New to Hollis, NH: a newcomer's checklist

Get your NH driver's license and register your car

New Hampshire gives new residents 60 days after moving into the state to get an NH driver's license and NH plates (RSA 263:35 and RSA 261:45); licenses are handled by the NH Division of Motor Vehicles. Registration starts at the Town Clerk's office, and the clerk asks new-to-town residents to make an appointment. Bring:

• ID, such as your driver's license, and one proof of residency, such as a lease, the closing statement on your new home, or a letter from your landlord.
• Your original out-of-state title and out-of-state registration. Everyone on the title needs to be there to sign the NH title application.
• If a lender holds the title, your current registration and the lienholder's exact name and address; the town sends the title application to the NH Title Bureau, which gets the title from your lender.

Clerk's hours: Monday noon to 5 p.m., Wednesday and Friday 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.; phone 603-465-2064. Renewals can be done online, by mail or in the drop box.

• New to Hollis from out of state · Town Clerk · NH DMV

Property tax bills

Hollis's 2025 total rate is $18.90 per $1,000 of assessed value (NH DRA). The town's most recent posted equalization ratio is 82.4% (2024); the 2025 ratio was not yet posted. The next required town-wide value update is in 2028. Bills are due twice a year: the July bill (mailed at the end of May) is an estimate based on the prior year's rate, and the December bill (mailed at the end of October) uses the new rate. Bills go to the owner on record; if you have an escrow account, the town asks you to forward the bill to your mortgage company. You can view and pay bills online, by mail, in person or in the locked box outside Town Hall.

• View or pay tax bills · Property tax information · Assessing · Hollis property taxes and records

Trash and recycling (transfer station)

Hollis residents use the Rocky Pond Transfer Station at 10 Rocky Pond Road (603-465-3299). Hours: Tuesday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Wednesday 8 a.m. to noon for residents 60 and older only, Thursday noon to 7 p.m., and Saturday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. It takes homeowner-generated trash and recycling only, no commercial trash. Dump stickers are required; see the attendant. Some items, such as TVs, monitors, laptops and propane tanks, carry a fee. Yard waste, branches and stumps go to the Stump Dump at 275 Depot Road. Check the town's page for holiday closings.

• Rocky Pond Transfer Station · Recycling handout (PDF) · Public Works

Water and septic

Before you buy, ask whether a home has a private well and a septic system, and ask the seller for recent water test results and septic records. The Building Department keeps archived building and septic files you can search online.

• Building / Code Enforcement (archived permits) · NHDES private wells · Well and septic guide

Dog license

Dogs 4 months and older must be licensed every year (RSA 466:1). Hollis licenses are sold January 1 through April 30. For a new dog, give the clerk a copy of the rabies certificate, the dog's name, breed and color, and whether it's spayed or neutered; after that you can renew online. Late fees start after May 31.

• Dog licensing

Library card

Hollis Social Library is at 2 Monument Square (603-465-7721). Cards are free for Hollis residents and property owners; bring a current photo ID and printed proof of your Hollis street address (a P.O. box isn't enough). Each household member must be there to get a card, and children can get one at age 5. You can start the application online.

• Library cards

Registering to vote

There's no waiting period: you can register as soon as you move to Hollis. Register at the Town Clerk's office, at a session of the Supervisors of the Checklist, or (if you qualify) by mail up to 10 days before an election; after that, register at the polls. Bring proof of citizenship, age, identity and domicile.

• Registering to vote · NH Secretary of State

Schools

Hollis's public schools are part of SAU 41: the Hollis School District (Hollis Primary School and Hollis Upper Elementary School) and the cooperative Hollis Brookline Middle School and Hollis Brookline High School, shared with Brookline. Registration steps and required documents are on the SAU 41 website.

• SAU 41: new student registration

Building or renovating

Building permit applications must be dropped off in person at Town Hall during business hours (not by mail), and the Building Department takes payment by check only. To schedule an inspection, call 603-465-2209, ext. 106.

• Building / Code Enforcement · Building permits and forms

Your first year as a homeowner

• Escrow: if your lender pays your taxes and insurance, your first escrow review usually comes about a year after closing. A tax increase can change the payment; Tom can explain any escrow letter.
• Abatement: if your assessment looks too high, the application is generally due by March 1 after the year's final tax bill (RSA 76:16).
• Keep your closing documents: they speed up any future refinance.

Buying, refinancing or settled in Hollis? Tom MacDonald lives nearby in Litchfield and is glad to help. Tom MacDonald, Loan Officer, Elite Mortgage Group · NMLS #2748687 · Company NMLS #2502308MBR.