With fall just around the corner, residents of the East Coast of the United States will be hitting the road on the weekends to take in all the beautiful foliage that begins to appear on trees across various states. New Hampshire is well known as one of the best spots in the country to see the beautiful hues of orange, brown, and red that grace trees as the environment prepares for the brutal cold and snow of winter.
While you’re out for a leisurely drive, your day can turn from adventure to pain-in-the-butt in a hurry if you have an encounter with local law enforcement. The first thought through the mind of many drivers is, “What did I do?” However, the first thought through your mind should probably be, “What is on my driving record?”
What’s On My New Hampshire Driving Record?
Your New Hampshire driving record offers a history of your activity behind the wheel of a car. The state of New Hampshire maintains two sets of information on your driving record: personal information and vehicle history. The personal information section of your form will include full name and any previous names, date of birth, address, New Hampshire identification number, insurance filing, and the completion date for any safe driver courses or attitude programs (if applicable).
The vehicle history section of your record contains data about demerit points, court convictions, traffic violations/citations, license suspensions or revocations, date of license restoration (if applicable), accident history, insurance requirements, and ignition lock requirements (if applicable). All demerit points added to your New Hampshire driving record will remain in place for three years.
Who Can Access My New Hampshire Driving Record?
In addition to yourself, government agencies, insurance companies, law enforcement officials, potential employers, and attorneys can access a copy of your driving record in the state of New Hampshire. Other individuals are not permitted access to your records without your signature on a request form granting them permission.
The state of New Hampshire maintains three types of driving records of all of its residents: insurance driver record, certified driver record, and non-certified driver record. The insurance record contains only information about traffic violations and accidents. Accident information remains on this record for three years. Any court convictions remain on this record for five years.
Certified copies of your New Hampshire driving record contain information about license suspensions, revocations, restorations, convictions, and accidents. The certified copy maintains information for five years for accidents, seven years for court convictions, and 10 years for DWI convictions. A non-certified copy has all of this same information, but does near bear your signature or a stamped seal indicating the record is “Certified – True & Correct.”
How Can I Obtain a Copy of My New Hampshire Driving Record?
New Hampshire is one of the few states in the US that does not provide online access to driving records. You can obtain your record through one of two old fashioned routes: in person or by mail. If you are in no rush to obtain a copy, you can obtain a copy through the mail. You’ll need to start by completing a copy of the Release of Motor Vehicle Records form. When submitting your request, include a check or money order of $15 (payable to State of NH-DMV) along with the form in a self-addressed, stamped envelope to the following address:
NH Department of Safety
DMV-FR Driving Records
23 Hazen Drive
Concord, NH 03305
For those with the patience to withstand the lines and tolerate the service at the DMV, you can bring the same release form mentioned above to your local New Hampshire DMV location. You’ll need to present your license and a form of payment to complete the request. You can make payments in person using cash, check/money order, or credit/debit card.
What To Do With Your New Hampshire Driving Record
If you find that the information on your New Hampshire driving record is inaccurate, it is important that you request a correction immediately. Inaccurate information can lead to higher fines, greater insurance premiums, and even license revocation. To request a correction, contact the DMV in New Hampshire at (603) 227-4040.
New Hampshire Driving Record Points
Since not everyone is familiar with the states’ point system, let’s discuss it briefly here. This will help you check the accuracy of the points added to your driving record.
As mentioned earlier, any points you accumulate from any traffic violations/convictions will stay on your New Hampshire MVR for 3 years.
In New Hampshire, your age is the main determinant of the time period your license can get suspended after accumulating a specific number of points.
If you are 18 years old and below, an accumulation of:
- 6 points in 1 calendar year will mean 3 months of license suspension
- 12 points in 2 calendar years equal 6 months of license suspension
- 18 points in 3 calendar years will result in 1-year license revocation
If you are below 21 years old, an accumulation of:
- 9 points in 1 calendar year will mean 3 months of license suspension
- 15 points in 2 calendar years equal 6 months of license suspension
- 21 points in 3 calendar years will result in 1-year license revocation
If you are 21 years old or older, an accumulation of:
- 12 points in 1 calendar year will mean 3 months of license suspension
- 18 points in 2 calendar years equal 6 months of license suspension
- 24 points in 3 calendar years will result in 1-year license revocation
However, a serious traffic violation, like DWI or refusal to take a sobriety test, will automatically revoke your driving privileges, regardless of age.
Understanding the New Hampshire DMV Point System
Similar to the point system in other states, point values in NH driving records are assigned based on the severity of the traffic violation committed. The more severe violations will mean a higher number of points. (Note: Violations committed out of New Hampshire are still counted.)
So how many points can you receive for which offenses? Here are some of the most common traffic citations and their corresponding point values.
You’ll get 6 points for:
- driving after suspension/revocation
- disobeying a police officer
- DWI (Driving While Intoxicated) and aggravated DWI
- reckless operation
You’ll get 4 points for:
- driving without a license
- unlawful passing
- highway markings or yellow line violation
- driving more than 25 mph over the posted speed limit
You’ll get 3 points for:
- failure to obey traffic control devices
- failure to obey stop/yield signs
- driving less than 25 mph over the posted speed limit
You’ll get 2 points for:
- unregistered vehicle
- driving a motorcycle without a motorcycle license
And you’ll get 1 point for failure to obtain a New Hampshire driver’s license while driving.