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New Hampshire · Knowledge test

The NH driving age, step by step

You can start practicing with a licensed adult before you’re old enough for a license, and the NH driving age for the license itself comes half a year later. Between then and 21, a few more rules switch on and off with your age.

  • 15½Youngest age to practice driving
  • 16Youngest age to apply for a license
  • 18Age the youth night and passenger limits end
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Updated November 2026 · Written from official sources, listed at the bottom of this page

What changes at each NH driving age?

From the Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) pages, the Driver’s Manual and state law:

AgeWhat changes
15½You can practice driving with a licensed adult and start your log
15 years, 9 monthsYou can start driver’s ed, or start sooner if you turn 16 by the last class
16You can apply for a license, and you get a Youth Operator License
16, licensedWith driver’s ed and a New Hampshire license, you can get a motorcycle learner’s permit
Under 18You need driver’s ed, the log and a parent’s written permission
18The youth night and passenger limits end, and you can apply for a commercial driver’s license (CDL)
Under 20A conviction can bring a youth license suspension
21Your Youth Operator License expires on your birthday

Until 21, a lower alcohol limit applies than for adults, and the driving laws page gives both.

Read the driving laws →Read about the CDL test →See the driver’s ed rules →See the practice rules →See the motorcycle permit →

At 18 and older

At 18, the under-18 phone ban ends, and you don’t need a supervised log. The youth night and passenger limits end then too, under New Hampshire’s Revised Statutes Annotated (RSA) 263:14.

See the license steps →
Sources: New Hampshire Division of Motor Vehicles · New Hampshire General Court and 3 more. Checked November 2026.

Rules and fees can change, so check the official site before your test.

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