New Hampshire driving law, answered
Every answer here comes from New Hampshire Driver's Manual and, where the manual is silent, the New Hampshire Revised Statutes: RSA 259: Words and Phrases Defined, RSA 261: Certificates of Title and Registration of Vehicles, RSA 262: Antitheft Laws, Offenses, Penalties, Habitual Offenders, RSA 263: Drivers' Licenses, RSA 264: Accidents and Financial Responsibility, RSA 265: Rules of the Road, RSA 265-A: Alcohol or Drug Impairment, RSA 266: Equipment of Vehicles, RSA 179: Enforcement Provisions (Alcoholic Beverages), with the page or the section it is in.
Statutes fetched on 8 October 2026; manuals fetched on 14 September 2026. How the answers are made
How far from a fire hydrant must you park?
It is illegal to park within 15 feet of a fire hydrant. A fire crew has to get a hose onto the hydrant from both sides, and a car in the way costs them minutes.
Within 15 feet of a fire hydrant
As of 14 Sep 2026
How far from a crosswalk at an intersection must you park?
It is illegal to park within 20 feet of a crosswalk at an intersection. A car parked at the corner hides a pedestrian stepping off it until the moment they are in front of you.
Within 20 feet of a crosswalk at an intersection
As of 14 Sep 2026
May you park in or near an intersection?
It is illegal to park in front of a driveway, on a sidewalk, in an intersection or on a crosswalk. Each of these is somebody else’s way through, and a car parked in it forces them into the road.
In front of a driveway
As of 14 Sep 2026
How far from a stop sign or traffic signal must you park?
It is illegal to park within 30 feet of a stop sign, yield sign or traffic control signal. A parked car in front of a sign hides it from the driver who most needs to read it.
Within 30 feet of a stop sign, yield sign or traffic control signal
As of 14 Sep 2026
How far from a railroad crossing must you park?
It is illegal to park within 50 feet of the nearest rail of a railroad crossing. A train overhangs the rails by some way, and a car parked close is inside the space the train uses.
Within 50 feet of the nearest rail of a railroad crossing
As of 14 Sep 2026
How far from a fire station driveway must you park?
It is illegal to park within 20 feet of the driveway entrance to any fire station, or within 75 feet on the opposite side of the street. A fire truck leaving a station needs to swing wide across the street, and the far side is where it ends up.
Within 20 feet of the driveway entrance to any fire station or within 75 feet on the opposite side of the street
As of 14 Sep 2026
How close to the curb must you park?
II. Except when otherwise provided by local ordinance, every vehicle stopped or parked upon a one-way roadway shall be so stopped or parked parallel to the curb or edge of the roadway, in the direction of authorized traffic movement with its right-hand wheels within 12 inches of the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway, or its left-hand wheels within 12 inches of the left-hand curb or edge of the roadway.
New Hampshire law, N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 265:71(II)
As of 8 Oct 2026
When must you stop for a school bus with flashing red lights?
Drivers must stop at least 25 feet in any direction for a school bus stopped with its red lights flashing or its stop arm extended. Children cross in front of a stopped bus where the driver cannot see them, and 25 feet is the room that keeps them alive.
Drivers must stop at least 25-feet in any direction for a school bus that is stopped with its red lights flashing and/or the stop arm extended at all times unless the roadway is separated by a physical barrier.
As of 14 Sep 2026
What must you do when passing a stopped emergency vehicle with flashing lights?
A driver approaching a highway emergency must maintain a reduced speed and, if practical, give a wide berth to public safety personnel, persons in the roadway and vehicles displaying warning lights. A wide berth costs seconds and buys the working space that keeps a responder from being struck.
Maintain a reduced speed and if practical give a wide berth, without endangering oncoming traffic, to public safety personnel
As of 14 Sep 2026
How far behind a fire truck answering an alarm may you follow?
Drivers must not follow a fire truck closer than 500 feet when it is sounding a siren or operating flashing lights. Following a fire truck to get through traffic puts a car where the crew will be stepping out.
Drivers must not follow a fire truck closer than 500 feet when it is sounding a siren or operating flashing lights.
As of 14 Sep 2026
When must you turn on your headlights?
New Hampshire law requires every motor vehicle driven from 1/2 hour after sunset to 1/2 hour before sunrise to display at least 2 lighted lamps on the front. The half-hour either side covers the part of dusk when a driver can still see but cannot be seen.
New Hampshire law requires every motor vehicle driven during the period from 1/2 hour after sunset to 1/2 hour before sunrise
As of 14 Sep 2026
How far from an oncoming vehicle must you dim your high beams?
The driver of any vehicle upon approaching, overtaking or while following within a distance of approximately 150 feet of another vehicle on a way during the period from 1/2 hour after sunset to 1/2 hour before sunrise shall dim his headlights.
New Hampshire law, N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 265:114
As of 8 Oct 2026
Who must wear a seat belt?
New Hampshire law requires anyone less than 18 years of age to be properly restrained by a safety belt or secured in a child safety seat. This is the rule that actually carries a penalty here, and it covers every young passenger whether they are in the front or the back.
New Hampshire law requires anyone less than 18 years of age to be properly restrained by a safety belt or secured in a child safety seat with the following exceptions:
As of 14 Sep 2026
When must a child ride in a car seat?
A child less than 7 years old and less than 57 inches in height must be secured in a child passenger restraint meeting US Department of Transportation safety standards. Both halves have to be true for the seat to be optional, so a tall six-year-old still needs one and so does a short eight-year-old.
A child less than 7 years old and less than 57 inches in height must be properly fastened and secured in a child passenger restraint which complies with the safety standards of the United States Department of Transportation.
As of 14 Sep 2026
What is the legal blood alcohol limit for adult drivers?
A driver is considered legally intoxicated if their blood alcohol concentration is .08% or higher. Eight hundredths is where the law stops arguing about whether you are impaired and simply says you are.
It is considered legally intoxicated if a driver’s blood alcohol concentration is .08% or higher
As of 14 Sep 2026
What is the blood alcohol limit for drivers under 21?
For a driver under 21 years old, a blood alcohol concentration of .02% or higher is legally intoxicated. Under 21 there is no lawful drink before driving, so the limit is set where a test can barely detect one.
.02% or higher if the driver is under 21 years old.
As of 14 Sep 2026
May you use a handheld phone while driving?
Under RSA 265:79-c no person driving a moving vehicle, or temporarily halted in traffic, may use a hand-held mobile electronic device capable of voice or data communication. The law covers the moment at a red light as well as the moment at speed, because a driver stopped in traffic is about to be moving again.
no person, while driving a moving motor vehicle upon a way or temporarily halted in traffic for a traffic control device, or other momentary delay, shall use any hand-held mobile electronic device capable of providing voice or data communication, including but not limited to:
As of 14 Sep 2026
How far before a turn must you signal?
Drivers should signal at least 100 feet before a turn. A hundred feet is about seven car lengths, which is enough for the driver behind to read the signal and lift off.
Drivers should signal at least 100 feet before a turn
As of 14 Sep 2026
May you turn right on a red light?
A driver may make a right turn on a red signal only if there is no sign prohibiting a right turn on red. The turn is allowed by default here, so the thing to look for is the sign that takes it away.
Drivers may make a right turn on a red signal ONLY IF there is no sign prohibiting a right turn on red.
As of 14 Sep 2026
What is the speed limit in a school zone?
In a posted school zone the speed limit is 10 miles per hour below the usual posted speed limit. The reduction is relative, so a driver has to know the ordinary limit for that road before they know the school-zone one.
the speed limit is 10 miles per hour (mph) below the usual posted speed limit
As of 14 Sep 2026
When may you pass another vehicle on the right?
III. The driver of a vehicle may overtake and pass another vehicle upon the right only under conditions permitting such movement in safety. Such movement shall not be made by driving off the roadway.
New Hampshire law, N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 265:19(III)
As of 8 Oct 2026
May you have an open container of alcohol in the car?
II. Except as provided in paragraph V, no driver shall transport, carry, possess, or have any liquor or beverage within the passenger area of any motor vehicle or OHRV upon any way in this state except in the original container and with the seal unbroken. Securely capped partially filled containers of liquor or beverages shall be stored and transported in the trunk of the motor vehicle or OHRV. If the motor vehicle or OHRV does not have a trunk, such containers shall be stored and transported in that compartment or area of the vehicle or OHRV which is the least accessible to the driver.
New Hampshire law, N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 265-A:44(II)
As of 8 Oct 2026
How old must you be to get a learner's permit?
A person at least 15 ½ years of age who holds no driver’s license may drive while being taught, when accompanied by a qualifying adult. Fifteen and a half is the floor. Below it there is no lawful way to practice on the road, whoever is sitting alongside.
New Hampshire law allows a person at least 15 ½ years of age, who does not possess a driver’s license, to drive a motor vehicle while being taught to drive
As of 14 Sep 2026
How long must you hold a learner's permit before a license?
New Hampshire does not issue permits to learn to drive. There is no card to carry here. What lets a learner drive is the adult in the passenger seat, not a document in their pocket.
New Hampshire does not issue permits to learn to drive
As of 14 Sep 2026
Who must ride with you when you drive on a learner's permit?
A learner practicing must be accompanied by a parent, legal guardian, or a licensed driver who is 25 years of age or older. An older sibling with a fresh license is still learning themselves, and cannot see the trouble coming in time to say so.
accompanied by a parent; legal guardian; or a responsible adult who is 25 years of age or older, and who is a licensed driver.
As of 14 Sep 2026
What hours may a provisional driver not drive?
The holder of a Youth Operator license under 18 may not drive between the hours of 1:00 am and 4:00 am. Those three hours are when a young driver is most likely to be tired, and least likely to be going anywhere that cannot wait.
shall NOT operate a motor vehicle: • Between the hours of 1:00 am and 4:00 am
As of 14 Sep 2026
How many passengers may a new provisional driver carry?
During the first six months holding the license, a Youth Operator under 18 may not carry more than one passenger under 25 who is not family, unless a licensed adult at least 25 is with them. A car full of friends is the loudest thing a new driver has ever had to ignore, and the first six months is when they are least able to.
during the first six (6) months holding the license
As of 14 Sep 2026
What is the penalty for littering from a vehicle?
IV. Any person who violates any provision of this section shall be guilty of a violation if a natural person, or guilty of a misdemeanor if any other person.
New Hampshire law, N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 265:102(IV)
As of 8 Oct 2026
What is the fine for a first drunk-driving conviction?
A first conviction for impaired driving carries a fine of not less than $500. Five hundred dollars is the floor, not the whole cost. Insurance and the loss of the license cost far more than the fine.
fined not less than $500
As of 14 Sep 2026
How long is your license suspended for a first drunk-driving conviction?
A first conviction for impaired driving may bring a loss of driving privileges for a period of 9 months to 2 years. Most of a year without a license is what the first offense actually costs, and that is before the second one is considered.
may face a loss of driving privileges for a period of 9 months to 2 years
As of 14 Sep 2026
Who must wear a protective helmet while operating or riding a motorcycle?
New Hampshire law requires all riders and passengers under the age of 18 to wear helmets approved by the United States Department of Transportation. Above eighteen it is a choice here, which makes the age worth knowing exactly rather than assuming the rule covers everybody.
New Hampshire law requires all riders and passengers under the age of 18 to wear helmets approved by the United States Department of Transportation.
As of 14 Sep 2026
How much light must a tinted side or rear window let through?
III. It shall be unlawful to drive on any way any motor vehicle registered in this state which has after market tinting on the windshield. Where after market tinting is applied to windows to the rear of the driver, outside rear view mirrors shall be required on both the left and right side of the vehicle for the use of the driver and a front seat passenger. The light transmittance of after-market tinted windows to the left and right of the driver where they are allowed shall not be less than 70 percent, and the light transmittance of after-market tinted rear windows where they are allowed shall not be less than 35 percent, except that the light transmittance of after market tinted rear windows of multipurpose passenger vehicles, as defined in 49 C.F.R. section 571.3 and pickup trucks may be such percentage as is allowed by 49 C.F.R. section 571.205 with respect to pre-market tinted rear windows.
New Hampshire law, N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 266:58-a(III)
As of 8 Oct 2026
How much distance must you leave when passing a bicycle?
A driver must leave a reasonable and prudent distance between the vehicle and a bicycle, which is presumed reasonable at 3 feet when traveling at 30 miles per hour or less. Three feet is the room a bicycle needs to swerve round a pothole without being hit doing it.
The distance shall be presumed to be reasonable and prudent if it is at least 3 feet when the vehicle is traveling at 30 miles per hour or less
As of 14 Sep 2026
Must a vehicle driving slower than other traffic keep to the right lane?
II. Upon all roadways any vehicle proceeding at less than the normal speed of traffic at the time and place and under the conditions then existing shall be driven in the right-hand lane then available for traffic, or as close as practicable to the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway, except when overtaking and passing another vehicle proceeding in the same direction or when preparing for a left turn at an intersection or into a private road or driveway.
New Hampshire law, N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 265:16(II)
As of 8 Oct 2026
What is the minimum liability insurance coverage for bodily injury or death of one person and property damage?
I. Indemnity for or protection to the insured and any person responsible to the insured for the operation of the insured's motor vehicle, trailer, or semi-trailer who has obtained possession or control thereof with the insured's express or implied consent, against loss by reason of the liability to pay damages to others for damage to property, except property of others in charge of the insured or his or her employees, or bodily injuries, including death at any time resulting therefrom, accidentally sustained during the term of said policy by any person other than the insured, or employees of the insured actually operating the motor vehicle or such other persons who are entitled to payments or benefits under the provisions of any workers' compensation act arising out of the ownership, operation, maintenance, control, or use within the limits of the United States of America, its territories or possessions, and the Dominion of Canada of such motor vehicle, trailer, or semi-trailer, to the amount or limit of at least $25,000 on account of injury to or death of any one person, and subject to such limit as respects injury or death of one person, of at least $50,000 on account of any one accident resulting in injury to or death of more than one person, and at least $25,000 for damage to property of others, as herein provided, or a binder pending the issuance of such a policy or an existing policy, as defined in RSA 264:14, RSA 264:18, and RSA 264:19.
New Hampshire law, N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 259:61(I)
As of 8 Oct 2026
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