Title XXI, Motor Vehicles

No motor vehicle shall be used to tow another upon the ways between 1/2 hour after sundown and 1/2 hour before sunrise unless the vehicle being towed shall display at least one lighted tail lamp or auxiliary rear light to the extreme left of the rear axle.

I. Any motor vehicle may be equipped with not to exceed 2 spot lamps and every lighted spot lamp shall be so aimed and used that no part of the high intensity portion of the beam will strike the windshield, or any windows, mirror, or occupant of another vehicle in use, except tha…

It shall be unlawful for any person to drive any motor vehicle, including any motorcycle, moped or motor-driven cycle, full trailer, trailer, or semi-trailer in this state unless it is equipped with one or more stop lamps in working order at all times; provided, however, that sto…

I. The director shall adopt rules pursuant to RSA 260:5 requiring certain school buses to be equipped with automatic flasher-type stop lights located on the front and rear. Said stop lights shall be of such types and designs as approved by said director. No school bus shall be dr…

Every bus, motor truck, trailer or semi-trailer, having a width including load in excess of 80 inches, when on the ways of this state at night, shall have displayed on the front thereof, in addition to the front lights provided for in RSA 266:31, 2 amber clearance lamps. Every su…

Any motor vehicle may be equipped with back-up lamps either separately or in combination with other lamps. Such back-up lamps shall not be lighted when the motor vehicle is in forward motion.

It shall be unlawful to drive on any way in this state any motor vehicle registered in this state which is manufactured or assembled after January 1, 1952, unless such vehicle is equipped with directional signals approved by the director. The provisions of this section shall not …

Every new motor vehicle sold and driven upon a way, other than a tractor truck, shall carry on the rear, either as a part of the tail lamps or separately, 2 red reflectors, except that every motorcycle, moped and motor-driven cycle shall carry at least one reflector.

Every motor vehicle and trailer or any combination of vehicles, when on the ways of this state at night, shall have on the rear thereof, and to the left of the axis thereof, one lamp, displaying a red light visible for a distance of at least 1000 feet to the rear of such vehicle,…

Every bus, motor truck, and every trailer and semi-trailer, provided the weight of said trailer or semi-trailer, including load, is 3,000 pounds or more, shall in addition to reflectors required in RSA 266:44, when driven upon the ways of this state at night, have displayed on th…

Any vehicle 80 inches or more in overall width, if not otherwise required by this chapter, may be equipped with not more than 5 identification lamps showing to the front which shall emit an amber or white light without glare and with not more than 3 identification lamps showing t…

Whenever the load upon any vehicle extends to the rear 4 feet or more beyond the bed or body of such vehicle there shall be displayed at the extreme rear end of the load, at all times during lighting periods specified in RSA 266:31, a red light or lantern plainly visible from a d…

Every tractor or animal-drawn vehicle when being driven on any way shall at all times display on the rear thereof a slow moving vehicle emblem approved by the director.

It is unlawful for any person to use or sell any used passenger car tires that have been regrooved.

It shall be unlawful to drive a motor vehicle or trailer upon the ways unless such motor vehicle or trailer is equipped with tires in safe operating condition in accordance with requirements established by the director. No tire mounted on a motor vehicle or trailer shall be deeme…

I. No person shall drive a motor vehicle upon any way unless each tire mounted thereon has a minimum tread depth of not less than 2/32 of an inch. II. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, this section shall not apply to: (a) Commercial motor vehicles, as de…

No tire shall be deemed to be in safe driving condition if such tire has: I. A fabric break, or a cut in excess of one inch in any direction as measured on the outside of the tire and deep enough to reach the body cords, or has been repaired temporarily by the use of blowout patc…

A vehicle shall be considered equipped with solid rubber, iron, steel, or other hard tires when it has 2 or more of that kind.

Tire tread depth shall be measured by a tread depth gauge which shall be of a type calibrated in thirty-seconds of an inch. Readings shall be taken in a major tread groove of the tire nearest the center at 2 points of the circumference not closer than 15 inches. Readings for a ti…

Farm vehicles registered under RSA 261, self-propelled combines, self-propelled corn and hay harvesting machines and tractors used exclusively for agricultural purposes are exempt from the provisions of this subdivision.

Every motor vehicle driven on the ways of this state shall be provided with a muffler, a suitable and adequate horn or other device for signaling, and suitable lamps.

No person shall drive upon any way any closed motor vehicle, or motor vehicle so constructed, equipped, or loaded that the driver is prevented from having a constantly free and unobstructed view of the way immediately in the rear, unless there is attached to the vehicle a mirror …

Every motor vehicle shall be equipped with a windshield wiper, or wipers so-called, for cleaning rain, ice, snow or other moisture from its windshield, and every motor vehicle manufactured after January 1, 1947, shall, in addition to such windshield wiper, be also equipped with a…

Every vehicle operated in or upon any way, when not equipped with proper fenders to prevent the throw, spray, or splash of water, dirt, or other matter, shall be equipped with suitable fender guards or flaps which shall effectively reduce the throw, spray or splash likely to be e…

It shall be unlawful to register or to drive on any way in this state any motor vehicle which shall have been manufactured or assembled on or after January 1, 1936, unless it be equipped with safety glass wherever glass is used in partitions, doors, windows, or windshields. This …

I. It shall be unlawful to sell or inspect any motor vehicle in this state which has after market tinting on the windshield. II. It shall be unlawful to install after market tinting on the windshield on any motor vehicle which is registered in this state. III. It shall be unlawfu…

I. Every motor vehicle shall at all times be equipped with a muffler as defined in RSA 259:66, in good working order and in constant operation to prevent excessive or unusual noise, and no person shall use a muffler cutout, bypass or similar device upon a motor vehicle on a way. …

I. No person shall operate in this state any motorcycle which produces a sound level in excess of the following decibels, when measured in accordance with the provisions of the SAE International Recommended Practice SAE J2825, "Measurement of Exhaust Sound Pressure Levels of Stat…

I. (a) Every motor vehicle driven on the ways of this state which is subject to inspection under this chapter shall be equipped with all of the emission control equipment which was part of that motor vehicle as originally equipped, and such equipment shall be properly connected t…

I. The commissioner shall adopt rules under RSA 541-A to implement a roadside diesel opacity testing program for vehicles registered either in New Hampshire or outside New Hampshire utilizing the SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) J1667 ("Snap Acceleration") test procedure. Th…

No passenger motor vehicle designated as a 1972 or later model which is manufactured after January 1, 1972, shall be registered in this state unless it is equipped with a tamper-resistant odometer designed with the intent to reduce the likelihood of unlawful tampering with the mi…

I. Every motor vehicle listed below shall be equipped at all times with a fire extinguisher, which shall comply with standards approved by the state fire marshal and the commissioner by rule adopted under RSA 260:5: (a) All commercially registered motor vehicles weighing over 8,0…

I. The director shall make available, at no cost to the state, and shall design and approve, a flag or other suitable distress signal to be used by persons with disabilities, or by drivers holding walking disability identification cards. The distress signal may be displayed in an…

I. Any person with a disability who is inconvenienced by any provision of this title requiring or prohibiting the use of certain equipment on a motor vehicle may apply to the department for a waiver of said provision. II. Within 20 days of receiving such application, the commissi…

The director shall adopt pursuant to RSA 260:5 and enforce all needful rules to govern the design of all school buses used for the transportation of school children when owned and operated by any school district, publicly or privately owned, or operated while under contract in th…

Any motor vehicle whose model year is 60 years or older shall be exempt from all motor vehicle equipment and inspection requirements if the motor vehicle is equipped as it was manufactured or in accordance with the motor vehicle's original equipment specifications.

Every trailer or semi-trailer including farm and agricultural vehicles shall have, in addition to the tow-bar or coupling device, a safety chain or cable to prevent breakaway from the towing vehicle. Each chain or cable shall have an ultimate strength at least equal to the gross …

Except for duly registered wrecking vehicles and transporters or motor vehicles towing with a chain or cable for no more than one mile another motor vehicle which is disabled and unable to proceed under its own power, no motor vehicle shall be used to tow another motor vehicle up…

No vehicle carrying wood-sawing equipment shall be driven on the ways of this state when the saw is on the arbor ready for use, unless such saw is covered with a suitable wooden guard.

No motor truck, trailer or semi-trailer, while being used to transport a load of logs, lumber or timber, the height of which with load is greater than 8 feet and the length of whose load is greater than 8 feet shall be driven on the ways of this state unless each such load on eac…

No motor truck, trailer, or semi-trailer, while being used to transport pulpwood, boltwood or any wood product, other than long logs or sawed long lumber, shall be driven on the ways of this state unless the last tier or row or both are bound by a chain, wire rope, steel cable, s…

I. No motor truck, trailer or semi-trailer while being used to transport baled hay shall be operated on the highways of this state unless the loads of baled hay, baled straw, or other baled products shall be solidly packed while in transit. Loading methods shall result in complet…

No vehicle while being used to transport junk motor vehicles shall be driven on the ways of this state, unless each such load on each such unit is bound by 3 chains and binders, said chains made of not less than 3/8 inch wire, and unless said chains and binders are held firmly in…

The director shall have authority, through his duly authorized agents, to inspect any motor vehicle used for the purpose of transporting school children to any school to determine its fitness for such purpose, and if he finds that such vehicle is unfit, he may refuse to permit it…

I. No motor truck, trailer or semi-trailer, while being used to transport construction equipment, shall be driven on the ways of the state unless such load on each such unit is bound by: (a) Not less than 2 chains and binders made of not less than 3/8 inch wire; or (b) Not less t…

Notwithstanding the provisions of RSA 266:12, a motor vehicle or trailer transporting pulpwood or boltwood may be driven on any way or bridge if the width of the load does not exceed 102 inches if said vehicles and trailers are equipped with: I. A strip 3 inches thick extending a…