Auto Insurance Minimums for New Hampshire

In the state of New Hampshire, you are required by law to have minimum liability insurance coverage of 25/50/25.  This ratio translates into $25K of Liability Bodily Injury insurance coverage per person, $50K of Liability Bodily Injury coverage per accident, and $25K of Property Damage insurance coverage.  The New Hampshire Insurance Department strongly suggests that you purchase at least this in addition to uninsured/underinsured motorist protection (UM/UIM).  While this may seem like a lot, it is very easy to find reasonable auto insurance quotes so long as you spend the little time necessary to shop for them.

These amounts of coverage are suggested because approximately 11% of New Hampshire motorists are uninsured; this means that 107,000 drivers defy state law and put you at risk.  This does not include the thousands of other drivers that are inadequately covered.

If you are caught driving without insurance and are at-fault in an accident the New Hampshire Division of Motor Vehicles requires that you post a bond or cash for the amount of damage you caused.  Then you must buy the minimum coverage; if you don’t you will not be able to legally drive in New Hampshire.
Purchasing insurance is simple.  Using resources like Save Today you can easily find affordable auto insurance quotes to suit your needs.  The average cost of insurance in New Hampshire is $1,327 per year, which is not much considering the potential financial and emotional strain of the alternative. 

New Hampshire DUI Law

New Hampshire has a zero tolerance policy for driving under the influence. Even first time offenders can have their license suspended for as many as two years. Jail time is also a possibility. New Hampshire has taken strides toward cracking down on drunk drivers, and as a result, the number of fatalities caused by drunk driving has declined.

The blood alcohol content limit (BAC) for New Hampshire drivers is 0.08%; however, there may be additional penalties for driving with a BAC of 0.15% or higher.

If you are arrested for drunk driving in the state of New Hampshire, you will face license suspension for 9 months to two years, during which time you may not obtain a limited license. You must also pay a $500 dollar fee, and you may even have to serve jail time for ten days (or however long a judge sees fit).

New Hampshire Teen Driving Laws/Auto Insurance Requirements

As with too many other states, accident-related teen fatalities in New Hampshire are much higher than accident-related fatalities for other age groups. Many of these accidents take place at night. That’s why New Hampshire has established special night time driving restrictions for teenagers. New Hampshire also follows the Graduated Driver Licensing program (GDL).

New Hampshire’s GDL system requires teens to follow two steps in receiving an unrestricted license, rather than three steps, which is standard amongst most states. At 15 and a half, a teen may practice driving with a parent/guardian’s consent. At 16, and after passing a driver’s test, vision test, and having 20 hours of supervised driving, a teen may apply for a Youth Operator License (YOP). A teen must have also taken a driver education course to obtain the YOP. Teens in possession of a YOP may not drive without supervision between 1 am and 5 am, and may not carry more than one passenger under the age of 25.

After 13 months (or if the teen turns 18 first) night time driving restrictions will be lifted. After six months (or if the teen turns 18 first) the passenger restrictions will be lifted. Teens must follow these restrictions and keep a clean driving record in order to gain unrestricted licensure.

Teens in New Hampshire may not drive with a BAC of 0.02% or higher. This is approximately the amount found in just one drink—although it may be even less than that for some people. If a teen is arrested for a DUI their license may be suspended, they may have to attend a course on drunk driving, and may have to pay fines up to $500.

Teens must drive with the same liability insurance that is required of adults in the state of New Hampshire.