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Are side-by-sides street legal in New Hampshire?

New Hampshire's law on side-by-sides and ATVs on public roads, quoted from its own page, with the conditions, equipment and plate rule.

The law in New Hampshire

  • Side-by-side (UTV): Only where it is allowed locally. In New Hampshire, a side-by-side may use a public road only where a city, county or road authority opens it.

    "II. No person shall operate an OHRV upon any portion of the right of way of any public way including the traveled portion of a maintained public way except as provided in this chapter. ... IX. (a) Pursuant to RSA 215-A:15, and following a duly noticed public hearing advertised at least 14 days in advance in a public location in the city or town and notification to abutters by verified mail pursuant to RSA 21:53, city or town councils and boards of selectmen may authorize the use of sidewalks and class IV, class V or class VI highways and bridges, or portions thereof, for use by OHRVs."

  • ATV (quad): Only where it is allowed locally. In New Hampshire, an ATV may use a public road only where a city, county or road authority opens it.

    "II. No person shall operate an OHRV upon any portion of the right of way of any public way including the traveled portion of a maintained public way except as provided in this chapter. ... IX. (a) Pursuant to RSA 215-A:15, and following a duly noticed public hearing advertised at least 14 days in advance in a public location in the city or town and notification to abutters by verified mail pursuant to RSA 21:53, city or town councils and boards of selectmen may authorize the use of sidewalks and class IV, class V or class VI highways and bridges, or portions thereof, for use by OHRVs."

RSA Chapter 215-A: Off Highway Recreational Vehicles and Trails, checked November 2026.

Riding a dirt bike? Read New Hampshire's dirt bike rule.

Street Legal UTV Check

What do you ride?

Side-by-side (UTV) · New Hampshire. Only where it is allowed locally. In New Hampshire, a side-by-side may use a public road only where a city, county or road authority opens it.

Side-by-side (UTV) · New Hampshire

Where locally allowed

Only where it is allowed locally. In New Hampshire, a side-by-side may use a public road only where a city, county or road authority opens it.

"II. No person shall operate an OHRV upon any portion of the right of way of any public way including the traveled portion of a maintained public way except as provided in this chapter. ... IX. (a) Pursuant to RSA 215-A:15, and following a duly noticed public hearing advertised at least 14 days in advance in a public location in the city or town and notification to abutters by verified mail pursuant to RSA 21:53, city or town councils and boards of selectmen may authorize the use of sidewalks and class IV, class V or class VI highways and bridges, or portions thereof, for use by OHRVs."

Conditions

  • "I. A person shall not operate an OHRV on the traveled portions or the plowed snowbanks adjacent to class I, class II, class III, or class III-a highways."
  • "IV. (a) Notwithstanding any provisions of the law to the contrary, a person may operate an OHRV on a class I, class II, class III, or class III-a highway that has been designated open for use, in Coos county or in Grafton county, by the bureau of trails, with the approval of the department of transportation and the department of safety and a public meeting in each community which would be directly affected by such designation."
  • "Operators of OHRVs using said roads, or portions thereof, shall keep to the extreme right and shall yield to all conventional motor vehicle traffic."
  • "(2) 20 miles per hour on class I through VI highways when the OHRV is being operated within the rights-of-way adjacent to such highways; class IV, V, and VI highways approved for OHRV operation; and bridges open for OHRV operation."
  • "VIII. No person shall operate an OHRV on the right of way of any public way classified as a class I highway and designated as an interstate highway, toll road or limited access highway."
Required equipment (4)
  • (a) At least one, but not more than 2 headlights, all in working order, when operating at any time during the period from 1/2 hour after sunset to 1/2 hour before sunrise.
  • (b) One or more rear taillights, all in working order, when operating at any time during the period from 1/2 hour after sunset to 1/2 hour before sunrise.
  • (c) Adequate brakes in good working order sufficient to control the vehicle at all times.
  • (f) At least one mirror showing the area to the rear of the OHRV.

Driver's license

"(a) Any person operating an OHRV along the traveled portion of a public highway, where permitted, shall be required to be licensed to drive as described in subparagraph I(b)(2); or"
More from New Hampshire's law
"I-b. "All terrain vehicle (ATV)" means any motor-driven vehicle which is designed or adapted for travel over surfaces other than maintained roads with one or more non-highway tires, having capacity for passengers or other payloads, not to exceed unladen dry weight of 1,000 pounds, and not to exceed 50 inches in width."
"XXIV. "Utility terrain vehicle" means any mechanically propelled vehicle which is designed or adapted for travel over surfaces other than maintained roads with one or more tires or tracks equipped with a rollover protection system and/or safety belts, having capacity for passengers or other payloads, not in excess of 2,000 pounds unladen dry weight, and not to exceed 65 inches in overall width, excluding side mirrors."
"I. An agricultural/industrial utility vehicle, as defined in RSA 259:2-a, if operated upon a way shall be registered as provided in RSA 261:141, III(dd)."

Source: RSA Chapter 215-A: Off Highway Recreational Vehicles and Trails, checked November 2026.

Also read on: RSA Chapter 261, 261:41-a: Agricultural/industrial utility vehicles

Find off-road parks to ride without the road questionRiding a dirt bike? Check its road law

A guide to each state's published law, not legal advice. City and county ordinances and posted signs decide which roads are open; the linked law is the authority.

  • Each state's own law, quoted
  • Side-by-side or ATV
  • Conditions, equipment and plates

Riding in New Hampshire

20 off-road parks listed in New Hampshire. National forest roads open to your vehicle today.

See New Hampshire off-road parks

Other states

Side-by-side and ATV road laws in other states

Compare the 49 states we have checked

Common questions

Street legal UTV questions

Only where it is allowed locally. In New Hampshire, a side-by-side may use a public road only where a city, county or road authority opens it. Source: RSA Chapter 215-A: Off Highway Recreational Vehicles and Trails.

Only where it is allowed locally. In New Hampshire, an ATV may use a public road only where a city, county or road authority opens it. Source: RSA Chapter 215-A: Off Highway Recreational Vehicles and Trails.

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