A drunk driving conviction in New Hampshire can lead to jail time, the loss of driving privileges, fines, community service, mandatory substance abuse treatment and a criminal record. Felony drunk driving charges can lead even more severe penalties.
We can review all available evidence, including police reports, Intoxilyzer test results and Intoxilyzer machine maintenance records. Our commitment to protecting clients has resulted in hundreds of dismissed DUI charges and not-guilty verdicts, as well as not-guilty verdicts in manslaughter and other charges involving alleged drunk driving. For more information please contact our firm.
Driving While Intoxicated Generally
In New Hampshire, a DWI, stands for operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol or drugs. There are actually two types of DWIs: DWI impaired and DWI per se.
An officer charges a person with a DWI impaired when in the officer’s subjective opinion the way the person is driving, the way they pull over, how they look, how they smell, what they say to the officer and how they perform on the roadside standardized field sobriety tests indicate that they are too impaired to operate a vehicle.
An officer charges a person with an DWI per se when they submit to a breath test and the result is higher than 0.08 BAC (blood alcohol concentration).
Penalties are significantly increased for subsequent offenses and for aggravated offenses. DWIs are aggravated when the driver tests over twice the legal limit or when an accident is involved where there is bodily injury or property damage.
The Department of Motor Vehicles and the courts both have a role is imposing penalties for DWI. The DMV has a mandatory Administrative License Suspension (ALS) which sill suspend your driving privileges for a period from six months to two years depending on your record.
If you’ve been charged with a DWI, it is critical to know all of your legal rights and options. It can mean the difference in potentially avoiding an DWI conviction, which can make a significant impact on your life. It can also mean the difference in avoiding significant jail time, a lengthy license suspension and many other costly penalties associated with an DWI conviction such as mandatory substance abuse evaluations and ignition interlock devices.
For instance, field sobriety tests and breath tests are not infallible, and should not be considered as such. To find out more about these and other issues that arise during a DWI trial, click on any of the links to the right.
The specific penalties for a conviction for Driving While Intoxicated Offenses are as follows:
Driving While Intoxicated First Offense
RSA 265-A:18, I(a)
(a) Any person who is convicted of any offense under RSA 265-A:2, I shall be:
(1) Guilty of a class B misdemeanor;
(2) Fined not less than $500;
(3) Referred by the court to an IDCMP and, if a first-time offender, required to submit to an alcohol and drug abuse screening within 14 days of conviction, and, if testing demonstrates the likelihood of a substance use disorder, to submit further to a full substance use disorder evaluation within 30 days of conviction, to be administered by a service provider indicated by the IDCMP, and thereafter to follow the service plan developed from that substance use disorder evaluation by the IDCMP;
(4) Required to complete a department of health and human services approved impaired driver education program prior to the restoration of the person's driver's license or privilege to drive; provided however, that if the person has previously completed such a program within the past 5 years and provides required proof, that shall serve as fulfillment of this requirement;
(5) Required to pay all fees arising from services provided by the IDCMP and its referrals for the service plan; and
(6) Subject to the following:
(A) The person's driver's license or privilege to drive shall be revoked for not less than 9 months and, at the discretion of the court, such revocation may be extended for a period not to exceed 2 years. The court may suspend up to 6 months of this sentence, provided that the person has been screened within 14 days and, if required, has completed the substance use disorder evaluation within 30 days with a service provider indicated by an IDCMP and is in compliance with the service plan produced thereafter, and has completed a department of health and human services approved impaired driver education program. The court may, in its discretion, require the installation of an interlock device in accordance with RSA 265-A:36 during the period of sentence reduction, and may reimpose the longer suspension period if the defendant becomes noncompliant with the treatment recommendations at any time during the suspension period;
(B) The sentencing court may require the person to submit to random urinalysis or such other tests as the court may deem appropriate; and
(C) The court in which the person was convicted may reduce the conviction to a violation upon a motion filed by either party at least one year after the date of the conviction. In deciding whether to reduce the conviction to a violation, the court may consider the person's subsequent driving record, the recommendation of the IDCMP, the hardship that having a criminal record may cause for the person, and any other factors that the court deems relevant.
Driving While Intoxicated Subsequent Offenses
RSA 265-A:18, IV
IV. Upon conviction of any offense under RSA 265-A:2, I or RSA 265-A:3, based on a complaint which alleged that the person has had one or more prior convictions under RSA 265-A:2, I or RSA 265-A:3, or RSA 630:3, II, or under reasonably equivalent offenses in an out-of-state jurisdiction, within 10 years preceding the date of the second or subsequent offense, the person shall be subject to the following penalties in addition to those provided in paragraph I:
(a) For a second offense:
(1) The person shall be guilty of a class A misdemeanor;
(2) The person shall be fined not less than $750;
(3)(A) If the complaint alleges that the prior conviction occurred within 2 years preceding the date of the second offense, the person shall be sentenced to a mandatory sentence of not less than 60 consecutive days in the county correctional facility, of which 30 days shall be suspended. The court shall refer the person to an IDCMP to schedule a full substance use disorder evaluation. A condition of the suspension shall be that upon release from serving the 30 days in the county correctional facility, the person shall schedule a substance use disorder evaluation within 30 days of release, complete the required substance use disorder evaluation within 60 days of release, and comply with the service plan developed. The IDCMP shall administer the substance use disorder evaluation and shall develop the service plan from that substance use disorder evaluation. Any portion of the suspended sentence to the county correctional facility may be imposed if the defendant does not comply with all of the requirements of this subparagraph or becomes noncompliant with the service plan during the suspension period;
(B) If the complaint alleges that the prior conviction occurred more than 2 but not more than 10 years preceding the date of the second offense, the person shall be sentenced to a mandatory sentence of not less than 17 consecutive days in the county correctional facility, of which 12 days shall be suspended. The court shall refer the person to an IDCMP to schedule a full substance use disorder evaluation. A condition of the suspension shall be that upon release from serving the 5 days in the county correctional facility, the person shall schedule a substance use disorder evaluation within 30 days of release, complete the required substance use disorder evaluation within 60 days of release, and comply with the service plan developed. The IDCMP shall administer the substance use disorder evaluation and shall develop the service plan from that substance use disorder evaluation. Any portion of the suspended sentence to the county correctional facility may be imposed if the defendant does not comply with all of the requirements of this subparagraph or becomes noncompliant with the service plan during the suspension period; and
(4) The person's driver's license or privilege to drive shall be revoked for not less than 3 years. The person's driver's license or privilege to drive shall not be restored by the department until the person shall have completed the service plan developed by the IDCMP, and paid all relevant fees.
(b) For a third offense, any person convicted under this paragraph shall be subject to all the penalties of subparagraph (a) except that:
(1) The person's driver's license or privilege to drive shall be revoked indefinitely and shall not be restored for at least 5 years. At the end of the 5-year minimum revocation period the person may petition the court for eligibility to reapply for a driver's license and the court, for good cause shown, may grant such eligibility subject to such terms and conditions as the court may prescribe. Any untimely petition under this subparagraph shall be dismissed without a hearing. If such petition is granted and the person is otherwise eligible for license restoration, the person may then apply to the director for restoration of driver's license, but the license shall not be restored until all requirements under law are met. The person's driver's license or privilege to drive shall not be restored by the department until the person shall have completed the service plan developed by the IDCMP, and paid all relevant fees.
(2) The person shall be sentenced to a mandatory sentence of not less than 180 consecutive days of which 150 shall be suspended. The court shall refer the person to an IDCMP to schedule a full substance use disorder evaluation. A condition of the suspension shall be that upon release from serving the 30 days in the county correctional facility, the person shall schedule a substance use disorder evaluation within 30 days of release, complete the required substance use disorder evaluation within 60 days of release, and comply with the service plan developed. The IDCMP shall administer the substance use disorder evaluation and shall develop the service plan from that substance use disorder evaluation. Any portion of the suspended sentence to the county correctional facility may be imposed if the defendant does not comply with all of the requirements of this subparagraph or becomes noncompliant with the service plan during the suspension period. The remainder of the sentence may be deferred for a period of up to 2 years. The court may, at the satisfactory completion of any required treatment, suspend any remaining deferred sentence.
(c) For a fourth or subsequent offense, any person convicted under this paragraph shall be subject to all the penalties of subparagraphs (a) and (b) except that the person shall be guilty of a felony, and the person's driver's license or privilege to drive shall be revoked indefinitely and the person shall not petition for eligibility to reapply for a driver's license as provided in subparagraph (b)(1) for at least 7 years.
(d) For a third or subsequent offense when any prior offense under this paragraph is negligent homicide under RSA 630:3, II, or reasonably equivalent offense in an out-of-state jurisdiction, the person convicted under this paragraph shall be subject to all the penalties of subparagraphs (a) and (b) except that the person's driver's license or privilege to drive shall be revoked indefinitely and the person shall not petition for eligibility to reapply for a driver's license as provided in subparagraph (b)(1) for at least 10 years.
Aggravated Driving While Intoxicated
RSA 265-A:18, I(b)(c)
(b) Any person who is convicted of any aggravated DWI offense under RSA 265-A:3, except as provided in subparagraph (c), shall be:
(1) Guilty of a class A misdemeanor;
(2) Fined not less than $750;
(3) Sentenced to a mandatory sentence of not less than 17 consecutive days in the county correctional facility, of which 12 days shall be suspended. The court shall refer the person to an IDCMP to schedule a full substance use disorder evaluation. A condition of the suspension shall be that upon release from serving the 5 days in the county correctional facility, the person shall schedule a substance use disorder evaluation within 30 days of release, complete the required substance use disorder evaluation within 60 days of release, and comply with the service plan developed. The IDCMP shall administer the substance use disorder evaluation and shall develop the service plan from that substance use disorder evaluation. Any portion of the suspended sentence to the county correctional facility may be imposed if the defendant does not comply with all of the requirements of this subparagraph or becomes noncompliant with the service plan during the suspension period;
(4) Ordered to install an interlock device in accordance with RSA 265-A:36; and
(5) Subject to the following:
(A) The person's driver's license or privilege to drive shall be revoked for not less than 18 months and, at the discretion of the court, such evocation may be extended for a period not to exceed 2 years. Upon confirmation from the IDCMP that the person is in full compliance with the service plan, the court may suspend up to 6 months of this sentence, with the condition that an interlock device be installed for the period of the suspended sentence in addition to any period required in accordance with RSA 265-A:36 and provided that all fees have been paid; and
(B) The sentencing court may require the person to submit to random urinalysis or such other tests as the court may deem appropriate.
(c) Any person who is convicted of aggravated DWI under RSA 265-A:3, I(b) or II(b), shall be:
(1) Guilty of a class B felony;
(2) Fined not less than $1,000;
(3) Sentenced to a mandatory sentence of not less than 35 consecutive days in the county correctional facility, of which 21 shall be suspended. The court shall refer the person to an IDCMP to schedule a full substance use disorder evaluation. A condition of the suspension shall be that upon release from serving the 14 days in the county correctional facility, the person shall schedule a substance use disorder evaluation within 30 days of release, complete the required substance use disorder evaluation within 60 days of release, and comply with the service plan developed. The IDCMP shall administer the substance use disorder evaluation and shall develop the service plan from that substance use disorder evaluation. Any portion of the suspended sentence to the county correctional facility may be imposed if the defendant does not comply with all of the requirements of this subparagraph or becomes noncompliant with the service plan during the suspension period;
(4) Ordered to install an interlock device in accordance with RSA 265-A:36; and
(5) Subject to the following:
(A) The person's driver's license or privilege to drive shall be revoked for not less than 18 months and, at the discretion of the court, such revocation may be extended for a period not to exceed 2 years. The court may suspend up to 6 months of this sentence, provided that the person shall schedule a substance use disorder evaluation within 30 days of release, or upon release from the county correctional facility, whichever occurs later, complete the required substance use disorder evaluation within 60 days of release with a service provider indicated by an IDCMP, and the service plan produced thereafter, with the condition that an interlock device be installed for the period of the suspended sentence in addition to any period required in accordance with RSA 265-A:36 and provided that all fees have been paid; and
(B) The sentencing court may require the person to submit to random urinalysis or such other tests as the court may deem appropriate.
