New Hampshire · Knowledge testWhat do NH driving laws say about phones?
New Hampshire’s Revised Statutes Annotated (RSA) 265:79-c bans using a hand-held electronic device while you drive, including when you’re stopped at a light or held up for a moment in traffic. That covers calls, texts, browsing and typing into a GPS, and holding a phone near your ear counts as being on a call.
Drivers under 18 may not use a phone at all, hands-free or not, except to report an emergency to 911 or another public safety agency. Drivers over 18 may use hands-free or built-in devices, as long as their attention stays on the road.
Seat belts, child seats and helmets
The law requires:
- Everyone under 18 to wear a safety belt or ride in a child safety seat, with exceptions such as vehicles carrying passengers for hire, some school buses, antique vehicles built without belts and motorcycles
- A child under 7 who is less than 57 inches tall to ride in a child passenger restraint that meets U.S. Department of Transportation standards
- Motorcycle riders and passengers under 18 to wear a helmet approved by the U.S. Department of Transportation
The manual highly recommends safety belts for drivers and passengers of all ages.
What are the speed limits in NH?
The manual gives these maximum limits:
| Where | Limit |
|---|---|
| Business or urban residence district | 30 mph |
| Rural residence district | 35 mph |
| Other roads | 45 or 55 mph |
| Divided interstates and turnpikes | 65 mph |
| I-93, mile 45 to the Vermont border | 70 mph |
The 65 mph limit is for divided stretches of 4 or more lanes. The lowest speed allowed on an interstate is 45 mph, unless the road or weather makes that unsafe. In a posted school zone, the limit is 10 mph below the usual one from 45 minutes before school opens until it opens, and from closing until 45 minutes after. Limits are set for ideal conditions, so slow down when the road, the weather or the traffic calls for it.
Alcohol and drugs
A driver 21 or older is legally intoxicated at a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08% or more. A first conviction for impaired driving is a Class B misdemeanor with a fine of at least $500, and you must complete an approved impaired driver education program before your driving privileges are restored.
Under implied consent, driving in New Hampshire means you’ve agreed to a blood, breath or urine test if you’re arrested for an alcohol or drug offense, and refusing may cost you your driving privileges. Under 21, you may not carry alcohol anywhere in the car unless a parent, legal guardian or legal-age spouse is with you.
Snow, ice and loads
Jessica’s Law, in force from 2002, makes you clear all snow and ice off your vehicle before you drive. If snow or ice on a vehicle endangers people or property, the driver may be found guilty of negligent driving (RSA 265:79-b), with a fine of $250 to $500 for a first offense.
A load must be fastened so nothing can slide, shift, fall or sift onto the road or blow off. Trailers need fenders or mud guards, properly inflated tires, and working tail, stop, turn signal, plate and side marker lights and reflectors.
Emergency vehicles and Sherrill’s Law
When an emergency vehicle comes from any direction with its siren or flashing lights on, pull to the right side of the road and stop until it has passed, without blocking an intersection. Don’t follow a fire truck that’s sounding its siren or flashing its lights closer than 500 feet, and don’t drive or park in the block where one has stopped for a fire alarm.
Sherrill’s Law (RSA 265:37-a) covers crashes, fires, roadwork, police stops and any stopped vehicle showing hazard lights, flares or cones. Slow down, give them a wide berth if you can do it safely, and leave any blocked lane as soon as you can.
Insurance and crashes
New Hampshire has no law making car insurance mandatory. If you have a crash without insurance, though, you can be held responsible for all the damage and medical bills, and if you can’t pay, the DMV must suspend your driving privileges until there’s a settlement. You may then have to carry insurance for several years, through an SR-22 certificate filed by an insurance company.
A crash with a death, an injury or combined property damage over $1,000 has to be reported to the DMV, unless a police officer investigated it. Use the Operator Accident Report (DSMV 400), from any DMV office, the DMV’s website or a police department.
Sources: New Hampshire Division of Motor Vehicles and 1 more. Checked November 2026.
- New Hampshire Division of Motor Vehicles: New Hampshire Driver’s Manual (PDF) ↗
- New Hampshire Division of Motor Vehicles: Driver licensing requirements for minors ↗
Rules and fees can change, so check the official site before your test.
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