New Hampshire Learner Supervisor Rules: Parent, Guardian or Responsible Adult 25+

• ✓ A licensed parent or legal guardian, certified driving instructor, or licensed responsible adult age 25 or older may supervise, with the supervisor in the front passenger seat.
• Other passengers are not automatically prohibited during supervised learner practice; normal passenger-restraint laws still apply.
• The learner must follow New Hampshire's driver mobile-device rules. Certified driving instructors have a separate no-phone rule during instruction; ordinary parent or guardian supervisors are not subject to a blanket statutory phone ban simply because they are supervising.
• A parent whose driving privilege is suspended or revoked cannot serve as the required licensed supervisor; the learner may practice with another qualified supervisor.

Who can legally supervise a New Hampshire learner driver?

In New Hampshire, ordinary supervised practice may be supervised by a licensed parent or legal guardian, a certified driving instructor, or a licensed responsible adult age 25 or older. The supervisor must sit in the front passenger seat.

The state does not issue a physical permit card; drivers aged 15 and a half or older can practice by carrying proof of age with a qualified supervisor.

Does a parent or guardian have to be 25 to supervise?

No. New Hampshire separately permits a licensed parent or legal guardian to supervise ordinary learner practice; the 25+ minimum applies to the responsible-adult category.

Can a licensed parent under age 25 supervise a learner in New Hampshire? Yes.

Can a sibling or friend supervise if they are 25 or older? Yes, if that person is a responsible adult age 25 or older with a valid driver's license and sits in the front passenger seat.

Supervisor license and legal responsibilities

The supervisor must hold a valid driver's license and sit in the front passenger seat. A person whose driving privilege is suspended does not qualify as the required licensed supervisor. Under RSA 263:25, the accompanying adult can also be responsible for Title XXI violations committed by the unlicensed learner during supervised practice.

If a supervisor becomes unable to supervise safely or no longer meets the qualification rules, the learner should stop driving until another qualified supervisor is available. Detailed traffic-stop consequences belong in the Supervisor Pulled Over guide.

Common mistakes that can make a supervisor unqualified

Common mistakes include placing the supervisor anywhere other than the front passenger seat, assuming any licensed adult over 21 qualifies as a responsible-adult supervisor, or using someone whose license is not valid.

• Front seat: The qualified supervisor must sit beside the learner.
• Age: The 25+ rule applies to a responsible adult who is not qualifying as the learner's parent or legal guardian.
• Phone use: Do not treat ordinary parent or guardian supervisors as subject to a blanket statutory no-phone rule. Certified driving instructors have a separate no-phone rule while instructing.

Who can certify the 40-hour driving log for an applicant under 18?

If you are under 18, you must complete 40 hours of supervised driving, including 10 hours at night. The certification rules are narrower than the general rule for who may supervise ordinary practice.

Record the under-18 requirement on the official DSMV 509, Certification of Additional Supervised Driving form. Detailed logging and road-test document rules belong in the Required Practice Hours and Road Test Documents guides.

Can you use different supervisors for practice driving in New Hampshire? Yes, ordinary practice may involve different qualified supervisors. For an applicant under 18, make sure the hours being counted toward the required 40-hour certification also meet the narrower certification rules above.