New Hampshire Car Insurance Laws and Requirements (2023)

New Hampshire law doesn’t require proof of insurance, but you have to be able to demonstrate that you can provide enough funding to meet the state’s financial responsibility requirements. If you do buy insurance in New Hampshire, it must have at least 25/50/25 in liability coverage, along with medical payments coverage and uninsured motorist coverage. Additionally, drivers can pick from a long list of additional coverages for added protection.

Minimum Car Insurance Requirements in New Hampshire

The minimum car insurance requirements in New Hampshire^[1] are:

• $25,000 for bodily injury liability per person

• $50,000 for bodily injury liability for two or more people

• Up to $25,000 for property damage liability per accident

• $1,000 for medical payments coverage per accident

• Uninsured motorists coverage is also required

New Hampshire is an at-fault state when it comes to financial responsibility for an auto accident. That means that whoever caused the accident bears responsibility for the damages. Without insurance, you can be held personally liable for paying those damages.

Bodily Injury Liability

Bodily injury liability is part of your liability car insurance coverage. If you cause an accident, this coverage will help cover the other party’s medical expenses. This type of coverage will not cover your own medical expenses for injuries sustained in a car accident you caused. Bodily injury liability coverage is required in New Hampshire for anyone buying auto insurance.

Property Damage Liability

Property damage liability is the other half of your liability car insurance. It covers repair costs and damage expenses to the other cars involved in an accident you caused. This coverage does not cover damage to your own car in an accident you were at fault for. Property damage liability coverage is required in New Hampshire if you purchase auto insurance.

Personal Injury Protection

Personal injury protection, also known as PIP, covers medical bills, lost wages, and replacement services for you and other members of your household if you’re injured in a car accident. PIP provides coverage regardless of who is at fault for an accident.

Personal injury protection is not required in New Hampshire, but a small amount of medical payments coverage, which is similar to PIP, is required if you buy auto insurance. Medical payments coverage pays for medical expenses incurred as a result of an accident regardless of who is at fault.

Is state minimum car insurance enough in New Hampshire?

The minimum required car insurance coverage in New Hampshire provides drivers with a solid foundation of auto insurance coverage, but it may not be enough for everyone. For example, the minimum liability insurance required for bodily injury coverage for one person is only $25,000.

A serious car accident could easily result in more than $25,000 of medical costs for one person. Carrying the minimum amounts permissible in a New Hampshire auto insurance policy could leave you vulnerable to a lawsuit.

Optional Car Insurance Coverage for New Hampshire

New Hampshire drivers who want to be protected in any situation should consider bolstering the minimum car insurance coverage with the following supplemental car insurance coverages:

Collision Coverage

Collision coverage covers damages to your car after a collision with another vehicle or object. If your vehicle is a total loss, collision coverage will reimburse you for the actual cash value of your vehicle. This is a great addition to the required property damage liability coverage in New Hampshire, which applies only to the damages to the other driver’s vehicle.

Comprehensive Coverage

Complementing your collision coverage, comprehensive insurance covers damage to your vehicle that occurs during an event that is not a collision with another vehicle or object. This may apply in situations of vandalism, theft, weather damage, or a run-in with an animal. Adding comprehensive and collision coverage together creates a full-coverage car insurance policy.

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage

If an uninsured (or underinsured) driver causes an accident and you suffer bodily injury, uninsured motorist coverage will cover your medical expenses. If the at-fault driver surpasses their bodily injury liability coverage limits, your underinsured motorist coverage will cover the rest of your medical expenses.

Other Supplemental Coverage

Many car insurance companies offer add-on coverage that you can choose to add to a policy. For example, roadside assistance can come in handy if you’re ever in an accident—it pays for a tow truck to take your vehicle to a repair shop.

Also consider rental car reimbursement, which pays for you to drive a rental car while your regular vehicle is being repaired.

Penalties for Driving Uninsured in New Hampshire

It is illegal to drive in New Hampshire without proving you’re financially responsible, either by carrying car insurance or by being able to prove you have enough funding to cover yourself if you’re at fault for an accident. If you can’t meet these requirements, your driving privileges may be suspended.

Minimum Requirements for High-Risk Drivers in New Hampshire

Even though New Hampshire doesn’t require car insurance, some high-risk drivers will be required to prove financial responsibility in order to have their driving privileges restored. This is done by filing an SR-22 certificate.

Proof of financial responsibility through an SR-22 is required for three years for people convicted of DWI or people who are habitual offenders. Anyone found at fault for an uninsured accident must also file an SR-22 for three years.

More Information for High-Risk Drivers in New Hampshire

DUI Insurance in New Hampshire

SR-22 Insurance in New Hampshire

Cheapest Minimum Car Insurance in New Hampshire

Car insurance companies weigh different factors to determine what to quote drivers on their car insurance policies. Minimum coverage generally means lower car insurance rates. It also means low coverage limits, which may cost you if you’re ever involved in an accident. Here are the cheapest car insurance quotes for minimum coverage in New Hampshire.

How to Find Cheap Car Insurance in New Hampshire

Finding affordable car insurance in New Hampshire doesn’t have to be hard. Compare car insurance quotes with Insurify to see what different companies are charging for coverage and pick the policy that fits your lifestyle.