Who Must Have a New Hampshire License?

Who Must Have a New Hampshire License?

Bond, James Bond. He has a license to kill. But if you're reading this, you're only looking for a license to operate a motor vehicle. Which decidedly is not a license to kill. And we're here to teach you the basics so you don't even kill anyone by accident. 

If you drive on public roads and are 16 years of age or older, you have to have a New Hampshire driver's license. Period. If you don't need one, then you can stop reading right now.

And this makes sense, right? If it's a "public" road, it means everyone has paid for it with their hard-earned tax dollars. And if it's public, innocent people will be driving on it, walking on it, and biking on it. If you just want to drive up and down your parents' driveway, then hey, you're good. You don't need a license to do that. As long as Mom and Dad are cool with it, rock on.

Exceptions

Nonresidents: If you're just visiting New Hampshire, then no worries. As long as you have a driver's license from your home state, you'll be golden.

Foreigners: As long as you're just visiting and have a valid driver's license from your home country, accompanied by an international license issued by that country, you can drive the mean streets of New Hampshire. Again though, this is only if you're a tourist. If you love the rugged terrain so much that you decide to stay, you're going to need to get a New Hampshire driver's license.

Students: If you're a nonresident attending college in New Hampshire, then you don't need a New Hampshire driver's license. But you'll need a license from your home state, obviously. 

Military: If you're military personnel driving a United States government vehicle on official business—or in Afghanistan, Iraq, or somewhere where a New Hampshire driver's license really isn't a big concern—then you don't need a New Hampshire license, as long as you have a valid license from your home state.

Farm: Same deal with farm vehicles. If you're schlepping Grandpa's cornhusker from the southern end of the farm to the northern end of the farm, and you have to cross a public road, that's actually cool. You don't need a license. But if you go to pick up your date at her house on Cherry Avenue in a loader with the crane thing attached, expect a ticket. And don't expect your date to be too psyched, either.

Off-Road: Snowmobiles, cats, honkers, buggies, jeepers, bleepblops and other off-road vehicles don't require you to have a license if you have to cross a road as long as they're registered (a.k.a. have a license plate and necessary stickers). You can't drive 'em on the roads, but you can cross the road like the chicken, just to get to the other side. You just can't cross freeways in any of these unless you like eating metal at 65 miles per hour.