New Hampshire Revised Statutes 265-A:15 – Preliminary Breath Test
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I. Any law enforcement officer, authorized agent, or peace officer, who has been certified by the police standards and training council according to standards for such certification contained in rules adopted by said council pursuant to RSA 541-A, having reasonable grounds to believe that a person has been driving, operating, attempting to operate, or in actual physical control of an OHRV, driving, attempting to drive, or in actual physical control of a vehicle, or operating, attempting to operate, or in actual physical control of a boat upon the public waters of the state while under the influence of intoxicating liquor or controlled drug, prescription drug, over-the-counter drug, or any other chemical substance, natural or synthetic, which impairs a person’s ability to drive or while the person’s alcohol concentration was 0.08 or more or in the case of a person under the age of 21, 0.02 or more or in the case of a person licensed to operate and operating a commercial vehicle or operating a commercial vessel and licensed pursuant to N.H. Rev. Stat. § 270-E:22 at the time of the offense, 0.04 or more may, without making an arrest, request that such person submit to a preliminary breath test for alcohol concentration to be administered by the officer. The results of any test administered under this section may be introduced into evidence in a court for any relevant purpose. Failure to submit to the test shall not constitute a violation of this chapter. Evidence of a failure to submit to a preliminary breath test shall not be admissible in court in any prosecution under this subdivision, except for the purpose of determining whether the officer had probable cause to arrest the person. The provisions of this section shall not limit the introduction of any other competent evidence bearing on the question of whether a person charged with violating N.H. Rev. Stat. § 265-A:2, I(a), N.H. Rev. Stat. § 265-A:2, II, or N.H. Rev. Stat. § 265-A:3 was under the influence of intoxicating liquor or any controlled drug, prescription drug, over-the-counter drug, or any other chemical substance, natural or synthetic, which impairs a person’s ability to drive. Nothing contained in this section shall be construed to prevent or require a subsequent test pursuant to N.H. Rev. Stat. § 265-A:4. The police officer requesting the test shall advise orally the person to be tested that his or her failure to take the test or his or her taking of the test shall not be construed to prevent or require a subsequent test pursuant to N.H. Rev. Stat. § 265-A:4. The results of the test shall be furnished immediately to the person tested by the police officer administering the test and in writing, if requested.
II. No device may be used to give a chemical test under the provisions of this section unless it has been approved as to type and make by the department of safety.
III. The commissioner of the department of safety shall adopt rules, pursuant to RSA 541-A, relative to methods and procedures for evaluation and approval of preliminary breath test devices.
II. No device may be used to give a chemical test under the provisions of this section unless it has been approved as to type and make by the department of safety.
Terms Used In New Hampshire Revised Statutes 265-A:15
- Alcohol: shall mean any substance containing any form of alcohol, including but not limited to, ethanol, methanol, propanol and isopropanol. See New Hampshire Revised Statutes 259:3-a
- Alcohol concentration: shall mean either grams of alcohol per 100 milliliters of blood, grams of alcohol per 67 milliliters of urine, or grams of alcohol per 210 liters of breath. See New Hampshire Revised Statutes 259:3-b
- Arrest: Taking physical custody of a person by lawful authority.
- Commissioner: shall mean the commissioner of safety. See New Hampshire Revised Statutes 259:13
- Department: shall mean the department of safety of the state of New Hampshire. See New Hampshire Revised Statutes 259:19
- Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
- OHRV: shall mean an off highway recreational vehicle. See New Hampshire Revised Statutes 259:70
- Person: shall mean the same as provided in N. See New Hampshire Revised Statutes 259:74
- Police officer: shall mean any constable, peace officer, or other officer authorized to make arrests or serve process. See New Hampshire Revised Statutes 259:78
- Probable cause: A reasonable ground for belief that the offender violated a specific law.
- State: shall mean :
I. See New Hampshire Revised Statutes 259:106 - Vehicle: shall mean :
I. See New Hampshire Revised Statutes 259:122
III. The commissioner of the department of safety shall adopt rules, pursuant to RSA 541-A, relative to methods and procedures for evaluation and approval of preliminary breath test devices.