What Are the New Hampshire DUI Laws?

In New Hampshire, it is a serious criminal offense to operate (or attempt to operate) a car, recreational vehicle, snowmobile, or boat while alcohol or drugs are impairing the offender's ability to drive. Driving under the influence of drugs or liquor, otherwise known as driving under the influence (DUI), is punished in a variety of ways depending on various factors such as how many times the offender has been convicted and whether or not the act qualifies as an aggravated offense. The table below outlines New Hampshire's basis DUI law as it relates to first time offenders.

Aggravated Driving While Intoxicated

While all DUI offenses are taken very seriously in New Hampshire, certain aggravated DUIs are punished more harshly. An aggravated DUI offense is committed if the offender is convicted of a DUI while doing any of the following:

• Driving more than 30 miles per hour in excess of the posted speed limit
• Causing a motor vehicle, boating, or OHRV collision that results in serious bodily injury to another person
• Attempting to evade pursuit by a law enforcement officer by increasing speed, extinguishing headlamps, or abandoning the vehicle, boat, or OHRV while being pursued
• Carrying a passenger who is less than 16 years old in the vehicle at the time of the offense, or
• Having an alcohol concentration of 0.16 or more

Aggravated driving while intoxicated can be either a class A misdemeanor or a class B felony in New Hampshire.

Additional Resources

• Comparing State DUI Laws
• Boating Under the Influence
• Can Passengers Drink Alcohol In a Car?
• DUI Expungement

State laws change frequently. For case specific information regarding New Hampshire's DUI laws contact a local DUI lawyer.