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Committee hears bill to change title exemptions for older vehicles
Summary
Lawmakers heard House Bill 14‑21 to modify title exemptions so older vehicles (manufactured in and before 2000) would be exempted from mandatory titling and allow voluntary titling for antiques; DMV staff said applicants must submit ownership documents and the change would reallocate DMV resources.
The Transportation Committee opened a public hearing on House Bill 14‑21, which would modify certificate of title exemptions for motor vehicles manufactured before the year 2000. The sponsor’s presenter said the change responds to constituent complaints and tow‑operator burdens with abandoned vehicles that lack titles.
An unnamed presenter explained the bill’s history and compromise: the sponsor initially proposed a rolling 15‑year exemption but settled on a 20‑year exemption for a compromise. The presenter said the change would also permit voluntary titling for antique vehicles to facilitate interstate sales of valuable older cars.
Jennifer Garner, Title Bureau Administrator at the Division of Motor Vehicles, clarified current practices: New Hampshire titles vehicles from the year 2000 onward and the bill would allow people with older vehicles to apply for a title if they can provide chain‑of‑ownership documentation (prior title, original registration, bill of sale, etc.). Garner said the DMV would reallocate staff to improve turnaround times for titling in its current workflow if the change reduced the volume of mandatory titling for newly eligible years.
Committee members asked practical questions (how to prove ownership, cost to title). The presenter noted a titling fee of $35 when asked. After testimony the committee closed the hearing on the bill; a later motion 'not to pass' was introduced in the transcript excerpt but no final tally was recorded.
