Motorcycle Laws & Licensing for New Hampshire, United States

If you are a motorcyclist who frequently travels to New Hampshire or plans to make periodic trips through this state, you will have to become familiar with the latest version of New Hampshire’s motorcycle laws.

To better ensure personal safety, you need to become familiar with the type of motorcycle helmet you need and how to maintain the condition of your vehicle. It would also be beneficial for the well-being of others if you knew the correct way to carry passengers and whether it is safe to attempt lane splitting.

If you are considering becoming a motorcyclist, you would have to know the procedure for how to obtain a New Hampshire motorcycle license. 

Having motorcycle insurance is not only good to have just because it is mandatory in New Hampshire. New Hampshire motorcycle insurance helps pay for repairs, medical bills, etc. If you cannot show New Hampshire motorcycle insurance, it will result in hefty fines and the possibility of your driving privileges being suspended.

New Hampshire motorcycle insurance covers a range of fees depending on the severity of an accident. But at minimum, your insurance plan should at least include the following:

• $25,000 for bodily injury to a person per accident

• $50,000 for bodily injuries to multiple people per accident

• $25,000 for property damages sustained per accident

• $1,000 for medical payments coverage

If you fear that the minimum costs are not enough, you can always pay a higher fee to ensure better coverage. Also, there are other non-mandatory examples of motorcycle insurance to consider as well:

• Uninsured coverage

• Underinsured coverage

• Collision coverage

• Comprehensive coverage

• Bodily injury coverage

If you are a teenager, you cannot take out your motorcycle throughout New Hampshire unless you have either a three-quarter or full-face helmet. It must have been produced by the Snell Memorial Foundation. It must also have a sticker indicating that it complies with the U.S. Department of Transportation.

After you have reached or passed the age of 16, you are allowed to try for a New Hampshire motorcycle learner’s permit. You have to pay $30 to be issued your first New Hampshire motorcycle learner’s permit, good for 45 days.

To be given the permit, you must fulfill all of the listed criteria:

• If you are under the age of 18:

  • Have signature and consent from a parent or legal guardian

• Present current New Hampshire driver’s license

• Complete an approved driver education course

• Present identification documents

• Provide proof of New Hampshire residency

• Provide proof of U.S. citizenship

• Provide your Social Security Number

• Take a photo

• Pass the knowledge exam

• Pass the vision exam

• Pay the required fees

When you are operating with a New Hampshire motorcycle learner’s permit, you will have to comply with the following restrictions:

• You cannot transport passengers

• You can only operate between after sunrise and before sunset

After you have reached or passed the age of 18, you are allowed to try for a New Hampshire motorcycle endorsement. You have to pay $55 to be issued a motorcycle-only New Hampshire driver’s license.

Listed below are the requirements you will need to fulfill to get a New Hampshire motorcycle license endorsement:

*If you are over 18 years old, you do not need to enroll in a Basic Motorcycle Rider Training Course. However, submitting proof of completion will open up the option of waiving the road skills test.

• Complete 40 multiple-choice questions

• Questions will be based on content from New Hampshire Motorcycle Operator Manual

• Will be tested on an understanding of road rules and safe riding practices

• Requires a passing grade of 80% or higher

• Will be conducted in a controlled, off-street area or an actual traffic environment

• Your motorcycle will be subjected to a pre-ride inspection to ensure it meets safety standards

• Demonstrate a basic understanding of motorcycle operation

• You will be tested on your ability to stay within the speed limit, adjusting speed and position, maintaining visibility, operating under stress, accelerating, braking, turning, stopping, and swerving

• The examiner will grade you based on how well you ride at safe speeds, stay within the lanes, and demonstrate riding maneuvers

There is no threshold related to the age of passengers In New Hampshire. Though no age group is restricted from riding, passengers under 18 years old need motorcycle helmets at all times.

Because the passenger seat alone is not enough to keep your passenger in place, you must include additional features that provide a better grip such as the footrests and handholds. So to figure out how the safety features are to be placed, you first need to determine where the passenger seat will be fixed to:

• At the back of a large driver’s seat

• Towards the rear as a separate saddle

• To the side as a sidecar

The passenger seat and safety features are spaced apart so that passengers of different sizes can be seated. However, not everyone has the grip strength or height to stay secure atop the seat. It is only safe to transport a passenger who can:

• Reach the footrests

• Wear an approved motorcycle helmet

• Forgo carrying any packages

• Understand and follow your directions

Lane splitting is considered illegal in New Hampshire. Though motorcycles are capable of pulling off tight maneuvers that cars cannot, such behavior can be a punishable offense. These maneuvers listed below are considered aspects of lane splitting:

• Riding on top of the dividing lines between lanes

• Riding in between adjacent rows of stopped vehicles 

• Overtaking a larger vehicle ahead in the same lane 

Since lane splitting is out of the picture, the only thing motorcyclists are allowed to do which cars cannot is lane sharing. These maneuvers listed below are considered aspects of lane sharing:

• You are allowed to make full use of the space within a single lane 

• You can only share a lane with another motorcycle if:

  • Both parties stay apart at least two abreast

  • Both parties consent beforehand

After registering your motorcycle in New Hampshire, it must be brought to a state-approved inspection station within a 10-day period. The due date for bringing your motorcycle in for a safety and equipment inspection every year is within 10 days after the end of the month you were born.

Your motorcycle will not be deemed fit for the streets if there is an essential part that is no longer functioning. The necessary parts are those that help you to steer, signal, announce your presence, etc. Examples of these motorcycle equipment are listed down below:

• Horn

• Wheels

• Tires

• Handlebars 

•  Front & Rear Brakes 

• Controls

• Headlight 

•  Tail Light 

•  Brake Light 

• Turn Signals

• Exhaust System

•  Muffler 

•  Rearview Mirrors 

• State of New Hampshire Motorcycle Operator Manual
• State of New Hampshire Driver Manual
• Your Guide to Understanding Auto Insurance in the Granite State
• New Hampshire Division of Motor Vehicles - Motorcycle License Endorsement
• New Hampshire Division of Motor Vehicles - Licensing Fees
• New Hampshire Division of Motor Vehicles - Inspections and Emissions
• New Hampshire Division of Motor Vehicles - Frequently Asked Questions