This bill proposes the repeal of the authority for municipalities to impose and collect motor vehicle registration permit fees, specifically removing RSA 261:153 from current law. The bill also amends several related statutes, including RSA 149-M:18, RSA 259:51, RSA 261:74-n, RSA 261:141, and RSA 261:154, to reflect this change. Notably, it maintains the provision in RSA 261:154 that allows towns and cities with populations over 50,000 to assess additional fees for registration permits, while eliminating references to the registration permit fee in other sections. The bill also clarifies the use of collected fees for public parking facilities and updates the definitions and processes related to vehicle registration.

The fiscal impact of this bill is significant, as it is expected to decrease local revenue by approximately $300 million to $350 million per year due to the elimination of motor vehicle registration permit fees. The Department of Safety estimates a one-time cost of about $140,000 to update its registration database and related processes to comply with the new provisions. The bill is set to take effect 60 days after its passage, which may require municipalities to adjust their budgeting and financial planning accordingly.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 149-M:18, 259:51, 261:74-n, 261:141, 261:154, 261:153
HB1479 text: 149-M:18, 259:51, 261:74-n, 261:141, 261:154