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Does New Hampshire Use a Points System?
Quite a few states in the United States use a points system when it comes to your driving record and you simply accumulate points for traffic violations. In the state of New Hampshire, the New Hampshire DMV does use a points system, as well. Any points you get on your driving record are known as demerit points in this state.
You get different amounts of points for different kinds of traffic violations. Abandoning a vehicle gets you three demerit points on your driving record while driving without proof of financial responsibility is worth four demerit points on your driving record. It is worth noting that the number of demerit points assessed for a motor vehicle violation will appear on a certified copy of a record for three years from the date of the violation.
New Hampshire Traffic Violations
You should also know that there are differences regarding motor vehicle and traffic violations even among states that do use a points system. Some states assess your driving record with more points for certain traffic violations than others do. For the state of New Hampshire, the demerit points assessed for a violation range from a minimum of one point to a maximum of six points. One example of this is failing to display or produce your driver’s license to a police officer. This type of violation is worth two demerit points in the state of New Hampshire.
However, improper passing is considered a more serious traffic violation and thus gets you four demerit points on your driving record. You also get three points for driving 1-24 mph over the posted speed limit and four points for driving 25 mph or more over the posted speed limit.
Paying Traffic Tickets in New Hampshire
Paying traffic tickets is fairly straightforward in the state of New Hampshire. You have to respond to a ticket within 30 days of the date of issuance on the front of the ticket unless you were told to appear in court or respond to the court directly. You can submit a plea of guilty, nolo contendere (no admission of guilt), or not guilty in response to the ticket. If you submit a plea of guilty or nolo contendere, you must pay for the traffic ticket.
You can pay for your ticket online if you wish. You must pay by credit card if you are doing so. You also have to pay by credit card if you are paying for the traffic ticket over the phone. You can also pay by mail by mailing a check to the following address:
PO Box 3838
Concord NH 03301
You should make all checks payable to ‘State of NH- DMV’. You can also bring your checks in person to the dropbox at the Concord DMV office in New Hampshire.
Driver Improvement Program
New Hampshire License Suspension
There are a number of different ways that you can get your driver’s license suspended in the state of New Hampshire. It is possible that you can get your driver’s license suspended if you accumulate too many demerit points on your driving record within a certain period of time. For drivers under the age of 18, you can get your license suspended for up to three months if you get six demerit points in a calendar year.
Drivers under 18 can get their license suspended for up to six months if they get 12 points in two calendar years and they can get up to a one-year license suspension for 18 points in three calendar years. It is somewhat different for drivers over the age of 21. If you are a driver over 21 years old, you can get up to a three-month license suspension for nine points in one calendar year and up to a six-month license suspension for 18 points in two calendar years. You can also receive up to a one-year suspension of your driver’s license for 24 points in three calendar years.