By Jon Merwin, Founder and CEO
Exeter sits where the Exeter River turns tidal and becomes the Squamscott, and a lot of traffic passes through it. Exeter’s 2025 hazard mitigation plan notes that the town is served by State Routes 101, 108, 150, 111 and 27, with quick access to Interstate 95, plus the Amtrak Downeaster, and it describes the Route 27 and Route 108 corridor as a regional retail hub (Exeter Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2025). For drivers that adds up to commutes toward Manchester, Portsmouth and the beaches, a busy downtown with overnight parking rules, and low roads that flood when a storm and a high tide arrive together.
Since 2005, Portsmouth Atlantic Insurance has operated as a family-owned independent agency, working from 601 Islington St, Unit 206, in Portsmouth, NH, a short drive north from Exeter through Stratham, and Exeter clients handle almost everything with us by phone and email. We place auto coverage with 40+ carriers, so the policy can match the way your family really uses its cars and sit alongside your home, condo or renters coverage. Email us at insure@portsmouthatlanticins.com or phone (603) 431-4020.
Key takeaways
- HB 1558, a 2026 proposal to require proof of coverage at registration, was killed in the House, so most New Hampshire drivers are still not required to buy auto insurance. A policy you buy must still contain at least 25/50/25 liability, medical payments and uninsured motorist coverage.
- Exeter’s 2025 hazard plan calls flooding the most common hazard in town and lists roads such as Water Street (Route 85), Court Street and Portsmouth Avenue (Route 108) and Kingston Road (Route 111) that flood. Only comprehensive coverage pays when water damages a car.
- From December 1 to March 15, parking on any public street in Exeter is banned from midnight to 6 a.m. A tow for breaking that rule is generally not an insurance claim.
- Census estimates show about one Exeter resident in four is 65 or older, compared with about one in five statewide, so mileage changes, stored second cars and umbrellas come up often.
- Teen drivers, collector cars and newer luxury cars each have their own rules and markets, covered below.
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Exeter drivers in Census numbers
The American Community Survey’s five-year estimates for 2020–2024 describe a town that skews older than New Hampshire overall, owns most of its homes and still drives itself to work.
| Measure (ACS 2020–2024) | Exeter town | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Residents | About 16,150; median age about 45.8 (New Hampshire: about 43.3) | B01002 |
| Residents 65 and older | About 3,950 (about one in four; statewide, about one in five) | B01001 |
| Occupied homes that are rented | About 2,130 of 6,900 (just under a third; statewide, a bit over a quarter) | B25003 |
| Workers who drive to work alone | About 6,170 of 8,630 (roughly seven in ten) | B08301 |
| Employed residents working at home | About 1,720 (one in five) | B08301 |
| Workers who commute by train | About 25, despite the Downeaster stop | B08301 |
| Commutes shorter than a quarter of an hour | About 2,220 of 6,910 (about one in three) | B08303 |
| Commutes of an hour or longer | About 630 (about one in eleven) | B08303 |
| Rented homes with no vehicle | About 300 of 2,130 (about one in seven) | B25044 |
Estimates for a town of this size carry real margins of error, so treat the table as a sketch. Two things stand out for insurance. A sizable share of Exeter drivers either work from home or are retired, so many cars cover far fewer miles than a carrier would assume. And while most commutes are short, a meaningful group spends an hour or more getting to work.
What New Hampshire law asks of Exeter drivers
New Hampshire is the only New England state that lets most drivers skip auto insurance entirely. What the law demands instead is financial responsibility. After a reportable accident, the state can require you to show proof of coverage or post security in the amounts listed in RSA 264:20: 25,000 dollars for injury to one person, 50,000 for injuries to two or more and 25,000 for property damage. House Bill 1558 of the 2026 session would have made proof of coverage, or some other form of financial responsibility, a condition of registering a car; the House found it inexpedient to legislate in February 2026 (HB 1558 as introduced; Citizens Count status page). Our article Is car insurance required in New Hampshire? goes through the drivers a court or the DMV can order to carry a policy.
Going without coverage is a gamble few Exeter families should take. If you finance or lease a car, own a home or have money put away for retirement, you will want a policy, and every New Hampshire auto policy carries three required parts:
- Bodily injury and property damage liability, at no less than the 25/50/25 floor in RSA 259:61. That floor is thin protection for anyone with assets; our auto liability guide explains how to pick a limit.
- Medical payments coverage of no less than $1,000 for each person, which pays for injuries to the people in your car regardless of fault (RSA 264:16).
- Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage, matched to your liability limit. Under RSA 264:15, an umbrella written over the auto policy must also carry uninsured motorist protection up to its own limit unless you reject it in writing.
Because buying coverage is optional for so many people here, the chance of being hit by a driver with no insurance is real. Uninsured motorist coverage takes care of injuries to you and your passengers when the at-fault driver has nothing to pay with.
Route 101, Route 108 and the Water Street trestle
Route 101 is the road most Exeter commuters know best, heading west toward Manchester and east to Hampton and the beaches. The hazard plan points out that a 2022 Rockingham Planning Commission study of Seacoast roads treated Route 101 and Route 286 as the main east–west evacuation routes along the coast (Exeter HMP 2025). Route 108 carries traffic north through Stratham toward Portsmouth and south toward Kensington, and Route 111 and 111A run west toward Kingston and Brentwood.
Closer to downtown, Water Street is the southern end of NH Route 85, linking Exeter with Newfields and Route 108. The plan describes it as having an interchange with Route 101, a low railroad trestle that restricts commercial traffic and stretches that flood where the road crosses Norris Brook and runs beside the Squamscott. For everyday driving on these roads, a few coverage choices matter most:
- Enough liability for a divided highway. A chain-reaction crash on Route 101 can produce several injury claims from one mistake, and the per-accident limit is what pays them.
- Comprehensive for glass and debris. A cracked windshield from a stone thrown up by a truck is a comprehensive claim. Ask whether the carrier you pick offers a separate glass deductible.
- Rental reimbursement. If one car gets two people to work, a week in the body shop without a replacement is a bigger problem than adding the coverage.
- Mileage that reflects real life. With a fifth of local workers based at home, plenty of cars barely leave the driveway. If yours is one of them, or if it now does the long run to Manchester every day, the carrier should know.
When the Squamscott and the tide close the roads
Exeter’s plan is direct about it: flooding is the most common hazard the town faces, and it puts the odds of flooded roads and properties in its high category. Being on the tidal Squamscott means trouble comes from storm surge and astronomical high tides as well as heavy rain and snowmelt. The plan’s list of chronic or likely flood spots reads like a commuter’s map (Exeter HMP 2025):
- Court Street (NH Route 108) at Bell Avenue and at the Kensington town line, and Court Street at the Exeter River.
- Portsmouth Avenue (NH Route 108) next to the town’s surface water treatment plant, which lies in the 100-year floodplain.
- Kingston Road (NH Route 111) from Brickyard Pond to West Side Drive, and Brentwood Road (NH Route 111A) near Greenleaf Drive and at Little River.
- Water Street (NH Route 85) at Swasey Parkway, which is exposed to tidal surge, plus Powder Mill Road where the railroad crosses the Exeter River.
- Neighborhood streets including Franklin and River Streets, Lary Lane, Gary Lane, Drinkwater Road at Prentiss Way and Industrial Drive.
Two recent storms show how it plays out. On December 23, 2022, a winter storm arrived with the peak high tide and pushed a storm surge of nearly three feet into the shoreline. On January 13, 2024, a 9.6-foot high tide, a two-foot surge, about an inch of rain on melting snow and 30 mph winds flooded roads and properties across downtown and low-lying neighborhoods. The plan also records extensive flooding in March 2018 and July 2023, and it lists high-wind events in 2010, 2014, 2018, 2023 and 2024 that left downed trees and wires behind.
Here is what that means for your car. Floodwater, surge, a falling tree and hail are all comprehensive losses, paid after the deductible; without comprehensive, they are not covered at all. Your flood policy on the house or condo does not extend to vehicles. When water is over a road, turn around, and if a car has been sitting in water, leave it off and call us. For the house itself, see our Exeter homeowners insurance page.
The winter parking ban, the train lot and towing
Exeter enforces a Winter Parking Ban every year from December 1 through March 15: no parking on any public street or in town rights-of-way from midnight to 6 a.m., and cars left there can be ticketed or towed at the owner’s expense (Town of Exeter, Winter Emergency Parking Bans). During a declared snow emergency the ban widens, and cars that get in the way of plowing are towed and stored at the owner’s cost under ordinance section 102.6 (Exeter Parking Regulations, Chapter 1).
Overnight parking is allowed in marked spaces in the Front Street lot, the Water Street municipal lot and the Downeaster train station lot at 60 Lincoln Street, and eight Pleasant Street spaces are available by permit from the Town Manager’s office (Town of Exeter, Parking). A few insurance notes for downtown residents and train riders:
- Enforcement tows are not claims. Towing and roadside coverage is for a car that breaks down or is disabled, not for a tow ordered because of where it was parked.
- A car parked all day at the station is exposed to theft, vandalism and falling ice or limbs. Those are comprehensive losses, so keep comprehensive on a commuter car even if it is older.
- Train commuters drive less. If the Downeaster handles your trip to work, tell us; the car’s use and yearly mileage are part of how a carrier underwrites it.
- Things stolen from the car fall under your renters, condo or homeowners policy, not the auto policy; apartment residents downtown can see how that works on our New Hampshire renters insurance page.
Retirees, empty nesters and the second car
With roughly a quarter of residents 65 or older, many Exeter policies belong to people whose driving has changed. The questions we hear most often:
- No more commute. When a car stops going to work, its listed use and yearly mileage should be updated. Keep the liability limits where they are, though; a serious crash costs the same whether you drive 3,500 miles a year or 15,000.
- A car put away for the winter. Many carriers let you keep only comprehensive on a stored car, which protects it from fire, theft or a roof collapse while it is laid up. It cannot be driven until the other coverages go back on.
- Adult children and grandchildren. Anyone who lives with you and drives your car, or a grandchild who borrows it every summer, should be discussed with us so there is no surprise at claim time.
- An umbrella for the nest egg. A paid-off house and retirement accounts are exactly what a large lawsuit goes after. A New Hampshire umbrella policy adds a layer over your auto and home liability; it must follow the uninsured motorist rule described above.
Teen drivers in Exeter
Drivers between 16 and 20 in New Hampshire hold a youth operator license (RSA 263:14). Applicants who are 16 or 17 must bring written consent from a parent and show they completed driver education. Before turning 18, everyone aboard has to buckle up, and in the first six months they may not carry more than a single passenger under 25 from outside the family, except when someone licensed and 25 or older rides along. Another statute goes further for drivers under 18: no phone or other device use of any kind behind the wheel, other than a call to report an emergency (RSA 265:79-c).
When a teen is added, we normally recommend higher liability limits, and we will walk you through which car the new driver should be assigned to. Our guide to keeping teen drivers safe offers ground rules many families adopt.
Luxury cars, collector cars and higher limits
Owners of a newer luxury car can look at Cincinnati, Hanover and Progressive, which give wider choices for that kind of vehicle; our high-value auto insurance page lays them out. A collector car that only comes out on dry summer weekends usually belongs on an agreed-value policy with a specialty market such as Hagerty, and the differences from standard auto are covered on our New Hampshire collector car page. Pairing either one with an umbrella keeps your liability protection consistent across every vehicle you own.
After a crash in or near Exeter
Check on everyone first and dial 911 for any injury. RSA 264:25 then requires each driver involved in a crash with injury or property damage to trade names, addresses, license and registration numbers and insurance details. If anyone is injured, or the damage is over $1,000, each driver also owes the Division of Motor Vehicles a written report within 15 days, unless police investigated the crash.
Next, let us know at (603) 431-4020 or insure@portsmouthatlanticins.com. We will help open the claim, keep after the adjuster and stay with the file until it closes. Our New Hampshire accident checklist is worth keeping on your phone.
More for Exeter and neighboring towns
Our Exeter insurance agency page lists everything we place in town, and our auto insurance overview and New Hampshire auto insurance guide go deeper on coverage. If you want car and home together, see the New Hampshire home and auto bundle. Nearby, we have pages for Stratham, Newfields, Kensington, Brentwood, Newmarket and Hampton, and drivers elsewhere on the Seacoast can read our Portsmouth and Dover car insurance pages.
Request an Exeter car insurance quote
Tell us who drives, which cars you have and where each one is parked at night, and we will compare 40+ carriers for you. We don’t charge any fees. Before you choose, we lay out the differences between the options in plain terms. Request a quote. There’s no obligation to buy. Use the form below, go to our quotes page or call (603) 431-4020. Our phones are staffed Monday through Thursday, 9 AM to 5 PM, and Friday, 8 AM to 4 PM Eastern; we are closed on weekends. Seacoast clients’ comments are collected at our client feedback page.
Frequently asked questions
Is auto insurance mandatory for Exeter, NH drivers?
Most New Hampshire drivers are not ordered to buy a policy. The state relies on financial responsibility instead: if you cause a crash, you are expected to pay for it, and a driver who cannot show proof afterward can lose the license and registration. A 2026 House bill that would have tied registration to proof of insurance did not pass. Drivers with certain offenses on their record are required to carry a policy, and anyone with a loan or lease will be told to carry one by the lender. Once you buy a policy, it must have liability limits no lower than 25/50/25, plus medical payments and uninsured motorist coverage.
Does my auto policy pay if tidal flooding on Water Street swamps my car?
Yes, if comprehensive coverage is on that car. Comprehensive is the part of an auto policy that handles flood, storm surge, a falling limb, hail and theft, after your deductible. A policy with liability only pays nothing for your own car, and neither a flood policy nor a homeowners policy pays for vehicles. If the water got into the cabin or near the engine, leave the key out of the ignition and phone us before anyone tries it.
My car was towed during Exeter’s winter parking ban. Will insurance pay the tow?
Usually not. Towing or roadside coverage on an auto policy is meant for a car that breaks down or is disabled, and a tow ordered because the car was parked on a street during the December 1 to March 15 overnight ban, or during a snow emergency, is a parking matter that the owner pays. The simplest fix is to use the designated overnight spaces in the Front Street, Water Street or train station lots.
I am retired and barely drive anymore. Should my policy change?
Probably. Tell us the car no longer goes to work, roughly how far it is driven in a year, and whether anyone else in the home uses it. Keep strong liability limits even when the mileage drops, because a single crash can still produce a large injury claim, and look at an umbrella if you have retirement accounts or a paid-off home to protect.
Can I reduce coverage on a car I store for the winter?
Many carriers let you remove collision and liability from a car that is put away for the season and keep comprehensive, which still pays for fire, theft, a collapsed garage roof or flooding while it sits. The car cannot be driven at all while those coverages are off, not even around the block, so call us before you take it out in the spring.
What changes when my teenager in Exeter gets a license?
Add the new driver as soon as the license is issued and tell us which car they will use. New Hampshire’s youth operator license, for drivers under 18, limits young passengers for the first six months and bans all phone use while driving except to call for help. A new teen driver is also the moment to raise liability limits rather than lower them.
What information do you need for an Exeter car insurance quote?
For each driver: name, date of birth and license number. For each car: year, make, model or VIN, where it is parked overnight and about how many miles it covers in a year. If you have a policy now, send the declarations page. Request a quote. There’s no obligation to buy. Send the details by email to insure@portsmouthatlanticins.com, call (603) 431-4020 or fill in the form above.
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates 2020–2024, Exeter town, Rockingham County, NH: total population (B01003)
- Exeter median age (B01002)
- Exeter age by sex, used for residents 65 and older (B01001)
- New Hampshire age by sex, for comparison (B01001)
- Exeter tenure, owned and rented homes (B25003)
- Exeter means of transportation to work (B08301)
- Exeter travel time to work (B08303)
- Exeter vehicles available by tenure (B25044)
- Town of Exeter and Rockingham Planning Commission, Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2025 (adopted by the Select Board February 3, 2025)
- Town of Exeter, Hazard Mitigation Plan page
- Town of Exeter Public Works, Winter Emergency Parking Bans
- Town of Exeter, Parking (municipal lots)
- Town of Exeter Ordinance Chapter 1, Parking Regulations (June 2025)
- RSA 264:20, amounts of financial responsibility
- RSA 259:61, liability policy definition
- RSA 264:16, required med-pay
- RSA 264:15, uninsured motorist coverage and umbrellas
- RSA 264:25, exchanging information and reporting crashes
- RSA 263:14, licenses for drivers under 21
- RSA 265:79-c, mobile devices while driving
- New Hampshire House Bill 1558 (2026), bill text
- Citizens Count, HB 1558 (2026): killed in the House
This page offers general guidance for Exeter-area drivers. Nothing here is legal advice, and it neither creates, changes nor describes a specific policy; what is covered depends on the policy form, its endorsements and the insurer’s underwriting. Statutes, town ordinances, hazard plans and Census estimates are updated from time to time. To go over your own drivers and cars, call (603) 431-4020.