What car insurance costs in New Hampshire

The New Hampshire bill next to the U.S.

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) reports what insurers collected per insured car in every state. In 2023 the New Hampshire average was $987, up 12% from $881 a year earlier. That number divides total premium by insured cars, so it mixes bare liability policies with full coverage and leaves out cars with no policy at all. A car with all three main coverages averaged $1,032.

Each line sits below the national one: liability by about 35%, collision by about 16% and comprehensive by about 34%. A full-coverage car came in roughly 28% under the U.S. combined premium. The averages say nothing about one household, though; age, record, vehicle and town still decide your own price. See how where you live changes a quote.

Is car insurance required in New Hampshire?

The New Hampshire Insurance Department says plainly that state motor vehicle law does not require you to carry auto insurance. What it does require is financial responsibility: after an accident you cause, you must be able to show you can pay for the damage. If you can't, your driving privileges in New Hampshire may be suspended.

Some drivers lose the choice. The Division of Motor Vehicles may require proof of insurance on an SR-22 certificate after any DWI, after leaving the scene of an accident, or after a second reckless operation offense. Until the filing is in place, a license or registration can't be restored or kept. Our page on how your driving record sets a price explains how offenses like these feed into a quote.

• Liability: the lowest limits sold are 25/50/25, meaning $25,000 per injured person, $50,000 per accident for injuries and $25,000 for property damage.
• Medical payments: a personal policy must include at least $1,000 of this coverage, according to the Department.
• Uninsured motorist coverage must be provided at limits equal to your liability coverage, so raising one raises the other.
• Collision and comprehensive stay optional unless a lender or leasing company requires them.

How prices are reviewed in New Hampshire

The Department does not set or mandate auto insurance rates. It reviews and approves the rating plans that insurers submit and justify, and each company sets its own discounts; the Department notes that not all companies offer all of them. Two insurers can therefore price the same driver quite differently.

Insurers may adjust your rate to take your credit score into account, according to the Department's consumer FAQ. If a company's use of credit seems to work against you, ask which factors drove the result and compare with insurers that weigh credit differently. Our page on credit-based insurance scores covers what to ask.

If no company will sell you a policy

States run residual-market plans for drivers the voluntary market turns down, and AIPSO lists a "New Hampshire AIP" among the state plans it serves. A licensed agent can check whether you qualify and place the application. Ask what the plan would charge before you commit; our guide to assigned risk plans explains how they work and how to leave one.

Ways to pay less in New Hampshire

1. 1 Match the coverage before you compare. Ask each insurer for the same liability limits, medical payments amount and deductibles, since uninsured motorist coverage follows your liability limits automatically.
2. 2 Revisit optional extras. Rental reimbursement, roadside help and similar add-ons are worth a second look; our page on trimming optional coverages lists what not to cut.
3. 3 Ask about every discount. They are part of each insurer's rating plan and differ from company to company, so ask each one what it offers rather than assuming.
4. 4 Call the Department with problems. Consumer Services answers at 603-271-2261, or 800-852-3416 toll-free in state, and takes complaints about insurers and agents.

Questions drivers ask