Town of Stoddard, NH

 

	Term Expires
Joan Read	2013

The Town Clerk handles vehicle registration (decals and plates), dog licences, vital records, town genealogy, voter registration, marriage licences, transfer station stickers and dock and wetland permits.  See below for further information on these various activities.

The Town Clerk is also the Secretary of the Annual Town Meeting and keeps a copy of the minutes of Town Meeting at her office.

Lastly, the Town Clerk is the keeper of the ballots on election day and is responsible for making sure ballots, including absentee ballots, and voter tallys are delivered to the proper state election officials.

The Town Clerk is also a notary.

The term of office is for three years from the date of the May Town Meeting.

Office Hours :

Tuesday and Thursday 9:00 am - 2:00 pm and 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm.

Contact Details :

Town Clerk, Town of Stoddard
2175 State Highway 9
Stoddard, NH 03464-4153

Phone: (603) 446-2214
Fax: (603) 446- 2214
townclerkstoddard@live.com

Vital Records

The Town Clerk is the depository of vital records births, marriages and deaths that have been recorded in the Town of Stoddard since 1774 when Stoddard was incorporated. By State law, public access to those records is limited. Only those records 50 years old or prior are available for public perusal. For a fee of $15.00, the Town Clerk or Deputy may research protected vital records and prepare a report.

Copies: The Town Clerk or Deputy Town Clerk will prepare copies of birth, death and marriage certificates for a fee of $15.00 per certified copy. The NH Department of Vital Records requires photo identification from customers requesting copies of vital records.

Marriage Licenses:

Couples wishing to obtain a marriage license in Stoddard must bring proof of age, proof of birthplace and proof of any previous marriages ending in death, divorce or civil annulment. The fee for a marriage license is $50.00. A marriage license application is good for 90 days after it is dated. A first copy of the original certificate is $15.00 for a total of $65.00.

Vehicle Registration:

If you are a new resident in New Hampshire, you must register your vehicles within 60 days of moving to the state unless the state you came from has a lesser regulation (Massachusetts allows only 30 days, Florida only 10 days.) Proof of identity and proof of residency in Stoddard are required.

Titled Vehicles: Any vehicle 15 years or newer as of January 1st must be titled in New Hampshire before it can be registered. NH dealers prepare title applications for new and used vehicles and provide a town Clerk's copy (a blue paper) that you present when you come to our office. New vehicles purchased out-of-state come with a certificate of origin, which is surrendered to the Town Clerk in place of a title. Used vehicles purchased from an out-of-state dealer come with the existing title, completed with sales signatures on the back, which is surrendered to the Town Clerk. Vehicles purchased through private sales must also come with the existing title filled out on the back, which is surrendered to the Town Clerk. The cost to title a vehicle is $25.00, payable to NH-DMV. The Town Clerk charges a fee of $2.00 to file a title application.

Exempt Vehicles:  A vehicle or trailer (3,000 pounds or less) that are 15 years or older as of January 1st are exempt from title requirements. In order to do the initial registration of an exempt vehicle, you must, however, bring a bill of sale and one of the following: the previously issued New Hampshire registration or copy, the former owner's title or a copy, or a completed TDMV 19-A form which is available at the Town Clerk's office.

New Registration: Vehicle owners in New Hampshire pay two registration fees: One to the town based upon the current value of the vehicle and one to the State based upon the weight of the vehicle and the kind of plate issued. The Town Clerk in Stoddard can do the State portion of the registration and collect the State fees for automobiles, motorcycles, trailers and trucks with a gross weight of 26,000 pounds or less. Beyond 26,000 pounds the State portion must be processed at a NH DMV substation after the Town portion has been paid.

Transferring Plates: A plate from a vehicle registered in your name may be transferred to another vehicle registered in your name for fees of $25.00 to NH-DMV and $6.00 to the Town of Stoddard.  The old registration must be surrendered to the Town Clerk. It will be sent to the State with the new registration document. Do not give it to the buyer of the vehicle or the dealer to whom you trade it for a new one. Credit for the months remaining on your old registration will be given, when applicable. The transfer on a lease to private or private to lease transaction can also be done at the Town Clerk's Office .

Renewals:   Your vehicle registration expires on the last day of the owner's birth month. Your vehicle must be re-registered annually during the month of your birthday. The owner will receive a notice of expiration around the fifiteenth of the prior month.  Vehicle registration can be done via mail by sending the proper fees and a self-addressed envelope.  The owner may also come into the Town Clerk's Office with the proper checks to do the registration in person.

Early Renewals: Vehicles may be registered up to four months before their registrations expire, thus accomodating owners who will be away during the exiration month.

Leased Vehicles: The registration of a leased vehicle expires during the month that corrosponds with the name of the leasing company. It may not be the owner's birth month.

Seasonal Residents: Owning a vacation home does not qualify one as a resident, however, you may register a vehicle as a "non-resident" and store it here. The vehicle must be garaged in New Hampshire and used only in New Hampshire.

Inspections: All registered vehicles must be inspected by the end of the expiration month. There is a 10 day grace period in the following month. They may be inspected either after registration or up to three months prior to registration. Vehicles registered for the first time by an owner must be inspected within ten days of the registration date.

Drivers licence renewal is every 5 years on your birthday and takes place at the NH Dept. of Motor Vehicles in Keene. Their office hours for drivers licence renewal is Monday-Wednesday from 8:15 am - 4:15 pm.  No notice of expiration is sent. 

Dog Licence:

Dogs must be licenced annually on or before April 30th.
Each dog four months or older must be licensed prior to April 30 of each year. Documentation of current rabies vaccination is required at the time of registration. Fees for each dog are as follows:

Un-neutered Males and un-spayed females $9.00
Neutered or spayed $6.50
Puppies 4-6 months of age $6.50
Group licence (five or more dogs) $20.00
Senior citizens (over 65) first dog $2.00 additional dogs charged as above.

Owners who fail to license their dogs by May 31 are subject to additional fees or forfeiture of the animals to the dog officer in the town. Cats are not licensed in New Hampshire.

Voter Registration:

You may register to vote at the town clerk's office, or when the Supervisors of the Checklist meet as posted, or on election day. Supervisors of the Checklist hold publicized voter registration sessions before an election. Registrants must provide proof of citizenship, proof of age, and proof of domicile in Stoddard. Proof of citizenship can in in the form of a birth certificate, driver's licence, passport, service discharge papers, naturalization papers, or a voter registration card from the town in which you previously registered. Proof of residency is a tax bill, electric bill, or a phone bill.

Transfer Station Stickers:

With proof of residency, transfer station stickers are available at the town clerk's office. You may also request a transfer station sticker from the tax collector by sending a self addressed stamped envelope when you pay your property taxes. You may also request a transfer station sticker when the annual inventory is mailed in March by enclosing a request for a sticker and a self-addressed envelope when submitting the completed inventory form.

Dock & Wetland Permits:

Before any activity involving dock construction, dredge and fill activity in wetlands, and working within 250 feet of the shoreline of any public body of water (lakes 10 acres in size or greater) is conducted, property owners and contractors should understand the laws and have the necessary permits. This information can be obtained by writing to the NH Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) 29 Hazen Drive P.O. Box 95 Concord, NH 03302-0095 or calling (603) 271-3503. You can obtain copies of the permit application at the town clerk's office or on-line from the State of NH Department of Environmental Services web page.