1. What are the requirements for registering an aircraft with the State of New Hampshire?

All New Hampshire residents are required to register their aircraft within 10 days of the date of purchase and must maintain a current registration on it at all times.

Additional requirements:
Any aircraft owned by a non-resident that is based in New Hampshire for more than 90 days in one year must be registered.
Any leased aircraft that is based in New Hampshire must be registered with the state of New Hampshire..
All non-airworthy aircraft, owned by a resident or non-resident, that is based in New Hampshire must still be registered.
Any aircraft that is owned by a NH resident but is based out of state must still be registered.

Any aircraft operated commercially within the State of NH must be registered.

2. What is the process to register my newly purchased aircraft?

You may contact our office by phone at 603-271-1456, by e-mail to trusso@dot.state.nh.us, or by submitting a NH Aircraft Registration Pre-Application form. These forms can also be found at any of our open to the public airports.
Once payment of your fees is received, you will be issued a registration certificate that must be carried inside the aircraft at all times and a decal that must be displayed on the aircraft. (Pre-Application form)

Please note: Do not remit a payment with the pre-application form. Upon receipt of your pre-application form, our office will compute your registration fees and notify you as to the amount owed.

3. How much are the registration fees?

The fees charged to register an aircraft can vary widely based upon your individual aircraft’s age and weight. The fees are broken down into three portions.
Part 1) Registration Fee: NH residents pay $48.00/ year based on a 12-month cycle and $63.00/ year for a non-resident.
Part 2) Based upon age of the aircraft, the fee is determined by the Aircraft Blue Book’s new standard list price and is assessed a mileage rate. The minimum fee is $15.00.
Part 3) A fee of $0.01 per pound of the aircraft’s gross weight.
Parts 2 and 3 are listed as the Operating Fee and are assessed in lieu of a personal property tax.

The registration fees, as stated in Part 1, are required for all aircraft. However some aircraft are exempt from paying the Operating Fee (explained in Parts 2 and 3 above). Those exempted are: experimental-built aircraft, antique aircraft (models 40 years and older), and gliders.

4. How much time after I purchase an aircraft do I have in which to register it?

You have 10 days from the date of purchase of your aircraft to contact this office for registration. As a New Hampshire resident, you are required to notify us within the 10-day window even if you have purchased the aircraft from out of state or if the aircraft is still currently located out of the state.

5. Do I pay the registration fees every year? If so, when are they due?

Yes, your registration fees must be renewed every year. Your renewal date is determined by the first digit of your tail number, for example, if your tail number is N222TR then your registration renewal will be due by February 1st of every year. You will receive a notice to renew your registration approximately 60 days prior to the expiration date.

6. Can I pay my registration fees on-line or by credit card?

Unfortunately the ability to make payments on-line or by credit card is not available at this time. Please submit payments by check or money order. All checks should be made payable to “Treasurer, State of New Hampshire.”

7. Can I pay my registration fees on-line or by credit card?

Our mailing address is:
New Hampshire Dept. of Transportation
Bureau of Aeronautics
PO Box 483
Concord, NH 03302-0483

8. Am I required to pay any fees to the city or town that I live in?

No, the registration fees are collected solely by our office. We redistribute a portion of the fees paid to the public-use airport where your aircraft is based. These funds are used by the airports to maintain and improve their airfields.

9. What are the registration requirements and fees for a Lighter-Than-Air Balloon, an ultralight, or an experimental-built aircraft?

LTA Balloons are no longer required to be registered with the state.
Only those ultralight aircraft that have a federal registration and a tail number must register. The registration fee is $48.00 per year.
All experimental-built aircraft are required to be registered with the state and the annual fee is $48.00.

10. I bought my new aircraft out of state, when must I register it? Upon its arrival into New Hampshire or immediately upon purchase?

As a NH resident, you have 10 days from the date of the purchase in which to register your aircraft. Regardless of where it is currently located, or how long it may be out of state.

11. I am a NH resident, but my aircraft is based out of state. Do I still have to register it with the State of New Hampshire?

Yes, however, if you are required to pay a registration fee or comparable fee to the state in which your aircraft is based, you may be eligible to apply for a waiver of your New Hampshire registration fees. You may apply by submitting a Resident Waiver application form along with proof of payment of fees to the other state. (Resident waiver form)

Most other states do have a registration fee or a comparable fee structure, however, a few do not. If your aircraft is based in one of the following states you may not be eligible for a Resident waiver. Those states are: Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Vermont, and Wyoming.

12. I have just sold my aircraft. Must I contact you or will the FAA notify you?

The FAA does not notify us of any transfer of aircraft ownership. It is your sole responsibility to inform us and it must be done so in writing.

13. My aircraft is grounded and is in a non-airworthy condition, must I still register it?

Yes, unlike a motor vehicle or boat, you must maintain a current aircraft registration. However, if the aircraft is not in an airworthy condition you may apply for an Unflyable Waiver of the fees.

You may request a waiver by submitting an Unflyable Waiver application form. If the waiver is granted, it will constitute a valid aircraft registration with no fees due until the aircraft is returned to an airworthy condition. At that point, you will have 10 days from the date of its return to service to notify our office. (Unflyable waiver form)

14. I am a new resident of New Hampshire. How long do I have before I must register my aircraft?

You have 10 days from the time you declare your residency with the State of New Hampshire in which to notify our office to register your aircraft.

15. I am an out of state resident, but my aircraft is based in New Hampshire. Am I required to register it with the state?

Yes; if your aircraft is based within the State of New Hampshire for more than 90 days cumulative in one year. Or if, you are conducting commercial operations (any aviation related activity for compensation or hire) at any one of NH’s registered commercial-use airports, you must obtain a registration for each aircraft that you will be operating commercially.

16. My New Hampshire Airmen’s registration is expired; how do I renew it?

As of July 1, 2002, airmen are no longer required to register with the state of New Hampshire. You must still adhere to all federal (FAA) requirements and maintain a current medical certificate.

17. I am conducting commercial operations with my aircraft. Are there any registration or insurance requirements for my business?

Yes, if you are conducting any aviation related activities for compensation or hire on any of New Hampshire’s registered commercial-use airports, you must register as a Commercial Aviation Operator. The annual registration fee is $48.00 and must be renewed every year by January 1st. Please refer to the NH Commercial Aviation Operator Registration page for further information.

18. Am I required to carry insurance on my aircraft?

New Hampshire law does not require you to carry insurance. However, if you are conducting any flight training, you are required to disclose to any and all customers in writing as to whether or not you have insurance. If you do carry insurance, you must list the terms and limitations of the coverage in effect on the declarations page of your insurance policy. In addition, a number of New Hampshire’s open to the public airports may require a minimum insurance policy in order to operate from their airfield. For further information on a particular airport, please contact the airport management staff.

19. I am in the business of selling aircraft. Are there any state registration requirements to meet?

Yes, any aircraft you currently have for sale must be registered. However, NH has a dealer registration that covers all the aircraft you have on inventory throughout the year at a flat-fee rate. By NH law, the aircraft can be flown for demonstration purposes only. Please refer to the Aircraft Dealer Registration page for further information.

20. I have recently moved. How do I notify you of my change of address?

You must notify this office in writing of your new address. You are also required to notify the FAA of your new address. Under new federal laws, you must keep your address up to date with the FAA. In some instances a pilot deviation may be filed by the FAA and you could be denied access to the NAS. You may check your aircraft federal registration status on-line at http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/.

21. How do I obtain any necessary FAA forms?

FAA forms can be found on their website at http://www.faa.gov/licenses_certificates/aircraft_certification/aircraft_registry/faa_customer_service_forms/.

However, FAA aircraft registration form 8050-1 is not available on their website. FAA will only accept an original form. You may obtain an 8050-1 form from any of New Hampshire’s public-use airports, from your local Flight Standards District Office (FSDO), or you may pick one up here at our offices in Concord.