New Hampshire Car Insurance (The Only Guide You’ll Ever Need)

Live free or die: Death is not the worst of evils. These were the words of General John Stark, the most famous soldier from New Hampshire during the Revolutionary War. It became—and still is—New Hampshire’s most cherished motto.

How? Think no seat belts. No mandatory car insurance. Freedom before regulations. Think driving in the snow and ice against whipping winds that lash windshields and pressure cars, their snow tires and chains, to stay on the rugged and hilly terrain.

It is a state that cherishes liberty before all else.

So, what does this all have to do with car insurance—the reason we’re all here today?

It’s simple: Car insurance may not be mandatory but it can save you from financial ruin. Car damage and medical bills can add up, and that’s not a situation anyone wants to be in. If you’re on this page today, you’re likely looking for car insurance for yourself, a family member, or a friend.

And you’ve come to the right place.

You may have found in your research that car insurance is confusing. There are technical terms, rates that seem arbitrary, and penalties for crimes you didn’t know about. You may have gotten a headache from beating your head against the wall.

We understand. We feel your pain.

In this guide, we cover all the important points—the coverages, the rates, the companies, the rules of the road, the traffic fatalities—and drill deep.

This is the car insurance guide to New Hampshire—the only guide you’ll ever need.

Strap on those snow tires. We’re heading out into the wild!

Ready to compare rates? Try our FREE online tool.

New Hampshire Car Insurance Coverage and Rates

Every inquisition into insurance starts with a question: What are the types of coverages and what are the rates I can get?

And of course—they are the two most important parts of car insurance, the ones that affect you the most personally.

In this section, we’ve got you covered.

Don’t understand what the core coverage costs are in New Hampshire or what they are compared to the national average? Don’t understand what the options are for additional liability like Med Pay and add-ons like personal umbrella policies?

We’ve got you covered.

New Hampshire’s Car Culture

The Hartford is an insurance company with some researchers; these researchers teamed up with AARP to deliver detailed reports on car cultures of states.

Here, we’ve got New Hampshire’s. What is the verdict?

New Hampshire drivers favor the obvious kind of vehicle: A truck or something with four-wheel drive, this to handle the ice, slush, and snow.

They also love their classic cars. An entire article in New Hampshire Magazine explores numerous car restorers and talks about the class car culture in the state.

There is the practical, and there is the cool. New Hampshire drivers have them both.

New Hampshire Minimum Coverage

Now, for that minimum coverage. New Hampshire does not require drivers to have auto insurance; it is one of three states in the country that don’t.

However, as the State of New Hampshire Insurance Department writes,

“New Hampshire Motor Vehicle Laws do not require you to carry Auto Insurance, but you must be able to demonstrate that you are able to provide sufficient funds to meet New Hampshire Motor Vehicle Financial Responsibility Requirements in the event of an “at-fault” accident.”

What does that mean?

In the end, if you’re found responsible for an accident, you’ll pay for the damages somehow: either through insurance or out-of-pocket.

Or else your driving privileges will be suspended.

If you select the safest route and get car insurance, minimum car insurance is 25/50/25 according to Nolo and AAA, a legal authority.

• $25,000 for the injuries or death of one person
• $50,000 for the injuries or death of more than one person
• $25,000 for property damage

This is liability insurance, which kicks in when you are found at-fault in an accident.

If you choose to buy personal auto insurance, you must legally get two more coverages: medical payments and uninsured/underinsured motorist.

Med Pay covers your medical bills if you are injured in an accident. $1,000 if the minimum amount you are required to purchase. UM/UIM covers your car if an uninsured motorist hits you. The requirements for UM/UIM are the same as the liability coverage: 25/50/25.

After that, you’re free and clear. You can always choose to not get insurance. However, just 10 percent of drivers in New Hampshire are uninsured according to the Insurance Information Institute.

It’s a financial risk to not have insurance. It can ruin someone financially with a major accident.

Forms of Financial Responsibility

You may ask: what happens if I get into an accident in New Hampshire?

The answer: it’s complicated.

At the end of the day, you need to show a form of financial responsibility. This proves you have the minimum liability requirements: 25/50/25, even if you don’t have insurance. There are a few ways to do this. Some of these come from the New Hampshire Revised Statutes, courtesy of Justia, which offers free access to laws.

• An insurance card, whether physical or electronic (according to Allstate)
• A certificate of insurance, possibly a continuous certificate
• A bond equal to the value of the liability coverage

The New Hampshire Statute 264.21 has one last way to prove insurance:

“By satisfying the director that any corporation has financial ability to comply with the requirements of this chapter.”

Of course, there are penalties if you don’t have proof. According to Statute 264.3, the government can suspend your license, take you registration, and take your plates.

Sounds like a very not fun time. There is, of course, a way to prove insurance that few will use: the SR-22. We’ll cover later, when we talk about high-risk drivers.

Premiums as a Percentage of Income

We understand: You most likelywant to pay the least amount possible for car insurance while getting the most value.

And that premium can cost hundreds, if not thousands of dollars. But is that the real impact?

Here, at insurantly.com, we have a statistic that shows real impact and answers this question: what is the percentage of your income you’re spending on premiums?

We call it premium as a percentage of income (PaPI). It turns out, New Hampshire residents pay the least of all surrounding states. And some of the lowest in the country.

These numbers and all raw numbers about car insurance (unless other specified) come from our partner Quadrant, who has the insider track on the insurance industry.

New Hampshire residents spend around 1.6 percent of their income on premiums. That’s almost .8 percent less than the average U.S. citizen.

New Hampshire residents pay .1-.2 less than its nearest competitor—Vermont—and lower than all three states.

Read more: Maine Car Insurance (The Only Guide You’ll Ever Need)

Average Monthly Car Insurance Rates in NH (Liability, Collision, Comprehensive)

You may have heard it before, bandied around my insurance agents or companies: core coverage. But what does it mean and why is it important?

Think about an HE3 atom (helium; three particles). It has one very weighty particle in the neutron and two protons.

Within car insurance, you have liability insurance, which is your neutron. But you have two additional coverages that complete the core.

Those are collision and comprehensive. Collision covers damages to your car in an accident and comprehensive covers everything but an accident.

The cost for all three is much cheaper than nationwide.

Liability is the most expensive, followed by collision, then comprehensive. Full coverage is almost $200 cheaper in New Hampshire than in the U.S. at large.

Additional Liability

However, insurance is contextual. If you have a specific context and need protection but don’t have it, you’ll pay out of pocket. That’s where additional liability comes in.

Here are some scenarios:

• You’re in an accident and you’ve gotten injured; your medical bills are piling up. You’ll want Med Pay.
• You’re in an accident and you’ve gotten injured and you’re losing money from not working. You’ll want PIP.
• You’re in an accident, an uninsured motorist has hit you, your car has $4,000 in damage. You’ll want UM/UIM.

Med Pay and UM/UIM we’ve covered. PIP is personal injury protection; this policy pays for your medical bills and reimburses your lost wages.

However — there’s always a however — sometimes these claims can be submitted, and they can be denied.

That’s why we have a handy statistic that shows how the percentage of how many claims companies are paying out on.

It’s called the loss ratio and it works by taking the number of claims being paid out on and dividing it by the number of premiums.

• If the loss ratio goes above 1, it means the company is losing money
• If the loss ratio goes below .5, the company might not be paying on claims
• A loss ratio between .6 to .8 is the sweet spot

These are New Hampshire loss ratio numbers from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, a leading organization in the insurance field.

PIP isn’t available, but Med Pay and UM/UIM are.

Med Pay looks good; it’s between that .6 to .8 range. UM/UIM is a little low; the 2013 loss ratio even cross that .5 number.

It’s conjecture as to how the no-mandatory-car-insurance law affects the UM/UIM numbers but it is possible that it does.

Add-ons, Endorsements, and Riders

And there’s more. For nearly every situation, there’s car insurance.

• Guaranteed Auto Protection (GAP)
• Personal Umbrella Policy (PUP)
• Rental Reimbursement
• Emergency Roadside Assistance
• Mechanical Breakdown Insurance
• Non-Owner Car Insurance
• Modified Car Insurance Coverage
• Classic Car Insurance
• Pay-As-You-Drive or Usage-Based Insurance

Each has its own place and can be useful, in the right circumstances.

Average Monthly Car Insurance Rates by Age & Gender in NH

Lived experience: It’s taught us the greatest lessons—don’t mess with a wasp nest, put the toilet paper on top of the box in a move, keep our legs under the covers at night.

And then there’s this: prepare yourself for that insurance note. Why is it like this? Many of us believe, based on our driving record, that we should be entitled to better rates. But when that envelope gets opened, we shake our heads.

And it’s mystifying. “How did they get that rate?” we ask.

Starting in this section, we’ll cover over ten factors insurance companies use to set rates. In this section, we’ll cover three: gender, age, and marital status.

Have you ever heard the question “who are better drivers, males or females?”

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the answer is not that black and white, and they have the stats to back that up.

The IIHS did a study analyzing data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s FARS system from 1975 to 2017. The results? Men are far more likely to die in traffic accidents than women.

The IIHS writes, “Men typically drive more miles than women and more often engage in risky driving practices including not using safety belts, driving while impaired by alcohol, and speeding.”

Insurers understand that. They set their rates accordingly. Almost always, until the last few years or so, females have had lower rates than males.

Being young versus old is also a factor. If you’re a 17-year-old male, you’re more likely to get into an accident; in part because of lack of experience; also, you’re more inclined to take risks.

A 60-year-old male is probably not in the same rush. They’ll make it to the arcade just three minutes later and be just fine. Of course, if you’re married, insurance companies will think you’re responsible. Doubled for financially secure. Your rates will drop.

Those are three quick factors. Now: how do these factors play out in New Hampshire?

Like before, these numbers come from Quadrant.

For now, we’ll do away with SafeCo; it has the highest rates by thousands. Check out the difference between genders, ages, and marital statuses.

• Single 17-year-old male most expensive premium: Progressive $7,000
• Married 60-year-old male most expensive premium: Allstate $2,300
• Single 17-year-old female most expensive premium: Progressive $6,300
• Married 60-year-old female most expensive premium: Allstate $2,100

What’s it like going from a single 17-year-old male to a married 60-year-old female (it is possible in this day and age)?

A savings of $6,075.

But that’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to rates. There are still at least seven factors to go.

Also, soon, companies may not use gender to set rates. Why? Because it’s being outlawed.

Rates in New Hampshire’s 10 Largest Cities

So, you’re a male, 17 years old, and single. You want to lower your rates. Do you move to the city or the countryside?

Old adages say that living in a city raises your rates. If this is true, the largest cities in New Hampshire should have the highest rates. But is it so? The following population numbers come from the City-Data.com.

Like with everything, there is a mix. Some of the top cities have the most expensive rates, like Manchester and Salem. Some have the cheapest, like Keene and Concord.

But, yes, where you live changes your rates. By how much? Let’s find out.

Cheapest Rates by ZIP Code

Have you heard this story?

It’s about the two neighbors with the same company. They have the same agent and plan too. But what do they not have? The same rates.

Consumer Federation of America did a study that analyzed rates of six major companies in ten cities across America.

Its findings were a surprise. Not only did rates vary from city to city but within cities as well.

It found that premiums in adjacent ZIP codes fluctuated by the hundreds of dollars. This was even true if the ZIP code bisected a neighborhood.

Two neighbors with the same companies and plans could have rates differing the hundreds, just because they lived in different ZIP codes.

So, why is this?

When insurance companies calculate rates, they are looking at one important factor: what is the probability that this person will file a claim?

And when it comes to ZIP codes, the probability that you will file a claim is not based just on you.

There’s vehicle theft. There are other drivers. There are differences in police presence.

Your rate might be higher than your neighbor’s or lower. What does this look like in New Hampshire? Search for your ZIP code by typing it into the search bar; just drop the zero at the front.

Cheapest Rates by City

Like with ZIP codes, premiums can vary from city to city. Part of this is location: Urban centers often have higher premiums than rural towns. Does this hold up in New Hampshire? As before, you can search for your city by typing it into the box.

For the top 10 largest cities, there is a difference. Concord, Rochester, and Keene have three of the lowest premiums in the state. Meanwhile, Machester, Salem, and Nashua have some of the highest.

The reason might be more straightforward than first-assumed: New Hampshire is one of the smallest states in the U.S. with fewer cities compared to other states.

In our data, there are 252 cities only separated by $900. It makes sense that even the big cities wouldn’t be separated by a great deal.

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Best New Hampshire Car Insurance Companies

Progressive has Flo. Geico has the gecko. Allstate has Mayhem. State Farm has half the (former) Houston Rockets team.

But those are just ads. They are there to make you laugh, creating a good feeling while they talk about comprehensive and collision insurance.

What do you know about them really?

If you’ve felt like you’ve been in the dark about car insurance companies, whether someone else’s or (gasp) even your own, look no further.

This is the section for you.

We’ll cover financial ratings, customer satisfaction rating, the companies with the most complaints, the cheapest company in New Hampshire, and more driving factors.

Ready? Let’s get some snow on our tires.

The Largest Companies Financial Ratings

If you do business on a global scale, companies in other nations want to see how trustworthy you. Not necessarily in the human to human way; in the financial strength way.

For large institutions, like global property and casualty insurance companies, that comes down debt versus repayment; like your credit score, financial institutions have financial ratings.

These can come from three global credit rating agencies: Standard and Poor’s, Moody’s, and AM Best. In our analysis, we’re going to look at the financial strength ratings from AM Best.

New Hampshire A.M. Best Ratings

Every company has an A rating or higher. AM Best writes, about the A rating, “Assigned to insurance companies that have, in our opinion, an excellent ability to meet their ongoing financial obligations.”

Every company A+ or higher is labeled as “superior.”

These ratings indicate a company’s debt-to-revenue ratio; a higher rated company has higher revenue and less debt that the companies rated below it.

Overall, strong financial ratings for every company.

Companies with the Best Ratings

Financial ratings are one side of the coin. The other is customer satisfaction, and for that, we turn to J.D. Power.

J.D. Power is a heavy hitter in the insurance industry (and many other industries as well). Companies cite their J.D. Power awards in commercials; they are a mover and shaker in its fields.

One of its contributions is an annual auto-insurance customer satisfaction study that looks at regions throughout the country and asks consumers: are you satisfied?

In New England, they asked the same question and put together all the results in a graph, which is shown below.

USAA and Amica Mutual (not listed in New Hampshire) are the two companies with the most satisfied customers.

State Farm, Geico, and Allstate all have four stars. Progressive and Nationwide have three stars. Safeco has two.

Companies with Most Complaints in New Hampshire

There are financial ratings and customer satisfaction, then there are complaints. And, fortunately, there is an organization tracking those too. Who?

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners is a regulatory group organized and run by the chief insurance regulators in each state. And, yes, they track all sorts of things.

In this instance, we’ll look at complaint indexes, which are a ratio of the number of complaints against a company versus the premiums they have written.

It can be found when entering each company’s NAIC code on the NAIC’s consumer page.

The numbers in the next table are national numbers and are taken, through the NAIC, from state departments throughout the country.

In the case of the complaint index, lower is better. The companies can be divided into three tiers: high, middle, low.

• High-tier companies (over 1 in the complaint index): Safeco, USAA, Allstate
• Middle-tier companies (around .9): Geico, Progressive
• Low-tier companies (between .6 and .4): State Farm, Nationwide

A good study in contrasts is Safeco and State Farm. Safeco has just 124 complaints but has the worst complaint index. State Farm has around 1,400 complaints but is second-best.

State Farm does more business than Safeco and as such its complaint index is much lower.

Cheapest Companies in New Hampshire

Now, there are financial ratings. And there are the customer satisfaction ratings. There’s even the complaint data.

But what is the golden question in many people’s eyes? It might be this: What is the cheapest insurance company in New Hampshire?

We have the answer, right here.

You have the cheapest companies, the mid-level companies, and the most expensive company.

• Cheapest companies: Geico, USAA
• Mid-level companies: State Farm, Nationwide, Progressive, Allstate
• Most expensive company (by a wide margin): Safeco

The cheapest companies and mid-level companies are all lower than $2,700 in average premiums. They are all lower than the average for all companies.

This is because Safeco, the most expensive company, is $5,700 above the nearest competitor and $5,300 above the average.

Keep in mind Safeco had the lowest customer satisfaction of the companies featured here in the J.D. Power study. It also had the highest complaint index.

The cheapest company is Geico at $1,600 per annual premium. That is nearly $7,000 below Safeco and $300 below USAA, its nearest competitor.

Commute Rates by Companies

Commute rates and the mileage you drive sometimes affect your annual rate.

The reason is simple: insurance companies believe the more you drive, the more likely you are to file a claim. In New Hampshire, four companies adjust their rates dependent on annual mileage.

Those four are Allstate, State Farm, USAA, and Geico. Neither of them moves very much.

• Allstate: $75
• State Farm: $100
• USAA: $40
• Geico: $25

Often, because insurance plans are roughly the same year in and year out, an insurance company might not ask for your annual mileage every year. It may adjust if you have an electronic tracker.

Otherwise, it’s up to you to tell them.

Take a look at these 6 major factors affecting auto insurance rates in New Hampshire.

Coverage Level Rates by Companies

Coverage levels can depend on some factors that may not be easy to determine right off hand.

Your coverage limits affect your coverage level. If you have a $50,000 coverage limit for bodily liability versus a $20,000 limit, your coverage level will be higher and you’ll pay more.

The number of additional coverages affects your coverage level. If you have comprehensive and collision on top of standard bodily liability, your coverage level will be higher. And you’ll pay more.

In the table below, Liberty Mutual is the parent company of Safeco. Their rates for car insurance are close to equal, generally speaking.

Liberty Mutual has the largest price difference from low to high coverages: $700. Geico has the smallest: $70. Most are around the $150 to $200 margin.

Credit History Rates by Companies

Just like insurance companies have financial ratings, the average consumer has a credit score. This score is a measure of trustworthiness: if we loan money to this person, will they pay it back?

Car insurance companies use your credit score for a different purpose: to determine whether or not you’ll file a claim.

This is a controversial practice.

One lawmaker, Representative Rashida Tlaib from Michigan proposed legislation in March to stop credit bureaus from sending customer information to insurance companies.

Read more: Michigan Car Insurance (The Only Guide You’ll Ever Need)

It’s important to know how credit ratings can affect your premiums more severely than accidents or even DWI offenses. For example, the average premium for an adult single person with a clean record and poor credit is around $2,600, while a person with excellent credit and a DWI i could be as low as $1,700.

Now, onto those credit scores and average annual rates per company.

The least expensive score is Geico with a “good” score of $1,350. The most expensive is Liberty Mutual with a “poor” score of $12,150.

The biggest difference between a “poor” score and a “good” score is Liberty Mutual at $6,300. The smallest is Progressive at $500.

A poor score, on average, is $1,700 more than a good score.

As seen in the next section, the average poor score is a more expensive penalty than, for many companies, if you get a DWI.

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Driving Record Rates by Companies

Many lawmakers believe that a person’s driving record should be the only factor used in determining rates.

Three states—Massachusetts, California, and Hawaii—feel the same way. So what are the penalties for getting an infraction?

Read more: Hawaii Car Insurance (The Only Guide You’ll Ever Need)

Liberty Mutual, across the board, is the most expensive. A clean record with it is still more expensive than the highest infraction for all other companies.

Still note, however, that its infraction rates are less than its poor credit score rate. Geico and USAA are the lowest priced.

Each company is different when dealing with specific infractions, with some offering accident forgiveness ot no rise in rates for speeding violations.

The following is not based on total rates. It’s based on the change within an overall company’s rates.

• The best company for one speeding ticket: Geico (no change)
• The best company for one accident: USAA (+$500)
• The best company for 1 DUI: Progressive (+$225)

You may have the question: which infractions are more expensive overall, however? We have that answer.

They are all very expensive, with the smallest rise in rates being $700 for a speeding ticket. DUIs are the most expensive with a $1,200 rise in rates.

All are lower than the average rate for a poor credit score.

Largest Car Insurance Companies in New Hampshire

In some states, a particular company will dominate the competition. Is that the case in New Hampshire?

At the top, the market is balanced with five companies between 13.5 and 10 percent of the market share.

• Four of those companies are outperforming their national averages: Geico, Progressive, Liberty Mutual, and Allstate.
• One is underperforming its national average: State Farm.

The loss ratios for each company look good, though some like State Farm are near the .5 threshold.

Number of Insurers in New Hampshire

There are 647 foreign insurers in New Hampshire and 50 domestic. What does this mean?

Most people think of foreign and domestic like the boundaries of a country. Anything that is foreign is outside of the country, anything domestic is inside the country.

The same logic applies to insurance companies but even more localized. Domestic insurers are insurers incorporated in the state in which they solely do business. Foreign insurers do business in other states or were incorporated in a different state.

It’s the difference between your mom and pop insurance company and the Allstates and State Farms.

There is no difference legally, however. The only problem with domestic insurers is not being able to take your insurance plan when you move.

With foreign insurers, you have a better shot.

State Laws

If you’re traveling in New Hampshire or a resident, knowing the rules can keep you out of jail or from getting a ticket.

You have probably researched these and found them confusing.

They’re shrouded in legalese, buried in legislative documents, and you might feel like Gandalf poring over papers in Gondor, searching for that mythical explanation of reckless driving laws.

It may make your head hurt.

In this section, we’ll cover four separate categories of laws: car insurance, vehicles, rules of the road, and safety.

By the end, you’ll know about everything from reckless driving laws to high-risk insurance. And those pesky Real ID requirements.

Here starts State Laws. Park your car for a second. We’re having a meal in four courses.

Car Insurance Laws

Car Insurance laws are like the roast beef of state laws. They are delicious, nutritious, and build muscles.

Here you’ll learn about the time limits from filing a lawsuit, the statistics about car insurance fraud, and what insurance you need if you’re labeled a high-risk driver.

All useful information. Let’s dig in.

How State Laws Are Determined

Fortunately, insurance companies can’t just charge anything. There are rules and regulations in place that check the amount they charge, keeping prices reasonable.

In New Hampshire, this method is called file and use and means that insurance companies must file their rates with the insurance department before charging consumers.

This is according to an auto insurance database report from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.

A company needs prior approval before entering a non-competitive market.

These keep insurance companies from running up rates and may be part of the reason why New Hampshire’s rates are so low.

Windshield Coverage

A crack in your windshield might cost hundreds of dollars in replacement fees. What options does New Hampshire offer?

CarWindshields.info aggregates all the information for windshield replacement within states. It writes about New Hampshire, “Nothing unique to windshields.”

It lists two state resources to detail more.

• Insurers must disclose if they’re using aftermarket products (407-D:4)
• Aftermarket products should be equal in quality to OEMs (407-D:3)

New Hampshire’s laws are nothing particularly different than other states.

High-Risk Insurance

If you are labeled a high-risk driver, you may be asked to purchase a form of financial responsibility. This is an SR-22 in New Hampshire.

There are a few reasons why this might occur. The New Hampshire Department of Safety Division of Motor Vehicles writes about four.

• If you’re convicted of a DWI, you’ll need an SR-22 for three years from the time of the offense
• If you’re certified as a habitual offender, you’ll need an SR-22 for three years from the time of the certification
• If your license is at risk of suspension, you may be required to purchase an SR-22
• If you’re found at fault in an accident and are uninsured, you will be required to get an SR-22 for three years

There are some specific violations where the person will be required to get an SR-22 if convicted:

• Leaving the scene of an accident
• A second conviction of reckless operation
• Conduct after accident

If you are convicted, you’ll need to purchase an SR-22 through your insurance company. This will likely cause a spike in rates.

If you can’t find insurance through the standard marketplace, you can try the New Hampshire Automobile Reinsurance Facility. It is a last-ditch market for high-risk drivers.

Low-Cost Insurance

Unfortunately, New Hampshire does not offer low-cost insurance. Only California, Hawaii, and New Jersey do.

Automobile Insurance Fraud in New Hampshire

Automobile insurance fraud costs the insurance industry $30 billion per year, according to the Insurance Information Institute.

These losses happen on both the consumer side and the employee side.

• Consumer side: padding claims, submitting claims for events that never happened, staging accidents
• Employee side: using deceptive practices to trick customers into buying plans, altering documents to make extra money

New Hampshire has an Insurance Department Fraud Unit to handle cases of insurance fraud, processing about 300 per year.

From 2016-2018, it indicted 25 people on felony insurance fraud charges.

If you suspect fraud, you can submit a complaint through the Unit’s fraud referral form.

Statute of Limitations

Let’s say you’re in an accident in New Hampshire. You’ve injured your arm and the right side of your car is busted up. The police determine that the other person is at fault.

But the person doesn’t have insurance and isn’t paying. What do you do? The quick answer: file a lawsuit.

The problem is simple. You have a set amount of time to file that lawsuit, which governed by the Statute of Limitations.

That limit, according to Nolo, is three years. This is three years for both property damage and personal injury lawsuits.

In New Hampshire, the statute is somewhat of a catch-all. It’s a three-year time limit of all “personal actions” except for “slander and libel.”

That can be easy to remember. However, note that the clock starts ticking the moment the accident happens.

State Specific Laws

The most interesting law is the one not on the books: no mandatory auto insurance.

You are required to have funds to meet the minimum insurance coverage, however, even if you need a bond or to convince the insurance commissioner.

It speaks to the state motto Live Free or Die, and will be seen in other sections to come.

Vehicle Licensing Laws

Vehicle licensing laws are like the potatoes of state laws. They are kind of bland, mostly colorless, and are hearty and nutritious. You can use them as a staple in your diet.

Like potatoes, these topics may seem dull and boring. However, they are important.

A slip up with any of these laws can result in fines and in the case of the last topic we’ll cover, possible imprisonment.

Get ready to dig in. We’re starting the second course.

Real ID

October 1, 2020, is the date many are preparing for within government agencies, particularly the TSA.

It is the date when REAL ID goes into effect and it’ll affect every federal facility requiring IDs to access. What is REAL ID?

REAL ID is a program started in 2005 that mandated an overhaul to driver’s licenses across the country. This overhaul was part of enhanced security, lessening the chances of a terrorist attack.

Today, almost all states (including New Hampshire), are REAL ID-complaint. This means that REAL IDs are available at driver’s license facilities, where drivers can choose to get one.

They are not mandatory. However, after October 1, 2020, they will be required to fly domestic. Other documents can be accepted, but not the regular, pre-REAL ID driver’s license.

Penalties for Driving Without a License

If you drive without a license in New Hampshire, there are some steep consequences.

The consequences above are for being caught in an accident without a license. The ones for regular driving are similar but without the license suspension and just two points deducted.

If you have been caught driving without a license but just don’t have it on you, you can furnish the license to the police within 48 hours and you won’t be convicted, according to Nolo.

Teen Driver Laws

When you’re a teen, getting a license is exciting. However, there are laws that regulate who gets one and at what time, at what age and with what restrictions.

Requirements for restricted driver’s licenses and unrestricted driver’s licenses differ.

To get a restricted driver’s license, you must have at least 40 hours practice driving, with 10 hours being at night.

There are additional restrictions when you get your restricted driver’s licenses. However, these can quickly be removed depending on age or how long you’ve driven.

There are specific insurance options for teens as well.

Older Driver License Renewal Procedures

Older drivers face unique challenges when on the roads. The National Institute on Aging mentions six on its website:

• Stiff joints and muscles
• Trouble hearing
• Trouble seeing
• Dementia
• Reduced reaction time and reflexes
• Medications

As such, most states have different renewal procedures for seniors. Does New Hampshire?

Seems pretty basic, overall. We’ll answer that question two sections down in the general license renewal procedures section.

Like with teens, there are specific insurance coverages for older drivers.

New Residents

You’ve moved to New Hampshire. Welcome.

There are some things you need to know. First, you must register your vehicle and get a new license within 60 days.

To register the vehicle, you need to bring the title and proof of residency to the city clerk’s office. If you don’t have a title, you’ll need to supply the correct documentation. Fees vary.

Read more: How to Sign a Car Title Over to Someone Else

To get a license, you must stop by the DMV and provide two proofs of identity and one proof of residency, as well as a completed application. This is for the non-REAL ID-compliant license.

Then you’re all set to go.

License Renewal Procedures

Back to that question: does New Hampshire have different renewal procedures for seniors than the general public?

The answer, clearly, is no. Everyone in New Hampshire is required to renew every five years and have their vision checked and approved (with every in-person renewal).

Everyone in New Hampshire has the option for online renewal, every other renewal. Live free or die.

Reckless Driving

Tenn And Tenn, a law firm based in Machester, NH, writes about reckless driving, “Reckless driving in New Hampshire is a major moving violation offense that can result in a heavy fine and loss of license.”

It cites two documents—Section 265:79 and 626:2—that describe reckless driving and the penalties associated with it.

Section 265:79 defines reckless driving as that which endangers the lives and safety of others, racing, making a speed record, or driving at or over 100 miles per hour.

Section 626:2 goes further and says that for a person to be convicted of reckless driving, they had to be aware of the risks and consciously disregarded them.

There is a $500 fine for the first offense, with a sixty-day license suspension. The second is a $750 fine and up to a one-year license suspension.

Rules of the Road

Rules of the road are the roasted black beans of state laws. They are not particularly tasty going down but they’ll protect your heart, keeping you very, very alive.

The next few sections are like that. They aren’t particularly fun and they may feel like restrictions. But when we follow them, we have a much better chance of staying alive.

Here’s the third course. Eat till your heart’s content.

Fault vs No-Fault

New Hampshire is considered an at-fault state, meaning that if you are found at-fault or responsible for causing the accident, you are held liable for all property damage and medical bills.

How can a person be found at-fault? According to Nolo, there are three common ways of proving liability.

• An insurance company representative reads the police report
• There are state laws applicable
• There are no-doubt violations like rear-end collisions

This is why, although New Hampshire does not mandate car insurance, a resident must have the necessary funds to meet the minimum insurance requirements.

If you don’t have funds, it hurts the other driver due to lack of compensation and you for the legal problems that will develop.

Seat Belt and Car Seat Laws

Here is the rarity: New Hampshire is the only state to not require adults to wear a seatbelt. Live free or die. This is an interesting issue. We’ll cover more when we go over the traffic fatalities related to seat belts in the Road Fatalities in New Hampshire section near the end.

For now, let’s move to car seats.

Even though adults are not required to wear a seatbelt, minors are. There are additional rules for young children.

Keep Right and Move Over Laws

No one likes a slowpoke driver. Fortunately, there are laws against this in New Hampshire. Statute 265:16 reads,

“Upon all roadways of sufficient width a vehicle shall be driven upon the right half of the roadway….”

There are some exceptions including passing and overtaking another car, when there’s an obstruction in the road, and when the road is designated as one-way.

It also reads, “Upon all roadways any vehicle proceeding at less than the normal speed of traffic…shall be driven in the right-hand lane…”

If someone violates this law and are caught, they are subject to a $50 ticket and an assessment.

Speed Limits

Speed limits save lives, as speeding is a major cause of fatalities according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

What are the speed limits in New Hampshire? The speed limit numbers below come from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

In general, at or near the averages in America.

Ridesharing

If you’re a driver for a ridesharing service, you may have thought about extra insurance. In New Hampshire, there is just one for which we have immediate knowledge: USAA.

There may be others, however, as different companies like State Farm and Nationwide have either rolled out programs or are in the process of doing so.

It is on a state by state basis in some cases, so talk to an agent if you’re interested.

And be sure to ask about specifics, as each plan may have different coverages applying in different situations.

Automation on the Road

Automation may be seen only as self-driving cars, but there is more to it. One example is the car that readjusts when someone is veering out of their lane.

These automated features, especially when it comes to self-driving cars, require regulations. So, what are New Hampshire’s?

These numbers come from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and are for autonomous vehicles.

Stringent regulations, including $5 million worth in liability insurance. It can help if one of those self-driving cars crashes into a telephone pole.

Safety Laws

Safety laws are like the swordfish of the state laws. It is good going down but too much of it will poison you. In this section, we talk about three things, all of which have the potential for injury and death: DWIs, marijuana, and distracted driving.

DWI Laws

According to Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), drunk driving is the leading cause of roadway deaths in America.

One person is injured every two minutes in a drunk driving accident. One person is killed every 52 minutes.

So what are the penalties in New Hampshire for driving drunk? Let’s start with the basics.

The legal limit to drive after drinking is a .07 percent blood alcohol concentration (BAC). That means if you have a BAC of .08 percent or higher, you’re subject to a violation if caught.

That’s the first threshold. If you are caught driving with a BAC of .15 percent, you are committing an aggravated DUI, which comes with more severe punishments.

In New Hampshire, the offense is called DWI or Driving While Intoxicated. The offenses are as follows:

• First offense: Class B Misdemeanor
• Second and third offenses: Non-Injury Class A Misdemeanors
• Fourth and following offenses: Non-Injury Felony | If Bodily Injury, the offense becomes Class B Felony

There is a lookback or washout period of 10 years, which means the offense stays on your record for 10 years.

The punishments shown below come from New Hampshire State Statutes Chapter 265-A, Section 265-A:18.

Those are the punishments. They escalate a great deal with each offense.

Drinking and driving is a serious problem in New Hampshire, as its rate of adults being arrested is 14th in the United States.

The percentage of total arrests that are DWIs is ranked 18th in the United States.

Not great numbers. More will be covered later in the fatalities section.

Marijuana-Impaired Driving Laws

There is no specific law against driving while under the influence of marijuana, according to Responsibility.org. However, a person can be arrested still for a DWI, according to Russman Law, a New Hampshire law firm.

It quotes statute 265-A:2, which states that no person shall drive a vehicle when “…such person is under the influence of intoxicating liquor or…any other chemical substance…which impairs a person’s ability to drive”

So, a person can still be arrested. They would face the same punishments as for drinking and driving.

Distracted Driving Laws

Distracted driving is a serious issue, claiming around 3,200 lives in 2017 along according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

New Hampshire’s laws are strict regarding electronic devices while driving.

A complete hand-held ban for all adults and an all-cellphone ban for minors. New Hampshire takes electronic devices while driving seriously.

Driving in New Hampshire

Okay, so we’re all done eating. Now, it’s time to digest and relax and get to know the deadly side of New Hampshire together.

Everyone knows there are things to watch out for on the road. There are bad weather conditions, speeding drivers, winding roads through the forest.

There’s I-93 as well.

We’ll cover fatalities that are categorized into 10 different situations, cover the deadliest highway in New Hampshire, and see which car is the most stolen.

In the last section, we’ll get light and talk about traffic congestion.

Vehicle Theft in New Hampshire

In New Hampshire, some vehicles are stolen more than others. Which ones are stolen the most?

The list below is for 2015 thefts. The second column in the year of the vehicle that was stolen. As an example, in 2015, the 1997 Honda Civic was stolen 34 times.

There are certain towns where cars are stolen the most. This crime data for 2017 comes from the FBI.

Manchester and Nashua, the two most populated cities, lead the way with 185 and 72 vehicle thefts respectively.

The nearest town after is Concord with 34.

Road Fatalities in New Hampshire

If you’ve ever driven down a windy, rural road during a blizzard in New Hampshire, you know the state poses challenges for its drivers. Here, we cover fatalities ranging from weather and light conditions to crashes by an alcohol-impaired driver.

It’s grim and it’s gruesome but knowledge helps.

Get set. We’re going to take a drive.

Most Fatal Highway in New Hampshire

What is the most fatal highway in New Hampshire? The answer is clear: I-93.

The highway travels 131 miles from the border with Massachusetts to the border with Canada, connecting two of the largest cities in the state: Manchester and Concord.

When comparing all the states’ most fatal highways, I-93 in New Hampshire is actually 49th.

This data about I-93 comes from Geotab, which analyzed data from the Federal Highway Administration and the NHTSA to draw statistics about highways in the U.S.

• Crash rate: .1
• Crashes: 57
• Fatalities: 60

Data comes from a 10-year study ending in 2017.

Fatal Crashes by Weather and Light Condition

Weather and light conditions impact our driving decisions and throw additional challenges into driving. While most people drive during the day, 40 percent of all fatal crashes happen at night.

What conditions impact drivers the most in New Hampshire? All numbers represent fatal crashes.

There are a few interesting numbers.

• 81 crashes occurred in normal weather conditions, while 17 occurred in the rain, snow, sleet, or other.
• 58 crashes happened during the daylight. 40 happened in limited visibility conditions.
• There were 98 fatal crashes overall in 2017, with over 1 million registered vehicles in the state.

There were only 10 fatalities during snow or sleet. New Hampshire residents must be experienced at driving in the snow.

Fatalities by County

There are only 10 counties in New Hampshire, and two have the lead by far in total fatalities.

This data and all data until Teen Drinking and Driving is from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Fatality Analysis Report System.

Hillsborough County leads in total fatalities with 126. It is the home to the two most populous cities in Manchester and Nashua.

Rockingham County is second with 121. It is home to two of the most populous cities in Salem and Derry. It is also part of the Boston Metroplex.

Strafford County is a distant third with 64 fatalities.

Rural vs Urban Fatalities

Rural roads are known to be more dangerous than urban roads. Just 30 percent of vehicle miles travel over rural roads, but 50 percent of fatal crashes happen there according to the IIHS.

In New Hampshire, this is no different.

Fatalities on rural roads more than doubled the total for urban roads. Early in 2008 and 2009, there were over one hundred more fatalities on rural roads than on urban roads.

That difference slimmed down significantly as the years went on to the point in 2017 where the fatalities were even between the two.

Overall, there were 1,156 fatal crashes in New Hampshire between 2008 and 2017.

Fatalities by Person Type

Another way to categorize fatalities is by person type. In other words, what kind of vehicle were they in or driving, such as passenger cars. They can also be pedestrians and bicyclists.

The total row at the bottom is for each individual year. The total row to the right is the totals for each category over the five years.

There are a few surprises in the data.

• Motorcyclists have the second most fatalities over the five-year period
• Nonoccupants have the third most fatalities over the period
• Pedestrian deaths are close to the two light pick-up truck groups, bunched near fourth

Overall, there were 582 categorized crashes in New Hampshire from 2013 to 2017.

Fatalities by Crash Type

In many areas, New Hampshire is rural, which may give rise to roadway departures and single-vehicle crashes. Is this the case?

The two leading categories by a wide margin are roadway departure and single-vehicle crashes.

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) writes that two-thirds of crashes that happen in rural areas are roadway departures. Single-vehicle crashes are sometimes roadway departures as well, leading to a dual classification.

There are attempts to change this, by adding more rumble sticks, minimizing the possibility of going off the road, and minimizing damage if they do.

This, according to another FHWA publication.

Five-Year Trend for the Top 10 Counties

As we saw earlier, Hillsborough and Rockingham Counties led the way. What about the other eight counties?

Strafford and Merrickmack are next, with most clustered between 19 and 37 fatalities.

In general, there are no big shifts up or down within the numbers. The only one with real movement is Cheshire County, which consistently dropped from 17 to 10 fatalities from 2013 to 2017.

Fatalities Involving Speeding by County

Speeding leads to thousands of lives lost every year. What are the numbers in New Hampshire?

Hillsborough and Rockingham are still at the top in fatalities but this time its Rockingham with the highest number of fatalities, and by a good margin.

Fatalities in Crashes Involving an Alcohol-Impaired Driver

We’ve seen the drinking and driving statistics. How do they translate to fatalities?

Rockingham again leading the way, even with a small number of people dying in 2017.

Belknap and Strafford Counties both have significant drops in the number of fatalities from 2013 to 2017.

Fatalities by Seat Belt Usage

Seat belts are not mandatory in New Hampshire. How does this affect the fatality statistics?

The statistics bear out the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s assertion and common knowledge that seat belts save lives.

Significantly more people died not wearing a seat than those that were, even though 73 percent of New Hampshire residents wear them.

According to the NHTSA’s numbers, an extra 100 lives could have been saved from 2013 to 2017 if the passengers had been wearing seat belts.

Teen Drinking and Driving

Teen drinking and driving is a problem in New Hampshire.

The fatality rate is 6 per 100,000 people according to Responsibility.org.

EMS Response Times

Rural response times are often longer than urban response times. Is this the case in New Hampshire?

There is an 11-minute difference between rural and urban response times. This also contributes to the larger number of rural fatalities. There were 48 rural crashes and 50 urban recorded in this sample size.

Transportation

Traffic congestion can cause headaches, missed meetings, and lessened productivity.

New Hampshire is a smaller state and should do well in commute times and congestion compared to other cities. But is this the case?

Let’s find out.

From car ownership to traffic congestion, this is Transportation. Last section. Ready, set, go.

Car Ownership

More American households own two cars than other buckets, followed by three cars, then one car. Data collected by Data USA shows that New Hampshire is slightly different than the averages.

New Hampshire residents own more cars than average, with bigger buckets in the two, three, four, and five-car categories. Fewer households in New Hampshire own one or zero cars compared to the U.S. averages.

Commute Time

The average U.S. commute time is 25.5 minutes. New Hampshire is a small state with a great amount of rural area. Residents should have a shorter commute, right?

It’s, surprisingly, not the case. The average commute in New Hampshire is right about equal with the U.S. average. We’ll take a look at this closer in the section on traffic congestion.

Commuter Transportation

Most Americans drive to work alone. In New Hampshire, this is no different.

It’s even more so. More residents of New Hampshire drive to work alone, fewer carpool, and more work from home. Public transport is the big change: almost no New Hampshire residents use it.

Traffic Congestion in New Hampshire

The good news: none of the top most populous cities in New Hampshire were on two of the major traffic indexes, INRIX and TomTom.

However, Manchester was on Numbeo a third major index. Unlike the other two, Numbeo gets its data from contributors. There were just four for the city. Still, we’ll run through it.

Numbeo has four major indexes and an overall traffic index. The numbers will be explained after the list.

• Overall Traffic Index: 97.88
• Time Index: 21.75
• Time Experience Index: 21.75
• Inefficiency Index: 98
• CO₂ Emission Index: 3,790.50

Time index is the length of time for a one-way trip. And the time experience is how frustrated or angry a person might get. For that index, even with the time index is good.

The other numbers can be a little confusing so here are some markers.

• Overall Traffic Index (Boston): 204.34
• Inefficiency Index (New York City): 194.57
• CO₂ Emission Index for (Los Angeles): 12,415.84

Manchester is below all of them significantly.

Okay, that’s it! You now should have all the information you need to make a decision about car insurance in New Hampshire. Clear eyes, full hearts. Happy driving.

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