New Hampshire · Lemon law · Updated Oct 2026
New Hampshire New Motor Vehicle Arbitration Law (Lemon Law) (N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. ch. 357-D) protects buyers of new vehicles that can't be fixed. Here is what counts as a lemon in New Hampshire, the notice you must send and what you can get back.
You may qualify if, during the express warranty, a defect that substantially impairs the vehicle's use, market value or safety has not been fixed after 3 repair attempts for the same problem, or the vehicle has been out of service for repairs for a total of 30 or more business days. A repair attempt counts only with a written repair order, which the dealer must give you on request. A day counts as out of service if the car is in the shop for most of that day.
Period: The term of the manufacturer's express warranty: the repair attempts or days out of service must happen during the express warranty period.
The state's forms include a required notice to the manufacturer (form CPMVA-1). Send it to the manufacturer's zone office listed by the DMV and keep proof of mailing.
Claims go to the state's New Motor Vehicle Arbitration Board, attached to the DMV, using the Demand for Arbitration form (CPMVA-2). If you choose the manufacturer's own dispute program instead, you can no longer use the state board. You also can't use it if you stopped making lease or loan payments because of the car's condition.
A comparable replacement vehicle or a refund of the purchase price, plus incidental damages, minus a reasonable allowance for your use of the vehicle.
The law covers new vehicles bought or leased in New Hampshire. We found no separate used-car lemon law on the state's pages.
Most states require you to tell the manufacturer in writing and give it a last chance to fix the car. The state's forms include a required notice to the manufacturer (form CPMVA-1). Send it to the manufacturer's zone office listed by the DMV and keep proof of mailing. Fill this in, copy the letter, sign it and send it by certified mail with return receipt. Keep a copy. Nothing you type here is sent to us; the letter is made in your browser.
Official page · Official lemon law guide
You may qualify if, during the express warranty, a defect that substantially impairs the vehicle's use, market value or safety has not been fixed after 3 repair attempts for the same problem, or the vehicle has been out of service for repairs for a total of 30 or more business days. A repair attempt counts only with a written repair order, which the dealer must give you on request. A day counts as out of service if the car is in the shop for most of that day.
The term of the manufacturer's express warranty: the repair attempts or days out of service must happen during the express warranty period.
The state's forms include a required notice to the manufacturer (form CPMVA-1). Send it to the manufacturer's zone office listed by the DMV and keep proof of mailing.
Claims go to the state's New Motor Vehicle Arbitration Board, attached to the DMV, using the Demand for Arbitration form (CPMVA-2). If you choose the manufacturer's own dispute program instead, you can no longer use the state board. You also can't use it if you stopped making lease or loan payments because of the car's condition.
A comparable replacement vehicle or a refund of the purchase price, plus incidental damages, minus a reasonable allowance for your use of the vehicle.
The law covers new vehicles bought or leased in New Hampshire. We found no separate used-car lemon law on the state's pages.
Car not covered, or the period has passed? Federal warranty law may still help, and small claims court can handle smaller repair bills.
Federal warranty lawLast checked: Oct 2026.