Blue envelopes will soon become a familiar sight under some vehicle windshields in New Hampshire, an initiative aimed at bettering outcomes from interactions between law enforcement and drivers who may experience heightened levels of stress because of a medical condition.

Gov. Kelly Ayotte signed the voluntary Blue Envelope program, proposed in the bipartisan House Bill 140, into law last week.

The program is designed to bridge communication gaps during traffic stops with drivers on the autism spectrum, as well as those with mental health conditions, particularly people affected by trauma and stress-related disorders.

Vanessa Blais, director of policy and planning at the New Hampshire Council on Developmental Disabilities, noted that while New Hampshire hasn’t seen fatal traffic stop encounters involving drivers with autism, such incidents have occurred in other states.

She said the Blue Envelope program, set to launch on Jan. 1, 2026, is a proactive step toward preventing similar incidents from happening in New Hampshire.

“Sometimes when we don’t understand how people physically interact with their environment, it can cause increased anxiety and tension,” Blais said. “This helps both the officer and the individual better understand what’s happening during the interaction — mentally, physically and emotionally.”

Some people on the autism spectrum may fidget or exhibit vocal tics when stressed, behaviors that can sometimes be misinterpreted by law enforcement as threatening.

The Blue Envelope program is designed to prevent those misunderstandings. Drivers eligible for the program can request a blue envelope from the Department of Motor Vehicles by providing appropriate documentation.

Each envelope would contain helpful information for both the driver and police, including emergency contact details. Drivers can also choose to store their license and registration inside the envelope for easy access during traffic stops.

Blue envelopes in Massachusetts, for example, note when a driver is autistic and offers officers guidance, such as “Allow individuals extra time to respond; they may need more time to process your question and formulate their response.”

New Hampshire is the last state in New England to establish this program, joining a growing number of states across the country that have already implemented similar initiatives.

In most states, only drivers on the autism spectrum are eligible for the Blue Envelope program, but New Hampshire’s version of the initiative caters to a broader range of individuals.

State Rep. Jodi Newell, a Keene democrat and the prime sponsor of the bill, said communication is often difficult for people who are neurodivergent, especially during moments of intense stress.

“If a law enforcement officer has more information about that person's communication style, their diagnosis and things like that, then they have a better chance of being able to accommodate someone in the same way that we want anyone who struggles in different ways to have accommodations,” said Newell. “It just helps the process go smoother all around.”

Newell explained that the instructions inside the envelope can be customized to fit a person’s specific needs. For instance, the envelope can include information about medications a person is taking that may cause side effects or details about how they react to certain stimuli, helping officers better understand and respond appropriately during an encounter.​​​​​​

The Department of Motor Vehicles will work on drafting the language on the envelope.

Blais said the goal is for blue envelopes to serve as a visual cue, prompting officers to adjust their approach when they see them during a traffic stop.

“They'll immediately know, 'Okay, I have to treat this situation differently,” said Blais. “Hopefully, it will set the officer at ease knowing that they are going to encounter someone who has a different way of interacting.”

Sruthi Gopalakrishnan can be reached at sgopalakrishnan@cmonitor.com