New Hampshire DMV Permit Test FAQ

You need 80% — at least 32 of the 40 questions correct. NH allows a maximum of 8 wrong answers; the automated test ends as soon as a 9th wrong answer is recorded. After passing, you also have to pass a vision test (20/40 with both eyes, or 20/30 if sight is in only one eye) and a road test before being issued a license.

If you fail either the knowledge test or the road test, you'll be given an appointment to retest no sooner than 10 days from the failed test. The manual does not publish a hard cap on retakes, but each visit may include the standard testing fees. Use the wait to study the chapter or topic where you missed questions — our Practice Test marks every wrong answer with a chapter reference so you know exactly where to focus.

NH does not issue learner's permits. State law allows a person at least 15½ years old to drive while being taught, when accompanied by a parent, legal guardian, or a responsible adult age 25 or older who is a licensed driver. To get a license at 16 or 17 you must first complete an approved driver-education program (30 hr classroom + 10 hr in-car practice + 6 hr observation + 40 hr supervised driving including 10 hours at night). Anyone under 18 needs written parental/guardian permission to be issued the license.

A NH Youth Operator (under 18) cannot drive between 1:00 AM and 4:00 AM. During the first 6 months after licensing, the youth operator may carry no more than one non-family passenger under 25, unless accompanied by a licensed adult age 25 or older. They may never have more passengers than there are seat belts or safety restraints. Drivers under 18 may not use any cell phone or mobile electronic device, hands-free or not, while driving or temporarily halted in traffic — except to dial 911 to report an emergency. The Youth Operator license expires on the holder's 21st birthday.

It is illegal for any operator under 21 to have physical control of a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, controlled drugs, prescription drugs, OTC drugs, or any chemical that impairs the ability to drive — or with a BAC of 0.02% or higher. No driver under 21 may transport alcohol in any part of a vehicle except when accompanied by a parent, legal guardian, or legal-age spouse. Youth operators convicted of DUI, reckless operation, or speeding more than 30 mph over the posted limit face additional penalties beyond the typical violation.

NH is legally intoxicated at 0.08% BAC for drivers 21+ and 0.02% for drivers under 21. By driving in NH, you are considered to have given implied consent to blood, breath, urine, or any combination of testing if arrested for an alcohol or drug offense — refusal can result in loss of driving privileges. A first DUI is a Class B misdemeanor with a fine of at least $500, license loss of 9 months to 2 years, and required attendance at an Impaired Driver Education Program prior to reinstatement.

In NH the maximum speed limits are: 30 mph in any business or urban residence district; 35 mph in any rural residence district and on Class V highways outside the compact part of any city or town; 45 or 55 mph in other locations not otherwise listed; 65 mph on the interstate system and NH turnpikes where they are 4-lane divided; and 70 mph on the portion of I-93 from mile marker 45 to the Vermont border. Minimum interstate speed is 45 mph in good conditions. School zones are 10 mph below the usual posted limit, applied 45 minutes before opening through 45 minutes after closing.

In NH it is illegal to park within: 15 ft of a fire hydrant; 20 ft of a crosswalk at an intersection; 30 ft of a stop sign, yield sign, or traffic control signal; 50 ft of the nearest rail of a railroad crossing; 20 ft of a fire station driveway entrance, or within 75 ft on the opposite side of the street from a fire station. Double parking, parking on a sidewalk, in an intersection, on a crosswalk, on any bridge, in a tunnel, or in an access aisle next to an accessible parking space is also illegal. On rural roads, you must have a clear view of the parked vehicle for 200 ft in each direction.

A first DUI in NH is a Class B misdemeanor: fine of at least $500, license loss of 9 months to 2 years, and mandatory completion of an Impaired Driver Education Program before reinstatement. Second and subsequent convictions carry higher fines, longer suspensions, and stronger penalties. Drivers convicted of certain offenses (DUI, leaving the scene of a crash, vehicular homicide, second reckless driving) must also file an SR-22 proof-of-insurance certificate with the DMV to reinstate driving and registration privileges.

New Hampshire is one of very few states with no mandatory auto-insurance law for ordinary drivers. However, if you are involved in a crash while uninsured, you are personally responsible for all property damage and medical bills, and the DMV will suspend your driving privileges until a settlement is reached. After certain serious convictions — including DUI, failing to stop and report, vehicular homicide, second reckless driving, or after a just-cause hearing — NH may require an SR-22 insurance certificate filed by an insurance company for several years to keep your license and registration.

In NH, right turn on red is permitted after a complete stop, only if there is no sign prohibiting a right turn on red. You must yield to pedestrians and any traffic with the right-of-way before proceeding. The NH Driver's Manual does not authorize a left turn on a steady red signal; treat any non-green signal as requiring a stop until you have a green ball or green arrow, and obey any posted signs at the intersection.

NH driver's licenses expire on the applicant's birthday every 5 years. The DMV mails a renewal notice to the applicant's last-known address roughly two months before expiration. Drivers who are eligible may renew online; otherwise renewal is in person at any NH DMV office. You can renew up to 6 months in advance if you'll be temporarily out of state at expiration. If you have moved since your last renewal and didn't notify the DMV, no renewal notice will be sent — it is the driver's responsibility to renew before the expiration date.