The New Hampshire permit test has 40 questions, and you need 32 correct (80%) to pass. Official source. Page updated 2026-10-27.
Study this first
Key New Hampshire DMV rules and numbers
These are key rules and numbers from the New Hampshire handbook, a few per topic so they fit on one printed page. We favor rules that state a specific number. Every fact below comes from our free New Hampshire DMV practice test question bank, which has 500 questions across 9 topics, checked against the New Hampshire handbook (last verified 2026-09-08).
Speed limits
- The 70 mph limit applies only to the portion of Interstate 93 from mile marker 45 to the Vermont border. (Handbook, p. 15)
- The minimum speed you may drive on an interstate highway is 45 mph, unless road and weather conditions are so bad that this speed is unsafe. (Handbook, p. 15)
- In a posted school zone the speed limit is 10 miles per hour below the usual posted speed limit. (Handbook, p. 15)
- New Hampshire sets 35 mph for a rural residence district and for a Class V highway outside the compact part of a city or town. (Handbook, p. 15)
- New Hampshire permits 65 mph on the interstate system and on the central and eastern turnpikes only where the highway is divided and has four or more lanes. (Handbook, p. 15)
Right of way
- RSA 265:28 states that the driver of a vehicle approaching or entering an intersection on the left shall yield the right of way to the vehicle on the right, unless an official traffic control device or a police officer directs otherwise. (Handbook, p. 14)
- RSA 265:29 covers left turns within an intersection or into an alley, private road or driveway. (Handbook, p. 14)
- When a train or railroad vehicle is approaching, a driver must stop behind the stop line or not less than 15 feet nor more than 50 feet from the nearest rail of the track. (Handbook, p. 22)
- Drivers must stop at least 25 feet in any direction for a school bus that is stopped with its red lights flashing or its stop arm extended, at all times, unless the roadway is separated by a physical barrier. (Handbook, p. 27)
- Drivers must stop at least 25 feet in any direction for a school bus stopped with red lights flashing or its stop arm extended, unless the roadway is separated by a physical barrier. (Handbook, p. 27)
Alcohol and DUI
- New Hampshire applies a BAC threshold of .02% or higher to drivers under 21. (Handbook)
- The manual reports that alcohol and other impairing drugs are involved in approximately 40% of all traffic crashes in which someone is killed each year. (Handbook, p. 8)
- No driver under 21 may transport any liquor or alcoholic beverage in any part of a vehicle except when accompanied by a parent, legal guardian or legal age spouse. (Handbook, p. 8)
- A first conviction for driving under the influence of drugs or liquor, or driving with excess alcohol concentration, is a Class B misdemeanor with a fine of not less than $500. (Handbook, p. 9)
- The manual says a driver convicted of a first offense DUI may lose driving privileges for a period of 9 months to 2 years and will be required to attend an approved impaired driver education program. (Handbook, p. 9)
Signals and markings
- A turn signal needs to begin at least 100 feet before the turn so drivers behind, beside, and approaching get time to react. (Handbook, p. 15)
- The manual gives two signaling distances. (Handbook, p. 15)
- Among the basic rules of the road, the manual states that a police officer directing traffic overrules any traffic light or sign and must be obeyed. (Handbook, p. 20)
- A flashing yellow traffic light means slow down and proceed with caution, and the manual adds that drivers should be prepared to stop for any traffic flow entering the intersection. (Handbook, p. 20)
- A flashing red traffic light requires drivers to come to a complete stop behind a stop line, crosswalk, or intersection before proceeding through the intersection, yielding any right-of-way. (Handbook, p. 20)
Parking
- Even without a posted sign, it is illegal to park within 15 feet of a fire hydrant. (Handbook, p. 28)
- Parking within 20 feet of a crosswalk at an intersection is illegal in New Hampshire even when no sign marks the spot. (Handbook, p. 28)
- New Hampshire keeps parked cars 30 feet from a stop sign, yield sign, or traffic control signal. (Handbook, p. 28)
- A vehicle must stay at least 50 feet from the nearest rail when parking near a railroad crossing. (Handbook, p. 28)
- Parking within 20 feet of a fire station driveway entrance is prohibited, and the rule is stricter across the street, where the distance is 75 feet. (Handbook, p. 28)
Safe driving
- The fatigue advice is specific: during long trips, plan to stop at least every 2 hours to stretch or get a cup of coffee or a soft drink. (Handbook, p. 7)
- Hands belong at the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock positions or the 8 o'clock and 4 o'clock positions, with knuckles and thumbs on the outside of the wheel. (Handbook, p. 14)
- Perception time is the time and distance it takes an operator to recognize that they must stop, and the manual puts the average for an alert driver at three quarters of a second to 1 second. (Handbook, p. 16)
- The manual gives one concrete braking figure: at 50 mph on dry pavement with good brakes, it can take about 158 feet to stop. (Handbook, p. 16)
- In 2022, 891 people were killed and 37,701 people were injured as a result of work zone crashes, and New Hampshire itself reports more than 30,000 crashes of all kinds each year. (Handbook, p. 41)
Road signs
- The manual defines a full stop as the wheels completely stopping. (Handbook, p. 21)
- A yield sign is a red and white downward pointing triangle with red letters, and it means the driver must slow down and allow traffic that has the right-of-way to cross before entering. (Handbook, p. 21)
- The manual's examples of prohibition signs are the stop sign, the yield sign, Do Not Enter, No Trucks, Wrong Way, No Left Turn, No Right Turn and No U-Turn. (Handbook, p. 21)
- Wrong Way is one of the manual's prohibition sign examples, and its red color carries the standard meaning of prohibition: stop or do not do something. (Handbook, p. 21)
- One-Way Street signs tell a driver that traffic flows only in the direction of the arrow, and the manual adds a flat rule: never drive the wrong way on a one-way street. (Handbook, p. 22)
Laws and paperwork
- New Hampshire driver education is built around several fixed hour counts, and the classroom portion is 30 hours with a certified driver education instructor. (Handbook, p. 1)
- The supervised driving requirement is 40 hours with a parent, guardian or other responsible adult, and 10 of those hours must be completed at night. (Handbook, p. 1)
- State law RSA 263:19 requires everyone who is 16 or 17 years of age and wants a driver's license to have first completed an approved driver education program. (Handbook, p. 1)
- New residents have up to 60 days after moving into the state to obtain a New Hampshire driver's license. (Handbook, p. 1)
- RSA 263:4 requires new residents to surrender all valid driver licenses issued by any other jurisdiction when they apply for a New Hampshire license. (Handbook, p. 1)
Emergencies
- Sherrill's Law, RSA 265:37-a, covers fires, collisions, utility work, traffic stops, and any stopped or standing vehicle displaying warning signals such as hazard lights, flares, cones or caution signs. (Handbook, p. 40)
- More than 30,000 reported crashes a year works out to dozens every day on state roads. (Handbook, p. 32)
- Right of way must be given to emergency vehicles approaching from any direction when they are sounding a siren or operating flashing lights. (Handbook, p. 14)
- When emergency vehicles are approaching, do not enter a roundabout; pull over to the right and let other vehicles clear the intersection so the emergency vehicles can move through. (Handbook, p. 27)
- Vehicles with an anti-lock braking system let a driver stop without skidding and keep steering control, but only if the driver presses on the brake pedal and keeps applying pressure. (Handbook, p. 34)
Want the reasoning behind these rules? Study the handbook, chapter by chapter, in 28 short lessons quoted from the New Hampshire manual.
Signs
Sign shape and color carry meaning before you even read the words. A red octagon always means stop, a red-bordered triangle pointing down means yield, and yellow diamonds warn of a hazard ahead. For every sign image used in our practice test, with the exact meaning and explanation, see the full road sign glossary.
Keep studying
This cheat sheet is a summary, not a substitute for practice. Test yourself with the free New Hampshire DMV practice test, which explains the reasoning behind every answer, or see New Hampshire DMV facts and fees before test day.