Administrative License Suspension in New Hampshire

New Hampshire DWI Lawyers

Among the penalties for a DWI in New Hampshire is an automatic suspension of the defendant’s driver license. What many people do not realize, however, is that their driver license can be suspended without a conviction. The New Hampshire DWI attorneys of Tenn And Tenn, P.A. have more than 20 years’ experience defending drivers charged with DWI. If you are facing an Administrative License Suspension, one of our attorneys can help you fight the severe sanction of losing your driving privileges.

The BAC Limit in New Hampshire is .08 Percent

New Hampshire law prohibits most drivers from operating any kind of vehicle with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 percent or more. For drivers less than 21 years old, the limit is a .02 percent BAC, and the limit for commercial drivers is .04 percent.

The penalties for a New Hampshire DWI conviction vary depending on the circumstances. Fines range from $500 to $2,000, and jail time can range from no time served to seven years. Additionally, license suspensions range from six months to indefinite; however, unlike most other penalties for DUI, a conviction is not necessary to impose a license suspension. In fact, many people’s licenses are suspended automatically after arrest without any conviction, trial, or guilty plea.

You License can be Suspended for a Number of Reasons

When a police officer pulls over a person on suspicion of DWI, he may ask the person to submit to a sobriety test. If refused, the officer may consider this probable cause to arrest the driver. Once arrested, the police will ask the driver to submit to a breath or blood BAC test. At that point, there are three possible triggers of an automatic license suspension:

• The driver agrees to the test, and the test reveals a BAC over the limit;
• The driver agrees to a blood test that is taken for later analysis; or
• The driver refuses any chemical testing.

Any of these will result in an arrestee’s license being automatically suspended after 30 days. This suspension is called an administrative license suspension (ALS). The police will confiscate your license and give you a pink piece of paper that serves as a notice of suspension and a temporary driver license for the interim 30 days.

We help people with DWI/DUI defense in the following locations: Alstead, Amherst, Andover, Antrim, Atkinson, Auburn, Bedford, Bennington, Berlin, Boscawen, Bow, Bradford, Brentwood, Brookline, Candia, Canterbury, Cheshire, Chester, Chesterfield, Chichester, Claremont, Concord, Deerfield, Deering, Derry, Dover, Dublin, Exeter, Francestown, Franklin, Goffstown, Greenville, Hampton Beach, Hampton, Hancock, Harrisville, Hooksett, Hudson, Keene, Laconia, Lebanon, Londonderry, Manchester, Merrimack, Nashua, Pelham, Portsmouth, Rochester, Somersworth, and Windham.