Non-Resident Trailer Registration? Worth it?
 

So I have a trailer that I plan to keep only in NH. Previously I had trailered my old boat home in the winter, out of state, but now can keep my current boat in NH year round. I was going to register it in NH since I bought it in NH and am going to keep it in NH I don't want to pay sales tax and I think registration fees are lower.

Still, with the new(ish) law about never leaving NH overnight and this awesome line, "No exemption from the payment of a permit fee shall be granted by reason of nonresidence except by the director, who shall in all cases require proof satisfactory to him or her of residence elsewhere, and of the liability of a nonresident owner, otherwise entitled to such exemption, to pay a property tax on the vehicle for the current year in the state of his or her residence.", I am wondering is it worth it? It NH going to be a pain in the ass about this?

Any feedback from other forum members?

I register mine in NH. I only use it twice a year in and out. I do bring it home to Mass for the winter only because I have a big heated garage so I don't have to winterize and cover it.

Maine
 

You might want to look into registering your trailer in the state of Maine. I have heard that it is fairly inexpensive.

I have never been a resident of NH but have always registered by boat here. I register my trailer in my home state. Last boat I bought (the sale occurred in NH) I had the seller write up two bills of sale - one for the boat and motor, the other for the trailer. Easy enough to register the boat, the sales tax on the trailer is negligible, and the plates on the trailer match my car. I've never used the boat in my home state, but have brought it to other states after checking to see if the NH registration was legal (it was). My understanding is that if I ever want to register the boat in my home state there is a tax consequence, but that's never going to happen.

If your boat is like mine and for all intents and purposes resides in NH, seems like a no brainier about registering it in NH.

Just realize that I am not a lawyer - just applying what i think is common sense!

trailer registrations are actually cheaper in MA than NH, but have that pesky excise tax. Still ends up being cheaper in MA annually though. I have done both.

On a side note I had the NH trailer registration and for a year I did not renew it because it was not needed. I went in to get a new registration for the trailer and possibly even to use the same plate, and they wanted to back charge me a year for not having the trailer registered. I was at Laconia Town Hall. I then went to Concord to have it done, and the same result. So I just ended up registering back here in MA, less of a headache and as noted above ended up being cheaper annually

I had that same thing happen on a car trailer I had registered in Ma. I hadn't used it in a number of years and I moved my business so I never got the registration renewal in the mail. When I needed to use it I went to reregister it and had to pay for those back years because I never canceled the registration. :(
Now I have both my car trailer and my boat trailer registered in NH.

they must be on the same page :laugh:, my argument was why would i register it if I wasn't using it. Even tried to just get a new registration but if it is VIN'ed, which it was, didn't matter

nice racket

I think the reasoning is that you have to actually cancel the registration and turn in the plate. If you just don't pay to renew it, it doesn't cancel the registration. You still owe that money and haven't paid it, at least in Ma anyway.

if you do not pay, the registration expires in the registry and you cannot use it anyways. So if you cannot use it cause it would be illegal and you would be operating it illegally, why can they back charge you for not using a registration. The Can answer is just because they can.