New Hampshire
Below is a list of the key highway safety laws in New Hampshire. For more information, contact the New Hampshire Highway Safety Agency.
| No state law |
Sources: National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) and State Highway Safety Offices.
| Handheld Ban | All Cell Phone Ban | Text Messaging Ban | Crash Data |
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| School Bus Drivers | Novice Drivers | All Drivers | School Bus Drivers | Novice Drivers | |||||
| Yes (Primary) |
Covered under all driver ban | ||||||||
Dealt with as a distracted driving issue; New Hampshire enacted a comprehensive distracted driving law.
Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Offices.
| Child Restraint Required unless indicated, # refers to Yrs.(Lbs.) |
Adult Safety Belt Permissible unless indicated, # refers to Yrs.(Lbs.) |
Maximum Fine 1st Offense |
| <5 (and <55") | 6 - 17 (or <6 and >55") | $50 |
Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Offices.
| Per Se Laws for Drugs (Forbidding Prohibited Substances in Driver's Body) | DEC/DRE Programs (Providing Law Enforcement Training) |
| Yes | |
Source: State Highway Safety Offices.
| Admin. License Suspen- sion on 1st Offense |
Limited Driving Privileges During Suspension | Inc. Penalty for High BAC | Open Container Laws | Repeat Offender Laws | Vehicle and License Plate Sanctions | Ignition Interlocks | Alcohol Exclusion Laws Limiting Treatment Opportunity | |
| 6 months | .16 | Yes | Yes | Mandatory for high BAC conviction | Yes | |||
Sources: Ensuring Solutions to Alcohol Problems, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) and State Highway Safety Offices.
| Learner Stage | Intermediate Stage | Full Privilege Min. Age (Yrs./Mos.) |
Required Supervised Driving Hours (Night Hours) |
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| Min. Age (Yrs./ Mos.) |
Min. Dura- tion (Mos.) |
Min. Age (Yrs./Mos.) |
Night- time Driving Restriction |
Passenger Restriction* (* family members exempt) |
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| 15 / 6 | None | 16 | 1 a.m. - 5 a.m. | First 6 mos.–no more than 1 pass. <25* | Night: 17 /1 | 40 (10) | |
| Pass: 16 / 6 | |||||||
Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Offices.
| Motorcyclists | Bicyclists | ||
| Universal Helmet Law (Year Enacted) | Partial Law | Universal Helmet Law Repealed | |
| <16 | |||
Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Offices.
| Length of Regular Renewal Cycle (Yrs.) | Provisions for Mature Drivers |
| 5 | >75 must take road test for renewal |
Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Offices.
| New Hampshire has enacted neither a primary nor a secondary seat belt law for adults, although the state does have a primary child passenger safety law that covers children under 18. |
Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway and State Highway Safety Offices.
| Permitted on Sidewalks/Bicycle Paths | Permitted on Roads | Helmets Required | Minimum Age | Pedestrian Laws Apply |
| Sidewalks | Yes | Yes | ||
Sources: Segway LLC and State Highway Safety Offices.
| Checkpoints Conducted? | Comments |
| Yes | Weekly, weather permitting |
Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Offices.
| Rural Interstates | Urban Interstates | Other Limited Access Roads | |||
| Cars (mph) |
Trucks (mph) |
Cars (mph) |
Trucks (mph) |
Cars (mph) |
Trucks (mph) |
| 65 | 65 | 65 | 65 | 55 | 55 |
Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Offices.
| State Law | Violations | Location | Citation Issued To / Liability |
Image / Privacy | Penalties (Traditional Penalties) | Defenses |
| Prohibited unless specific statutory authorization | Toll enforcement | |||||
Sources: National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Offices.
| Multiple of Original Fine | Violations Affected | Workers Must Be Present | |
| $250-$500 | Speeding | Yes | |
Sources: National Work Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse and State Highway Safety Offices.