Do I Need a TOD Deed in Strafford County, New Hampshire?
New Hampshire authorizes transfer on death deedsRSA 563-D:1 to 563-D:22Verified Oct 17, 2026View source; in Strafford County the Register of Deeds records one for $12 for the first page plus $4 for each additional page.
The Register of Deeds charges $12 for the first page plus $4 for each additional page. Most transfer on death deeds run two to four pages. Transfer on death deeds are exempt from transfer tax in Strafford County where no consideration is exchanged.
Record the transfer on death deed at the Register of Deeds, 259 County Farm Road, Suite 202, Dover, NH 03820. Office hours: Monday-Friday 8:30 AM-4:30 PM.
Yes. Strafford County accepts e-recording through Simplifile, CSC, Hopdox and Indecomm. The office's e-recording portal carries the details.
A transfer on death deed in New Hampshire requires notary acknowledgmentRSA 563-D:1 to 563-D:22Verified Oct 19, 2026View source before it can be recorded in Strafford County.
No. A transfer on death deed transfers only the property described in it. Bank accounts, vehicles and other real estate pass through a will (probate) or a trust. When a single deed is not enough, SimplyTrust sets up a revocable trust online that covers every property and account in one document.
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New Baby or Adoption
Your family is growing. Your protection should too. Guardian nominations, trusts for minors, beneficiary updates, and the documents new parents need in place.
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Marriage
What married couples need in place: one joint trust or two, wills, beneficiary updates, and the spousal rights your state grants you automatically.
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New Home
How to put your house in a revocable trust: the deed you record, what it does to your mortgage and property taxes, and when a TOD deed is simpler.
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Retirement
Retirement changes your financial picture. Healthcare directives, beneficiary reviews, long-term care planning, and protecting what you've built.
Learn moreForms for Planning Your Estate in New Hampshire
Free forms for planning your estate in New Hampshire: will, living trust, pour-over will, powers of attorney and TOD deed. Prepare each form for New Hampshire.
Healthcare Power of Attorney
New Hampshire allows a choice for a healthcare power of attorney: 2RSA 137-J:20Verified Oct 15, 2026View source witnesses or a notary.
HIPAA Release
In New Hampshire, a HIPAA release names who may receive your records and, as the state requires, names HIV/AIDS-related information and genetic informationN.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 141-F:8, I & III; N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 141-H:2, II & IIIVerified Jun 19, 2026View source expressly before a provider releases them.
Financial Power of Attorney
New Hampshire treats a power of attorney as durable by defaultRSA 564-E:104, 564-E:105, 564-E:106, 564-E:107, 564-E:109, 564-E:113, 564-E:114, 564-E:119, 564-E:120, 564-E:201, 564-E:217, 564-E:301; RSA 477:9Verified Oct 21, 2026View source, and it is signed before a notaryRSA 564-E:104, 564-E:105, 564-E:106, 564-E:107, 564-E:109, 564-E:113, 564-E:114, 564-E:119, 564-E:120, 564-E:201, 564-E:217, 564-E:301; RSA 477:9Verified Oct 21, 2026View source.
Transfer on Death Deed
In New Hampshire, a transfer on death deed is signed before a notaryRSA 563-D:1 to 563-D:22Verified Oct 19, 2026View source, then recorded with the county before the owner's deathRSA 563-D:1 to 563-D:22Verified Oct 19, 2026View source, within 60 daysRSA 563-D:1 to 563-D:22Verified Oct 19, 2026View source of signing. New Hampshire does not recognize a Lady Bird deed.
Living Will
In New Hampshire, the living will is the Living WillRSA Chapter 137-J (137-J:1 to 137-J:37), Written Directives for Medical Decision Making for Adults Without Capacity to Make Health Care DecisionsVerified Sep 27, 2026View source, a written instruction that is valid with no agent named.
Last Will and Testament
In New Hampshire, a will is signed before 2NH RSA 551:2Verified Oct 19, 2026View source witnesses, and a self-proving affidavit signed with it lets the court admit it without witness testimonyNH RSA 551:2Verified Oct 19, 2026View source.
Codicil to a Will
In New Hampshire, a codicil is signed before 2NH RSA 551:2Verified Oct 19, 2026View source witnesses, like a will, and the self-proving affidavit signed with it lets the court admit it without witness testimonyNH RSA 551:2-a; RSA 21:22Verified Oct 25, 2026View source.
Tools for Planning Your Estate in New Hampshire
Free tools for planning your estate in New Hampshire: will and trust costs, trust or TOD deed, and the signing rules. Run each tool for New Hampshire.
Do I Need a Vehicle TOD?
New Hampshire does not offer a transfer-on-death designation on a vehicle title; a vehicle passes by will, trust, joint title, or probate.
How Much Is the Federal Gift Tax?
Whether a gift owes federal gift tax, how much of the annual exclusion and lifetime exemption it uses, and whether Form 709 is due.
What Does Estate Planning Actually Cost?
An attorney-prepared revocable trust in New Hampshire runs $3,360Estimate: 10 hours at $336, Clio's New Hampshire Trusts rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source to $5,040Estimate: 15 hours at $336, Clio's New Hampshire Trusts rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source and a simple will $1,080Estimate: 3 hours at $360, Clio's New Hampshire Wills and Estates rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source to $2,160Estimate: 6 hours at $360, Clio's New Hampshire Wills and Estates rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source, against $0 to $549 up front plus a subscription with an online service.
How Much Life Insurance Do I Need?
In New Hampshire, four years at a public university cost about $120,152NCES Digest of Education Statistics 2023, Table 330.20, public 4-year in-state tuition, fees, room and board, academic year 2022-23Verified Oct 17, 2026View source and the cost of living is near the U.S. averageBEA Regional Price Parities, all items, by state, 2024Verified Oct 17, 2026View source; no state estate or inheritance tax appliesNo state estate or inheritance tax. The inheritance tax (RSA Ch. 86, Legacy & Succession Tax) was repealed outright for deaths on or after 1/1/2003 ("Repealed 2002, 232:14, II, eff. Jan. 1, 2003."). The estate tax (RSA Ch. 87) remains codified but is void by its own terms: RSA 87:9 ("Chapter Void, When.") provides that "[t]his chapter shall become void and of no effect in respect to the estates of persons who die subsequent to the effective date of the repeal of ... that portion of such provisions that allow a credit for state death taxes against the decedent’s federal estate tax." The IRC § 2011 credit was terminated for decedents dying after 12/31/2004 (replaced by the § 2058 deduction, Pub. L. 107-16 § 532(d)) and § 2011 was formally repealed by Pub. L. 113-295 (Dec. 19, 2014), so no New Hampshire estate tax is due for deaths on or after 1/1/2005.Verified Sep 15, 2026View source.
Are My Beneficiary Designations Protected?
New Hampshire does not revoke an ex-spouse as beneficiary at divorceRSA 551:13; RSA 563-D:14Verified Sep 15, 2026View source; employer plans under ERISA follow federal rules either way, so a 401(k) beneficiary changes only by a new designation.
How Do I Sign Estate Documents?
In New Hampshire, a will is signed before 2NH RSA 551:2Verified Oct 19, 2026View source witnesses, and notarization is not requiredNH RSA 551:2Verified Oct 19, 2026View source.
Will My Estate Documents Transfer?
New Hampshire recognizes a will signed under the law of the place where it was signedNH RSA 551:5Verified Oct 19, 2026View source; a will signed in New Hampshire itself needs 2NH RSA 551:2Verified Oct 19, 2026View source witnesses, and notarization is not requiredNH RSA 551:2Verified Oct 19, 2026View source.
How Much Does Probate Cost?
Probate on a $500,000 estate in New Hampshire costs an estimated $26,585NH Circuit Court Probate Division Rule 88 (reasonable compensation for work, responsibility, and risk; no statutory percentage)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source. Attorney fees run 2%Modeled estimate under NH Circuit Court Probate Division Rule 88 (reasonable compensation for work, responsibility, and risk; no statutory percentage): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source to 3.2%Modeled estimate under NH Circuit Court Probate Division Rule 88 (reasonable compensation for work, responsibility, and risk; no statutory percentage): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source of the estate under a reasonable-compensation standard.
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New Hampshire Estate Planning Resources
In-depth guides covering New Hampshire probate laws, trust requirements, and estate planning strategies.