New Hampshire sets annual oversight fees for state-chartered financial institutions

The banking commissioner will collect annual base fees and waive the regular examination fee for covered institutions. New Hampshire state-chartered banks, credit unions, trust companies, and similar entities will pay $23,000 annually. Family trust companies will pay $11,000. Institutions can still owe examination expenses, fees for investigations or nonregular examinations, and charges to cover banking department funding shortfalls. Annual base fees begin with the fiscal year starting July 1, 2027. The examination fee exemption covers regular examinations beginning on or after that date.

Financial institutions and credit businesses must pay the law’s filing and licensing fees. A new state bank or credit union charter costs $30,000. Applications for mergers, acquisitions, and certain other major approvals cost $7,500. Application and annual renewal fees are $1,000 for money transmitters and principal offices of small-loan lenders, mortgage bankers, and mortgage servicers; $750 for principal offices of mortgage brokers and debt-adjustment businesses; and $250 for mortgage loan originators. Small-loan branch application and renewal fees are $750. Mortgage branch application and renewal fees are $500. Debt-adjustment branch applications cost $500. Institution filing fees took effect October 1, 2026. License application and renewal fees in sections 19 through 28 take effect October 1, 2027.

Mortgage license applicants must meet criminal-history requirements. The rules cover felony convictions and guilty or no-contest pleas during the seven years before applying, with separate rules for financial crimes. An expunged conviction, meaning one cleared from the record, or a pardoned conviction does not automatically require denial. Felonies involving financial crimes, including fraud, theft, and money laundering, disqualify applicants regardless of age unless expunged or pardoned. Related misdemeanors also disqualify applicants. The commissioner may allow licensing when such a conviction occurred more than 10 years before the application. These criminal-history rules took effect October 1, 2026.

The banking commissioner may withdraw unanswered license applications. Money transmitters must follow examination, reporting, and public notice rules. Response rules cover mortgage businesses, small-loan businesses, debt-adjustment businesses, and money transmitters. Withdrawal is allowed when applicants fail to respond in writing to a department request, including one sent through the nationwide licensing system. Money transmitters must correct materially inaccurate or incomplete filings within 30 days. They have 30 days to review examination reports and explain corrective action, unless the commissioner allows more time for good cause. The commissioner may require translations or an interpreter at the money transmitter’s or authorized agent’s expense. Each agent location must display a certificate identifying the licensed money transmitter. These rules took effect October 1, 2026. Application response periods are 180 calendar days, except mortgage loan originators have 60 calendar days.

Credit unions must seek approval to switch to a federal charter. Trust companies must seek consent to modify approval conditions and follow director-review rules. A single transaction or related transactions transferring 10 to 50 percent of a trust company’s ownership, directly or indirectly, count as an ownership change. Trust companies must obtain the banking commissioner’s consent before modifying a condition attached to an earlier approval. New trust company directors must undergo background investigations. The commissioner may require criminal-record checks. The trust company pays investigation costs. Trust companies must report material changes in a director’s background, or information that could threaten safe operation, within 30 days of learning about them. These provisions took effect October 1, 2026. Credit unions must file their conversion applications within 10 days after the vote.