Get an official duplicate when the New Hampshire card is missing

Determine whether the missing document needs replacement or renewal

A lost, stolen, or destroyed New Hampshire driver license should be handled through the duplicate credential instructions. The state explains that a driver must carry the license when operating a motor vehicle. A photograph of the old card or a booking confirmation for a future appointment should not be assumed to provide the same authority as an officially issued replacement or temporary license.

First check the expiration and record status. If renewal is due, the renewal process may be the appropriate service to discuss with DMV. If privileges have been suspended or revoked, the restoration process must be addressed separately. Replacing a piece of plastic does not remove an expired term or an unresolved record withdrawal. Explain the actual combination of circumstances before paying for a transaction.

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Check whether the online duplicate service fits the record

The duplicate page says that a person with an image on file may use the official online service for the ordinary license or nondriver ID replacement. The permanent card is mailed to the New Hampshire mailing address in the process. Start with the state's online-services directory and select the duplicate option rather than a renewal application or a private service claiming to reproduce a license.

Review the identifying information and delivery address before completing the request. Online availability does not imply that all name, photograph, class, or status changes can be made within the same transaction. If the service cannot verify eligibility, use the alternate instructions instead of repeatedly entering guessed information. Save the confirmation number and issued-document instructions so a delivery inquiry can be tied to the correct request.

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Prepare the application for an office appointment

The Application for a Duplicate Driver License or Non-Driver ID Card, DSMV 637 asks for the credential type, reason for the duplicate, and identifying information. Complete the legal and mailing address fields accurately and sign the application as instructed. The form includes certifications concerning driving status for a license applicant; those should be read carefully before signing.

The Appointments and Services page lists online, drop-box, and appointment routes for ordinary duplicates. When requesting an appointment, follow the duplicate page's instruction to bring the completed signed form and appropriate fee. The office directory identifies current facilities and services. Do not assume a branch offering licensing appointments can resolve every special title, commercial, or restoration matter during the same visit.

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Budget for the duplicate fee and distinguish other reprints

The licensing fee page and duplicate form list $20 for a duplicate driver license or nondriver ID. The 2026 fee notice is useful when comparing that amount with other current services. An address-only reprint has a separate listed charge, but its eligibility depends on the circumstances described by DMV. The cheapest reprint category is not automatically available when the old card has been lost.

The personal-information update instructions specifically say that a person unable to provide a copy of the current license because it is lost or stolen must use the duplicate process instead of the $10 address-change replacement. Identify both the loss and any move in the application. Otherwise, the replacement may be sent to an old address or the request may be based on the wrong fee category.

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Use the temporary duplicate procedure while away from New Hampshire

A resident temporarily outside the state may request a temporary duplicate by mail if an image is on file. The duplicate instructions require the signed duplicate application, the Temporarily Away form giving the out-of-state address, and the appropriate fee. The DMV forms directory provides the required temporary-address form. If no image is on file, the agency says the duplicate cannot be obtained through that mail process.

Mail the packet to Driver Licensing at 23 Hazen Drive, Concord, NH 03305 under the published instructions. DMV sends a temporary duplicate valid for six months to the supplied out-of-state address. This is a defined replacement route for a resident temporarily away, not a method to avoid transferring a license after establishing residence in another state. Provide an address where the issued temporary document can actually be received.

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Complete the permanent-card step after returning

The temporary-away duplicate procedure has a follow-up requirement on return to New Hampshire. DMV directs the person to submit a new duplicate form through the drop-box service, with a note explaining the return and a photocopy of the temporary license. The permanent card is then mailed. Retain the temporary document and the original request details until that final issuance is resolved.

Do not confuse this process with the six-month extension for an expiring license while away. One addresses the missing document and the other an approaching expiration under its own eligibility rules. Someone who has both problems should describe both to Driver Licensing. The military personnel page may provide a different mail procedure for eligible members and spouses stationed or deployed outside the state.

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Handle a legal name change through the correct evidence review

If the replacement should reflect a new legal name, use the state's name-change instructions rather than merely typing a different name into the duplicate form. DMV requires an in-person appointment and legal documentation for the ordinary name-change route. A marriage certificate, divorce decree, or other court document must support the actual name requested. The agency also takes a new photograph and signature under that process.

The appointment documentation page and REAL ID evidence list can help identify any additional identity history needed. A duplicate of a standard license is not automatically an upgrade to REAL ID. The first compliant-card issuance requires the applicable document review. Decide whether the goal is replacing the existing credential, changing a legal record, or upgrading the identification standard before reserving a service.

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Use the commercial replacement route for a CDL

The duplicate guidance treats a commercial license separately and identifies the commercial application rather than DSMV 637 for that transaction. It also describes a temporary-away commercial procedure. Use the license service directory to reach the commercial instructions and confirm the current medical-certification record requirements for the driver's operating category. Commercial qualification questions should not be answered solely from the ordinary operator duplicate screen.

If the replacement involves a hazardous-materials endorsement, class change, or other qualification issue, review the relevant class and endorsement information with DMV. An employer's need for a card quickly does not itself resolve an incomplete licensing record. Provide the existing CDL information and explain the missing-document issue so the office can distinguish a straightforward duplicate from a transaction needing additional review.

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Protect the transaction record and inspect the replacement

Keep copies of the application and the agency's confirmation, without circulating a full identity document unnecessarily. If theft is suspected, retain any relevant report and describe the incident accurately in the duplicate request. Use the official contact page for a delayed or incorrect issuance rather than providing identifying information through an unsolicited message claiming to fix the license.

On receipt, compare the replacement's name, date of birth, class, restrictions, and expiration with the current record. Report a discrepancy promptly with the transaction number and the incorrect field identified. Avoid assuming that a new-looking card proves a previously unresolved suspension is gone. The replacement is useful when it accurately documents the existing valid privileges and reaches the person entitled to hold it.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Which form does New Hampshire identify for an ordinary duplicate driver license?
DSMV 637 is the duplicate application for an ordinary driver license or nondriver ID card.

What duplicate fee does New Hampshire list for an ordinary driver license?
The published duplicate form and licensing fee page list $20.

Can a temporarily absent New Hampshire resident receive a duplicate by mail without an image on file?
The state says its temporary mail-duplicate process is unavailable when the applicant has no DMV image on file.

How long is the New Hampshire temporary duplicate sent to an out-of-state address valid?
The duplicate instructions describe a six-month temporary credential, followed by the permanent-card procedure after returning.

Is the $10 New Hampshire address reprint available when the current card was lost?
The update instructions direct an applicant unable to provide the current-card copy because of loss or theft to the duplicate process instead.

Does ordering a duplicate New Hampshire license automatically upgrade it to REAL ID?
The first REAL ID issuance requires its separate in-person document review; a duplicate request alone does not perform that upgrade.

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More New Hampshire DMV guides

The other New Hampshire DMV guides, 52 of them:

Police reports in the largest New Hampshire counties, each with the local court and office that holds the file: Hillsborough, Rockingham, Merrimack, Strafford, Grafton and Cheshire.