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How to get a used car dealer license in New Hampshire

You mail form RDMV 735 to the New Hampshire DMV Dealer Desk for a retail vehicle dealer license, with a $25,000 bond, a criminal record check for each owner, town or city approval and an on-site visit. If you handle financing paperwork, you also need a Banking Department license through NMLS.

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  • Checked October 2026
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License
Retail vehicle dealer license
Surety bond
$25,000
State fee
$250, or $125 in year two
Pre-license course
Online class, about 95 minutes
Background check
Criminal record check, each owner
License term
Two years, ends March 31 of even years
What the state asks for

New Hampshire dealer license requirements

The figures a first-time used car dealer needs before applying to NH DMV. Each row shows how well it is supported.

Surety bond
$25,000Official source

An original surety bond with a raised seal, in the exact business name and physical address registered with the Secretary of State. It must stay in force for the whole license. If it is cancelled, the license must be surrendered.

State license fee
$250, or $125 in year twoOfficial source

State law sets $250 for the two-year license cycle and $125 if you apply in the cycle's second year. The DMV's retail dealer page shows $125 due with the application. Plates are extra: $800 for the first, $48 for each additional.

Pre-license education
Online class, about 95 minutesOfficial source

The DMV requires its dealer and title class, six online lessons that take about 95 minutes and end with a printable certificate. Email the Title Bureau for access. An employee who has taken the class can satisfy the requirement.

Background check
Criminal record check, each ownerOfficial source

Each owner, partner, officer or director attaches an original criminal record from New Hampshire, plus one from their home state if they live elsewhere. The DMV's checklist and form do not mention fingerprints.

Insurance
None listed for the licenseOfficial source

RSA 261:103-a, the Saf-C 2000 dealer rules and the DMV's retail dealer checklist do not ask for an insurance certificate. The financial requirement is the bond. Ask your insurer about garage coverage before you use dealer plates.

Business location
750 sq ft building, 10-inch signOfficial source

A permanent, enclosed commercial building open to the public, with at least 750 square feet or primarily dedicated to selling vehicles, the business name in letters at least 10 inches high, and regular hours of 35 a week.

License term and renewal
Two years, ends March 31 of even yearsOfficial source

All retail dealer licenses expire together on March 31 of even-numbered years. A dealer first licensed in an odd year renews the next even year. Renewal uses form RDMV 735 and the statutory license fee, plus plate fees.

Sales allowed without a license
4 in 12 monthsOfficial source

Selling 5 or more vehicles at retail to the public in any consecutive 12-month period requires an established place of business and a dealer license.

Processing time
Not publishedConfirm with the agency

The DMV does not publish a processing time. By rule it gives the town or city at least 10 working days to report on zoning and building compliance, and it does not issue the license until the municipality confirms.

“Official source” means the state agency’s own page, form or law. Where the state’s sources did not settle a point, the row says so instead of showing a guess.

Who issues the license

New Hampshire Department of Safety, Division of Motor Vehicles (Dealer Desk)

License you apply for

Retail vehicle dealer license

Official licensing page

The statute, the form and the DMV page show different fees

RSA 261:103-a sets a $250 license fee, or $125 for an application filed in the second year of the two-year cycle. Form RDMV 735 (Rev. 3/22) prints $250 and plate fees of $400 and $24. The DMV's retail dealer page lists $125 due at application and plate fees of $800 and $48, effective January 1, 2026. Use the web page for plate fees and confirm the license fee with the Dealer Desk before you write the check.
Step by step

How to get a New Hampshire dealer license

The order that works for a first application. Tick each step off as you finish it.

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  1. Register the business with the Secretary of State

    Register the corporate name and any trade name with the New Hampshire Secretary of State and get proof of good standing. The names on the application must match the registration exactly, with no abbreviations. The trade name is the name that goes on your sign.

    RSA 349:1 · proof of good standing

  2. Check the location with the town or city first

    Every application is subject to approval by the municipality. After you file, the DMV notifies the town or city clerk and waits to hear that the business conforms with zoning, building code and land-use rules. Talk to the local office before you commit to a lease, and confirm the building meets the 750 square foot or primary-use test.

    Saf-C 2003.04

  3. Set up the sign, hours and service agreement

    Put the business name on a sign in letters at least 10 inches high, visible from the road. Plan regular hours of at least 35 a week. If you will not run your own inspection station, sign the DMV's service agreement (RDMV 96) with a licensed New Hampshire inspection station and keep the original signatures for the application.

    RDMV 96 service agreement

  4. Get the bond and the criminal record checks

    Buy an original $25,000 surety bond with a raised seal in the exact business name and physical address. Each owner, partner or officer responsible for the business requests a criminal record from the New Hampshire State Police, and from their home state if they live elsewhere. Attach the records to the application yourself. The DMV asks that they not be sent directly to the Dealer Desk.

    $25,000 bond · RSA 261:98

  5. Take the online dealer and title class

    Email the Title Bureau at title@dos.nh.gov to request access to the DMV's online dealer and title class. It is a series of six lessons that takes about 95 minutes, and you can print a certificate when you finish. The DMV's retail dealer page says the class must be completed before approval.

    About 95 minutes, online

  6. Mail form RDMV 735 with the license fee

    Complete the Application for Retail Dealer License and Registration, answer every question and have an owner sign it. Mail it with proof of good standing, the bond, criminal records, a lease copy and the service agreement to the DMV Dealer Desk, 23 Hazen Drive, Concord, NH 03305. Incomplete applications are returned.

    RDMV 735 · $250 by statute

  7. Pass the on-site investigation and get plates

    A person authorized by the DMV director visits your place of business to confirm it meets the statute and the structural rules. The DMV's dealer page describes this as a State Police site visit. After local approval and the investigation, the license is issued and plate fees are assessed: $800 for the first dealer plate and $48 for each additional one.

    Saf-C 2003.05 · plates $800 + $48

  8. Settle the Banking Department license before financing

    If you complete any financing paperwork for buyers but never fund the loan, the Banking Department licenses you as a retail seller. If you fund loans, take assignment of contracts or run buy here, pay here, you are a sales finance company. Both are applied for through NMLS. Sort this out before your first financed deal.

    RSA 361-A · NMLS

Practical advice

Call the town or city office before you sign a lease. The DMV will not license you until the municipality confirms the site. Ask the Dealer Desk at (603) 227-4120 how much to send with the application, since the statute, the form and the web page show different figures. Describe your financing plan precisely to the Banking Department. Arranging a bank loan and keeping your own contracts are licensed differently.

Before you apply

Seven things to settle before any state application: the business, the owners, the money and the property.

Read the startup playbook
The lot and the office

New Hampshire dealer location requirements

What the state checks at the business address.

  • A permanent, enclosed commercial building in New Hampshire, easily accessible and open to the public, and lawful under local zoning and building codes.
  • The building has at least 750 square feet or is primarily dedicated to the business of selling vehicles.
  • The business name in letters at least 10 inches high, clearly visible from a vehicle traveling on the adjacent public way.
  • Regular business hours of at least 35 a week, listed day by day on the application.
  • A permanent heating system and electrical outlets that meet state code. Dirt floors are accepted only for heavy equipment and farm equipment.
  • If you lease, a legible copy of the current, valid lease.
  • Your own inspection station, or an original service agreement with a licensed New Hampshire inspection station within a reasonable distance.

Zoning comes first

A site that meets the state’s rules can still fail local zoning. Get written approval for vehicle sales from the city or county, and ask the landlord for a lease that depends on the license being issued, before you sign.
Once you are licensed

Keeping a New Hampshire dealer license

Renewal and ongoing duties

Renew by March 31 of each even-numbered year on form RDMV 735 with proof of good standing, a current bond, current lease details and a plate inventory. Give the DMV written notice 30 days before any change of address or ownership. Keep the bond in force at all times. Banking Department licensees file an annual report through NMLS by March 31 each year.

Federal rules that apply here too

  • The FTC Buyers Guide, posted on every used vehicle you offer for sale.
  • The FTC Safeguards Rule: a written plan for protecting customer financial information.
  • IRS Form 8300 when a customer pays more than $10,000 in cash.
  • A federal odometer disclosure on each transfer.
How each federal rule works
FAQ

New Hampshire dealer license FAQ

The questions first-time dealers ask most.

How do I get a used car dealer license in New Hampshire?

Apply to the New Hampshire DMV Dealer Desk for a retail vehicle dealer license on form RDMV 735. You need a business registered with the Secretary of State, a qualifying building and sign, a $25,000 surety bond, a criminal record check for each owner, a service agreement with a licensed inspection station if you do not have your own, town or city approval and the DMV's online dealer and title class. The DMV visits the site before it issues the license.

How much is the dealer bond in New Hampshire?

$25,000 for a retail vehicle dealer. The DMV wants the original bond with a raised seal and original signatures, in the exact business name and physical address registered with the Secretary of State. The bond must be kept in force for the whole license, and a separate bond is required for each established place of business.

How much does a New Hampshire dealer license cost?

State law sets the license fee at $250 for the two-year cycle, or $125 if you apply in the second year of the cycle. The DMV's retail dealer page shows $125 due with the application, so confirm the amount with the Dealer Desk. Dealer plates are charged on approval: $800 for the first plate and $48 for each additional plate, effective January 1, 2026. The bond premium is separate.

Do I need a pre-licensing course in New Hampshire?

Yes, a short one. The DMV requires its online dealer and title class, a series of six lessons that takes about 95 minutes. You request access by emailing the Title Bureau at title@dos.nh.gov. The retail dealer page says the class must be completed before approval, and the requirement is met if the dealership employs someone who has already taken it.

Can I get a New Hampshire dealer license without a car lot?

You need an established place of business: a permanent, enclosed commercial building that is open to the public, has at least 750 square feet or is primarily dedicated to selling vehicles, and shows the business name in 10-inch letters. The dealer rules do not set a minimum number of display spaces, but the town or city must confirm that vehicle sales are allowed at the address.

How many cars can I sell in New Hampshire without a dealer license?

Up to four. Under RSA 261:103-b, as the DMV summarizes it, no person may sell 5 or more vehicles at retail to the general public in any consecutive 12-month period without an established place of business and a valid dealer license.

Sources

Checked October 2026. This is general information, not legal, tax or insurance advice. Fees, bond amounts and forms change, and local zoning rules vary. Confirm current requirements with NH DMV or your attorney before you sign a lease or pay a fee.

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