Coverage line

A raised drawbridge breaks the route between two trading ports.Illustration for The General Average

New Hampshire contract-frustration coverage guide

The New Hampshire Supreme Court held that the common-law defenses of impossibility, impracticability and frustration of commercial purpose remain available unless expressly waived; a clause protecting only one party does not alone waive the other party’s defenses. The court answered a narrow certified question about a specific international tour and air-charter agreement, not whether the customer ultimately proved a defense. New Hampshire’s UCC excuse provision, by contrast, concerns seller delay or nondelivery under a sale of goods. Buyers should identify whether their affected promise is goods or services, negotiate who gets force-majeure protection and ask what rights are expressly waived; none of this determines insurance payment.

What Is Contract Frustration Insurance?

Contract frustration may fit your business when an international contract is exposed to political disruption or government action. If your main risk is a customer who cannot pay, compare trade-credit coverage instead. Read the national Contract frustration guide.

What to Watch for With Contract Frustration in New Hampshire

Do not assume the other party loses every common-law defense
In the 2024 certified-question decision, a New Hampshire air-charter provider’s agreement with a tour operator protected the provider against defined force-majeure losses, including epidemics and acts of civil or military authority. The New Hampshire Supreme Court held the one-sided clause did not by itself relinquish the unprotected party’s common-law defenses; express language or other waiver evidence is a separate question. ¹
The case involved services supporting tours abroad
The contract required air transportation for the New Zealand portion of Australia/New Zealand tours and a minimum number of tours; New Zealand’s border closure prevented the tours. For a tour, charter, logistics or other service contract, ask which government’s actions affect the exact promised service, minimum commitment, cancellation charges and substitute performance. Do not describe it as a goods-sale rule. ^1,²
New Hampshire’s UCC government-order excuse is limited to goods sales
RSA 382-A Article 2 applies to transactions in goods, with a special rule for hybrid contracts. Section 2-615 concerns seller delay or nondelivery in a sale of goods and sets notice/allocation requirements. It does not answer the common-law defenses in the service-contract dispute in PJS v. Tauck. ^2,³

Providers With New Hampshire License Records

No provider in our research documents both a state license record and this coverage line. This does not establish that providers are unlicensed. Check the regulator’s license lookup and confirm availability with a provider when requesting a quote.

Who Regulates Insurance in New Hampshire?

New Hampshire Insurance Department

The New Hampshire Insurance Department licenses insurance producers and insurers, oversees insurance markets and investigates complaints concerning entities within the Commissioner’s authority. Its consumer services line is 800-852-3416. ^4,^5,^6,⁷

Website: Regulator website
License lookup: Search licensed producers
Complaints: File a complaint
Phone: 800-852-3416

Surplus-Lines Tax and Stamping Office in New Hampshire

Reported tax rate. 3% on the New Hampshire allocation; other-state allocations use those states’ rates and fees ^8,^9,¹⁰

New Hampshire charges 3% on gross premium allocated to New Hampshire; for multistate coverage, premium allocated elsewhere is taxed at the rates and fees applicable in those jurisdictions, less qualifying returned premium. The policy notice states that the New Hampshire Guaranty Association will not be liable for surplus-lines policies; placement ordinarily requires proof that admitted coverage cannot be obtained.

Questions to Ask Before You Buy Contract Frustration in New Hampshire

What is the governing law, and is the disrupted promise a sale of goods, a service or a hybrid transaction under RSA 382-A:2-102?
Does the force-majeure clause protect both parties, identify civil-authority or border closures, cover minimum-purchase or cancellation fees, and expressly waive common-law defenses?
For a proposed policy, which insured interest, contract, foreign government event and defined loss are covered, and what exclusions or notice conditions apply?

Contract Frustration Insurance in New Hampshire: FAQ

Does a one-sided New Hampshire force-majeure clause automatically waive the other side’s frustration defense?

No. The New Hampshire Supreme Court answered that narrow certified question in PJS v. Tauck: the defenses remain available unless expressly waived, and the one-sided clause alone was insufficient. The decision did not decide whether Tauck would ultimately prove a defense under the parties’ facts and contract. ¹

Does RSA 382-A:2-615 apply to every disrupted international contract?

No. Article 2 governs transactions in goods, including hybrid transactions to the extent stated in §2-102. Section 2-615 addresses a seller’s delay or nondelivery under a sale of goods; a charter or tour service contract requires a different analysis. ^2,³

Sources

17 documents, numbered as cited. Open the sources

Sources for Contract Frustration Insurance in New Hampshire

1
Private Jet Services Group, LLC v. Tauck, Inc., 2024 N.H. 20. Supreme Court of New Hampshire; Opinion issued Apr. 23, 2024, ¶¶1–17; New Zealand tour charter services, one-sided force-majeure clause and common-law defenses. Accessed 2026-09-28.
2
RSA 382-A:2-102: Scope; Certain Security and Other Transactions Excluded from Article 2. New Hampshire General Court, Revised Statutes Online; Article 2 scope and hybrid transaction rule; current through 2025 regular session. Accessed 2026-09-28.
3
RSA 382-A:2-615: Excuse by failure of presupposed conditions. New Hampshire General Court, Revised Statutes Online; Part 6 (Breach, Repudiation and Excuse); sales of goods, foreign/domestic government orders and seller notice/allocation. Accessed 2026-09-28.
4
New Hampshire Insurance Department. New Hampshire Insurance Department; Official regulator homepage. Accessed 2026-09-28.
5
New Hampshire State License Division Information. Sircon (state-designated licensing service); State-specific Sircon page identifies NH Insurance Department Licensing Division and license services, but does not expose an unambiguous public producer/company search link. Public lookup destination remains an evidence gap; do not claim this route is the public license search. Accessed 2026-09-28.
6
Consumer Complaint Form. New Hampshire Insurance Department; Official NHID fillable complaint form covers property/casualty including commercial; the official complaint process and 800-852-3416 are confirmed by Ins 102.08 at the source below. PDF endpoint returns HTTP 403 to this verifier, so retain it as a documented access limitation. Accessed 2026-09-28.
7
Insurance Department Rules. New Hampshire Insurance Department; Ins 102.08 identifies complaint investigation, consumer-service authority and contact details. Accessed 2026-09-28.
8
RSA 405-B:4, Single Home State Rate; Surplus Lines. New Hampshire General Court; Official statute: 3% on NH-allocated gross premium and other-state rates/fees on out-of-state allocations, less specified returned NH premium. Accessed 2026-09-28.
9
RSA 405:24, Applicability; Issue. New Hampshire General Court; Required nonadmitted surplus-lines policy notice and eligible insurer/placement provisions; surplus lines are not subject to ordinary admitted-insurer regulation. Accessed 2026-09-28.
10
RSA 405:24. New Hampshire General Court; Subsection III limits licensed surplus-lines placement to amounts not obtainable from an admitted company. Accessed 2026-09-28.
11
Licenses. At-Bay; Current producer introduction and state table; At-Bay Insurance Services LLC; P&C and surplus-lines identifiers. Accessed 2026-09-21.
12
Licenses and Carriers. Coalition; Licenses and Carriers, re-read 22 September 2026: Insurance Licenses table for Coalition Insurance Solutions, Inc., national producer number 18419475, with producer and surplus-lines numbers for all 50 states and DC including California 0L76155, Georgia 196479, Texas 2199630 and 2205589, Pennsylvania 815731 and 817452, Colorado 539028 and Wisconsin 3000108852. Insurance Carriers table naming, with NAIC numbers, Allianz Underwriters Insurance Company 36420, Arch Specialty Insurance Company 21199, Ascot Specialty Insurance Company 45055, Ascot Insurance Company 23752, Aspen Specialty Insurance Company 10717, Chaucer Insurance Company DAC, Coalition Insurance Company 29530, Fireman's Fund Indemnity Corporation 11380, Fortegra Specialty Insurance Company 16823, Lloyd's of London, MSIG Specialty Insurance USA Inc. 34886, MS Transverse Specialty Insurance Company 41807, Steadfast Insurance Company 26387, Vantage Risk Specialty Insurance Company 16275 and Zurich American Insurance Company 16535. Accessed 2026-09-22.
13
Insurance Producer Licenses. Corgi Insurance; Current complete Insurance Producer Licenses table for Corgi Insurance Services, Inc.; 50 rows covering 49 states and DC (DC 3003091619); no New Mexico row; no NPN or as-of date shown. Accessed 2026-09-28.
14
About Hiscox US Insurance. Hiscox; Hiscox Insurance Company Inc. NAIC 10200 as Chicago, IL domiciled insurer admitted or licensed in all 50 states and D.C.; Hiscox Inc. as general agent and Lloyd’s coverholder for Syndicates 33 and 3624; surplus-lines placements through licensed surplus-lines brokers; A.M. Best rating statement. Accessed 2026-09-16.
15
Licenses. ERGO NEXT Insurance; Current entity-by-state license table reopened 28 September 2026: 50 rows under Next First Insurance Agency, Inc., including Washington, DC; New York rows instead list Next Insurance Services PC-1423070 and AP Intego BR-1198885. Accessed 2026-09-28.
16
Insurance Licenses by State. TechInsurance; Current state table; identifies TechInsurance as a division of Specialty Program Group LLC d/b/a SPG Insurance Solutions; lists DC 3000041536 and labels Rhode Island “Individual licenses,” without an agency license number. Accessed 2026-09-28.
17
Licenses. Vouch; Effective 16 January 2025: Vouch Specialty Insurance Services, LLC, NPN 19926463; P&C table (50 states and DC); surplus-lines table includes Idaho 870820; footnote says Georgia and Idaho do not issue agency-level surplus-lines licenses; Idaho retained as producer-only due to conflict. Accessed 2026-09-15.

New Hampshire contract-frustration coverage guide

What Is Contract Frustration Insurance?

What to Watch for With Contract Frustration in New Hampshire

Do not assume the other party loses every common-law defense

The case involved services supporting tours abroad

New Hampshire’s UCC government-order excuse is limited to goods sales