New Hampshire Auto Insurance
Motorists looking for New Hampshire auto insurance have an interesting choice because this coverage is actually not required by law. As one of the only states that does not require car insurance, New Hampshire drivers are still strongly encouraged to purchase it, and are still held financially responsible if they do not carry coverage.
If you do decide to purchase auto insurance in New Hampshire, there are minimum liability requirements you do need to meet.
New Hampshire Auto Insurance Coverage Requirements
If a motorist chooses to buy car insurance, the minimum requirements by the state are broken down into the two main categories of Bodily Injury Liability and Property Damage Liability. Bodily Injury Liability covers personal injury to a person other than yourself in an accident that you caused, and Property Damage Liability covers – as you probably guessed – harm done to another person’s property, such as their car, a home, a fence, etc in an accident caused by you.
The minimums are as follows:
- Bodily Injury Liability limit – insurance will pay up to $25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident
- Property Damage Liability limit – insurance will pay up to $25,000
It can be confusing seeing the words ‘minimum’ and ‘limit’ referring to the same thing – what does it actually mean? Basically, the insurance company will pay up to a certain amount per person or accident before the motorist at fault takes over the payments.
You can purchase a higher limit (meaning they will pay more before you have to, and therefore your premiums go up); however, the companies do not want people buying coverage plans that cover a lesser amount, say $10,000, because the premiums would be less. So it is the insurance company’s way of setting a base price, and the state’s way of protecting its residents.
Additional NH Car Insurance Coverage Options
There are other optional insurance plans as well, such as Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist, which protects you from a driver (who caused an accident) who does not have sufficient insurance to cover your personal or property damage. The minimum for New Hampshire is $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident, if you choose to purchase it.
Another optional coverage is Medical Payments, a minimum of $1,000, which covers you and your passengers for medically related payments. This usually isn’t necessary, because Bodily Injury coverage plus health insurance is typically enough, however some may choose to purchase it if they have extenuating circumstances.
New Hampshire Auto Insurance Rates
The cost of your car insurance in New Hampshire is going to depend on a few aspects. Some of the strongest contributing factors are:
- How many and what kind of vehicles you drive
- Driving records of ALL drivers
- How much coverage you want
- What company you choose
Of course there are plenty of other pieces that complete the puzzle, but the bulk of your premium is going to come from the above list. In past years, New Hampshire has been slightly below the national average of $914 (in 2003) at an average cost of $830 (also 2003).
To find the right insurance company for you, there are a few things to consider. Some have personal agents assigned to you, and so you will you always work with the same person when managing your account or any claims. Other companies have service centers, and you speak to the “next available representative” when you call in. Some may be entirely online.
None is better or worse, its just your personal preference. On a similar theme, some companies have local offices and others have a headquarters somewhere in the country. The more personal services may cost a bit more in the long run, but you may consider it worth the price if you dislike the alternative.
New Hampshire Car Insurance Quotes
Now it gets down the actual cost of your car insurance, and you can get multiple quotes either on the phone or online. Calling every company and telling them the coverage you want will be time consuming; meanwhile, every insurance company out there has a website you can use that will be much quicker. To make it even easier, there are websites such as ours that will gather information from numerous companies and give you comparison quotes sometimes in a matter of minutes, which is obviously a very effective way to search.
You can start your quote search now by using the quote tool at the top of the page – the right insurance company awaits you – get started comparing New Hampshire auto insurance quotes online now!