boat trailer registration in NH

crownline_guy · 05-15-2015, 08:08 AM

I'm trading in for a new boat and this one will have a trailer. I'm a MA resident with no "perm" address in NH but the boat stays on winni in a slip so gets registered in NH. The trailer will be in NH most of the time so where does it get regsitered? NH or MA or either?

salty dog · 05-15-2015, 08:23 AM

I went through the same 2 years ago. We decided to permanently keep the boat at Winni at Minge Cove Marina on the trailer. The boat is registered in NH but as we live in MA, we have to register the trailer in MA and also pay local tax on it in Beverly. Someone else may chime in but I'm not aware of another way to do it.

LIforrelaxin · 05-15-2015, 10:39 AM

Do you have a residence in NH? That is the main question....

You can register something like a trailer as a non-resident... at most town halls, as long as you have a residence in that town... Now because you are registering it as a non-resident the town will ask you to sign paper-work indicating such, and also indicating that you will not pull the trailer outside of the state of New Hampshire.

I have heard that some towns don't own up to the fact that this can be done... but it can... I know people that even register cars, that they leave at their camps in New Hampshire as well....

Now if you want to register the trailer in Ma. to avoid all confusion, have a simple bill of sale written up separately for the trailer. If you have a single bill of sale, you will get taxed on the whole purchase, however if you can provide a bill of sale for just the trailer that you are registering, then you pay only the sale tax on the trailer... The tax on the boat would be collected when it is registered.... however if you never register the boat in Ma. and it is never used in Ma. they have no grounds for collect sales or use tax on the boat....

GusMan · 05-15-2015, 11:36 AM

Hi All,

I've been through a similar situation and it is confusing.

In my case, I live in MA but had a house on Merrymeeting. The boat was bought at a NH dealer would only be used in NH but would spend the winters on the trailer in MA.

Legally, the boat had to be registered in NH since it spent x number of consecutive days in NH. The trailer would be registered in MA, since that's my primary residence (I'm not sure about the non-resident trailer reg in NH). The suggestion for separate bills of sale is a good one, in MA the 2 registrations are done by two different agencies in separate transactions. And yes, sales tax collection occurs at the time of registration.

However Massachusetts, being the land of taxes, expects you to pay sales tax on the boat regardless of where it is registered (or purchased for that matter). It's called the "Use" tax and applies to all purchases made for which a MA sales tax would have been collected if the purchase was made in MA.

So, that $100,000 super pontoon boat purchased by a MA resident at Irwin's Marine, launched on Winnie for its entire life, stored indoors at Irwin's for the winters is *still* subject to a Use (sales!) tax of 6.25% or $6260. Oh, and it's up to the owner to submit the forms and check (wink wink).

So sayeth Massachusetts......

Fun stuff.......

Gusman

LIforrelaxin · 05-15-2015, 12:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GusMan

Hi All,

However Massachusetts, being the land of taxes, expects you to pay sales tax on the boat regardless of where it is registered (or purchased for that matter). It's called the "Use" tax and applies to all purchases made for which a MA sales tax would have been collected if the purchase was made in MA.

As Long as the boat never comes into Massachusetts and is not registered in Ma. they never get to collect the "UseTax".... One of the main reasons I decided I would never pull my boat to Ma. and hence went with the NH trailer registration as well....

I could have registered just the trailer here in Ma. and been able to pull the boat to Vt. and Maine with out issues... As long as the Boat itself is not ever in Ma. They have no authority to collect the UseTax on it.

For Ma. to legitimately collect tax on the item, it has to physically be in the state.... it is no different then if you by a second home in NH..... You can't use it in Massachusetts.

Tired of Waiting · 05-15-2015, 02:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LIforrelaxin

As Long as the boat never comes into Massachusetts and is not registered in Ma. they never get to collect the "UseTax".... One of the main reasons I decided I would never pull my boat to Ma. and hence went with the NH trailer registration as well....

I could have registered just the trailer here in Ma. and been able to pull the boat to Vt. and Maine with out issues... As long as the Boat itself is not ever in Ma. They have no authority to collect the UseTax on it.

For Ma. to legitimately collect tax on the item, it has to physically be in the state.... it is no different then if you by a second home in NH..... You can't use it in Massachusetts.

Cause if Mass could make us pay a use tax it would extend to the summer house for property tax.

ToW

Tired of Waiting · 05-15-2015, 03:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GusMan

Hi All,

However Massachusetts, being the land of taxes, expects you to pay sales tax on the boat regardless of where it is registered (or purchased for that matter). It's called the "Use" tax and applies to all purchases made for which a MA sales tax would have been collected if the purchase was made in MA.

So, that $100,000 super pontoon boat purchased by a MA resident at Irwin's Marine, launched on Winnie for its entire life, stored indoors at Irwin's for the winters is *still* subject to a Use (sales!) tax of 6.25% or $6260. Oh, and it's up to the owner to submit the forms and check (wink wink).

So sayeth Massachusetts......

Fun stuff.......

Gusman

Copied right out of the MA law:

What is the use tax?

The Massachusetts use tax is 6.25 percent of the sales price or rental charge on tangible personal property 1 (including phone and mail order items or items purchased over the Internet) or certain telecommunications services 2 on which no sales tax, or a sales tax rate less than the 6.25 percent Massachusetts rate, was paid and which is to be used, stored or consumed in the Commonwealth. The use tax, unlike the sales tax, generally is paid directly to the Commonwealth by the purchaser.

Hope this helps and you haven't been paying MA tax you did not have to pay!!!

ToW

GusMan · 05-15-2015, 04:09 PM

You're right! My bad.... this was a long time ago...and I'm getting old!

I would have been subject to that tax on my boat, if I lasted long enough at Merrymeeting to have to bring my boat back for the winter!

Cheers...

Gusman

stynx55 · 05-15-2015, 05:26 PM

I am a Ma resident and have a year round house in Moultonborough. I registered my trailer in NH with no issues. The folks at town hall were very helpful.

TiltonBB · 05-15-2015, 09:25 PM

To further confuse the issue.............

If you register a vehicle in NH but your license is from another state you will get a regiistration with "Non-Resident" stamped on it. That means you cannot have that vehicle out of state overnight.

The good news is that police officers from another state do not know this law and cannot ticket you for this law because it is not their state law, so you will probably not have a problem with it.

LSBA Joker · 05-16-2015, 05:11 AM

FYI, if you go to register in Meredith, call first to see if they have trailer plates in stock. As of yesterday, they were out!

hd333 · 10-28-2020, 10:09 AM

Does anyone know if there is specific form used to register a boat trailer in NH?

Town Hall just gave me a list of items needed but they never mentioned a specific registration form.

I can’t find one anywhere on the web that is specific to trailers.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Descant · 10-28-2020, 11:07 AM

I'm under the impression that you take the info to Town Hall or DMV and they will do the registration. They have a direct link to DMV, and you have to give them a check or cash. Call your town clerk and ask--that's more reliable information.

TomKat · 11-05-2020, 03:39 PM

Hello guys

I went to Laconia town hall and was told I needed a title for a trailer in order to register it.

The trailer I bought was from Maine and was never registered or titled.

Do all town halls require a title?

Thanks

thinkxingu · 11-05-2020, 04:00 PM

If you don't have a title, you only need a bill of sale. If you have the BOS, call your local PD and have them come out to do an inspection. They'll fill out a form that you bring to town hall with your bill of sale to register.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Winnipesaukee Forum mobile app

hd333 · 11-05-2020, 04:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TomKat

Hello guys

I went to Laconia town hall and was told I needed a title for a trailer in order to register it.

The trailer I bought was from Maine and was never registered or titled.

Do all town halls require a title?

Thanks

I registered mine last week with only a bill of sale, no title, and no PD inspection.

It was in Moultonborough.

The trailer (and boat) is under 3000 pounds, so no title required.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Kamper · 11-06-2020, 10:23 AM

I've registered several trailers. Some with bill of sale and a couple with certificates of origin. For a 2nd hand trailer, it is a good idea to have a copy of the previous registration or a cop will have to verify the 'VIN.'

05-15-2015, 08:08 AM	#1
crownline_guy Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 14 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	boat trailer registration in NH I'm trading in for a new boat and this one will have a trailer. I'm a MA resident with no "perm" address in NH but the boat stays on winni in a slip so gets registered in NH. The trailer will be in NH most of the time so where does it get regsitered? NH or MA or either?

05-15-2015, 08:23 AM	#2
salty dog Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Beverly Cove, Ma Posts: 359 Thanks: 288 Thanked 148 Times in 82 Posts	I went through the same 2 years ago. We decided to permanently keep the boat at Winni at Minge Cove Marina on the trailer. The boat is registered in NH but as we live in MA, we have to register the trailer in MA and also pay local tax on it in Beverly. Someone else may chime in but I'm not aware of another way to do it. __________________ I'd rather be relax'n at Winnipesaukee

05-15-2015, 10:39 AM	#3
LIforrelaxin Senior Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Texas, Lake Ray Hubbard and NH, Long Island Winnipesaukee Posts: 2,871 Thanks: 1,037 Thanked 892 Times in 524 Posts	Do you have a residence in NH? That is the main question.... You can register something like a trailer as a non-resident... at most town halls, as long as you have a residence in that town... Now because you are registering it as a non-resident the town will ask you to sign paper-work indicating such, and also indicating that you will not pull the trailer outside of the state of New Hampshire. I have heard that some towns don't own up to the fact that this can be done... but it can... I know people that even register cars, that they leave at their camps in New Hampshire as well.... Now if you want to register the trailer in Ma. to avoid all confusion, have a simple bill of sale written up separately for the trailer. If you have a single bill of sale, you will get taxed on the whole purchase, however if you can provide a bill of sale for just the trailer that you are registering, then you pay only the sale tax on the trailer... The tax on the boat would be collected when it is registered.... however if you never register the boat in Ma. and it is never used in Ma. they have no grounds for collect sales or use tax on the boat.... __________________ Life is about how much time you can spend relaxing... I do it on an island that isn't really an island.....

05-15-2015, 11:36 AM	#4
GusMan Senior Member Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 131 Thanks: 1 Thanked 45 Times in 26 Posts	Mass/NH registration.... Hi All, I've been through a similar situation and it is confusing. In my case, I live in MA but had a house on Merrymeeting. The boat was bought at a NH dealer would only be used in NH but would spend the winters on the trailer in MA. Legally, the boat had to be registered in NH since it spent x number of consecutive days in NH. The trailer would be registered in MA, since that's my primary residence (I'm not sure about the non-resident trailer reg in NH). The suggestion for separate bills of sale is a good one, in MA the 2 registrations are done by two different agencies in separate transactions. And yes, sales tax collection occurs at the time of registration. However Massachusetts, being the land of taxes, expects you to pay sales tax on the boat regardless of where it is registered (or purchased for that matter). It's called the "Use" tax and applies to all purchases made for which a MA sales tax would have been collected if the purchase was made in MA. So, that $100,000 super pontoon boat purchased by a MA resident at Irwin's Marine, launched on Winnie for its entire life, stored indoors at Irwin's for the winters is still subject to a Use (sales!) tax of 6.25% or $6260. Oh, and it's up to the owner to submit the forms and check (wink wink). So sayeth Massachusetts...... Fun stuff....... Gusman

05-15-2015, 09:25 PM	#10
TiltonBB Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Gilford, NH and Florida Posts: 2,990 Thanks: 696 Thanked 2,195 Times in 930 Posts	Non resident registration To further confuse the issue............. If you register a vehicle in NH but your license is from another state you will get a regiistration with "Non-Resident" stamped on it. That means you cannot have that vehicle out of state overnight. The good news is that police officers from another state do not know this law and cannot ticket you for this law because it is not their state law, so you will probably not have a problem with it.

05-15-2015, 04:09 PM	#8
GusMan Senior Member Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 131 Thanks: 1 Thanked 45 Times in 26 Posts	You're right! My bad.... this was a long time ago...and I'm getting old! I would have been subject to that tax on my boat, if I lasted long enough at Merrymeeting to have to bring my boat back for the winter! Cheers... Gusman

05-15-2015, 05:26 PM	#9
stynx55 Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Posts: 70 Thanks: 5 Thanked 5 Times in 5 Posts	I am a Ma resident and have a year round house in Moultonborough. I registered my trailer in NH with no issues. The folks at town hall were very helpful.

05-16-2015, 05:11 AM	#11
LSBA Joker Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Meredith and SE Mass Posts: 56 Thanks: 7 Thanked 4 Times in 2 Posts	FYI, if you go to register in Meredith, call first to see if they have trailer plates in stock. As of yesterday, they were out!

10-28-2020, 10:09 AM	#12
hd333 Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2014 Posts: 143 Thanks: 16 Thanked 48 Times in 29 Posts	Does anyone know if there is specific form used to register a boat trailer in NH? Town Hall just gave me a list of items needed but they never mentioned a specific registration form. I can’t find one anywhere on the web that is specific to trailers. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

10-28-2020, 11:07 AM	#13
Descant Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Merrimack and Welch Island Posts: 4,342 Thanks: 1,339 Thanked 1,621 Times in 1,053 Posts	I'm under the impression that you take the info to Town Hall or DMV and they will do the registration. They have a direct link to DMV, and you have to give them a check or cash. Call your town clerk and ask--that's more reliable information.

11-05-2020, 03:39 PM	#14
TomKat Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2020 Posts: 3 Thanks: 6 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	Title Required Hello guys I went to Laconia town hall and was told I needed a title for a trailer in order to register it. The trailer I bought was from Maine and was never registered or titled. Do all town halls require a title? Thanks

11-05-2020, 04:00 PM	#15
thinkxingu Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2014 Posts: 6,219 Thanks: 1,170 Thanked 2,051 Times in 1,274 Posts	If you don't have a title, you only need a bill of sale. If you have the BOS, call your local PD and have them come out to do an inspection. They'll fill out a form that you bring to town hall with your bill of sale to register. Sent from my SM-G950U using Winnipesaukee Forum mobile app

11-06-2020, 10:23 AM	#17
Kamper Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Thornton's Ferry Posts: 1,302 Thanks: 67 Thanked 171 Times in 127 Posts	I've registered several trailers. Some with bill of sale and a couple with certificates of origin. For a 2nd hand trailer, it is a good idea to have a copy of the previous registration or a cop will have to verify the 'VIN.'