DUI and DWI Programs in New Hampshire

What DUI or DWI program does New Hampshire require, and who oversees it?

New Hampshire requires people convicted of impaired driving to go through an Impaired Driver Care Management Program, and the Bureau of Drug and Alcohol Services within the Department of Health and Human Services oversees and authorizes each one. The governing rules are He-A 500, updated effective January 6, 2024.

Impaired Driver Service Providers deliver services inside the same system and also need the bureau’s sign-off. Whether a particular provider holds either status is a question for the Bureau of Drug and Alcohol Services, since a directory listing cannot answer it.

An evaluation under the care management program is different from clinical treatment. The evaluation identifies what a person needs, and any treatment it calls for happens with a clinical provider, which might mean outpatient counseling, intensive outpatient groups, residential care or medication for alcohol or opioid use disorder.

The court order and the bureau’s rules set the track, hours and length of the program for a first offense, a repeat offense or an underage driver. Ask the care management program handling your case which track applies, and request a written explanation of what your evaluation result means.

How does a DUI evaluation decide which program or treatment you need in New Hampshire?

The IDCMP screening and evaluation checks for a substance use disorder, and its result decides whether treatment is part of your requirements. Ask the program to explain in writing what the result means for you and which level of care it expects. A judge can also order treatment directly, and the court-ordered rehab page for New Hampshire covers that path.

Listed providers report levels of care that include outpatient programs, intensive outpatient and residential care, along with medication for alcohol or opioid use disorder. People whose evaluation points to drinking can compare alcohol treatment in New Hampshire, and the Suboxone clinic listings cover opioid medication.

New Hampshire’s DUI and DWI listings are mostly outside city centers. About six in ten sit in rural settings and the rest are in towns. Every listing lies within 25 miles of a river, at a median distance of 2.5 miles, and the Souhegan, Isinglass and South Branch Ashuelot rivers are among them. Manchester-Boston Regional Airport is the nearest airport for three in eight listings, and the median trip to the closest airport is 12.2 miles. Listings appear in places such as Londonderry, Keene, Hollis and Lebanon.

Can you complete a DUI or DWI program online in New Hampshire?

The court and the Bureau of Drug and Alcohol Services decide whether an online course counts in New Hampshire, and a course website cannot make that decision for them. Before you pay for any virtual option, ask your IDCMP and the court whether they will accept it, and get the answer in writing.

Clinical treatment that an evaluation recommends falls under different rules. New Hampshire law requires NH Medicaid to pay for telehealth, including video and audio-only visits, at no less than the in-person rate. Providers that offer remote care appear on the telehealth rehab page, but check with the court that remote sessions meet your order.

How do you pay for a DUI program or court-ordered treatment in New Hampshire?

The program charges IDCMP evaluation and course fees, and RehabSeekers.com has no published state fee schedule to quote. Ask the program for its current fee before your first appointment.

Treatment payment is a separate question from course fees. Private insurance often applies. NH Medicaid, run by the Department of Health and Human Services and expanded in 2014, works through AmeriHealth Caritas New Hampshire, NH Healthy Families and WellSense Health Plan, so ask your plan how it handles substance use care. The Medicaid listings show which providers report taking it. People without coverage can look at sliding scale programs and state-funded options.

What happens after you finish, and how do you get your license back?

Your license comes back only after every condition in your order has been met and proof of completion reaches the right office. Ask the court and the state motor vehicle office which documents they need, who sends them, and whether ignition interlock or other conditions apply in your case. Finishing a program does not guarantee any change to the charges, and a lawyer is the right person for legal questions.

What to bring when you contact a provider

Have your court paperwork, any IDCMP evaluation results and your completion deadline ready when you call a provider’s intake staff. Ask how the provider reports completion to the court or the IDCMP. If you need services in Spanish or an interpreter, the Spanish-speaking rehab page lists providers that report language services.

Where to get help now

For immediate help in New Hampshire, call 211 to reach The Doorway, which runs nine hospital-based sites for substance use and mental health care. You can call or text 988 during a crisis, and the national treatment referral line can also point you to services. To see every type of care in the state, start from the New Hampshire locations page.