New Hampshire Drunk-Driving Penalties
– An Overview
Jail time
The most serious DWI sentence is jail time. If you are sentenced to serve time for a DWI conviction in New Hampshire, you are looking at a 10- to 180-day sentence and up. The sentenced time varies and is usually the longest for repeat offenders. The actual length of time is flexible, according to New Hampshire law, and is ultimately at the jury’s discretion.
Jail time for DWI convictions in New Hampshire is served in a county correctional facility and/or a multiple DWI offender intervention detention center.
Remedial programs
Your DWI sentence may include the completion of a remedial program, such as those offered at Amethyst House in Epping, NH. You could spend as little as 20 hours or as much as 28 days in a New Hampshire-approved driver-intervention program.
New Hampshire remedial programs for DWI convictions are complicated, time consuming, restrictive and expensive. Generally, you are required to pay for programs out of pocket (this could cost you up to $5,000!)
License suspension
A license suspension may be your only sentence, but it often goes hand-in-hand with remedial programs or jail time. When your license is suspended, you cannot drive anywhere, not even to work.
Your license suspension can last anywhere from 9 months to 5 or more years. The guidelines* for license suspension duration in New Hampshire is as follows:
- Class B Misdemeanor: 9 months – 2 years
- Class A Misdemeanor: 18 months – 2 years
- Class B Felony: 18 months – 2 years
- Class B Felony (second offense): 3+ years
- Class B Felony (third offense): 5+ years
These durations are only applicable to those ages 21 and up. If you're under the age of 21, have broken laws in conjunction with your DWI, or were driving a truck or school bus, your case involves "Aggravating Circumstances."
You may also be required to have an Ignition interlock device installed in your car, which would require you to blow into it. Only if you've not been drinking or your alcohol level is within legal limits will your car start.
A word to the wise: DO NOT DRIVE WITH A SUSPENDED LICENSE. New Hampshire's punishments for driving with a suspended license are among the harshest in the country. You will face at least 7 consecutive days in jail, up to a $1,000 fine and an additional year tacked onto your suspension. You need to drive, and it can be frustrating when this right is taken away from you. However, driving with a suspended license will only complicate matters further.
*New Hampshire Statutes, Title XXI, Chapter 265-A
