New Hampshire Revised Statutes
N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 106-B:15 (2026)
Jurisdiction of Police Employees
✓ current as of May 2026
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106-B:15 Jurisdiction of Police Employees. –
I. Police employees have primary jurisdiction on all turnpikes, toll roads, limited access highways, and interstate highways and nothing in this section shall be construed to limit the authority of local police officers.
II. A police employee shall not act within the limits of a town having a population of more than 3,000 or of any city, except when he or she is enforcing the motor vehicle laws or the regulations relative to the transportation of hazardous materials, witnesses a crime, is in pursuit of a law violator or suspected violator, is in search of a person wanted for a crime committed outside its limits, is in search of a witness of such crime, is faced with public safety exigent circumstances, or when acting as an agent of the director of motor vehicles enforcing rules pertaining to driver licenses, registrations and the inspection of motor vehicles, or when requested to act by an official of another law enforcement agency, or when ordered by the governor. Notwithstanding paragraph I, nothing in this section shall be construed to limit the primary jurisdiction of the local police agency in a town having a population of more than 3,000 or any city.
I. Police employees have primary jurisdiction on all turnpikes, toll roads, limited access highways, and interstate highways and nothing in this section shall be construed to limit the authority of local police officers.
II. A police employee shall not act within the limits of a town having a population of more than 3,000 or of any city, except when he or she is enforcing the motor vehicle laws or the regulations relative to the transportation of hazardous materials, witnesses a crime, is in pursuit of a law violator or suspected violator, is in search of a person wanted for a crime committed outside its limits, is in search of a witness of such crime, is faced with public safety exigent circumstances, or when acting as an agent of the director of motor vehicles enforcing rules pertaining to driver licenses, registrations and the inspection of motor vehicles, or when requested to act by an official of another law enforcement agency, or when ordered by the governor. Notwithstanding paragraph I, nothing in this section shall be construed to limit the primary jurisdiction of the local police agency in a town having a population of more than 3,000 or any city.
Source. 1937, 134:16. RL 145:15. RSA 106:16. 1961, 166:4. 1963, 123:1. 1979, 344:9, eff. Aug. 21, 1979. 2017, 199:3, eff. Sept. 3, 2017.
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 7
cases, 1976–2006 · leading case: Welch v. Dir., Div. of Motor Vehs., 662 A.2d 292 (N.H. 1995).
Welch v. Dir., Div. of Motor Vehs., 662 A.2d 292 (N.H. 1995). “The plaintiff appealed the revocation to the superior court, see RSA 263:75 (1993) (amended 1994) and RSA 265:91-d (1993) (amended 1993), and moved to dismiss the license revocation, alleging that the State trooper who arrested him acted without authority under RSA 106-B:15…”
United States v. Ottati & Goss, Inc., 630 F. Supp. 1361 (D.N.H. 1985). “Notwithstanding RSA 106-B:15, police employees of the division of state police are authorized to serve criminal process and make arrests for violations of this chapter and any rules adopted under this chapter.”
State v. Bennett, 362 A.2d 184 (N.H. 1976). “Was the violation observed by the State Police officer a ‘crime’ as this term is used in RSA 106-B:15. “2. Did the State Police officer have probable cause to stop the defendant’s motor vehicle.”
State v. Smith, 908 A.2d 786 (N.H. 2006). “He points out that RSA 106-B:15 (2001), a statute defining the jurisdiction of the New Hampshire State Police, provides that evidence in a criminal case shall not be suppressed or excluded when a state trooper fails to comply with jurisdictional limits of the statute, so long as…”
State v. Slayton, 367 A.2d 575 (N.H. 1976). “Defendant’s contention that the arresting State police officer was without authority to act is premised on RSA 106-B:15. The statute provides in part that State police “shall not act within the limits of a town having a population of more than 3,000 or of any city, except when…”
Trull v. Town of Conway, 669 A.2d 807 (N.H. 1995). “Whether, as a matter of law, a municipal police officer possesses any statutory duty to warn of icy conditions on a state roadway under RSA 105:3; RSA 106-B:15; RSA 230:78 et seq.; RSA 231:90, et seq.”
State v. Kolocotronis, 367 A.2d 577 (N.H. 1976). “The statute provides that a State police officer “shall not act within the limits of a town having a population of more than three thousand or of any city, except when he witnesses a crime ....” Since Nashua is a city and the officer’s pursuit was not initiated in the belief…”
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