vehicle’s accident history, market value, and theft record, which gives a person who intends to buy a used vehicle an insight into the vehicle status. Another reason a person may want to run a license plate lookup in New Hampshire is to track down a vehicle driver who fled the scene of an accident or crime. Generally, a license plate lookup discloses selected New Hampshire traffic records as well as the following information on a vehicle registered to it:

• Vehicle make, model, VIN, and year of manufacture
• Due date of current registration
• Fuel efficiency
• Mileage
• Manufacturer's recalls
• Vehicle inspection records
• Vehicle registration issues (if any)
• Ownership details (for used vehicles)
• Vehicle specifications such as the power, type of fuel, number of cylinders, and engine type

What is a New Hampshire License Plate?

A license plate is a flat object containing a set of alphanumeric codes and affixed to conspicuous parts of a motor vehicle. The numbers inscribed in license plates, known as plate numbers, are unique for every registered motor vehicle and serve as vehicle identities. All motor vehicles in New Hampshire require front and rear license plates to operate legally. However, trailers and motorcycles are exceptions; they can affix only one license plate at the rear.

Through its Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV), the New Hampshire Department of Safety issues different categories of license plates. These include:

1. Passenger License Plates - These plates are standard/regular plates issued in New Hampshire with the "old man of the mountain" design.
2. Veteran License Plates - These are issued to vehicles registered under Section 261:87-b of the New Hampshire Revised Statutes Annotated (RSA).
3. Decal License Plates - These look like regular passenger license plates issued by the New Hampshire DMV, but they have a 3"x3" blank square on the left side. They are available in both veteran and passenger plates. The square on the left side of the license plate is designed to contain a special decal issued by 501(c)(3) organization approved by the New Hampshire Legislature. Anyone who intends to get a decal must purchase them from 501(c)(3) organizations authorized by the state legislature and not the DMV. Only decal license plates can bear decals in the state.
4. Conservation Parks License Plates - These are regular New Hampshire license plates with the Parks logo on the right side and the Moose logo on the left.
5. Conservative (Moose) License Plates - These are regular license plates that have the Moose logo on the left side.
6. Vanity License Plates - New Hampshire vanity license plates are typically personalized plates. They either contain letters, alphanumeric characters, or a combination of alphanumeric characters and symbols.
7. State Parks License Plates - These license plates admit vehicles bearing them into most New Hampshire State Parks. They are regular license plates with the Parks logo on the left side.

The DMV provides a complete list of license plate types in New Hampshire. Many of them are also available in vanity plates.

How Do I Get a License Plate in New Hampshire?

The Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) registers vehicles and issues license plates to registered motor vehicles in New Hampshire. Vehicle registration in the state is a two-way process. New Hampshire requires persons intending to get license plates to first register their motor vehicles with the city or town clerk in their city or town of residence. New-to-state residents must present their vehicle titles and proof of residency at the office of the town or city clerk in the region in which they reside to start their vehicle registration. The DMV provides a guide on applying for a title in New Hampshire.

An individual registering a vehicle purchased from an out-of-state dealership must present the title from the dealership or the state's title application from the lien holder to the city/town clerk. They must provide a Manufacturer's Statement of Origin (MSO) if registering a brand new vehicle. A vehicle certificate of title or blue copies of the title application is required for a vehicle purchased at a New Hampshire retail dealership. For a vehicle purchased in a private sale, the owner must present a suitably assigned title certificate to the city or town clerk. In all cases, anyone interested in getting a New Hampshire license plate must provide their proof of residency as established by the city or town in which they reside.

Once an applicant concludes the registration process at the town or city level, they can go ahead to register their vehicle at the nearest DMV office to them and obtain a license plate. Sometimes, a city or town clerk may be a state municipal agent and may handle and conclude the state-level registration process. However, an applicant will pay an additional fee for this service. Section 261:153 and Section 261:141 of the New Hampshire RSA outlines vehicle registration fees at the city/town and state levels, respectively. However, anyone ordering a license plate for the first time will pay an additional $80 fee. The DMV provides further information on how to get a vanity license plate in New Hampshire.

Passenger License Plates vs Commercial License Plates

Passenger license plates are commonly issued to motor vehicles that carry people for hire and privately-used motor vehicles. On the other hand, commercial license plates are those affixed to vehicles that transport goods and sometimes passengers for commercial purposes. In New Hampshire, commercial license plates are issued to motor vehicles weighing over 26,000 pounds. Both passenger and commercial license plates follow the same registration process as others in the state.

How Can I Find the Owner of a License Plate in New Hampshire?

Generally, a free or paid license plate lookup can reveal information on a person or vehicle linked to a license plate. In many cases, a free license plate lookup in New Hampshire does not disclose all required details on a vehicle or a person registered to a license plate. However, it is possible to find further information by searching other public records databases with the information obtained from a license plate lookup. If a license plate lookup returns a phone number, do a phone lookup using that phone number to find the identity of the person or vehicle linked to a license plate. Alternatively, use the service of a private investigator or lawyer to file a release of vehicle records request at any DMV office in New Hampshire.

Third-party aggregate sites are a reliable alternative for obtaining license plate information. These sites are maintained by independent establishments which collate the information from government-run repositories. Obtaining records from these sites often proves substantially easier than government alternatives. However, requestors may be required to provide any information required to facilitate the record search and pay any required fees to access the record of interest.

New Hampshire License Plate Renewal

A person who wants to renew a license plate in New Hampshire must pay all town/city fees, without which the Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) will not process their registration. Usually, the DMV notifies vehicle owners of the impending expiration of their registrations before due dates. To renew their license plate, a vehicle owner must submit their renewal notice or current vehicle registration documents at the city/town in which they reside. Once applicants pay the required city/town fees, they can conclude the renewal process at the nearest DMV office. Alternatively, most cities/towns in the state are municipal agents and can complete the state-level registration, although for additional fees. Individuals temporarily out of state can send their registration certificate or renewal notice and required payments within four months before their current registration expires.

Can You Look Up License Plates with VIN?

Yes. In North Hampshire, the Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) links vehicle identification numbers (VINs) with vehicles' plate numbers during registration. Hence, it is possible to look up a license plate using the VIN related to a motor vehicle in the state's public vehicle records.

VIN Number Lookup

VIN lookup involves searching information on a vehicle using the vehicle identification number (VIN). Manufacturers imprint vehicle identification numbers on different parts of motor vehicles. They can be found on engine blocks, dashboards, and stickers on the driver-side door pole. VIN is unique for every automobile and usually comes as a 17-character code, a combination of numbers and upper case letters.

Several online tools offer VIN lookup services. For instance, VINCheck, provided by the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), is a free tool that the public can use to perform VIN lookups. Also, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has a free VIN search tool. Generally, a VIN lookup reveals a vehicle history such as accidents, the record of repairs, and previous owners (for used vehicles). It also tells if a motor vehicle has ever been reported stolen or if the manufacturer has ever recalled it and whether they made those repairs.

Can Civilians Lookup License Plates in New Hampshire

Per RSA 260:14, license plate information is a matter of public records in New Hampshire. Therefore, civilians can conduct a license plate lookup with the DMV in person at any office location. The requester must provide the Credential Identifier or driver’s name to conduct this search. However, some personal information revealed by a license plate search is confidential and only open to the record holder, government agencies, law enforcement agencies, and insurance companies.

What Do Police See When They Run Your Plates in New Hampshire?

New Hampshire police typically access information about a vehicle and the driver when they conduct a license plate search. Below is information open to a police officer during a license plate lookup:

• Vehicle information (the year the vehicle was made, the make and model, the vehicle identification number (VIN), the expiration date of the license plate, and any suspensions placed on the plate.
• Driver information (date of birth, eye color, and height)
• Active warrants
• Suspension/Revocation status of the license/operating privilege
• Driver’s license information (current driver's license issue and expiration date, driver license classification, and license restrictions.

Generally, police officers are allowed to access personal information that is closed to the public. Some of such information are the driver’s name, photograph or computerized image, telephone number, driver identification number, address (but not the 5-digit zip code), and medical or disability information.

Free License Plate Lookup in New Hampshire

Residents can conduct free license plate lookups online on most third-party websites. Requesters must enter the license plate in the appropriate search box, select New Hampshire as the state, then click the search button. The search typically reveals the vehicle history, like title branding, accident history, theft reports, vehicle owner information, and vehicle registration and inspection details. To access more comprehensive information, requestors may have to pay a small fee.

How to Search for Ticket by License Plate in New Hampshire

New Hampshire has no online option for searching tickets by license plate. Therefore, drivers can only make in-person requests. They have to visit any DMV office location in New Hampshire to search for unpaid traffic tickets by the license plate. Although walk-in services are available, the DMV advises that customers schedule appointments if they want to be prioritized. Any driver who has a ticket must respond to it within 30 days from the date of issuance unless they have been instructed to appear in court or respond to the court directly. Tickets can be responded to online, by Phone: ((800) 272-0036, (603) 227-4070), by mail, by drop box (Concord DMV Office only), and in person.