ATV and UTV Insurance in New Hampshire

By Jon Merwin, Founder and CEO

New Hampshire has a long trail network and a full chapter of law for off highway recreational vehicles, which the state calls OHRVs. ATVs, UTVs, side-by-sides and dirt bikes all fall under it. The rules cover registration, rider ages, training, helmets, speed and what to do after an accident. Insurance works alongside those rules: your homeowners policy was not written for a heavy machine that carries riders across trails, frozen lakes and the edge of public roads, so the machine and the liability that comes with it deserve a policy of their own.

We’re Portsmouth Atlantic Insurance, a family-owned independent agency in business since 2005. From our office at 601 Islington St, Unit 206 in Portsmouth, we shop ATV, UTV and dirt bike coverage with 40+ carriers, then fit it to your home, auto and umbrella policies so the limits line up. Call (603) 431-4020 with any questions.

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New Hampshire’s OHRV definitions: ATVs, UTVs and trail bikes

RSA 215-A:1 sets out the definitions (RSA 215-A:1):

• All terrain vehicle (ATV). A motor-driven vehicle built for travel off maintained roads, with an unladen dry weight of no more than 1,000 pounds and a width of no more than 50 inches.
• Utility terrain vehicle (UTV). Under the current wording, a vehicle built for off-road travel with a rollover protection system and/or safety belts, up to 2,000 pounds unladen dry weight and 65 inches wide, not counting side mirrors. Most side-by-sides fit here.
• Trail bike. A motor-driven wheeled vehicle with a saddle or seat, built for travel off maintained roads, which covers most dirt bikes.
• Youth models. Youth model ATVs and trail bikes have engines of 95cc or less.

Snowmobiles are handled under a separate chapter, RSA 215-C, and an OHRV does not include a snowmobile. Insurance follows the same split: a snowmobile is usually written on its own policy or added as its own vehicle.

Registration: what the state expects

Under RSA 215-A:21, an OHRV generally cannot be operated in New Hampshire unless it is registered (RSA 215-A:21). The main points:

• No registration is required for an OHRV ridden only on land owned or leased by its owner.
• Registrations expire on May 1 each year, and the decals or plate go on the front and rear of the machine.
• No one under 18 can register an OHRV, so a parent usually registers a teen’s machine.
• A youth model ATV or trail bike ridden by a child under 12 with a licensed adult 18 or older does not need registration.
• Nonresidents can get a temporary registration good for 10 consecutive days from May through October.
• Registration is not permission to ride on someone else’s land. A landowner can ask you to stop, identify yourself and leave.

Keep the registration certificate with the machine when you ride; officers can ask to see it.

Rider ages, training and helmets

RSA 215-A:29 sets who may ride on land that does not belong to the rider or the rider’s parent, grandparent or guardian (RSA 215-A:29):

• Under 14. Must be accompanied at all times by someone at least 18 who meets the training or license rule. “Accompanied” means within sight and able to take physical control.
• 12 and older. Must have completed an approved OHRV or snowmobile training program, or hold a valid driver’s license, and carry proof while riding.
• Public highways, where OHRVs are allowed. The operator needs a driver’s license; a trained rider 12 or older without one must be accompanied by a licensed driver at least 25, who is responsible for that rider.

Anyone under 18 must wear protective headgear that meets FMVSS 218 under RSA 215-A:13-a (RSA 215-A:13-a). For insurance, list every regular rider with their age and training. Carriers look closely at young operators, and a claim will be judged partly on whether the rider was allowed to be on the machine.

When the adults are responsible

This is the part of New Hampshire OHRV law that matters most for liability limits. Under RSA 215-A:29:

• An adult 25 or older traveling with a rider under 14 is presumed legally responsible for that rider’s operation and liable for injury or damage to others. If a parent, guardian or designated supervisor 25 or older is present, the responsibility falls on them.
• A parent or guardian who knowingly or negligently lets someone under 18 ride can be held criminally liable and accountable for any damage. An owner who lends an OHRV to someone under 18 can be held liable the same way.
• A completed safety training course can be used to mitigate damages, which is one more reason to get every young rider certified.

In plain terms, a teen’s trail accident can land on the parents and on whoever owns the machine. That is a strong case for higher liability limits on the ATV policy and a personal umbrella on top.

Where you ride changes the risk

Riding your own back acreage, a club trail system and a public road are three different exposures. RSA 215-A:6 limits OHRV use on public ways to what the chapter allows and sets speed rules, including 10 miles per hour at trail junctions and parking lots and 35 miles per hour on approved trails unless posted (RSA 215-A:6). When an OHRV is operated on a public highway, RSA 215-A:28 applies the state’s financial responsibility law and motor vehicle statutes to it (RSA 215-A:28).

Landowners carry weight here too. Owners can post land against OHRV use under RSA 215-A:34 (RSA 215-A:34), and under RSA 215-A:5-c riders accept the inherent dangers of the sport, such as terrain, ice, rocks, trees and collisions with other riders, and generally cannot sue the landowner over them (RSA 215-A:5-c). Your own coverage, including medical payments for you and your passenger, matters more because of it.

Closer to the Seacoast, RSA 215-A:44 bars OHRVs from the Rockingham Recreational Trail west of Route 28 when it is not snow-covered (RSA 215-A:44). Many families trailer their machines north instead; Jericho Mountain State Park, a few miles northwest of downtown Berlin, offers miles of trail riding for ATVs, UTVs, trail bikes and snowmobiles (NH State Parks). Make sure the trailer is listed and that the policy follows the machine wherever you unload it.

Why homeowners coverage usually falls short

Homeowners policies are written for the house, its contents and personal liability around the home. Most limit or exclude liability for motorized recreational vehicles off the residence premises, and many exclude damage to the vehicle or cap it at a small amount. Theft of a machine from a trailer, a camp or a storage lot may not be covered at all. An injured passenger, a collision with another rider or damage to a landowner’s property are exactly the claims those exclusions leave out.

Send us your homeowners policy and we’ll point out what it says about recreational vehicles before we set up separate ATV or UTV coverage.

What an ATV or UTV policy can include

• Liability. Pays for injuries and damage you cause, whether the person hurt is another rider, a passenger or a landowner whose fence or field takes the hit.
• Collision. Damage to your machine from a crash or rollover, regardless of fault.
• Comprehensive. Theft, fire, vandalism, falling trees and storm damage, including while the machine is stored.
• Medical payments. Pays for your own and your passenger’s injuries no matter who caused the crash, up to your chosen limit.
• Uninsured and underinsured coverage. Injuries caused by another rider or driver who has little or no insurance.
• Accessories and added equipment. Plows, winches, cabs, lift kits, racks and audio that did not come from the factory need to be listed.
• Riding gear. Helmets and protective clothing, on many policies.
• Trailer. A trailer can be stolen or wrecked by itself, so list it.

Options vary by carrier. Some offer towing and trailside help, total loss replacement for newer machines, or a storage period that pauses collision while comprehensive stays on.

UTVs and side-by-sides

Side-by-sides tend to carry more people and more value than a single-rider ATV, and many owners add cabs, heat, plows and winches. That changes the policy in three ways: higher liability limits make sense with more passengers aboard, the added equipment should be scheduled so it is covered at its real value, and a machine that plows the driveway in January should have comprehensive coverage all year. A UTV used for a farm, a landscaping job or other business work is a different risk; personal powersports policies generally do not cover business use, so tell us before you put it to work.

Winter riding, storage and snowmobiles

Winter in New Hampshire brings frozen lakes, groomed trails and snow-covered rail trails. RSA 215-A:4 and 215-A:5 address OHRV use on frozen public waters, and RSA 215-A:6 sets a 10 mile per hour limit within 150 feet of a bob-house or an occupied fishing hole. Ice that will not hold is a real risk, and a machine that goes through the ice can raise salvage and cleanup costs.

Most ATVs spend part of the year parked in a garage, barn or storage unit. Keep comprehensive in place while it sits; theft, fire and collapsed roofs under heavy snow happen in the off-season too. If the family also rides snowmobiles, we write those as well, on their own policy or as their own vehicle.

Carriers we use for ATVs, UTVs and powersports

For ATVs, UTVs and other powersports, we work with Progressive, National General, Foremost and Liberty Mutual. For snowmobiles, Liberty Mutual, Foremost and American Modern are options. Each one weighs the machine, its value, where it is ridden and stored and who rides it a little differently, so we quote more than one. The powersports insurance, motorcycle insurance and RV insurance pages explain our other recreational coverage.

A serious injury claim from an ATV crash can exceed what the ATV policy pays. A personal umbrella adds a layer above the ATV, auto and home policies, as long as each one carries the underlying limits the umbrella carrier requires. Keep the machines at a camp or second home up north? Our seasonal home insurance page explains how to cover the place itself.

An ATV and UTV insurance checklist

• Register each machine with the state unless it stays on your own land, and renew before May 1.
• Get every rider 12 and older an OHRV training certificate, and keep proof with them when they ride.
• Put helmets that meet FMVSS 218 on every rider under 18, and on everyone else too.
• Check what your homeowners policy says about recreational vehicles, and get a stand-alone policy for the machine.
• Set liability limits with young riders and passengers in mind, with an umbrella above them.
• Put the trailer, add-on equipment and every regular rider on the policy.
• Know where you are allowed to ride, and get the landowner’s permission off the trail system.
• Keep comprehensive coverage on while the machine is stored.

Related pages

See Portsmouth, Rochester, Derry, Windham, Concord and Laconia, plus the New Hampshire hub and our boat and watercraft insurance page.

Get an ATV or UTV quote

Send us details on each machine, your trailer and everyone who rides, and we’ll compare options from 40+ carriers. Request a quote. There’s no obligation to buy. We don’t charge any fees. Use the form below, visit our quotes page or call (603) 431-4020. Our client feedback page shows what people say about working with us, and we have 1,000+ Google reviews and over 2,000 testimonials.

Frequently asked questions

Does New Hampshire require insurance on an ATV or UTV?

The state’s OHRV law, RSA chapter 215-A, does not require you to carry an insurance policy to ride on trails or your own land. When an OHRV is driven on a public highway where that is allowed, RSA 215-A:28 applies the state’s financial responsibility law and motor vehicle statutes to it. If you finance the machine, the lender will usually insist on physical damage coverage until the loan is paid off, and clubs, events and landowners may ask for proof of liability coverage. Liability is the part we would not skip.

Will my homeowners policy cover my ATV?

Usually only in a narrow way. Homeowners forms typically limit or exclude liability for motorized recreational vehicles once they leave your property, and they cap or exclude damage to the vehicle itself. Some cover an ATV used only on your own land. We’re happy to go through your policy wording with you, but most owners end up needing a stand-alone ATV or UTV policy.

What are New Hampshire’s age rules for ATV riders?

Off your own family’s land, RSA 215-A:29 says riders under 14 must be accompanied at all times by someone 18 or older who has met the training or license rule, and riders 12 and older need either an approved OHRV or snowmobile training certificate or a valid driver’s license. Anyone under 18 must wear a helmet that meets FMVSS 218, and no one under 18 can register an OHRV.

Do I have to register my ATV or UTV?

Yes, unless it is ridden only on land you own or lease. OHRV registrations expire on May 1 each year, and the decals or plate must be displayed front and rear. Youth model ATVs and trail bikes (95cc or less) ridden by a child under 12 with a licensed adult 18 or older are exempt. Nonresidents can get a 10-day temporary registration from May through October.

Who is responsible if a child or teenager has an accident on my ATV?

New Hampshire puts real weight on the adults. An adult 25 or older traveling with a rider under 14 is presumed legally responsible for that rider’s operation, and a parent, guardian or owner who knowingly or negligently lets someone under 18 ride can be held accountable for the damage. List every young rider with the insurer and choose liability limits with that exposure in mind.

What should I do after an ATV accident?

If anyone is hurt or killed, or property damage tops $1,000, RSA 215-A:28 requires you to report it right away to the nearest police officer or station and file a report with Fish and Game and the Department of Safety within 5 days. Stop, exchange names, addresses and registration numbers, take photos, and then call us so we can help you report the claim and follow it until it is resolved.

What information goes into an ATV or UTV quote?

The year, make, model and VIN of each machine, any added equipment such as plows, winches, cabs or lift kits, the trailer, where it is stored and ridden, who will ride it and their ages and training, any prior claims, plus the declarations pages from your home and auto policies. Request a quote. There’s no obligation to buy. Call (603) 431-4020 or use the form on this page.

Sources

• NH RSA 215-A:1, definitions (ATV, UTV, trail bike, youth models)
• NH RSA 215-A:5-c, inherent dangers of OHRV operation
• NH RSA 215-A:6, operation of all OHRVs (speed and public ways)
• NH RSA 215-A:13-a, protective headgear
• NH RSA 215-A:21, registration
• NH RSA 215-A:28, financial responsibility and conduct after an accident
• NH RSA 215-A:29, OHRV operation and license
• NH RSA 215-A:34, posted land
• NH RSA 215-A:44, Rockingham Recreational Trail
• NH State Parks: Jericho Mountain State Park