Getting a driver license is a big step for any teenager, but before you get the freedom to drive, you have to earn it. To get your license in New Hampshire, in fact, you have to complete an approved driver education program, complete an additional forty (40) hours of supervised driving time, and pass several tests.
You can start completing these requirements at age 15 ½, but you cannot apply for a driver license until you are at least 16 years old.
How To Get Started
The first step toward getting your driver license in New Hampshire is choosing a driver education program approved by the New Hampshire Department of Safety Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV). Driving schools are available across the state in cities from Alton and Amherst to Exeter and Manchester to Windham and Woodsville – and everywhere in between.
Make sure you choose a driving school that is approved by the DMV. All approved driver education programs will include:
- Thirty (30) hours of classroom instruction with a certified instructor
- Ten (10) hours of behind-the-wheel time with a certified instructor
- Six (6) hours of driving observation and testing with a certified instructor
Once you have completed your course, you will also need to log forty (40) hours of driving time with your parents, a guardian, or another responsible adult. You must complete ten (10) of these hours at night, and your parent must log and certify all the hours you practiced.
Your chosen adult may fill out a Certification of Additional Supervised Driving (PDF) or use The Parent’s Supervised Driving Program (PDF) and the RoadReady smartphone app.
Getting Your License
Once you have completed driving school and all your additional hours, you may apply for a driver’s license. You do not have to make an appointment with the DMV, but you must arrive before 3:30 p.m.
Remember to bring:
- A completed Application for Driver License (PDF)
- Proof of identity
- Your original Driver Education Completion Certificate
- A signed Parent or Guardian Authorization Certificate
- A signed and completed Driver’s Out-Of-Class Log Sheet
- A payment method for Driver Licensing Fees
If you wear glasses or contacts, you should also bring them with you. You must pass a vision test, a written knowledge test, and a road test before you receive your driver license.
Fortunately, your driver education program will have prepared you!
For more information and all relevant forms, please consult the New Hampshire DMV’s Driver Licensing Requirements for Minors.
Congratulations and Drive Safe
We’d like to congratulate you in advance for getting your New Hampshire driver license. Our team at Gottesman & Hollis, P.A. also wants to remind you to practice safe driving techniques whenever you are on the road.
Remember, distracted driving and drunk driving cause car accidents, so always drive sober and put your phone away whenever you are behind the wheel.
Tune in next week to learn more about your new license and Graduated License Laws. Our Teen Driving series exists so you have all the information you need to stay safe and informed on the road.
We are also here for you whenever something goes wrong. If you are injured in an accident that is not your fault, you and your family can always contact us at (603) 506-4600 and online.