Current through Chapter 381 of the 2024 Legislative Session
Section 651-B:11 - Registration FeeI. An offender shall pay a fee of $50 to the department within 10 days of the registration that occurs within the month of the anniversary of his or her birth. Such payment shall be made in person or shall be mailed to the department. The department shall retain $40 of this amount to be used to defray the costs of maintaining the sex offender registry. Such funds shall be nonlapsing and shall be continually appropriated to the department for such use. The department shall forward the remaining $10 to the law enforcement agency which registered the offender within the month of the anniversary of the offender's birth to defray any costs associated with implementing the provisions of this chapter. The department shall forward these fees to the registering law enforcement agencies in a manner determined by the department but no less frequently than once a year.II. An offender who cannot afford to pay the fee shall, within 10 days of registration, request a waiver of the fee and a hearing on the matter before the commissioner. In order to be considered for a waiver, the offender shall submit a financial affidavit on a form provided by the department. The division may at its discretion request such a waiver on behalf of an offender. If such a request is made, the commissioner shall promptly schedule and conduct a hearing pursuant to rules adopted under RSA 541-A, unless the commissioner or commissioner's designee determines a hearing is not necessary and waives the fee based on the offender's financial affidavit, or at the written request of the division. At the hearing, the burden shall be on the offender to prove that he or she is indigent. The offender may appeal the commissioner's decision to the superior court. Under no circumstances shall the offender's request for a hearing or indigency relieve the offender of the obligation to register as required pursuant to this chapter.III. Notwithstanding RSA 651-B:9, an offender who violates the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a violation for a first offense and a misdemeanor for a second or subsequent offense.