DUI / DWI / Driving while Intoxicated / Driving under the Influence - Overview
DWI is a complicated and very serious charge. Besides facing a criminal penalty, you can be facing a significant loss of license. Further, New Hampshire does not have any hardship licenses, such as to drive to work. It also is a major violation in regard to the Habitual Offender status, which can subject you to loss of license for 1 - 5 years. Aggravated DWI and DWI Subsequent carries mandatory jail time. See Penalties for more detailed information.
Accordingly, there is usually an administrative license suspension as part of a DUI case. See License Suspension for more detailed information on this process and its penalties.
The three types of DWI are Driving while under the influence of alcohol, driving under the influence of drugs, and boating while intoxicated. See the appropriate section of this website for more detailed on each offense.
In most DUI cases, the police will usually have evidence against you in the form of field sobriety tests, or a breath test, or blood test. See Tests for more details on these specific tests.
Finally, there are categories of drivers that have special circumstances of how a DWI can affect them. Those categories include women, anyone under the age of 21, or 20, and drivers who hold a Commercial Driver License. See Categories for more details affecting those individuals.