Hosting a Party for Your Teen? The Criminal and Civil Risks of Underage Drinking in New Hampshire.

Hosting a Party for Your Teen? The Criminal and Civil Risks of Underage Drinking in New Hampshire.

In April 2026, Bedford resident Heather Keegan was found not guilty of facilitating an underage drinking party after 17-year-old Tyson Bolduc died in a motor vehicle incident linked to a gathering at her home. The case, which drew statewide attention, highlights a growing reality for New Hampshire parents and homeowners: even if you don't buy or serve the alcohol, you can face serious legal consequences when teens drink on your property. While Keegan was acquitted after students testified she provided no alcohol, many similar situations result in both criminal misdemeanor charges and civil personal injury or wrongful death lawsuits.

Here's a clear, in-depth look at the law so you can protect your family and your assets.

Criminal Charges: RSA 644:18 – Facilitating a Drug or Underage Alcohol House Party. New Hampshire law is strict. Under RSA 644:18, a person is guilty of a misdemeanor if they own or control a home (or its curtilage) and “knowingly commit an overt act in furtherance of” a drug or underage alcohol house party, while knowing that persons under 21 possess or intend to consume alcohol or drugs. A “house party” is defined as a gathering of five or more unrelated people under age 21 where at least one minor unlawfully possesses or consumes alcohol. The key elements prosecutors must prove are:

You own or control the property.
You took some “overt act” (hosting, inviting, allowing the gathering to continue, etc.).
You had knowledge that underage drinking was occurring or planned.

Penalties include up to one year in jail and fines up to $2,000. However, the statute provides a strong affirmative defense: if you give timely notice to law enforcement, take steps to prevent the party, or actively terminate it once underway, you can avoid conviction. In the Bedford case, the not-guilty verdict turned on testimony that Keegan did not facilitate or provide alcohol — showing how critical evidence of “knowledge” and “overt acts” can be in these prosecutions.

Read the full statute: RSA 644:18 on Justia

The Even Bigger Risk: Social Host Liability and Personal Injury Lawsuits

Criminal charges are serious, but civil liability can be financially devastating. New Hampshire recognizes common-law social host liability for injuries or deaths caused by alcohol consumed at your home.The landmark 1995 New Hampshire Supreme Court case Hickingbotham v. Burke established the rules. In that case, a minor guest was served alcohol at a party, became intoxicated, drove, and crashed. The court held that social hosts can be sued — but plaintiffs must prove the host acted recklessly, not just negligently. Recklessness means the host “consciously disregarded a substantial and unjustifiable risk” of serious harm — a gross deviation from reasonable care. Factors courts consider include:

Serving or allowing alcohol to minors (which violates RSA 179:5 and heightens the recklessness finding).
Knowledge of a guest's intoxication.
Failure to monitor consumption or prevent an intoxicated person from driving.

This liability extends beyond the guest who drank — third parties injured by an intoxicated guest (e.g., in a car crash) can also sue. Damages in these personal injury or wrongful death cases routinely include medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and, in fatal cases, significant compensation for loss of companionship and future earnings. Many standard homeowner's insurance policies exclude or severely limit coverage for alcohol-related claims, leaving families to pay out of pocket.

Read the full case: Hickingbotham v. Burke, 140 N.H. 28 (1995) "We hold that a plaintiff who is injured as a result of a social host's service of alcohol may maintain an action against that social host, so long as the plaintiff can allege that the service was reckless. A social host's service of alcohol would be reckless if the host "consciously disregard[ed] a substantial and unjustifiable risk" of a high degree of danger. BLACK'S LAW DICTIONARY 1270 (6th ed. 1990). The risk that the host disregards must be "of such a nature and degree that, considering the nature and purpose of the actor's conduct and the circumstances known to [the actor], its disregard involves a gross deviation from the standard of conduct that a law-abiding person would observe in the actor's situation." Id.; see also W. KEETON ET AL., PROSSER AND KEETON ON THE LAW OF TORTS § 34, at 214 (5th ed. 1984) (describing reckless conduct as "highly unreasonable conduct, involving an extreme departure from ordinary care, in a situation where a high degree of danger is apparent")"

Practical Steps Every New Hampshire Parent Should Take

Prevention is far easier than defense. Clearly state “no alcohol allowed” in invitations, actively supervise teen gatherings, and never leave minors unsupervised. If you discover underage drinking, stop it immediately and contact parents or police. Consider alcohol-free events or adult-only gatherings when teens are involved. Even well-intentioned graduation or birthday parties can turn into legal nightmares months later when tragedy strikes after guests leave.

Get Experienced Legal Help in New Hampshire.

If you or a loved one has been hurt or killed on account of underage drinking at someone's home and or charged under RSA 644:18 or are interested in filing a civil personal injury/wrongful death claim related to a party and alcohol, strong legal representation is essential. At the Law Office of Joseph Kelly Levasseur, we help New Hampshire families who have been injured by social host liability lawsuits across the state.

Hosting a Party for Your Teen? The Criminal and Civil Risks of Underage Drinking in New Hampshire.

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