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How to Reinstate Your Suspended Drivers License in New Hampshire
New Hampshire drivers license suspensions may incur when motorists fail to adhere to state road rules and regulations. The NH Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) may revoke or suspend your driving privileges when you commit certain offenses. You need to complete a process of reinstating suspended drivers licenses in order to regain your privileges to operate a motor vehicle.
The process may vary depending on the type of offense you have committed. The drivers license restoration process may require you to fulfill certain requirements and to submit the necessary documentation. For more information about the NH suspended drivers license reinstatement process continue reading the sections below.
Reinstating a New Hampshire Suspended License
Driving with a suspended license is illegal, so motorists are required to reinstate drivers licenses in New Hampshire in order to continue operating their vehicles. The NH DMV may suspend your license due to a variety of reasons, such as:
- DWI offenses
- Refusal to submit to a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) test
- Accumulation of demerit points
- Transportation of alcoholic beverages and drugs in the vehicle or reckless driving
How to Reinstate a New Hampshire Suspended Drivers License
Drivers may begin NH suspended drivers license reinstatement processes by satisfying the mandatory requirements first. The New Hampshire Bureau of Financial Responsibility can reinstate drivers licenses that had been previously suspended or revoked. To apply for a drivers license restoration, motorists may need to provide proof of insurance, complete an alcohol treatment program and pay the required fees.
Having provided the needed documentation and satisfied the requirements, you will receive a Confirmation of Restoration/Rescind Notice via mail from the NH DMV. This notice will inform you that the drivers license restoration process has been completed.
Suspension Periods in New Hampshire
New Hampshire drivers license suspensions may vary from three months to one year, depending on the number of demerit points accumulated on a driving record. Drivers younger than 18 years of age will get a three-month driving license suspension for collecting six demerit points in one year. Accumulating 12 points within two calendar years will suspend your license for six months, while collecting 18 demerit points in a period of three years will bring you a one-year suspension.
Motorists who are under 21 years of age can get suspended drivers licenses for a period of three months, as a result of accumulating nine demerit points in one year. Collecting 15 points in a two-year period will bring you a driving license suspension for six months. Moreover, drivers who accumulate 21 demerit points in three years will get their driving privileges suspended for one year.
Drivers will face three-month driving license suspensions if they are older than 21 years of age and if they have collected 12 points within 12 months. The privilege to drive may be suspended for six months if the motorist collects 18 demerit points in a period of two years. Accumulating 24 points within three calendar years will suspend the credentials for one year.
Revoked driving licenses in New Hampshire may be issued to drivers who have been driving while intoxicated or under the influence of drugs, for reckless driving and for transporting alcoholic beverages or drugs in the motor vehicle. The revocation period may vary from 90 days to two years, depending on the number of previously committed offenses.
New Hampshire Point System
A suspended drivers license in New Hampshire may happen as a result of accumulating too many demerit points on your driving record. The NH DMV has set a point system for driving and non-driving violations committed while driving motor vehicles on public roads.
The number of points for each violation varies depending on the type of offense you have committed. Below is shown a part of the traffic violations along with their number of points added to a driving record:
- Driving while intoxicated (DWI) and aggravated DWI – 6 points.
- Odometer tampering – 6 points.
- Improper passing – 4 points.
- Driving without proof of financial responsibility – 4 points.
- Speeding at 25 mph or more over the speed limit – 4 points.
- Speeding between 1 and 24 mph over the speed limit – 3 points.
- Driving without a license to show to officer – 2 points.
Note: New Hampshire demerit points stay on your driving record for three years.
Traffic School in New Hampshire
When facing a drivers license suspension in NH, motorists may prevent accumulation of demerit points by attending a state traffic school. Before reinstating suspended drivers licenses, motorists need to complete this state-approved defensive driving course.
The New Hampshire Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) will remove three points from your driving record by providing a traffic school certificate of completion. Completing a driver improvement program may reduce the number of demerit points, but they will still appear on your driving history record.
Note: Traffic classes cannot be taken online and drivers must enroll in person in one of the many traffic schools throughout the state.
Types of New Hampshire Drivers License Suspensions
Drivers may be issued revoked or suspended driving licenses in New Hampshire by the Division of Motor Vehicles due to a variety of reasons. The drivers license suspension or revocation periods may vary depending on the type and gravity of the committed offense. Drivers will get suspended drivers licenses if they commit any of the following offenses:
- Driving while intoxicated (DWI).
- Refusal to submit to a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) test.
- Accumulation of demerit points.
- Transportation of alcoholic beverages and/or drugs in the vehicle.
- Reckless driving.
Motorists facing suspended driving licenses in New Hampshire are encouraged to request copies of their driving records to check status of drivers licenses.
New Hampshire DWI Suspensions
NH driving license suspensions may be received for committing DWI offenses while operating motor vehicles on public roads. Drivers will get suspended drivers licenses for 180 days, if they do not obey the implied consent law and refuse to submit to a BAC test. A second refusal within 10 years will suspend their driving privileges for two years.
Moreover, drivers will be also issued revoked or suspended driving licenses if they fail the BAC test and show a level of alcohol in their blood above the permitted limit. The severity of a DWI-related drivers license suspension in NH will depend on the driver’s conviction and the number of offenses previously committed.
Older Than 21
Suspended drivers licenses in New Hampshire can be issued to drivers older than 21 years of age, who have submitted to and failed a BAC test. The allowed limit is 0.08 percent for drivers who are older than 21 years of age.
Younger Than 21
Minor drivers can also get drivers license suspensions in NH as a result of submitting to a BAC test and getting results higher results than allowed. The permitted blood alcohol level for motorists younger than 21 years of age is set to 0.02 percent.
Suspended drivers licenses in NH can be issued in other situations that apply to minor drivers. Drivers under 21 years of age are not allowed to transport alcoholic beverages in their vehicles, except when accompanied by a parent, legal guardian or a legal age spouse. Failure to obey this restriction will result in a driving license suspension for a period of 60 days.
Car Insurance Suspensions
Drivers license suspensions in NH may incur as a result of failure to provide proof of car insurance when required by a law enforcement officer. New Hampshire does not require drivers to obtain and purchase a minimum liability auto insurance coverage before registering motor vehicles. However, in a case of an accident, drivers may have to pay the medical bills. A suspended drivers license may be issued in a situation when drivers are unable to pay those bills.
The driving license suspension will be given by the New Hampshire DMV, under a requirement of the state financial responsibility law. Therefore, drivers are encouraged to purchase minimum requirements for car insurance: $25,000 for bodily injury of one person, $50,000 for bodily injury of two or more people and $25,000 for property damage. To avoid suspended driving licenses, motorists need to provide proof of car insurance whenever needed.
Traffic Summons or Failure to Pay
New Hampshire driving license suspensions or revocations may occur when drivers fail to respond to traffic tickets on time. After receiving traffic tickets in NH, motorists are required to either plead guilty, pay the court fines or plead non-guilty and appear at the court to present their case. If you decide to plead guilty, you can pay the traffic ticket online, by telephone, by mail or in person at the Department of Safety or the Circuit Court.
Failure to pay traffic tickets or to appear in court will result in the evaluation of additional fees, registration and/or drivers license suspensions and revocations, and other court sanctions, depending on a driver’s specific situation. As soon as you pay your traffic ticket, the lower the fees you will have to pay. Therefore, make sure that you respond to your traffic ticket within 30 days of the date when you received the citation.
New Hampshire Hardship Drivers License
Holding a suspended drivers license in New Hampshire means that you are prohibited from driving a motor vehicle. Before reinstating suspended driving licenses, motorists may be eligible to apply for a hardship license in specific situations.
Hardship situations are when you need to drive to work, to a job training, to alcohol or drug treatment, to school or to receive medical treatment. You may apply for a limited (hardship) license if at least one of the previously-mentioned situations applies to you, while you wait for your driving license suspension period to end.
Applying for a New Hampshire Hardship License
Prior to reinstating drivers licenses in New Hampshire drivers may be eligible to obtain a hardship credential for driving with a suspended license. To determine their eligibility, motorists need to provide proof of financial responsibility and an application form that will state their hardship.
Drivers are required to provide satisfactory proof from an employer, medical treatment facility or educational institution in order to apply for limited driving privileges. Moreover, motorists holding suspended driving licenses in NH can obtain limited privilege licenses if they agree to be subject to the ignition interlock program within one year after their drivers license restoration.
Fees to Reinstate a New Hampshire Drivers License
When reinstating drivers licenses in New Hampshire, motorists must pay certain fees as part of the mandatory requirements. The applicable driving license reinstatement fees are the following:
- $100 for drivers license restorations.
- $100 for commercial drivers licenses.
- $50 for youth operator licenses.
The suspended drivers license reinstatement fees may be paid in person, by telephone or by mail to the NH DMV.
Drivers License Reinstatement Forms
Note: DMV forms change regularly. The forms provided above are current based on the date of writing.
Sources
- Restoration from NH.gov