New Hampshire DMV Practice Test 2025

Yes. New Hampshire is one of only about two states that does not require adults to wear seatbelts (RSA 265:107-a). Adults in both front and rear seats are not legally required to buckle up. Drivers and passengers under 18 are required to be properly restrained. Despite the legal exemption, safety data shows that seatbelts reduce the risk of death in a crash by approximately 45% for front-seat occupants. The New Hampshire DMV exam tests this fact directly as a key state-specific law.

New Hampshire's DMV knowledge exam consists of 40 questions, and applicants must answer at least 32 correctly to pass — an 80% passing threshold. The exam covers New Hampshire traffic laws, road signs, OUI statutes (RSA 265-A:2), the no-adult-seatbelt law, the no-adult-helmet law for adults 18+, the Franconia Notch interstate situation, White Mountain driving hazards, and New Hampshire's toll road system.

New Hampshire uses OUI — Operating Under the Influence — under RSA 265-A:2. The actual conduct and penalties are essentially the same as DUI in other states — the difference is terminology. OUI applies to impairment from alcohol, drugs, or any combination of substances. The adult BAC threshold is 0.08%; the under-21 threshold is 0.02%; CDL holders face 0.04%; and aggravated DWI triggers at 0.16%+ BAC (RSA 265-A:3). New Hampshire's Implied Consent law (RSA 265-A:14) requires submission to chemical testing when lawfully arrested for OUI.

Franconia Notch on I-93 is the only section of the entire U.S. Interstate Highway System that was permanently reduced to 2 lanes rather than the minimum 4-lane divided highway standard. When I-93 was being extended through Franconia Notch, federal and state environmental negotiations determined that a standard 4-lane interstate would be too environmentally destructive to Franconia Notch State Park. The compromise was a 2-lane parkway designated as both I-93 and NH Route 18.

The Kancamagus Highway (NH-112) runs 34.5 miles from Lincoln to Conway through the White Mountain National Forest. There are no gas stations, restaurants, rest stops with services, cell phone towers, or emergency call boxes anywhere along the road. Enter with a full tank of fuel — the nearest stations are at Lincoln (west end) and Conway (east end). In winter, the Kancamagus is sometimes closed entirely. Active moose and deer crossing zones exist throughout the road.

No. New Hampshire does not require motorcycle helmets for riders or passengers who are 18 or older (RSA 265:122). The law requires helmets only for riders and passengers under 18. Combined with the no-adult-seatbelt law, New Hampshire has among the most permissive personal protection requirements in the United States for vehicle occupants. The New Hampshire DMV exam tests the helmet law's 18-year threshold explicitly.

New Hampshire's toll road system includes the F.E. Everett Turnpike (I-293 and NH-101 in the southern tier), I-93, and toll plazas at several highway entry points. E-ZPass electronic transponders allow contactless payment. Some New Hampshire toll plazas have converted to all-electronic tolling (AET), where vehicles without E-ZPass are photographed by license plate cameras and billed by mail (Pay-by-Plate). Unpaid toll bills accumulate fees and can eventually result in registration renewal issues.

New Hampshire has a significant moose population concentrated in the White Mountain and North Country regions. The most active moose crossing roads include NH-112 (Kancamagus Highway), NH-16 (from Conway north to Gorham and Berlin), US-3 through the North Country, and NH-302 through the Crawford Notch area. Moose are most active at dawn, dusk, and nighttime. Their legs are tall enough that the body sits above standard headlight beams, making them nearly invisible at night until directly in front of a vehicle.

New Hampshire's GDL (graduated driver license) program applies to drivers under 18. Applicants must be at least 16, complete driver education, and have parental consent. The learner phase requires 40 hours of supervised driving (10 at night). After receiving a license, under-18 drivers must observe a nighttime curfew (no driving 1 a.m. to 4 a.m.) and for the first 6 months are limited to 1 non-family passenger under 25. These restrictions are designed to reduce crash risk during the highest-risk period for new drivers.

Under New Hampshire's implied consent law (RSA 265-A:14), refusing a chemical test results in a 180-day (6-month) administrative license suspension for a first refusal with no prior conviction or prior refusal. If the driver has a prior DWI conviction or prior refusal on record, the suspension period increases to 2 years. Drivers have 30 days to request a hearing to contest the suspension.