Except in unique circumstances, New Hampshire car insurance laws don’t legally require that drivers carry a certain amount of auto insurance. This deviates from most states and can be a bit complicated in how it works. Although insurance isn’t required, driving without auto insurance is never a good idea. Even in New Hampshire, if you are in an at-fault accident, you are liable for all costs involved in the accident, whether it is medical bills or property damage. Without car insurance, you could be facing thousands of dollars in out-of-pocket costs.

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Car insurance laws in New Hampshire

Although car insurance is not required by law in the state, New Hampshire has minimum requirements for those who choose to purchase auto insurance:

  • $25,000 bodily injury liability: This is the amount your insurance company will pay for the injuries incurred by a single person in an at-fault accident.
  • $50,000 total bodily injury per accident: If more than one person is injured in an accident, this is the total that your insurer will pay for all injuries in a single accident.
  • $25,000 property damage: This coverage pays for damage to the other driver’s car, or any property that you hit, such as a fence or light post.
  • $1,000 medical payments: This would go toward your injuries, or those of your passengers, in an accident.
  • $25,000 uninsured motorist bodily injury per person
  • $50,000 uninsured motorist bodily injury per accident

There are a few categories of driver who are required to carry insurance in New Hampshire. These include those who have been convicted of a DUI, those who have been convicted of driving offenses such as leaving the scene of an accident, and those who were at fault for a previous accident when they did not have insurance.

Liability insurance in New Hampshire

New Hampshire’s suggested minimums may not be enough if you cause an accident with significant injuries or damage. Health care in New Hampshire can be expensive, and an accident that results in a hospital stay, surgery or extensive rehab would quickly use up the minimum 25/50 liability coverage. Likewise, $25,000 for property damage would not be enough if you were in an accident that totaled a newer-model car, SUV or truck. The average cost of a new car in the U.S. is more than $36,000, so if you carried the minimum-suggested PD coverage and totaled a new car in an at-fault accident, you could still face tens of thousands of dollars in out-of-pocket costs.

Note, too, that New Hampshire minimum car insurance is for liability coverage, which is designed to protect the other driver, their car and their passengers. To protect yourself, you may want to consider additional coverage options that will pay for your injuries or damage. Coverages like collision, comprehensive and medical can help handle costs to your vehicle, self or passengers. Collision covers damages to your vehicle sustained from a collision — comprehensive handles non-collision type damages like falling limbs, hail damage and more. Medical payment coverage can cover hospital bills for you and your passengers.

Is New Hampshire a no-fault state?

New Hampshire is not one of 12 no-fault states in the U.S. In these states, you file your insurance claim with your own company no matter who is at fault, and you are limited in your ability to file a lawsuit against the other party in an accident.

No-fault states also require the purchase of personal injury protection (PIP) coverage, which pays for your injuries in an accident. Because New Hampshire does not follow this format, PIP coverage is not available and you are able to sue another driver if necessary and file a claim for your pain and suffering, as well as medical costs.

Penalties for driving without insurance in New Hampshire

Since New Hampshire auto insurance laws do not require you to carry auto insurance, you cannot be penalized if you are involved in a traffic stop and the police officer asks for proof of insurance. If you are in one of the categories of driver we mentioned above, however, such as those who have been convicted of a DUI, you are required to carry proof of insurance with you whenever you are behind the wheel. If this is the case, you may face fines, license suspension and the requirement to file an SR-22 certificate of insurance.

Additional auto insurance coverage options in New Hampshire

In addition to liability and MedPay, New Hampshire drivers have access to a number of optional insurance types that provide more robust coverage and give them additional financial protection following an accident. Some of these optional coverages include:

  • Collision: This pays for damage to your vehicle in an accident. It may be required if you lease your car or have a loan, and there is usually a $250-$2,000 deductible.
  • Comprehensive: This type of insurance pays for non-accident-related mishaps, such as theft, vandalism or weather-related damage. It also has a deductible.
  • Uninsured/underinsured motorist: Roughly 10% of New Hampshire drivers do not carry car insurance. If you are in an accident with an uninsured driver, this type of coverage would help pay for your care and damage if they are unable to do so. It would also kick in if the other driver’s insurance is not adequate to meet all the bills associated with an accident.
  • Gap coverage: If your car is totaled, you’ll get a check for the vehicle’s depreciated value from your insurer. However, if you owe more than this amount on a car loan, this coverage will pay for the difference.
  • New car replacement: If your new car (less than two years) is totaled, this coverage will allow you to purchase a new car of the same make and model, rather than just getting a check for its depreciated value.
  • Rental reimbursement: If your car is being repaired after an accident, this coverage will pay for a rental car.

Frequently asked questions

    • There are a number of national and regional insurers writing solid policies in New Hampshire. To find the best one for you, consider price, customer service and the breadth of coverage options available. Finding the best car insurance can be tricky because rates are highly personalized, and coverage can be. Because of these things, shopping around between several insurers is often helpful.
    • The main goal of insurance products is to provide financial security to policyholders or their beneficiaries. The lack of laws requiring car insurance in New Hampshire doesn’t remove the financial threats associated with driving an automobile. Although if you’re lucky you’ll never need to file a claim on it, having an auto insurance policy can help prevent you from needing to pay significant sums out of pocket in the case of an auto accident or similar event.
    • Saving on car insurance in New Hampshire may be done in several ways. Two of the most accessible methods are shopping around for lower rates and finding discounts that you are eligible for. Obtain free quotes from several auto insurers and compare their estimates to see which offers the best rates. Then compare their discounts to see who has the most savings that you are likely to be eligible for. Combining these two approaches may help you save money on New Hampshire car insurance.