New Hampshire HB 1568: relative to mandatory minimum insurance coverage requirements for motor vehicles.

Bill Text

HB 1568-FN - AS INTRODUCED

2026 SESSION

 26-2477

 06/05

HOUSE BILL 1568-FN

AN ACT relative to mandatory minimum insurance coverage requirements for motor vehicles.

SPONSORS: Rep. Barton, Graf. 1

COMMITTEE: Commerce and Consumer Affairs 

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ANALYSIS

 This bill requires owners of registered motor vehicles to maintain liability insurance meeting minimum coverage thresholds, establishes penalties for noncompliance, and authorizes rulemaking for verification procedures.

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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.

 Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]

 Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

 26-2477

 06/05

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty-Six

AN ACT relative to mandatory minimum insurance coverage requirements for motor vehicles.

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

 1 New Section; Mandatory Liability Insurance. Amend RSA 264 by inserting after section 15 the following new section: 

 264:15-a Mandatory Liability Insurance. 

 I. No motor vehicle required to be registered in this state shall be operated upon any way unless the owner maintains a motor vehicle liability insurance policy issued by a company authorized to transact business in this state. 

 II. The policy shall provide at least the minimum coverage limits required under RSA 264:20, including: 

 (a) Bodily injury or death of one person, not less than $25,000. 

 (b) Bodily injury or death of 2 or more persons, not less than $50,000 per accident. 

 (c) Property damage, not less than $25,000 per accident. 

 III. Proof of insurance shall be provided at the time of vehicle registration and upon request by law enforcement. 

 IV. A person who fails to maintain active insurance shall be subject to:

 (a) Suspension of the vehicle’s registration by the director until proof of coverage is provided; and

 (b) A civil penalty of $250 for a first offense and $500 for each subsequent offense. 

 V. The department of safety may adopt rules under RSA 541-A to implement this section, including procedures for electronic verification of coverage. 

 2 Effective Date. This act shall take effect January 1, 2027.

 LBA

 26-2477

 12/5/25

HB 1568-FN- FISCAL NOTE

AS INTRODUCED

AN ACT relative to mandatory minimum insurance coverage requirements for motor vehicles.

FISCAL IMPACT: This bill does not provide funding, nor does it authorize new positions.

 Estimated State Impact

FY 2026

FY 2027

FY 2028

FY 2029

 Revenue

$0

$200,000

$300,000

$400,000

 Revenue Fund(s)

General Fund

 Expenditures*

$0

$444,000

Indeterminable Increase

$150,000+ Per Year

 Funding Source(s)

Restricted - Highway Fund Cost of Collections - Per the state constitution, costs associated with the collection/administration of highway fund revenue by the Department of Safety is deducted prior to funds being credited as unrestricted highway fund revenue

 Appropriations*

$0

$0

$0

$0

 Funding Source(s)

None

 *Expenditure = Cost of bill *Appropriation = Authorized funding to cover cost of bill

METHODOLOGY:

This bill establishes a requirement to provide proof of financial responsibility at the time of motor vehicle registration and authorizes immediate suspension of license and registration for failure to produce such proof upon lawful request. This bill will have an impact on both the Department of Safety and insurance premium tax revenue collected by the Insurance Department.

Department of Safety Impact

The Department states this bill mandates that all motor vehicles registered in New Hampshire carry minimum liability insurance coverage. Proof of insurance must be provided at the time of registration and upon request by law enforcement. Individuals who fail to maintain coverage are subject to registration suspension and civil penalties of $250 for a first offense and $500 for subsequent offenses. The Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) does not currently have a system in place to electronically verify or manually track insurance coverage at the time of registration. Current system updates, and/or integration with third-party insurance verification platforms, will be required to support implementation including MAAP, VISION, SPOTS, and CPI. This bill does not specify whether proof of insurance is required only at initial registration or also at annual renewal. If renewals are included, this would significantly impact the online renewal process and require additional system modifications. The bill refers to a “civil penalty” but does not clarify whether these penalties are subject to the $2.00 or 24% (whichever is greater) penalty assessment fee