Commercial auto insurance in New Hampshire

Any New Hampshire company that uses vehicles for business purposes should insure them appropriately.

Commercial auto insurance covers vehicles owned by your business, while hired and non-owned auto (HNOA) insurance covers personal, rented, and leased vehicles used by your business.

Your personal auto insurance policy covers you while driving to and from work, but not while making deliveries, picking up supplies, and other work-specific uses. A business auto policy would cover you and your personal vehicle in case you’re at fault for an accident during a work-related errand.

Any vehicles you own solely for work purposes must be covered by a commercial auto policy, whether you own a landscaping pickup, a food truck, or a fleet of company cars.

If you’re using your own vehicle for work-specific activities, your personal auto policy wouldn’t cover you in the case of an accident.

Your personal auto insurance company would likely deny your claim if they were to find out you were running work errands, commuting to client meetings from the office, or performing another work-related task.

If you or an employee gets into an accident while driving a personal car for a work errand, your HNOA coverage would help pay for any claims or lawsuits against your business.

However, this type of insurance will not cover damage to the vehicle used by your business.

Your business could be in legal and financial jeopardy without commercial auto insurance coverage.

If one of your business vehicles is at fault in an accident, you could face an expensive lawsuit or settlement. You’d likely have to pay for physical damage to the other vehicle or property, medical costs, lost wages, pain and suffering, plus other related expenses.

New Hampshire is the only state that doesn't require drivers to carry auto insurance, unless you're convicted of certain offenses, in which case you could face severe penalties for not carrying auto insurance.

If you cause an accident while driving without insurance in New Hampshire, you could receive a suspension of license plates and/or vehicle registration and have to pay reinstatement fee.

While state laws don't require New Hampshire small businesses to carry commercial auto insurance, it's highly recommended to avoid costly payouts in the event of a vehicle accident.

Business vehicles in New Hampshire do not need to be covered by commercial auto insurance.

However, you must be able to prove you can meet the state's Motor Vehicle Financial Responsibility Requirements in the event of an at-fault accident.

New Hampshire's minimum auto liability insurance requirements are:

• $25,000 bodily injury liability per person
• $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident
• $25,000 property damage liability per accident
• $1,000 in medical payments coverage

New Hampshire also requires uninsured motorist coverage of $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident.

Your insurance agency might recommend higher liability coverage limits based on the types of vehicles you own and how they’re used.

Semi-trucks, utility trailers and cargo trailers as well as other vehicles with a New Hampshire Department of Transportation serial number will have additional liability coverage requirements, depending on the type of vehicle and how it’s used.

You can see if your business needs these additional requirements by checking your USDOT number or docket number with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

Insureon makes it easy for business owners to compare quotes for New Hampshire commercial auto insurance. Complete one easy application to review quotes specific to your business and industry from leading U.S. insurance carriers.

You can also reach out to our licensed insurance agents to discuss the best policies for your insurance needs. In addition to commercial auto insurance, you can also obtain other helpful policies, such as workers' compensation or general liability, to ensure you're fully protected.