New Hampshire · Knowledge testThe manual, the courses and the practice rules
| Option | Price | Free to use | Links |
|---|---|---|---|
| Official sources | |||
New Hampshire Driver’s ManualOfficial · PDFThe DMV’s manual for people learning to drive, in 11 study sections from licensing to sharing the road, then a 12th of fill-in questions. | Free | The whole manual, as a PDF | |
DMV page on learning to driveOfficial · web pageSets out who can supervise your practice before you’re licensed and which learners must take driver’s ed. | Free | The practice driving rules and why driver’s ed matters | |
| In person | |||
Approved driver education coursesIn person · driving schools and some high schoolsRun by commercial driver education schools and some public high schools, licensed by the DMV. Classes fill quickly, so the DMV suggests asking several months ahead. | Set by each school | Nothing free | |
Motorcycle rider education coursesIn person · state-approved rider trainingOpen to residents with a valid license of any class or who are eligible for a motorcycle permit. Finishing one can take the place of the permit test. | Tuition set by each course, up to a state limit | Nothing free | |
Prices and ratings checked November 2026.
Who needs NH driver’s ed?
New Hampshire’s Revised Statutes Annotated (RSA) 263:19 requires it before a license for anyone under 18. The DMV also requires it for non-US citizens living in New Hampshire for a time who have no driving experience, and it recommends a course to anyone learning to drive for the first time.
A course taken in another state can count when the state finds it close enough to New Hampshire’s standards (RSA 263:20); the DMV’s Driver Education office at (603) 227-4075 handles these. If no transport is readily available to and from school and the course would cause undue hardship, the DMV’s director may also allow a license for school travel at 16 or 17 without driver’s ed (RSA 263:21).
Under the DMV’s rule Saf-C 3110, you must be 15 years and 9 months old by the first class, or turn 16 by the last one.
What an approved course includes
By state law and the DMV’s rules, a course has at least:
- 30 hours of classroom instruction with a certified driver education instructor
- 10 hours of practice driving with a certified instructor
- 6 hours of driving observation with a certified instructor
The classroom part includes 45 minutes of a motorcycle safety course and 45 minutes on tractor-trailer safety. On top of the course, you log supervised practice with a parent or another adult before you can apply.
Can you take NH driver’s ed online?
Partly. State law lets up to 15 of the 30 classroom hours come from an online driver education course. That rule covers classroom hours, so the practice driving and observation hours stay with a certified instructor.
A study plan for the knowledge test
Six steps through the Driver’s Manual:
- Read sections 1 and 2 for practice driving, the tests and the youth operator rules.
- Give section 3, on fatigue, distraction, alcohol and drugs, a careful read.
- Learn the sign colors and shapes in section 6, then the signs and pavement markings one by one.
- Write down the numbers: following distance, signaling distances, parking distances and speed limits.
- Read section 11 on pedestrians, bicyclists, trucks and emergency vehicles.
- Finish with the manual’s own questions, checked the way the manual page explains.
Sources: New Hampshire Division of Motor Vehicles · New Hampshire General Court and 3 more. Checked November 2026.
- New Hampshire Division of Motor Vehicles: Driver education ↗
- New Hampshire Division of Motor Vehicles: Learning to drive ↗
- New Hampshire Division of Motor Vehicles: Driver licensing requirements for minors ↗
- New Hampshire General Court: RSA chapter 263, Drivers’ Licenses ↗
- New Hampshire Division of Motor Vehicles: New Hampshire Driver’s Manual (PDF) ↗
Rules and fees can change, so check the official site before your test.
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