Title XXI, Motor Vehicles

No common carrier by motor vehicle shall charge or demand or collect or receive a greater or lesser or different compensation for transportation or for any service in connection therewith between the points enumerated in such tariff than the rates, fares, and charges specified in…

The driver of every motor vehicle shall, upon request of any law enforcement officer, stop and submit to a weighing of said motor vehicle by means of either portable or stationary scales. If such scales are not available at the place where the stopping occurs, upon request of a l…

I. Every contract carrier of passengers by motor vehicle shall: (a) Print schedules of minimum charges and, if required by the department, copies of contracts of the carrier for the transportation of passengers between points in this state; (b) File contracts, if required, with t…

The driving on the interstate and defense highway system of this state of any vehicle or combination of vehicles exceeding the limitations of this section is hereby prohibited. I. Maximum tire and axle gross weights allowable: (a) The manufacturer's load rating for the tires. (b)…

The driving on ways of this state, other than on the interstate and defense highway system as provided by RSA 266:18, of any vehicle or combination of vehicles exceeding the limitations of this section is hereby prohibited; provided, however, that any police officer shall allow o…

The provisions of this section shall only apply to vehicles or combinations of vehicles which have been certified pursuant to RSA 266:18-d and shall only apply to the driving of such vehicles on any way other than the interstate and defense highway system. The driving of any such…

The following provisions shall apply to any vehicle covered by RSA 266:18, 18-a, or 18-b, regardless of the type of way or highway on which it is driven, except as otherwise specified: I. A vehicle or combination of vehicles equipped with any solid rubber tires shall not have wei…

I. No vehicle shall be driven on any way with a gross vehicle weight in excess of the weight limits specified in RSA 266:18-a without having obtained a certification therefor from the commissioner of the department of safety. The certification shall be in addition to any other re…

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, in case the expenditure of additional funds over budget estimates is necessary to implement and enforce this chapter, the governor and council, with the prior approval of the fiscal committee of the general court, upon request from the …

The commissioner of transportation, by rule adopted pursuant to RSA 541-A, shall have the authority to prohibit and to approve suitable locations for the assembly and disassembly of truck-tractor, semi-trailer, or full trailer combinations, and these rules shall have the force of…

If the department, after a hearing upon complaint or on its own initiative, determines that a charge by any contract carrier by motor vehicle or any carrier regulation or practice affecting a charge contravenes the policy in RSA 266-A:1 or gives an unreasonable advantage to any c…

Any type of emergency fire fighting vehicle shall be exempted from the weight limitations imposed under RSA 266:18.

The following words and phrases as used in this chapter shall have the following meanings, unless the context clearly requires otherwise: I. The term "department" means the department of safety. II. The term "person" means any individual, firm, copartnership, corporation, company…

The provisions of RSA 266:18 shall not prohibit the driving of construction equipment and motor vehicles used in the construction or maintenance of highways, provided that such equipment is used within a highway construction zone or extensions thereof as prescribed by the commiss…

I. The department may require: (a) Annual reports from all carriers by motor vehicle. The department may require that the reports be made under oath; (b) Specific answers to any questions deemed necessary by the department; and (c) Copies of any agreements between a carrier by mo…

I. The commissioner shall regulate common and contract carriers by motor vehicle. II. The commissioner shall administer and enforce RSA 266-A and shall adopt rules, pursuant to RSA 541-A, relative to the administration of RSA 266-A. III. The commissioner may adopt rules, pursuant…

Any construction equipment and motor vehicles used for the winter maintenance of ways that are owned, leased, or rented by the state or any political subdivision of the state are exempt from the limitations in RSA 266:18, RSA 266:11, and RSA 266:12.

The provisions regarding maximum weight shall not apply to damaged, disabled, or abandoned vehicles being towed by a tow truck for a reasonable distance to the nearest safe haven off the highway, where the weight of each such individual unit does not exceed the maximum legal or p…

Before any special permit authorized by RSA 266:24 is issued, the commissioner of transportation shall collect fees as follows: I. Each permit for either over-length, over-width or over-height or any combination thereof, $6; II. Each permit for vehicle and load over-weight, fee b…

Upon complaint in writing by any person, organization, or body politic, or upon its own initiative, the department may investigate whether any motor carrier has failed to comply with any provision of this chapter, or with any requirement established pursuant thereto. If the depar…

The commissioner of transportation is hereby empowered to modify the vehicle weight limits hereinbefore provided insofar as may be necessary to insure that the state shall receive maximum federal highway aid.

I. Any person who operates a motor vehicle for a motor carrier shall, when requested, stop his motor vehicle and permit any authorized inspector of the department to examine the vehicle. The inspector may examine the vehicle as necessary to determine its compliance with the provi…

I. Any person wishing to move objects having a weight, width, height, or length greater than prescribed by this chapter, or wishing to move vehicle and load of which the weight, width, height, or length cannot be so distributed that it will meet the requirements of this chapter, …

Each motor carrier holding a certificate or a permit under the provisions of this chapter shall annually apply to the department of safety, division of motor vehicles, on blanks to be furnished by it, for the registration of each vehicle, operated under the provisions of such cer…

Notwithstanding any other provision of this subdivision, the commissioner of safety shall have authority to waive the maximum lengths between axles of trucks provided for under this subdivision when the commissioner finds that such waiver will not adversely affect the safety of t…

I. The commissioner of transportation is hereby authorized to execute all documents and perform all other acts necessary to enter into and carry out the provisions of a multi-jurisdictional regional truck permit compact, to be known as the New England truck permit agreement, for …

The state shall not be liable for damage caused by negligent conduct of the person transporting manufactured housing or modular buildings as authorized under this chapter.

There shall be paid to the division of motor vehicles, the following fees: I. [Repealed.] II. For each application for common or contract carriers of passengers for which a certificate or permit is issued pursuant to RSA 266-A:5 or 8, $50; III. For the annual registration of each…

I. Except as provided in paragraph II, any person who shall drive or cause to be driven on the ways of this state a vehicle whose weight is in excess of that prescribed in this subdivision shall be guilty of a violation, and notwithstanding the provisions of RSA 625:9, V, shall b…

I. When there is an immediate and urgent need for service in an area and no carrier service is able to meet the need, the department may, without hearing, grant temporary authority for the needed service to a common carrier or contract carrier by motor vehicle. II. Temporary auth…

Any person who shall drive on the ways of this state a vehicle whose weight, including load, shall exceed by more than 20 percent the total weight under which it was registered shall be guilty of a violation.

Every motor vehicle driven upon the ways of this state shall be provided with adequate brakes in good working order and sufficient to control such vehicle at all times.

I. Except as provided in paragraph II, any person violating any provision of this chapter, or any rule or order adopted or issued under this chapter, or any term or condition of any certificate, permit or license shall: (a) For a first offense, be guilty of a violation and shall …

Every motor vehicle and combination of vehicles except motorcycles, farm tractors and mopeds, shall have a parking brake system adequate to hold the vehicle or combination of vehicles on any grade on which it is driven under all conditions of loading on a surface free from snow, …

I. All motor vehicle dealers shall post the following notice in a prominent location at their place of business: Important Safety Factors Regarding Automatic Transmissions and Key Positions 1. Most newer model motor vehicles with automatic transmissions are engineered with a "bra…

Every motor vehicle and every combination of motor vehicle with trailer or semi-trailer when driven upon the ways of the state shall at a speed of 20 miles per hour be capable, at all times and under all conditions of loading, of stopping on a dry, smooth, approximately level pav…

All fees and fines collected pursuant to the provisions of this chapter shall be made available to the department of safety, except that the cost of issuance of registration plates shall be paid to the division of motor vehicles.

I. No person shall drive a motor vehicle upon any way unless the brake lining or friction material at each wheel has a minimum thickness of 2/32 of an inch. II. Brake lining measurements shall be performed using a brake gauge, caliper, or other suitable measuring device calibrate…

I. Hydraulic brake fluid shall be distributed and hydraulic brake systems shall be serviced with due regard to the safety of the occupants of the vehicle and the public and in accordance with provisions of this section. II. No person shall distribute, have for sale, offer for sal…

There shall be exempt from the provisions of this chapter (1) motor vehicles while employed solely in transporting school children and teachers to or from the school for which such arrangements are within the supervision or control of the local or appropriate state school board a…

Each person, upon being certified by the director of the division of motor vehicles of the department of safety as a vanpool operator, shall provide said director with a certificate indicating that the vehicle used in vanpooling service is covered by a liability insurance policy …

Each vehicle operated in vanpooling service shall comply with the safety requirements as issued by the department applicable to common and contract carriers of passengers for hire.

I. No motor vehicle trailer or semi-trailer shall be driven on the ways of this state unless equipped with adequate brakes in good working order and sufficient to control the said vehicle at all times. No house trailer weighing in excess of 1,500 pounds shall be driven on the way…

I. Every motor vehicle driven during the period from 1/2 hour after sunset to 1/2 hour before sunrise, and whenever rain, snow, or fog shall interfere with the proper view of the road so that persons and vehicles on the way are not clearly discernible at a distance of 1,000 feet …

All motor vehicles shall be equipped with multiple beam headlighting equipment, except that headlamp systems which provide only a single distribution of light shall be permitted on all farm tractors regardless of date of manufacture and on antique motor vehicles which were not or…

Notwithstanding the provisions of RSA 266:44, the tail lamps on antique motor vehicles, farm tractors, retired fire apparatuses, or motorcycles as defined in RSA 259:4 shall be deemed adequate if they display a red light visible for a distance of 100 feet to the rear of such vehi…