New Hampshire Pistol/Revolver License Guide

New Hampshire Pistol/Revolver License - The Basics

Is a license required?

No. Since SB 12 took effect on February 22, 2017, RSA 159:6, III makes clear that a license to carry is NOT required for an adult who is not a prohibited person to carry a loaded pistol or revolver in New Hampshire, openly or concealed, on or about the person or in a vehicle. New Hampshire is a constitutional-carry state. The statute provides that the availability of a license "shall not be construed to impose a prohibition on the unlicensed transport or carry of a firearm in a vehicle, or on or about one's person, whether openly or concealed, loaded or unloaded, by a resident, nonresident, or alien if that individual is not otherwise prohibited by statute from possessing a firearm in the state of New Hampshire."

Why people still get the license

The optional Pistol/Revolver License under RSA 159:6 is still useful for:

• Carry in other states. The NH license is what NH residents present when they travel to states that require a permit. Under RSA 159:6-d the Director of the Division of State Police is directed to negotiate and enter into reciprocal agreements with other jurisdictions so those jurisdictions will recognize the validity of the NH license, and to apply at least once every 5 years to every jurisdiction with which New Hampshire has no agreement. Note the direction of this statute: RSA 159:6-d is about getting the NH license recognized in OTHER states. It does not govern whether New Hampshire honors an out-of-state license. New Hampshire allows carry by any non-prohibited adult, license or not, because it is a constitutional-carry state under RSA 159:6, III, so a visitor with an out-of-state permit may carry here on the same terms as anyone else who is not prohibited.
• Federal Brady alternative. Under 18 U.S.C. 922(t)(3) an FFL may complete a transfer without a separate NICS check when the buyer presents a state-issued permit that allows the person to possess or acquire a firearm, was issued within the prior 5 years by the state where the transfer takes place, and was issued only after an authorized government official verified the person is not prohibited. The NH Pistol/Revolver License is built to meet those criteria.
• Federal Gun-Free School Zones Act. 18 U.S.C. 922(q)(2)(B)(ii) creates an exception to the federal school-zone possession ban for a person who is licensed to carry by the state in which the school zone is located (or a political subdivision of that state), where state law requires law enforcement to verify the applicant is qualified before issuing the license. A NH license-holder fits that exception for school zones inside New Hampshire. The exception is for the 1,000-foot federal "school zone." It does not authorize carry on school property itself, which remains governed by other law.
• Documentation of a clean record. For purposes that look at firearm-license eligibility (some employment, training-school enrollment), the NH license is a useful credential.

Issuing authority - who signs the license

Per RSA 159:6, I(a):

• For a resident of a town, city, or unincorporated place: the selectmen of the town, the mayor or chief of police of the city, or a full-time police officer designated by them. The county sheriff is the issuing authority for a resident of an unincorporated place, or if designated by the selectmen of a town that has no police chief.
• For a nonresident of New Hampshire: the Director of State Police, or some person the director designates.

Term

Not less than 5 years. RSA 159:6, I(a) directs the issuing authority to sign and issue a license authorizing the applicant to carry "for not less than 5 years from the date of issue."

Form and contents of the license

Under RSA 159:6, I(b) the license is in duplicate and bears the name, address, description, and signature of the licensee, and the name, title, and signature of the person issuing it. The original is delivered to the licensee; the duplicate is preserved by the issuing authority for 5 years.

The license and application forms are prepared by the Director of State Police. The statute provides that the form "shall require no more information than was required on the state of New Hampshire application for pistol/revolver license, form DSSP 85, as revised in December 2009," and that "No other forms shall be used by officials of cities and towns." Local issuing authorities may not require additional information beyond what the state-prescribed form asks.

No photograph or fingerprint required

RSA 159:6, II provides: "No photograph or fingerprint shall be required or used as a basis to grant, deny, or renew a license to carry for a resident or nonresident, unless requested by the applicant."

This is a strong limitation. Issuing authorities may not condition the license on fingerprinting or photography, which distinguishes the NH license from many other states' carry permits.

Eligibility standard - "good reason to fear injury or any proper purpose"

RSA 159:6, I(a) requires the issuing authority to sign and issue the license if "it appears that the applicant has good reason to fear injury to the applicant's person or property or has any proper purpose, unless the applicant is prohibited by New Hampshire or federal statute from possessing a firearm." The statute then states that "Hunting, target shooting, or self-defense shall be considered a proper purpose," and that the license is valid for all allowable purposes regardless of the purpose for which it was originally issued.

Self-defense by itself qualifies. New Hampshire functions as a "shall-issue" state for the optional license. The issuing authority must issue unless the applicant is a state or federally prohibited person.

Fees

• Resident: $10.
• Nonresident (out-of-state): $100.

Per RSA 159:6, I(b). The $10 resident fee is for the use of the town or city granting the license; the $100 out-of-state fee is for the use of the state.

Statutory issuance deadline

The license must be issued within 14 days after application under RSA 159:6, I(b). If the application is denied, the reason for denial must be stated in writing, the original of which is delivered to the applicant, and a copy kept in the office of the person to whom the application was made.

What the license is not

The NH Pistol/Revolver License is NOT a general substitute for federal law. Its FFL value is the transfer pathway in 18 U.S.C. 922(t)(3); it does not exempt the licensee from federal prohibited-person rules. It does not authorize carry in places prohibited by state or federal law. Examples:

• Courtrooms and areas used by a court, under RSA 159:19. That statute bars knowingly carrying a loaded or unloaded pistol, revolver, or firearm, or any other deadly weapon, whether open or concealed and whether licensed or unlicensed, in a courtroom or area used by a court. A violation is a class B felony. Firearms may be secured at the courthouse entrance by security personnel, and there are exceptions for law enforcement and persons with prior court authorization.
• Federal facilities, under 18 U.S.C. 930, which makes it a federal offense to knowingly possess a firearm or other dangerous weapon in a federal facility (with a higher penalty for a federal court facility).
• Federal school zones, under the Gun-Free School Zones Act at 18 U.S.C. 922(q), subject to the state-license exception described above.
• The secured (sterile) area of an airport and aircraft, under 49 U.S.C. 46505, which makes it a federal crime to have a concealed, accessible dangerous weapon on or attempting to board an aircraft, or to place a loaded firearm aboard. A NH license does not change this.

The license also does not preempt a private property owner's right to exclude firearms from their property.

Renewal

When required, license renewal takes place within the month of the fifth anniversary of the license holder's date of birth following the date of issuance, per RSA 159:6, I(b). See the RENEWAL_PROCESS section for details.

Where the law is changing

The statutory history of RSA 159:6 includes amendments in 2012, 2015, 2017, 2018, and 2024. The 2017 amendment (2017, 1:1, effective February 22, 2017) is the SB 12 constitutional-carry change. The most recent listed amendment is 2024, 15:1, effective July 13, 2024. Carriers should consult the current RSA text for the latest version.

New Hampshire Constitutional Carry

The rule in one sentence

Any adult 18 or older in New Hampshire who is not a prohibited person under state or federal law may carry a loaded pistol or revolver, openly or concealed, on or about the person or in a vehicle, without any state license or permit, per RSA 159:6, III.

Operative statute

RSA 159:6, III provides: "The availability of a license to carry a loaded pistol or revolver under this section or under any other provision of law shall not be construed to impose a prohibition on the unlicensed transport or carry of a firearm in a vehicle, or on or about one's person, whether openly or concealed, loaded or unloaded, by a resident, nonresident, or alien if that individual is not otherwise prohibited by statute from possessing a firearm in the state of New Hampshire."

That single paragraph is the whole of New Hampshire constitutional carry. It does three things at once. It confirms there is no license requirement to carry. It covers open and concealed carry, on-person and in-vehicle, loaded and unloaded. And it extends to residents, nonresidents, and aliens alike, subject only to the qualifier that the person not be otherwise prohibited from possessing a firearm.

How New Hampshire got here

Before February 22, 2017, RSA 159:4 made it a crime to carry a loaded pistol or revolver concealed on the person or in a vehicle without a license issued under RSA 159:6. New Hampshire issued those licenses on a shall-issue basis under RSA 159:6, but actually carrying concealed required a license.

In 2017, the legislature passed SB 12. SB 12 repealed RSA 159:4 and added the new RSA 159:6, III quoted above. The repeal is recorded on the face of the statute: RSA 159:4 now reads "Repealed by 2017, 1:3, eff. Feb. 22, 2017." SB 12 took effect February 22, 2017. From that date forward New Hampshire has been a constitutional-carry state.

The old RSA 159:6 license framework was left in place on purpose. The legislature recognized that some carriers would still want a license for two reasons that have nothing to do with whether carry is legal inside New Hampshire:

• Federal Brady alternative. 18 U.S.C. 922(t)(3) lets a federally licensed dealer skip the national instant background check when the buyer presents a state-issued permit that allows the holder to possess or acquire a firearm and that was issued within the last 5 years after a state official verified the holder is not prohibited. The New Hampshire Pistol/Revolver License qualifies, which can let a license holder skip the point-of-sale check at the dealer counter.
• Recognition in other states. The New Hampshire State Police director is directed by RSA 159:6-d to negotiate reciprocal agreements so that other jurisdictions recognize the New Hampshire license. A license can therefore help a New Hampshire carrier who travels to a state that is not itself a constitutional-carry state.

Who qualifies for constitutional carry

Under RSA 159:6, III the carrier must be "a resident, nonresident, or alien" who is "not otherwise prohibited by statute from possessing a firearm in the state of New Hampshire." Two bodies of prohibitor law fill in that qualifier.

Federal possession prohibitions are listed in 18 U.S.C. 922(g). A person in any of these categories may not possess a firearm: a person convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year in prison; a fugitive from justice; an unlawful user of or person addicted to a controlled substance; a person adjudicated as a mental defective or committed to a mental institution; an alien who is illegally or unlawfully in the United States, or who is here on a nonimmigrant visa subject to limited exceptions; a person dishonorably discharged from the armed forces; a person who has renounced United States citizenship; a person subject to a qualifying domestic-violence restraining order; and a person convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.

Being under indictment is handled separately and is narrower. 18 U.S.C. 922(n), not 922(g), addresses indictment: a person under indictment for a crime punishable by more than one year may not ship, transport, or receive a firearm in interstate commerce. Section 922(n) does not bar simple possession of a firearm already lawfully held, and indictment is not one of the 922(g) categories.

The state-law prohibition on convicted-felon possession is at RSA 159:3, which makes it a class B felony for a person convicted of a qualifying felony to own, possess, or control a pistol, revolver, or other firearm or deadly weapon.

On age: under federal law a juvenile (a person under 18) generally may not possess a handgun under 18 U.S.C. 922(x)(2). New Hampshire imposes no separate state-law minimum age beyond that federal floor for purposes of constitutional carry. Note that a federally licensed dealer may not sell a handgun to a person under 21 under 18 U.S.C. 922(b)(1), so the buy-from-a-dealer age and the carry age are not the same number.

There is no New Hampshire residency requirement. RSA 159:6, III expressly extends to nonresidents and aliens lawfully present in the state.

What constitutional carry does NOT change

Constitutional carry under RSA 159:6, III did not repeal or modify any of the following:

• The prohibited-place rules. Carry remains prohibited in courtrooms and areas used by a court (RSA 159:19), in school zones (the federal Gun-Free School Zones Act, 18 U.S.C. 922(q)), in federal facilities (18 U.S.C. 930), and on aircraft and in the sterile secured area of an airport (the federal aircraft weapon statute, 49 U.S.C. 46505). RSA 159:19 is worth stating precisely: it is a class B felony to knowingly carry a loaded or unloaded pistol, revolver, firearm, or other deadly weapon, whether open or concealed and whether licensed or unlicensed, in a courtroom or area used by a court, subject to the exceptions in that statute for law enforcement and court-authorized persons.
• The use-of-force rules. RSA 627:4 still controls when force is justified. Constitutional carry does not enlarge self-defense privileges. Deadly force in defense of a person is justified only in the specific circumstances listed in RSA 627:4, II, and the duty-to-retreat and no-retreat provisions of RSA 627:4, III still apply.
• The prohibited-persons rules. A person banned from firearm possession under RSA 159:3 or 18 U.S.C. 922(g) gains nothing from constitutional carry. Their possession is still a crime.
• Private-property exclusion. A property owner or other authorized person may exclude armed persons. A person who enters or remains in a place in defiance of an order to leave or not to enter that was personally communicated to them commits criminal trespass under RSA 635:2.
• The optional license under RSA 159:6 remains available. Many New Hampshire carriers still obtain it for out-of-state recognition and federal-Brady reasons.

Open carry

Open carry has always been lawful in New Hampshire for non-prohibited adults. The 2017 change did not create open carry. It removed the license requirement for concealed carry and vehicle carry, which put concealed carry on the same footing as open carry.

Vehicle carry

Under RSA 159:6, III a loaded pistol or revolver may be carried in a vehicle without a license. The repealed RSA 159:4 had specifically reached concealed carry in a vehicle, so its repeal removed the last state-law license trigger for handgun vehicle carry. There is no general state-law statute in Chapter 159 prohibiting an ordinary non-prohibited adult from transporting a loaded long gun in a vehicle, though hunting rules and posted-area rules can still apply.

Practical scope

Constitutional carry under RSA 159:6, III is, on its face, one of the broadest in the country. It covers residents, nonresidents, and lawfully present aliens. It covers open and concealed carry. It covers on-person and in-vehicle carry. It covers loaded and unloaded firearms. Subject only to (a) federal disqualifiers, (b) state prohibited-persons rules, (c) prohibited locations, and (d) private-property exclusion, the right to carry in New Hampshire requires no license, no fee, no training, and no test.

New Hampshire Concealed Carry

The rule

A New Hampshire resident, nonresident, or alien lawfully present in the state who is not otherwise prohibited from possessing a firearm may carry a loaded pistol or revolver concealed on or about the person, in a vehicle, or anywhere else not specifically prohibited, without a license. RSA 159:6, III is the controlling subsection. New Hampshire is a constitutional-carry (permitless-carry) state, so the optional license under RSA 159:6 is not a prerequisite for concealed carry.

Statutory text

RSA 159:6, III: "The availability of a license to carry a loaded pistol or revolver under this section or under any other provision of law shall not be construed to impose a prohibition on the unlicensed transport or carry of a firearm in a vehicle, or on or about one's person, whether openly or concealed, loaded or unloaded, by a resident, nonresident, or alien if that individual is not otherwise prohibited by statute from possessing a firearm in the state of New Hampshire."

The 2017 watershed

Before SB 12 (2017), a license under RSA 159:6 was the gateway to carrying a loaded pistol or revolver concealed. RSA 159:4, the former criminal provision tied to unlicensed concealed carry, was repealed by 2017, 1:3, effective February 22, 2017. SB 12 also added RSA 159:6, III, which confirms that the availability of a license does not bar unlicensed carry. The optional license remains useful for reciprocity travel and for the federal Brady permit exemption, but it is no longer required to carry in New Hampshire.

The pre-2017 era is over. There is no longer any state-level criminal exposure for a non-prohibited person who carries concealed in New Hampshire without a license.

"Concealed" is not statutorily defined

New Hampshire law does not define "concealed" by statute. As a practical matter, concealment is whatever the carrier uses to obscure the firearm from ordinary observation, such as carry under clothing, in a holster under a jacket, or in a purse or bag. Because no license is required, the line between "concealed" and "open" carries no current criminal consequence under state law. The relevant questions become:

• Federal law and prohibited-place rules. Carrying into a courtroom or area used by a court (RSA 159:19), a federal facility (18 U.S.C. 930), or a federal school zone (18 U.S.C. 922(q)) remains prohibited regardless of carry mode. See PROHIBITED_PLACES.
• Private-property exclusion. A property owner who excludes armed persons may order a carrier to leave. A person who knowingly remains after a personally communicated order to leave commits criminal trespass under RSA 635:2, III(b)(2).

Who may carry concealed

Any person who is not prohibited from possessing a firearm. State law bars possession by certain convicted felons under RSA 159:3, which makes it a class B felony for a person convicted of a felony against the person or property of another, a felony under RSA 318-B, or an equivalent out-of-state drug felony to own, possess, or control a pistol, revolver, or other firearm or listed deadly weapon. Federal law independently bars the nine categories of prohibited persons in 18 U.S.C. 922(g), which include a person convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year, a fugitive from justice, an unlawful drug user, a person adjudicated mentally defective or committed to a mental institution, certain aliens, a person dishonorably discharged, a person who renounced U.S. citizenship, a person subject to a qualifying domestic-violence protective order, and a person convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence. Note that "under indictment" is not in 922(g); that restriction on shipping, transporting, or receiving firearms is in 18 U.S.C. 922(n).

On age: federal law makes it unlawful for a person under 18 (a "juvenile" as defined in the statute) to knowingly possess a handgun, with limited exceptions, under 18 U.S.C. 922(x). The federal age to purchase a handgun from a federally licensed dealer is 21 under 18 U.S.C. 922(b)(1).

Carrying loaded vs. unloaded

RSA 159:6, III explicitly covers "loaded or unloaded" carry. There is no NH state-law distinction. A loaded pistol or revolver may be carried concealed on the person or in a vehicle by a non-prohibited person.

In a vehicle

Vehicle carry is squarely within RSA 159:6, III, which expressly addresses "transport or carry of a firearm in a vehicle." No license is required. A loaded pistol may be in the glove box, on the seat, in a center console, on the carrier's person, or anywhere else in the vehicle, so long as the carrier is not a prohibited person.

In a holster, in a purse, in a bag

All lawful for non-prohibited persons. The carry mode does not matter under RSA 159:6, III.

Limits that survive constitutional carry

• Prohibited places (see PROHIBITED_PLACES). Courtrooms and court areas, federal facilities, federal school zones, secured airport areas, and posted or restricted private property remain off-limits.
• Federal prohibited persons (18 U.S.C. 922(g)) and state-law prohibited persons (RSA 159:3) cannot lawfully possess, let alone carry.
• Courthouse carry. RSA 159:19, I makes it a class B felony to knowingly carry a loaded or unloaded pistol, revolver, or firearm, or any other deadly weapon as defined in RSA 625:11, V, whether open or concealed and whether licensed or unlicensed, in a courtroom or area used by a court. There is an affirmative defense if no notice was posted at each public entrance, and the section does not apply to listed law enforcement and court personnel.
• Under the influence. New Hampshire has no statute that criminalizes carrying a firearm merely while intoxicated. RSA 159:15 is a separate offense titled "Possession of Dangerous Weapon While Committing a Violent Crime." It makes it a class A misdemeanor to use or employ a slung shot, metallic knuckles, billies, or other deadly weapon as defined in RSA 625:11, V during the commission or attempted commission of a violent crime, with "violent crime" defined by reference to RSA 651:5, XIII. It addresses weapon use during a violent crime, not carry while intoxicated. Carrying while impaired may still create exposure under disorderly conduct (RSA 644:2) or reckless conduct (RSA 631:3) if the conduct places another in danger of serious bodily injury, though under RSA 631:3, V the act of displaying a firearm does not by itself constitute reckless conduct. See UNDER_INFLUENCE.

Comparison to the licensed-carry framework

A holder of an RSA 159:6 license has no greater authority than a non-prohibited unlicensed carrier in terms of where and how they may carry inside New Hampshire. The license provides external benefits. It supports reciprocity travel through agreements the director of state police negotiates under RSA 159:6-d. It can serve as a Brady permit that exempts the holder from a point-of-sale NICS check at a federally licensed dealer under 18 U.S.C. 922(t)(3) when the permit was issued within the prior 5 years after a government official verified eligibility. It also satisfies the federal Gun-Free School Zones Act carve-out for a person "licensed to do so by the State in which the school zone is located" under 18 U.S.C. 922(q)(2)(B)(ii). For in-state carry, the license and constitutional carry are equivalent.

Note on reciprocity direction. RSA 159:6-d is outbound only. It directs the director of the division of state police to negotiate and seek recognition of the New Hampshire license in other jurisdictions. It does not control whether New Hampshire honors an out-of-state license. New Hampshire allows carry by any non-prohibited person under RSA 159:6, III regardless of whether that person holds any license, so a visitor from another state may carry here on the same constitutional-carry basis as a resident.

Practical recommendations (not legal requirements)

• Carry in a quality retention holster regardless of carry mode.
• Know the federal overlay, including the Gun-Free School Zones Act, federal facilities under 18 U.S.C. 930, and airport secured areas under 49 U.S.C. 46505, because state-level constitutional carry does not displace federal restrictions.
• Carry identification and, if you have one, the optional NH pistol/revolver license, to streamline interactions with law enforcement when traveling out of state.
• Be aware of private-property no-firearms postings. A person who refuses to leave after a personally communicated order can be charged with criminal trespass under RSA 635:2.

New Hampshire Open Carry

The rule

Open carry of a pistol, revolver, rifle, or shotgun is lawful in New Hampshire for any adult 18 or older who is not a prohibited person under state or federal law, without any license. Open carry has long been lawful in New Hampshire and is now expressly covered by the constitutional-carry language at RSA 159:6, III.

Statutory basis

RSA 159:6, III states that the availability of a license to carry "shall not be construed to impose a prohibition on the unlicensed transport or carry of a firearm in a vehicle, or on or about one's person, whether openly or concealed, loaded or unloaded, by a resident, nonresident, or alien if that individual is not otherwise prohibited by statute from possessing a firearm in the state of New Hampshire."

The "openly or concealed" phrasing puts open carry and concealed carry on equal statutory footing. SB 12 (2017) added this subsection. Before 2017, concealed carry of a pistol or revolver required a license, but open carry was already lawful without a license under New Hampshire practice.

Who may open carry

• Adults 18 or older.
• Residents, nonresidents, and aliens lawfully in the state. RSA 159:6, III expressly covers all three.
• Persons not prohibited under RSA 159:3 (the New Hampshire felon-in-possession ban, a class B felony) or under 18 U.S.C. 922(g) (the federal prohibited-persons list, which covers convicted felons, fugitives, unlawful drug users, persons adjudicated mentally defective or committed to a mental institution, and certain aliens, among others).

There is no New Hampshire minimum age above 18 for open carry of a pistol. Under federal law, 18 U.S.C. 922(x) makes it unlawful for a person under 18 to possess a handgun, with stated exceptions. The federal age to purchase a handgun from a licensed dealer is 21 under 18 U.S.C. 922(b)(1), which bars a dealer from selling a handgun to anyone under 21 and any firearm or ammunition to anyone under 18.

Vehicle open carry

Carrying a loaded pistol or revolver openly in a vehicle is lawful for non-prohibited adults under RSA 159:6, III, which expressly covers transport or carry of a firearm in a vehicle. A loaded long gun in a vehicle is generally lawful in New Hampshire, subject to the federal-area and prohibited-place rules and to Fish and Game regulations during hunting seasons.

Long guns: rifles and shotguns

Open carry of a long gun is lawful for non-prohibited adults. Chapter 159 historically addressed pistols and revolvers, and it imposes no state-law restriction on open carry of a rifle or shotgun in public.

Where open carry is prohibited

The same prohibited-place rules that apply to concealed carry apply to open carry:

• Courtrooms and areas used by a court. RSA 159:19 makes it a class B felony to knowingly carry a loaded or unloaded pistol, revolver, firearm, or other deadly weapon, whether open or concealed and whether licensed or unlicensed, in a courtroom or area used by a court. Firearms may be secured at the courthouse entrance by security personnel. It is an affirmative defense that no notice of the prohibition was posted at each public entrance.
• Schools. The federal Gun-Free School Zones Act, 18 U.S.C. 922(q), makes it unlawful to knowingly possess a firearm in a school zone, defined to include the area within 1,000 feet of school grounds. The statute lists carve-outs, including possession on private property not part of school grounds and possession by a person licensed by the state in which the school zone is located where the state verifies the licensee's qualification.
• Federal facilities. 18 U.S.C. 930 makes it unlawful to knowingly possess a firearm or other dangerous weapon in a federal facility, with exceptions for official duties and certain lawful purposes.
• Secured areas of airports and aircraft. 49 U.S.C. 46505 makes it a federal crime to have a concealed dangerous weapon that is or would be accessible in flight when on or attempting to board an aircraft, and to place a loaded firearm on an aircraft. This is the controlling federal aircraft-weapon statute, and TSA-screened sterile areas are governed by it and by FAA and TSA regulations.
• Posted private property. Refusing to leave after a request becomes criminal trespass under RSA 635:2.

Disorderly conduct, brandishing, and reckless conduct

While open carry is lawful in New Hampshire, the manner of carry can still create exposure under generally applicable statutes:

• RSA 644:2, Disorderly Conduct. A person can be charged who knowingly or purposely creates a hazardous condition in a public place by an action that serves no legitimate purpose, or who engages in fighting or in violent, tumultuous, or threatening behavior in a public place.
• RSA 631:3, Reckless Conduct. Recklessly engaging in conduct that places or may place another in danger of serious bodily injury is a misdemeanor, and a class B felony if the person uses a deadly weapon. RSA 631:3, V states that the act of displaying a firearm shall not, in and of itself and without additional circumstances, constitute reckless conduct.
• RSA 627:4, II-a is the self-defense warning provision. A person who responds to a threat that a reasonable person would consider likely to cause serious bodily injury or death by displaying a firearm or other means of self-defense with the intent to warn away the person making the threat shall not have committed a criminal act.

Routine, peaceful open carry, with the firearm holstered and the carrier going about ordinary business, does not by itself constitute disorderly conduct or reckless conduct in New Hampshire.

Practical implications

• Police-citizen encounters. New Hampshire has no duty to inform (see DUTY_TO_INFORM), but if open carry is visible to a responding officer, the officer will likely ask about it. A calm, controlled response is the common practical advice.
• Posted private property. The most common interaction for an open carrier in New Hampshire is being asked to leave a business that posts a no-firearms sign. Comply with the request. Refusing to leave after the owner or an authorized person personally communicates an order to leave is criminal trespass under RSA 635:2.
• Long-gun open carry in town. Lawful, but socially atypical. The carrier remains exposed to disorderly conduct (RSA 644:2) and reckless conduct (RSA 631:3) charges if the manner of carry is provocative beyond the firearm itself.

Comparison to concealed carry

There is no state-law preference for one mode over the other in New Hampshire. Both are equally lawful for non-prohibited adults under RSA 159:6, III. The optional pistol/revolver license under RSA 159:6 authorizes carry of a loaded pistol or revolver and is valid for not less than 5 years. Choice of mode is a personal and practical decision: concealment for a low profile, open carry for retention and access.

New Hampshire Firearms Training Requirements

The rule in one sentence

New Hampshire has NO state-mandated training requirement to carry a firearm, to obtain the optional Pistol/Revolver License under RSA 159:6, or to purchase a firearm.

What the law says

RSA 159:6 (the licensing statute) does not require training, an exam, classroom hours, or live-fire qualification as a condition of receiving the Pistol/Revolver License. Under RSA 159:6, I(a), the issuing authority "shall sign and issue a license" if it appears that the applicant "has good reason to fear injury to the applicant's person or property or has any proper purpose, unless the applicant is prohibited by New Hampshire or federal statute from possessing a firearm." Hunting, target shooting, or self-defense counts as a proper purpose. Training is not on the list of conditions.

RSA 159:6, III (constitutional carry) does not require training either. It provides that the availability of a license "shall not be construed to impose a prohibition on the unlicensed transport or carry of a firearm in a vehicle, or on or about one's person, whether openly or concealed, loaded or unloaded," by any person not otherwise prohibited from possessing a firearm. Lawful unlicensed carry is co-extensive with lawful possession.

What the law does NOT require

• No classroom hours.
• No live-fire qualification.
• No written exam.
• No demonstration of safe handling.
• No range proficiency demonstration.
• No instructor certification.

This is true both for constitutional carry under RSA 159:6, III and for the optional license under RSA 159:6.

Federal training nexus

The only federal "training" hook is the Brady-alternative provision at 18 U.S.C. 922(t)(3). It exempts a transfer between a licensed dealer (FFL) and a buyer from the point-of-sale NICS check when the buyer holds a state-issued permit that meets the federal criteria. Under 922(t)(3)(A), the permit must allow the holder to possess or acquire a firearm, must have been issued within the last 5 years by the state where the transfer occurs, and the state's law must provide that the permit "is to be issued only after an authorized government official has verified that the information available to such official does not indicate that possession of a firearm by such other person would be in violation of law." That is a background-check standard. It does NOT require training. The NH Pistol/Revolver License can qualify despite the absence of any training requirement, because the criteria turn on a records check, not on instruction.

Why training is still strongly recommended

The absence of a legal requirement is not a recommendation against training. Practical realities for a NH carrier:

• Use-of-force law is highly fact-specific. RSA 627:4 (physical force in defense of a person), RSA 627:7 (use of force in defense of premises), and RSA 627:8 (use of force in property offenses) set the legal standards for justified force. Application requires judgment that classroom and scenario training help build.
• Safe handling reduces accidents. Most accidental discharges involve untrained or undertrained carriers.
• Marksmanship matters. Defensive shootings typically involve close-range, high-stress conditions. Range training builds the fundamentals that make accuracy possible under stress.
• Holster discipline. Drawing from concealment is a perishable skill. Regular practice maintains it.

Most NH firearm-instructor curricula incorporate, at minimum:

• Basic safety rules (always treat as loaded; muzzle direction; finger off the trigger; identify the target and what is beyond it).
• Mechanical operation of the carrier's chosen platform.
• Storage and transport.
• Use-of-force law overview (the RSA 627:4 deadly-force standard and the related defense-of-premises and defense-of-property limits in RSA 627:7 and RSA 627:8).
• Practical defensive shooting drills.

A note on what NH use-of-force law actually allows, since training should track the statute and not folklore:

• RSA 627:4, II permits deadly force only in defined situations, including when the actor reasonably believes another is about to use unlawful deadly force, is likely to use any unlawful force while committing or attempting a burglary, is committing or about to commit kidnapping or a forcible sex offense, or is likely to use any unlawful force in the commission of a felony against the actor within the actor's dwelling or its curtilage.
• RSA 627:7 (defense of premises) authorizes deadly force only in defense of a person as set out in RSA 627:4, or when the person reasonably believes it necessary to prevent an attempt by a trespasser to commit arson. Defense of premises by itself does NOT authorize deadly force to stop a simple trespass.
• RSA 627:8 (property offenses) authorizes force to protect or retake property, but permits deadly force only in defense of a person under RSA 627:4. You may not use deadly force merely to protect property.

Recommended training providers

NH has many firearms-training providers, including:

• The Sig Sauer Academy in Epping, NH (https://www.sigsaueracademy.com), one of the most prominent training facilities in the Northeast.
• Local NRA-certified instructors throughout the state.
• USCCA-certified instructors.
• County 4-H shooting sports programs for youth (https://extension.unh.edu/4-h-youth-development).
• NH Fish and Game hunter education courses (free; required for first-time NH hunting license applicants under RSA 214:23-a).

Concealed carry and self-defense courses

While no NH state license requires training, common course offerings include:

• Basic pistol courses (typically 4-8 hours).
• Concealed-carry-tactics courses (typically 4-16 hours).
• Use-of-force and legal training (typically 2-8 hours).
• Defensive carbine and shotgun courses.

For NH carriers planning to travel out of state, courses focused on multi-state reciprocity and the training, demonstration, and instruction (DTI) rules of destination states are useful, because some other states do require training before they will recognize or issue a carry credential.

Hunter education, separately required for a first hunting license

Hunter education in NH is a hunting-license prerequisite, not a carry requirement. Under RSA 214:23-a (Certificate of Completion Required), no hunting license may be issued to or purchased by a resident or nonresident unless the applicant presents a certificate of completion from a basic hunter education program, satisfactory proof of completing an equivalent program in another state, province, or country, or proof of a prior hunting license. RSA 214:23-b (Program) authorizes the Fish and Game executive director to establish the training program and to prescribe the type of instruction, the qualifications of instructors, and the examination. RSA 214:23-c (Instructors) provides state-funded liability insurance for the authorized instructors. The course is free and hands-on and covers firearm safety, ethics, and hunter responsibility. None of this applies to carrying a pistol or revolver for self-defense.

Children and youth

NH does not impose a minimum age above 18 for adult carry. The controlling minimum-age rule for handguns is federal. Under 18 U.S.C. 922(x), it is generally unlawful to transfer a handgun or handgun ammunition to a person under 18, and generally unlawful for a person under 18 to possess one, with statutory exceptions. Those exceptions include possession and use, with prior written consent of a parent or guardian, in the course of employment, ranching or farming, target practice, hunting, or a course of instruction in the safe and lawful use of a handgun, transport of an unloaded handgun in a locked container to and from such an activity, possession by a juvenile member of the Armed Forces or National Guard in the line of duty, and possession in defense of the juvenile or others against an intruder in the residence. Parents and supervising adults should confirm that any minor's supervised use fits one of these exceptions.

Training providers, quality matters

The absence of state regulation means quality varies widely. Carriers selecting a course should look for:

• Verifiable instructor credentials (NRA, USCCA, military, law enforcement).
• A clear curriculum and stated learning objectives.
• A live-fire component on a real range.
• Coverage of NH-specific use-of-force law (RSA 627:4, RSA 627:7, RSA 627:8).
• Insurance and documented safety protocols.

Summary

NH does not require training to carry, to obtain a license, or to purchase a firearm. The optional RSA 159:6 license and constitutional carry under RSA 159:6, III both omit any training condition, and the federal Brady-alternative at 18 U.S.C. 922(t)(3) turns on a background check rather than instruction. Hunter education under RSA 214:23-a is a separate hunting-license prerequisite, not a carry requirement. The absence of a legal mandate is not an endorsement of carrying untrained. Quality training is strongly recommended for safe handling, accurate shooting under stress, and informed application of NH self-defense law.

New Hampshire Pistol/Revolver License Application Process

Is the license required?

No. New Hampshire is a constitutional-carry state. RSA 159:6, III provides that the availability of a license to carry a loaded pistol or revolver does not impose a prohibition on the unlicensed transport or carry of a firearm in a vehicle, or on or about one's person, whether openly or concealed, loaded or unloaded, by a resident, nonresident, or alien who is not otherwise prohibited by statute from possessing a firearm in New Hampshire. A non-prohibited adult may carry without any license.

The Pistol/Revolver License under RSA 159:6 is optional. People obtain it mainly so the NH license can be recognized in other states under reciprocity agreements (RSA 159:6-d directs the director of state police to negotiate such agreements with other jurisdictions) and for federal purposes where holding a state-issued carry license can matter.

Who issues the license

Per RSA 159:6, I(a):

• For NH residents, the local issuing authority:
  • In a town: the selectmen of the town, or a full-time police officer they designate.
  • In a city: the mayor or chief of police, or a full-time police officer they designate.
  • In an unincorporated place: the county sheriff.
  • In a town that has no police chief: the county sheriff, if designated by the selectmen.
• For NH nonresidents (applicants who live in other states): the director of state police, or some person the director designates.

The issuing authority "shall sign and issue a license" to an applicant authorizing the applicant to carry a loaded pistol or revolver in the state for not less than 5 years from the date of issue if it appears the applicant has good reason to fear injury to the applicant's person or property or has any proper purpose, unless the applicant is prohibited by New Hampshire or federal statute from possessing a firearm. RSA 159:6, I(a) states that hunting, target shooting, or self-defense is a proper purpose.

The form

The director of state police prepares the application and license forms and supplies them to city and town officials. Per RSA 159:6, I(b), the form "shall require no more information than was required on the state of New Hampshire application for pistol/revolver license, form DSSP 85, as revised in December 2009." The statute also states that no other forms shall be used by officials of cities and towns, so local issuing authorities may not require additional information beyond what that form covers.

The resident application is the DSSP 85 form. A separate non-resident application is available from the Department of Safety.

Both forms are available from:

• NH Department of Safety, Permits and Licensing: https://www.dos.nh.gov/divisions/state-police/permits-licensing/pistol-revolver-license

What the form asks

• Name, address, description, and signature of the applicant.
• Identifying information consistent with the DSSP 85 form.
• A proper purpose. The applicant attests to a proper purpose. Hunting, target shooting, and self-defense all qualify under RSA 159:6, I(a).
• An attestation that the applicant is not prohibited by New Hampshire or federal statute from possessing a firearm.
• Disclosures keyed to the federal prohibited-person categories. Under 18 U.S.C. 922(g), a person is prohibited from possessing a firearm if the person has a felony conviction (a crime punishable by more than one year), is a fugitive from justice, is an unlawful drug user or addict, has been adjudicated a mental defective or committed to a mental institution, is an unlawful or certain nonimmigrant alien, was dishonorably discharged, renounced U.S. citizenship, is subject to a qualifying domestic-violence protective order, or has a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence conviction.

A person who is under indictment for a felony is restricted under 18 U.S.C. 922(n), which is a separate provision from the 922(g) categories above.

What the form does NOT ask

• No photograph required. Per RSA 159:6, II, no photograph shall be required or used as a basis to grant, deny, or renew a license for a resident or nonresident, unless the applicant requests it.
• No fingerprint required. RSA 159:6, II applies the same rule to fingerprints.
• No training certificate, safety course, or demonstration of firearm proficiency. RSA 159:6 imposes none of these as conditions of issuance.

The no-photograph and no-fingerprint rule in RSA 159:6, II is an NH-specific protection. Many other states require one or both.

Fees

Per RSA 159:6, I(b):

• Resident: $10. This fee is for the use of the town or city granting the license.
• Nonresident: $100. This fee is for the use of the state.

The statute also provides that the cost of the forms is paid out of the fees received from nonresident licenses.

Submission

For residents:

• Submit the completed application and the $10 fee to the local issuing authority (town selectmen, city mayor or police chief, or a designee). The state form does not require character references. Some local jurisdictions ask for them as part of their own intake practice, but RSA 159:6, I(b) bars officials from requiring more information than the DSSP 85 form.
• Each town and city runs its own intake process. Most accept in-person submissions during business hours.

For nonresidents:

• Submit the completed non-resident application and the $100 fee to the NH Department of Safety, Division of State Police, Permits and Licensing.
• Mail-in is the standard channel. The application packet and instructions are on the Department of Safety website.

Issuance deadline

Per RSA 159:6, I(b), the license shall be issued within 14 days after application. If the application is denied, the reason for the denial shall be stated in writing, the original of that writing shall be delivered to the applicant, and a copy shall be kept in the office of the person to whom the application was made.

The 14-day rule is a hard statutory deadline and one of the shortest issuance windows in the country. The statute does not provide for an extension of this period.

Denial and appeal

If denied, the applicant receives a written statement of the reason for the denial. The applicant may then appeal under RSA 159:6-c, titled "Appeal From Denial, Suspension, or Revocation." This statute covers not only denials but also suspensions and revocations.

RSA 159:6-c provides that a person whose application has been denied under RSA 159:6, or whose license has been suspended or revoked under RSA 159:6-b, may within 30 days petition the district or municipal court in the jurisdiction in which the person resides to determine whether the petitioner is entitled to a license. The statute specifies this single venue (where the petitioner resides) and contains no separate venue rule for nonresidents.

At the hearing, which the court must hold within 14 days after receiving the petition, the burden is on the issuing authority to demonstrate by clear and convincing proof why the denial, suspension, or revocation was justified. If the issuing authority fails to meet that burden, the court shall enter an order directing the issuing authority to grant or reinstate the license. The court must issue its decision no later than 14 days after the hearing.

The clear-and-convincing standard placed on the issuing authority, together with the 14-day issuance deadline and the limit on permitted form content under RSA 159:6, I(b), are the main statutory checks against an arbitrary denial.

Background check

Before issuing, the issuing authority confirms that the applicant is not prohibited by New Hampshire or federal statute from possessing a firearm, which is the disqualifier stated in RSA 159:6, I(a). In practice this means checking the applicant against the prohibited-person categories described above, including the federal categories under 18 U.S.C. 922(g).

Because RSA 159:6, II bars fingerprints unless the applicant requests them, the check is run on the applicant's name and identifying information rather than fingerprints.

What the license contains

Per RSA 159:6, I(b), the license is issued in duplicate and bears the name, address, description, and signature of the licensee and the name, title, and signature of the person issuing the license. The original is delivered to the licensee, and the duplicate is preserved by the issuing authority for 5 years.

License term

The license is valid for not less than 5 years from the date of issue (RSA 159:6, I(a)). Per RSA 159:6, I(b), when renewal is required it takes place within the month of the fifth anniversary of the license holder's date of birth following the date of issuance. See RENEWAL_PROCESS for the renewal mechanics.

After receipt

The license is valid statewide and for all allowable purposes regardless of the purpose for which it was originally issued (RSA 159:6, I(a)). No additional registration, notification, or fee is required after issuance. The licensee may carry under the license or, independently, under the constitutional-carry rule of RSA 159:6, III, because carry by a non-prohibited person does not depend on holding the license.

Lost or stolen license

RSA 159:6 does not set a separate replacement procedure or a replacement-fee cap. A licensee whose license is lost or stolen should contact the issuing authority that granted it to request a replacement and follow that office's process.

Summary

The NH license application is short and low-cost. It requires no photograph, fingerprint, or training, is capped at the information on the DSSP 85 form, must be issued within 14 days, and is backed by an appeal under RSA 159:6-c that puts a clear-and-convincing burden on the issuing authority. The license is no longer required to carry, since RSA 159:6, III allows any non-prohibited person to carry without one, but many NH carriers still obtain it for reciprocity and federal purposes.

New Hampshire Pistol/Revolver License Fees and Costs

State fees: the license

Per RSA 159:6, I(b):

• Resident Pistol/Revolver License: $10. The statute directs this fee "for the use of the town or city granting said licenses."
• Nonresident Pistol/Revolver License: $100. The statute directs this fee "for the use of the state."

These are the only state fees attached to the license. The license is valid for not less than 5 years from the date of issue (RSA 159:6, I(a)), and renewal is at the same fee. The cost of the application and license forms is paid out of the fees received from nonresident licenses (RSA 159:6, I(b)).

What is NOT a fee in NH

• No background-check fee at the federal NICS level when purchasing from an FFL using a NH license, because the NH license qualifies as a NICS permit alternative under 18 U.S.C. Section 922(t)(3).
• No training fee, because no training is required.
• No photograph fee, because no photograph is required (RSA 159:6, II).
• No fingerprint fee, because no fingerprint is required (RSA 159:6, II).
• No range qualification fee, because no qualification is required.
• No mandatory permit-to-purchase fee. NH has no permit-to-purchase requirement.
• No firearm registration fee. NH does not register firearms.
• No state excise tax on firearm sales beyond ordinary state sales tax, and NH has no state sales tax.

Federal fees

• NICS background check fee: $0 to the buyer. The FFL absorbs the FBI's operational cost.
• Federal NFA tax stamp: see the next section for the current rates under 26 U.S.C. Section 5811 and 26 U.S.C. Section 5821. These are federal, not NH-specific.
• Federal Firearm License (FFL): for sellers, not buyers. The cost is roughly $30 to $200 depending on type, payable to ATF.

Federal NFA tax (current rates)

The federal National Firearms Act tax was amended by Pub. L. 119-21 (signed July 4, 2025). The amendment applies to calendar quarters beginning more than 90 days after that date.

Under the amended 26 U.S.C. Section 5811(a), the transfer tax is now:

• $200 for each firearm transferred in the case of a machinegun or a destructive device.
• $0 for any firearm transferred that is not a machinegun or destructive device.

Under the amended 26 U.S.C. Section 5821(a), the making tax is now:

• $200 for each firearm made in the case of a machinegun or a destructive device.
• $0 for any firearm made that is not a machinegun or destructive device.

In plain terms, under the current statute the transfer or making tax on a suppressor, short-barreled rifle, short-barreled shotgun, or "any other weapon" is $0. The $200 stamp applies only to machineguns and destructive devices. The earlier flat $200 rate and the earlier $5 rate for "any other weapon" no longer appear in the statute.

A NH carrier acquiring an NFA item still completes the full federal ATF process (Form 1 to make, Form 4 to transfer), which requires fingerprint cards and passport-style photographs. Those incidental costs (roughly $20 to $100 for cards and photos) are a federal application requirement, not a NH requirement, and exist regardless of whether the tax itself is $0 or $200. NH adds no state stamp or state tax to NFA items.

Practical out-of-pocket costs for a NH carrier

For the unlicensed carrier:

• $0 to NH. NH is a constitutional-carry state. RSA 159:6, III provides that the availability of a license does not impose any prohibition on the unlicensed carry of a firearm, openly or concealed, loaded or unloaded, by any resident, nonresident, or alien who is not otherwise prohibited by statute from possessing a firearm. NH imposes no fee on the act of carrying.

For the licensed resident carrier:

• $10 to the issuing town or city for the initial license (RSA 159:6, I(b)).
• $10 at each renewal, which occurs within the month of the fifth anniversary of the license holder's date of birth (RSA 159:6, I(b)).

For the licensed nonresident carrier:

• $100 for the use of the state for the initial license (RSA 159:6, I(b)).
• $100 at each renewal.

For ammunition and firearms:

• Standard retail prices. NH has no state sales tax and no firearms excise tax beyond ordinary commerce.

For training:

• No state-mandated training. Optional training varies from roughly $50 for a half-day basic-pistol course to several thousand dollars for an extended defensive-handgun course at a private academy.

Federal Brady alternative: a time saving, not a fee saving

The NH license qualifies for the federal NICS exemption under 18 U.S.C. Section 922(t)(3). That provision exempts a transfer where the buyer presents a state-issued permit that allows possession or acquisition of a firearm, was issued within the prior 5 years, and was issued only after a government official verified that the buyer is not prohibited by law. A NH license holder may therefore purchase from an FFL without a separate point-of-sale NICS check. This is not a fee saving, because NICS itself is free to the buyer, but it saves time and reduces the FFL's processing burden.

Federal Gun-Free School Zones Act carve-out: intangible value

The NH license qualifies the holder for the federal GFSZA carve-out at 18 U.S.C. Section 922(q)(2)(B)(ii). That clause exempts a license holder when the issuing state requires law enforcement to verify the applicant's eligibility before issuance. The license holder may lawfully possess a firearm within the 1,000-foot federal school-zone perimeter in NH, off school property. This carve-out has no monetary cost, but it has practical value for any NH carrier who lives, works, or routinely travels near a K-12 school. Note that the unlicensed constitutional carrier does not get this federal carve-out, which is one of the few concrete advantages the optional NH license still provides.

Why the $10 resident fee is exceptional

The $10 NH resident license fee is one of the lowest in the country. Many states charge $50 to $200 for initial issuance, plus separate fingerprint, photograph, and background-check fees. NH's combination of a $10 fee, no fingerprint, no photograph, no training requirement, and issuance within 14 days makes the NH license one of the most accessible in the United States. Recognition of the NH license in other states is pursued under RSA 159:6-d, which directs the director of the division of state police to negotiate reciprocal agreements so that other jurisdictions recognize the NH license. RSA 159:6-d governs outbound recognition only. It is the mechanism by which NH seeks to have its license honored elsewhere. It does not control whether NH honors out-of-state licenses. NH allows carry by any non-prohibited adult because it is a constitutional-carry state under RSA 159:6, III, with or without any license.

Hunting license fees: separate

Hunting in NH requires a hunting license under RSA 214:1, which is separate from the carry license. RSA 214:1 requires a person to hold a valid license before they fish, hunt, trap, or take wild birds or animals in the state. Fees vary. See NH Fish and Game (https://www.wildlife.nh.gov). This is unrelated to the carry framework.

Range fees: private market

NH commercial ranges and gun clubs set their own fees, typically $15 to $30 per day for public ranges and $200 to $500 annual for club memberships. Some NH state-owned facilities offer free public range access, such as the Owl Brook Hunter Education Center.

Summary

The cost of carrying in NH is essentially zero. Constitutional carry is free under RSA 159:6, III. The optional license costs $10 for residents and $100 for nonresidents, valid for at least 5 years. There are no training, photograph, fingerprint, or registration fees. Federal fees apply to FFL purchases and NFA items independent of NH law, and under the 2025 NFA amendment the transfer and making tax is $0 for everything except machineguns and destructive devices. NH offers one of the lowest-cost licensing environments in the United States.

New Hampshire Pistol/Revolver License Renewal

Term

New Hampshire issues the pistol/revolver license to carry for a fixed period set by RSA 159:6, I(a). The statute states the license authorizes the holder to carry a loaded pistol or revolver in the state "for not less than 5 years from the date of issue." In practice the state issues 5-year licenses, but the statutory floor is a minimum of 5 years, not a fixed cap, so a license could carry a longer term if the issuing authority set one.

When to renew

Per RSA 159:6, I(b): "When required, license renewal shall take place within the month of the fifth anniversary of the license holder's date of birth following the date of issuance."

The renewal window is the calendar month of the licensee's date of birth at the 5-year mark, not the anniversary of the issue date. For example, a license issued June 15, 2024 to someone born September 3 comes due for renewal in September 2029 (the September that is the fifth anniversary of the birthday following the issue date).

How to renew

Renewal is processed by the issuing authority. That is the same town selectmen, city mayor or chief of police, county sheriff (for a resident of an unincorporated place), or Director of State Police (for a nonresident) that issues the original license under RSA 159:6, I(a).

Required to renew:

• Renewal application on the state form. RSA 159:6, I(b) directs the Director of State Police to prepare the application form, and it "shall require no more information than was required on the state of New Hampshire application for pistol/revolver license, form DSSP 85, as revised in December 2009." The statute also provides that "no other forms shall be used by officials of cities and towns."
• Renewal fee.

No photograph or fingerprint may be required to renew. RSA 159:6, II states: "No photograph or fingerprint shall be required or used as a basis to grant, deny, or renew a license to carry for a resident or nonresident, unless requested by the applicant."

Renewal fee

The renewal fee is the same as the initial license fee set by RSA 159:6, I(b):

• Resident: $10. This fee is for the use of the town or city granting the license.
• Nonresident: $100. This fee is for the use of the state.

Renewal background check

A renewal applicant must still not be prohibited from possessing a firearm. RSA 159:6, I(a) conditions issuance on the applicant not being "prohibited by New Hampshire or federal statute from possessing a firearm," and this applies to renewals as well as first-time applications.

A licensee who, since the original issue, has become a prohibited person under state or federal law may be denied renewal. Common federal disqualifiers under 18 U.S.C. 922(g) include a felony conviction, a qualifying domestic-violence misdemeanor conviction, and being subject to certain domestic-violence protective orders. The prior license does not insulate the holder against a new disqualifier. If the issuing authority denies renewal, RSA 159:6, I(b) requires that "the reason for such denial shall be stated in writing," with the original delivered to the applicant and a copy kept on file.

Issuance deadline

The 14-day statutory issuance window of RSA 159:6, I(b) applies to renewal as well as to a first application. The statute provides that "the license shall be issued within 14 days after application." A complete renewal application starts that 14-day clock.

Lapse and re-application

A license that expires without timely renewal does not automatically continue. The holder must submit an application, processed under the same RSA 159:6 procedure as any other application.

Because New Hampshire is a constitutional-carry state under RSA 159:6, III, a lapse does not affect the holder's right to carry inside New Hampshire. RSA 159:6, III provides that the availability of a license "shall not be construed to impose a prohibition on the unlicensed transport or carry of a firearm in a vehicle, or on or about one's person, whether openly or concealed, loaded or unloaded," by any person not otherwise prohibited from possessing a firearm in the state. A lapse affects only the benefits that depend on holding a current license:

• Out-of-state recognition. Under RSA 159:6-d, the Director of the Division of State Police negotiates reciprocal agreements so that other jurisdictions recognize the validity of the New Hampshire license issued under RSA 159:6. That recognition runs to a current license, not a lapsed one. (RSA 159:6-d is outbound only. It directs the director to seek recognition of the New Hampshire license in other states. It does not control whether New Hampshire recognizes an out-of-state license, because New Hampshire allows carry by any non-prohibited person under RSA 159:6, III regardless of any license.)
• The federal NICS purchase exemption under 18 U.S.C. 922(t)(3). That exemption applies only to a state permit that allows the holder to possess or acquire a firearm, that "was issued not more than 5 years earlier" by the state where the transfer takes place, and that the state issues only after an authorized official verified the holder is not prohibited. A lapsed New Hampshire license no longer qualifies.
• The federal Gun-Free School Zones Act license carve-out under 18 U.S.C. 922(q)(2)(B)(ii). That carve-out applies only when the individual "is licensed to do so by the State in which the school zone is located" and the state verifies the holder's qualification before issuing the license. A lapsed license does not meet that condition.

A holder with a lapsed license is still a constitutional carrier inside New Hampshire. The holder loses only the out-of-state recognition and the federal benefits above until the license is renewed or reissued.

Address change during the license term

A move within New Hampshire does not invalidate the license. RSA 159:6-b, II provides that when the licensee "ceases to be a resident of the community in which the license was issued he shall notify in writing the issuing authority at his new place of residence that he has a current license," and that "such license shall remain in effect until it expires pursuant to RSA 159:6." The license stays valid for its full term, and the new locality's issuing authority handles the next renewal.

A move out of New Hampshire likewise does not invalidate the license during its term. On renewal, the former resident applies as a nonresident, paying the $100 nonresident fee under RSA 159:6, I(b) and applying to the Director of State Police under RSA 159:6, I(a).

Change of name during the license term

Notify the issuing authority of any legal name change so the records match. RSA 159:6 sets the 5-year minimum term running from the date of issue, and updating the name on a current license does not reset that term.

Lost or stolen license

Notify the issuing authority promptly if the license is lost or stolen. Practices for issuing a replacement vary by jurisdiction. The 5-year minimum term continues to run from the original date of issue and is not reset by a replacement.

Suspension or revocation

Separate from renewal, a current license can be suspended or revoked. RSA 159:6-b, I allows the issuing authority to suspend or revoke a license "for just cause," provided written notice of the action and the reason is given to the licensee. The licensee is entitled to a hearing on the suspension or revocation if a hearing is requested to the issuing authority within 7 days of the action.

Denial of renewal and appeal

If renewal is denied, RSA 159:6, I(b) requires the issuing authority to state the reason in writing. The applicant may appeal under RSA 159:6-c. That statute allows a person whose license application was denied under RSA 159:6, or whose license was suspended or revoked under RSA 159:6-b, to petition the district or municipal court where the person resides within 30 days. The court must hold a hearing within 14 days of receiving the petition. At the hearing, the burden is on the issuing authority "to demonstrate by clear and convincing proof why any denial, suspension, or revocation was justified," failing which the court orders the license granted or reinstated. The court must issue its decision no later than 14 days after the hearing.

Practical reminders

• Calendar the renewal date well in advance. The renewal window is tied to the month of the licensee's birthday at the 5-year mark, which is easy to miss.
• Bring the completed renewal application to the appointment to help the issuing authority act within the 14-day window.
• For out-of-state use, verify current recognition at the destination state before traveling. Reciprocal recognition under RSA 159:6-d depends on agreements that the destination state can change.

Constitutional carry continues

Even if the license lapses, New Hampshire constitutional carry continues for any non-prohibited person under RSA 159:6, III. The license is for benefits outside New Hampshire and at the federal firearms dealer counter. It is not required for carry inside New Hampshire.

New Hampshire Prohibited Places for Firearms

Why this matters

New Hampshire is a constitutional-carry state under RSA 159:6, III. The optional pistol/revolver license is not required to carry a loaded or unloaded firearm, openly or concealed, by any resident, nonresident, or alien who is not otherwise prohibited by statute from possessing a firearm. Constitutional carry does not override the small number of locations where carry is prohibited by state law, federal law, or the property owner's choice. Carrying into a prohibited place is unlawful even for an adult who is otherwise free to carry anywhere else in the state.

One point worth clearing up: RSA 159:6-d (the reciprocity statute) runs in one direction only. It directs the director of the division of state police to negotiate agreements so that the NH license is recognized in OTHER jurisdictions. It does not make New Hampshire honor incoming out-of-state licenses. New Hampshire does not need to, because the state allows carry by any non-prohibited adult regardless of license under RSA 159:6, III.

State-law prohibited places

Courthouses and courtrooms

RSA 159:19 prohibits any person from knowingly carrying a pistol, revolver, firearm, or any other deadly weapon (as defined in RSA 625:11, V) in a courtroom or area used by a court. The ban covers the weapon whether it is loaded or unloaded, open or concealed, and whether the carrier is licensed or unlicensed. A violation is a class B felony, not a misdemeanor.

The statute defines "area used by a court" broadly. In a building used exclusively as a court, it covers the entire building except the area between the entrance and the security checkpoint. In a mixed-use building, it covers courtrooms, jury assembly and deliberation rooms, conference and interview rooms, judges' chambers, court staff facilities, holding facilities, and the corridors, stairways, waiting areas, and elevators connecting them.

There are limited exemptions in RSA 159:19, IV for law enforcement officers, bailiffs, court security officers, and persons authorized by the court to introduce a weapon into evidence. The statute also gives a posting-based affirmative defense: it is a defense that no notice of the ban was posted conspicuously at each public entrance to the court building.

Practical points:

• Courthouse security personnel may secure firearms at the entrance under RSA 159:19, II.
• Most NH courthouses have visible signage, lockers at the entrance, or security checkpoints with metal detectors.
• The NH Judicial Branch (https://www.courts.nh.gov) maintains a uniform policy on firearms at court facilities.
• A separate court order can independently require a specific person to surrender firearms. See the restraining-orders section below.

Schools

State law does not impose a flat firearms ban on all school grounds in the same blanket form used by some other states. The dominant restriction at K-12 schools is federal: the Gun-Free School Zones Act, 18 U.S.C. 922(q).

The federal GFSZA makes it unlawful to knowingly possess a firearm in a school zone, which is a K-12 school and the area within 1,000 feet of it. The statute contains an exception at 18 U.S.C. 922(q)(2)(B)(ii): the ban does not apply to a person licensed to carry by the State in which the school zone is located (or a political subdivision of that State), where state or local law requires that, before the license is issued, law enforcement authorities verify that the individual is qualified under law to receive the license. The NH pistol/revolver license is issued only after that kind of verification, so a NH license holder falls within this exception inside New Hampshire. The exception lets a licensee carry within the 1,000-foot federal zone in New Hampshire, but it does not authorize carry while actually on school property.

A constitutional carrier who has NOT obtained the optional NH license does not get the 18 U.S.C. 922(q)(2)(B)(ii) carve-out, because that exception is tied to holding a qualifying state-issued license. This is one of the few practical reasons a NH resident may choose to obtain the otherwise-optional license: it squares possession within the federal 1,000-foot school zone.

The GFSZA also has its own built-in exceptions, including possession on private property that is not part of school grounds, and possession of an unloaded firearm in a locked container or locked firearms rack on a motor vehicle (18 U.S.C. 922(q)(2)(B)).

Universities, colleges, and private schools may set their own firearms policies. Carry on those grounds is governed by the institution's rules, and once a person is told to leave and refuses, by RSA 635:2 criminal trespass.

Other state-law-restricted locations

• Polling places. New Hampshire has no statute that bans carrying a firearm at a polling place. The polling-place statute that is sometimes cited, RSA 659:43, regulates electioneering (campaign materials and electioneering distance from the polls), not weapons or voter intimidation, and a violation of it is a "violation" with a civil penalty, not a crime. Note that some polling locations sit inside schools or other facilities that carry their own restrictions.
• Mental health treatment facilities. Carrying into a designated mental-health treatment facility (RSA chapter 135-C facilities) is controlled by the facility's own policy, and by criminal trespass under RSA 635:2 once a request to leave is made.
• Correctional facilities. Carrying onto the grounds, lands, or parking areas of a state correctional facility without authorization is criminal trespass under RSA 635:2, III(b)(4). Bringing contraband, including weapons, into a jail or prison is separately restricted by Department of Corrections rules and related criminal statutes. Confirm the specific facility's rules before approaching with a firearm.

Federal-law prohibited places (apply nationwide; NH is no exception)

• Federal facilities. 18 U.S.C. 930 makes it a federal crime to knowingly possess a firearm or other dangerous weapon in a federal facility (a building, or part of one, owned or leased by the federal government where federal employees regularly work). The base offense carries up to 1 year. A federal court facility is treated separately under 18 U.S.C. 930(e) and carries up to 2 years. Federal courthouses, federal office buildings, Social Security offices, and similar federal buildings fall under this section. Conviction generally requires conspicuous posting at each public entrance unless the person had actual notice.
• Post offices and their parking lots. 39 C.F.R. 232.1(l). The US Postal Service regulation prohibits firearms in postal facilities, and as written it includes the parking lots. Federal courts have split on whether the regulation validly reaches the parking lot, but the safe assumption is that it does.
• Secured areas of airports and aircraft. 49 U.S.C. 46505. It is a federal crime to have a concealed dangerous weapon that would be accessible in flight when on, or attempting to board, an aircraft, which is what makes carrying a firearm through a TSA screening checkpoint criminal. Carrying in the public, pre-security landside area (ticket counter, baggage claim) is generally not prohibited by this statute, though it may be restricted by airport-authority rule.
• National Parks. 36 C.F.R. 2.4. Possession of a firearm in a national park unit is allowed to the extent state law where the park sits allows it, so New Hampshire's rules apply inside a unit such as Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park. Carrying into a federal building inside the park, such as a visitor center or ranger station, is still prohibited under 18 U.S.C. 930.
• Indian reservations. Tribal law controls. New Hampshire has no tribal lands, but the rule is worth knowing for travel.

Private property

A private property owner may prohibit firearms on the premises. New Hampshire does not have a separate criminal-trespass-by-weapon statute like some other states. The relevant offense is general criminal trespass under RSA 635:2 once the carrier has been told to leave by the owner or another authorized person and refuses, or once the carrier enters secured (posted or enclosed) premises knowing they are not licensed or privileged to do so.

Practical points:

• Under RSA 635:2, a person who knowingly enters or remains in a place in defiance of a personally communicated order to leave or not to enter commits a misdemeanor. Posting can also create "secured premises," entry into which is a misdemeanor. Most other criminal trespass is a violation.
• A no-firearms sign by itself does not always turn a first entry into a crime under NH law, but the property owner may still order the person to leave, and remaining after that order is criminal trespass.
• Landlords may prohibit firearms in common areas of multi-unit buildings by lease term. Tenants generally retain rights inside their own unit.
• Workplaces may prohibit firearms on employer premises by policy. A violation is generally an employment matter unless it crosses into criminal trespass.

Restraining orders and protective orders

A specific person can be barred from possessing firearms by a court order even where the location itself is not a prohibited place.

• Divorce-related restraining orders under RSA 458:16. In a divorce, annulment, or legal separation, the superior court may issue temporary or permanent orders with conditions the court deems just, including orders restraining a party from contact or from entering certain places. Violating such an order by committing assault, criminal trespass, criminal mischief, stalking, or another criminal act is a misdemeanor under RSA 458:16, III, and a peace officer shall arrest the violator.
• Domestic-violence protective orders under RSA chapter 173-B may include firearm-relinquishment provisions directed at the person subject to the order.
• Federal law independently bars possession. 18 U.S.C. 922(g)(8) prohibits firearm possession by a person who is subject to a qualifying court order that restrains them from harassing, stalking, or threatening an intimate partner or child, where the order meets the statute's hearing and findings requirements.

Federal NFA items

Possession of National Firearms Act items (machine guns, short-barreled rifles, short-barreled shotguns, suppressors, destructive devices, and "any other weapons") is governed by the NFA, 26 U.S.C. 5841 and following, with implementing regulations in 27 C.F.R. Part 479. Each NFA firearm must be registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record under 26 U.S.C. 5841.

The federal tax tied to NFA firearms changed effective for calendar quarters beginning more than 90 days after July 4, 2025, under Pub. L. 119-21. As amended:

• The transfer tax under 26 U.S.C. 5811 is $200 for each machine gun or destructive device transferred, and $0 for any other NFA firearm.
• The making tax under 26 U.S.C. 5821 is $200 for each machine gun or destructive device made, and $0 for any other NFA firearm.

New Hampshire does not add its own state-level restrictions on lawfully registered NFA items, but the federal prohibited-place rules above still apply to them.

A note on mailing handguns

Pistols, revolvers, and other firearms capable of being concealed on the person are nonmailable through the US Postal Service under 18 U.S.C. 1715, with narrow exceptions for certain officials and licensed dealers or manufacturers. This statute reaches concealable handguns specifically, not ordinary long guns, which may be mailed subject to USPS rules.

Summary

The list of state-law prohibited places in New Hampshire is short: courthouses and areas used by a court (RSA 159:19, a class B felony), school property and the federal school zone (18 U.S.C. 922(q)), and posted or declared private property (enforced through RSA 635:2 criminal trespass). The larger share of the restriction set comes from federal law: federal facilities and federal court facilities (18 U.S.C. 930), post offices and their lots (39 C.F.R. 232.1(l)), and secured airport areas and aircraft (49 U.S.C. 46505). A person can also be individually barred from possession by a court order under RSA 458:16, RSA chapter 173-B, or 18 U.S.C. 922(g)(8).

New Hampshire Vehicle Carry

The rule

A non-prohibited adult may carry a loaded pistol or revolver in a vehicle in New Hampshire without a license. RSA 159:6, III expressly states that the availability of a license does not impose a prohibition on "the unlicensed transport or carry of a firearm in a vehicle." This is the same constitutional-carry framework that applies to on-the-person carry. No license is required for any non-prohibited adult, whether the firearm is on the person or anywhere in the vehicle.

Statutory text

RSA 159:6, III: "The availability of a license to carry a loaded pistol or revolver under this section or under any other provision of law shall not be construed to impose a prohibition on the unlicensed transport or carry of a firearm in a vehicle, or on or about one's person, whether openly or concealed, loaded or unloaded, by a resident, nonresident, or alien if that individual is not otherwise prohibited by statute from possessing a firearm in the state of New Hampshire."

The 2017 change

Before SB 12 (2017), New Hampshire required a license to carry a loaded pistol or revolver that was concealed, and case law and practice treated the interior of a vehicle as an extension of the person for that purpose. So carrying a loaded, concealed pistol in a vehicle without a license could be charged as unlicensed carry. SB 12 removed that restriction. As part of that 2017 act, the former RSA 159:4 (the unlicensed-carry offense) was repealed by 2017, 1:3, effective February 22, 2017, and the same act added the constitutional-carry language now found in RSA 159:6, III. Today an otherwise-qualified adult may have a loaded pistol in any part of the vehicle, including the glove box, the console, on the seat, in a holster on the person, or anywhere else.

Storage in the vehicle, no state requirement

New Hampshire imposes no state requirement that a pistol in a vehicle be unloaded, encased, or stored in any particular manner. The carrier may simply have the pistol on the seat, in a holster, in a console, or in the glove box.

Long guns in a vehicle

Long guns (rifles and shotguns) have always been lawful to transport in a vehicle in New Hampshire for non-prohibited adults. There is no general state-law requirement to unload or encase long guns during transport in a vehicle.

There is one important context-specific rule from the Fish and Game code. Under RSA 207:7, II, no person shall have or carry, in or on a motor vehicle, OHRV, snowmobile, or aircraft, "when moving," a cocked crossbow, a loaded rifle or loaded shotgun, muzzleloader, or air rifle. Read the qualifier carefully:

• The prohibition applies only "when moving." The statute does not reach a loaded long gun in a parked or stationary vehicle.
• It covers a motor vehicle, OHRV, snowmobile, or aircraft. It is not phrased as an "on or off road" rule.
• It is a year-round prohibition tied to hunting from a conveyance, not a rule limited to a defined hunting season.
• There is a narrow exception for a person, or the person's agent, who is in the act of protecting their interest in livestock or crops. Except when crossing or traveling on a public way, such a person may carry a loaded rifle, shotgun, muzzleloader, or air rifle while traveling through or between farming or agricultural areas in the course of protecting livestock or crops.
• RSA 207:7 does not apply to law enforcement officers carrying firearms in the line of duty.

A separate provision, RSA 207:7, III, prohibits the same loaded long guns and cocked crossbows in or on a boat or other craft while it is being propelled by mechanical power (or being towed by such a craft).

Outside the moving-conveyance situations covered by RSA 207:7, a loaded long gun in a vehicle is lawful for a non-prohibited adult under New Hampshire law.

Federal vehicle issues

FOPA, the Firearm Owners Protection Act safe harbor

For interstate travel, 18 U.S.C. Section 926A (the FOPA peaceable-journey provision) provides a federal safe harbor. It entitles a person who is not otherwise prohibited from transporting a firearm to transport that firearm for any lawful purpose from any place where the person may lawfully possess and carry it to any other such place. The protection applies only if, during the transportation, the firearm is unloaded, and neither the firearm nor any ammunition is readily accessible or directly accessible from the passenger compartment of the vehicle. The statute adds that in a vehicle without a compartment separate from the driver's compartment, the firearm or ammunition must be in a locked container other than the glove compartment or console.

FOPA matters for travel across state lines through a state where carry would otherwise be prohibited. For intra-NH travel, RSA 159:6, III controls and FOPA is not the constraint.

Federal buildings

If a firearm is brought into a federal building, 18 U.S.C. Section 930 governs. Section 930(a) makes it an offense to knowingly possess a firearm or other dangerous weapon in a "Federal facility." Section 930(g)(1) defines a Federal facility as "a building or part thereof owned or leased by the Federal Government, where Federal employees are regularly present for the purpose of performing their official duties." By its terms the statutory definition reaches the building or part of a building, not surrounding open areas. Section 930(h) requires that notice of the prohibition be posted at each public entrance, and a person generally cannot be convicted unless notice was posted or the person had actual notice. Federal courthouse facilities are covered separately and more strictly under Section 930(e).

Because Section 930 turns on entering the covered building, plan to secure a firearm in the vehicle before approaching a posted federal building rather than carrying it inside.

USPS post office property

USPS post office buildings and their parking lots are restricted under 39 C.F.R. 232.1(l), a Postal Service regulation rather than a provision of RSA 159 or Title 18. Courts have disagreed about how the regulation applies to a firearm secured in a privately owned vehicle in a postal parking lot, so the conservative approach is to keep firearms off USPS property, including the lot.

Airports

Driving with a firearm in a vehicle to an airport is lawful. The restriction attaches at the screening checkpoint and on the aircraft, not on the access road or in the parking area. Under 49 U.S.C. Section 46505 (Carrying a weapon or explosive on an aircraft), it is a federal crime to have a concealed dangerous weapon that is or would be accessible in flight when on, or attempting to get on, an aircraft, or to place or attempt to place a loaded firearm on an aircraft in property not accessible to passengers in flight. Firearms transported in checked baggage must follow 49 C.F.R. 1540.111 and TSA rules: unloaded, in a locked hard-sided case, and declared to the air carrier at check-in. (Note that 18 U.S.C. Section 924 is the general penalties section for federal firearms offenses and is not itself the airport prohibition.)

Mailing handguns

Carrying a handgun in a vehicle to a post office to mail it is not a workaround. Under 18 U.S.C. Section 1715, pistols, revolvers, and other firearms capable of being concealed on the person are nonmailable and may not be deposited in or carried by the U.S. mail, with narrow exceptions for specified officials and for licensed manufacturers and dealers. By its terms this provision reaches concealable handguns, not long guns. Knowingly depositing a nonmailable handgun for mailing is punishable by a fine or imprisonment of up to two years.

Disclosure during a traffic stop

There is no statutory duty to inform a peace officer that a firearm is in the vehicle during a traffic stop. See DUTY_TO_INFORM. Practitioners commonly recommend voluntary disclosure if the officer makes contact and asks, but New Hampshire does not legally require it.

Practical recommendations (not legal requirements)

• Keep the pistol in a retention holster if it is carried on the person while seated. Drawing for a self-defense incident is harder seated, and a quality holster preserves access while reducing the chance of an accidental discharge.
• For longer trips with the firearm not on the person, a vehicle safe (under seat, console, or trunk) reduces theft exposure. New Hampshire has no state-law requirement to use one.
• Mind the federal interstate-travel rules under 18 U.S.C. Section 926A if you are driving through states with more restrictive carry laws.
• For long-gun transport in a moving motor vehicle, OHRV, snowmobile, or aircraft, comply with RSA 207:7 by keeping rifles and shotguns unloaded and crossbows uncocked while the conveyance is moving.

Police-citizen interaction summary

A loaded pistol on the seat, in the glove box, or in a holster on the driver is lawful in New Hampshire. The driver is not required to volunteer the information. If asked, the driver may answer truthfully. The officer may, as part of officer-safety protocol, ask to temporarily secure the firearm during the stop. That is a discretionary stop encounter that the driver may decline (with attendant friction) or accept.

New Hampshire Firearm Transportation

New Hampshire is a constitutional-carry state. The state imposes almost no transport-specific restriction on firearms. The rules that matter for most people on the road, in the air, or shipping a gun are federal, plus one state hunting-vehicle rule that is broader than many people assume. This section walks through each context and grounds every limit in the controlling statute.

In-state transport

A non-prohibited adult may transport a loaded or unloaded pistol or revolver anywhere in New Hampshire by any conveyance, including a vehicle, motorcycle, bicycle, or on foot, without any state-law license, fee, or specific storage requirement. RSA 159:6, III is the controlling provision. It states that the availability of a license to carry "shall not be construed to impose a prohibition on the unlicensed transport or carry of a firearm in a vehicle, or on or about one's person, whether openly or concealed, loaded or unloaded, by a resident, nonresident, or alien if that individual is not otherwise prohibited by statute from possessing a firearm in the state of New Hampshire."

There is no general state-law transport restriction on long guns when you are not hunting and not in a vehicle. The one state rule that does reach long guns in vehicles is the loaded-long-gun-in-a-moving-conveyance rule in RSA 207:7, II, covered next. It is not limited to hunting.

Loaded long guns in a moving vehicle (RSA 207:7, II)

RSA 207:7, II is broader than a hunting-only rule. It provides that "No person shall have or carry, in or on a motor vehicle, OHRV, snowmobile, or aircraft, when moving, a cocked crossbow, a loaded rifle or loaded shotgun, muzzleloader, or air rifle," with a narrow exception only for "a person or a person's agent while in the act of protecting his or her interest in their livestock or crops." A second sentence lets that same agricultural person carry a loaded long gun while traveling through or between farming or agricultural areas to protect livestock or crops, except when crossing or traveling on a public way.

In practical terms: do not carry a loaded rifle, shotgun, muzzleloader, or air rifle (or a cocked crossbow) in or on a moving motor vehicle, OHRV, snowmobile, or aircraft in New Hampshire, whether or not you are hunting. Unload the long gun before the vehicle moves. The statute exempts law enforcement officers carrying in the line of duty (RSA 207:7, IV). RSA 207:7, III applies a parallel rule to boats and other mechanically propelled craft. Note that this rule reaches long guns, not pistols and revolvers, which are governed by RSA 159:6, III.

Interstate transport: federal FOPA

When you cross state lines, the federal Firearm Owners Protection Act safe harbor at 18 U.S.C. 926A applies. The statute provides that any person not otherwise prohibited from transporting, shipping, or receiving a firearm is entitled to transport a firearm for any lawful purpose from a place where he may lawfully possess and carry it to any other place where he may lawfully possess and carry it, if during the transportation:

• The firearm is unloaded, and
• Neither the firearm nor any ammunition being transported is readily accessible or directly accessible from the passenger compartment of the transporting vehicle.

The statute adds a proviso: in a vehicle without a compartment separate from the driver's compartment, the firearm or ammunition must be in a locked container other than the glove compartment or console.

26A shields the traveler from prosecution under a more restrictive state or local law, but only while the firearm is in transit between two places where the person may lawfully possess it. The protection is fact-specific. Courts in some states (New Jersey and New York are the common examples) have read the in-transit requirement narrowly, so stopping for an extended stay can put a traveler outside the safe harbor. Plan the route so the firearm stays unloaded and inaccessible the entire way through any state where you could not otherwise carry it.

Practical FOPA application for NH residents

Common scenarios:

• NH to ME: both are constitutional-carry states, so 926A is rarely needed. A non-prohibited adult may simply transport.
• NH to MA en route elsewhere: carrying in Massachusetts without a Massachusetts license is a crime under M.G.L. c. 269, Section 10. Transit Massachusetts in 926A-compliant condition (unloaded, ammunition separate, firearm not accessible from the passenger compartment, locked container if there is no separate trunk).
• NH to NY: New York does not recognize a New Hampshire license. 926A covers genuine through-travel. Stopping in New York for an overnight or an extended visit can lose the safe harbor.
• NH to FL by car: a long route crosses several restrictive states. Some states honor a New Hampshire-related permit through reciprocity; for the rest, 926A in-transit storage is the protection. Keep the firearm unloaded and inaccessible across every restrictive state on the route.

Air travel

TSA rules at 49 C.F.R. 1540.111 and airline-security rules at 49 C.F.R. 1544.105 govern firearms in airline baggage:

• The firearm must be unloaded.
• The firearm must be in a locked, hard-sided container.
• Only the passenger may retain the key or combination.
• The firearm must travel in checked baggage, never in carry-on.
• The passenger must declare the firearm to the airline at the ticket counter at check-in.
• Ammunition must be separate from the firearm, in the original manufacturer packaging or a fiber, wood, metal, or other secure container designed for ammunition. Airlines may set quantity limits.

Carrying a firearm or other concealed dangerous weapon into the secured (post-screening) area of an airport, or onto an aircraft, is a federal crime under 49 U.S.C. 46505. That statute makes it an offense, punishable by a fine and up to 10 years imprisonment, for an individual who, when on or attempting to board an aircraft, "has on or about the individual or the property of the individual a concealed dangerous weapon that is or would be accessible to the individual in flight," or who places or attempts to place a loaded firearm on the aircraft in property not accessible to passengers in flight. An accidental violation (a forgotten pistol in a carry-on bag) can also draw a TSA civil penalty under 49 C.F.R. part 1540, in addition to the criminal exposure. Properly declared, unloaded, locked, checked firearms are not a 46505 violation, because they are not concealed or accessible in flight.

Rail and bus travel

• Amtrak permits checked-baggage transport of unloaded firearms in a locked, hard-sided container with advance notice; confirm Amtrak's current notice window and station eligibility before you travel.
• Long-distance bus carriers (for example, Greyhound, and Concord Coach in New Hampshire) generally prohibit firearms. Check the specific carrier's policy.
• Local public transit operators in New Hampshire set their own rules. Check the operator's policy before carrying.

Federal conservation areas and parks

• National parks: federal law leaves firearm possession in a national park to the law of the state where the park sits, so New Hampshire rules apply inside park boundaries (for example, Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park and Appalachian Trail crossings). Carrying into a federal building inside the park, such as a visitor center or ranger station, is still prohibited under 18 U.S.C. 930, which makes it an offense to knowingly possess a firearm or other dangerous weapon in a federal facility.
• National forests (White Mountain National Forest): both federal and state law apply. Self-defense carry consistent with state law is generally permitted; hunting requires a valid New Hampshire license under RSA 214:1, which makes it unlawful to hunt without first procuring a proper license.
• Army Corps of Engineers land: Corps rules historically restricted firearm possession on Corps-managed land. Following federal court rulings, Corps practice has moved toward allowing carry consistent with state law. Confirm the current posting at the specific Corps site.

Shipping

Federal law governs shipping. The starting points are 18 U.S.C. 922 and 18 U.S.C. 1715:

• 18 U.S.C. 1715 makes "pistols, revolvers, and other firearms capable of being concealed on the person" nonmailable through the U.S. mail, with narrow exceptions for certain officials and for shipments to or between licensed firearms manufacturers and dealers. By its terms, 1715 reaches concealable handguns only. It does not list or prohibit the mailing of rifles or shotguns. As a result, a non-licensee generally cannot mail a handgun through USPS, but USPS does allow a non-licensee to mail a long gun under USPS regulations.
• 18 U.S.C. 922(a) restricts who may ship or transport firearms in interstate commerce. A non-licensee generally may not ship a firearm across state lines to another non-licensee; an interstate transfer to a person in another state must go through a federally licensed dealer (an FFL). Private carriers (UPS and FedEx) require handgun shipments to move FFL-to-FFL and have their own packaging and account rules.
• An individual may mail or ship a firearm to an FFL (for example, for repair) consistent with 18 U.S.C. 922(a)(2) and carrier rules; the FFL can return it.
• New Hampshire has no separate state shipping restriction layered on top of these federal rules.

Always confirm the current carrier policy, because UPS, FedEx, and USPS each impose requirements that are stricter than the bare federal minimum.

On foot, in a backpack, in a holster

A non-prohibited adult walking with a firearm on the person (holstered, slung, or in a backpack) is engaged in lawful carry under RSA 159:6, III. The firearm need not be unloaded or encased when carried on foot. The prohibited-place rules still apply, including no carry in a courtroom or area used by a court (RSA 159:19), no carry in a federal facility (18 U.S.C. 930), school grounds, and posted private property.

OHRV and snowmobile

• A loaded rifle, loaded shotgun, muzzleloader, or air rifle (or a cocked crossbow) in or on a moving OHRV or snowmobile is prohibited by RSA 207:7, II, whether or not you are hunting, subject to the narrow livestock/crop-protection exception.
• Outside the loaded-long-gun rule, a non-prohibited adult may otherwise transport a firearm on an OHRV or snowmobile in the same way as in a motor vehicle. Pistols and revolvers are governed by RSA 159:6, III, not RSA 207:7.

Returning to NH from out of state

A New Hampshire resident returning home from a more restrictive state should keep the firearm in 926A-compliant condition (unloaded and inaccessible) while transiting that state and any restrictive state in between. Once inside New Hampshire, RSA 159:6, III governs, and a non-prohibited adult may load and re-holster a pistol or revolver. Remember the in-vehicle long-gun rule: a loaded long gun in a moving vehicle remains prohibited in New Hampshire under RSA 207:7, II.

Courthouse note

Carrying a loaded or unloaded pistol, revolver, firearm, or other deadly weapon, whether open or concealed and whether licensed or unlicensed, in a courtroom or area used by a court is a class B felony under RSA 159:19, I. This is one of the few hard state-law carry prohibitions, and it applies regardless of New Hampshire's general constitutional-carry rule. Firearms may be secured at the courthouse entrance by court security personnel.

Summary

New Hampshire places almost no state-law restriction on transporting firearms within the state. The main state rule to remember is RSA 207:7, II: no loaded long gun (or cocked crossbow) in a moving motor vehicle, OHRV, snowmobile, or aircraft, hunting or not. Federal law controls the rest of the high-risk contexts: 18 U.S.C. 926A for interstate transit, 49 U.S.C. 46505 and the TSA rules for air travel, 18 U.S.C. 922 and 1715 for shipping, and 18 U.S.C. 930 for federal facilities. Common practice is to keep unattended firearms in a locked vehicle safe and to use a retention holster for on-person carry.

New Hampshire Firearm Storage

The rule in one sentence

New Hampshire imposes NO mandatory state-law storage requirement on firearms in the home, in a vehicle, or at a place of business for adults. There is no NH "safe storage" criminal statute analogous to those of MA, NY, or CA.

What the law does NOT require

• No mandatory lock on firearms in the home.
• No mandatory gun safe.
• No mandatory storage of firearms separate from ammunition.
• No mandatory unloaded storage.
• No mandatory child-access prevention storage device for the home.
• No mandatory storage rules for firearms in a vehicle.
• No state inspection or registration of stored firearms.

Child access prevention: federal and state context

NH does not have a Child Access Prevention statute that imposes criminal liability on a parent or guardian for negligent storage that lets a minor access a firearm. Some states impose felony-level liability on a parent or guardian who fails to secure firearms. NH does not.

NH does have RSA 639:3 (Endangering Welfare of Child or Incompetent). Under RSA 639:3, I, a person is guilty of endangering the welfare of a child if he knowingly endangers the welfare of a child under 18 years of age by purposely violating a duty of care, protection, or support he owes to the child, or by inducing the child to engage in conduct that endangers the child's health or safety. Most violations of RSA 639:3 are misdemeanors. The statute elevates the offense to a class B felony only in the narrow circumstance described in RSA 639:3, III (soliciting a child under 16 for certain sexual conduct or imagery), which has nothing to do with firearm storage.

RSA 639:3 does not impose any specific firearm-storage duty. It is a general endangerment statute. A flagrantly unsafe firearm-storage situation, for example leaving a loaded handgun within reach of a young child, could in theory support a charge under RSA 639:3 if the state could prove the person knowingly endangered the child by purposely violating a duty of care. There is no statutory storage standard to comply with, so the analysis is fact-specific and falls back on the general "duty of care, protection or support" language.

Federal 18 U.S.C. 922(z) (the Child Safety Lock Act) requires a federally licensed dealer, importer, or manufacturer to include a secure gun storage or safety device with any handgun transferred to a non-licensee. This is an FFL-side requirement at the point of sale, not a buyer-side storage requirement. The buyer is not required to use the device once they leave the store.

Where to store: common practice

NH carriers commonly use:

• Quick-access pistol safes near the bed or by the entry (digital, biometric, or RFID).
• Larger gun safes for long guns and collection storage.
• Trigger locks or cable locks for transport or temporary secure-storage scenarios.
• Locked drawers, gun cabinets, or dedicated firearm rooms.

None of these is required by NH law. They are recommended for personal safety, theft prevention, and child-access prevention.

Children in the home

NH does not impose a specific duty to store firearms inaccessibly to children. The general endangerment statute (RSA 639:3) could in theory apply to grossly negligent storage that knowingly endangers a child, but it sets no firearm-specific storage standard. Common practice is to:

• Store firearms not currently carried in a locked container.
• Use trigger locks or cable locks on collection pieces.
• Teach children the basic Eddie Eagle / NRA youth safety rules ("If you see a gun: Stop. Don't touch. Run away. Tell a grown-up.").

Vehicle storage

NH imposes no state requirement on how firearms must be stored in a vehicle. A loaded pistol or revolver may be carried or transported in a vehicle, openly or concealed, by any resident, nonresident, or alien who is not otherwise prohibited from possessing a firearm, per RSA 159:6, III. A long gun may be loaded or unloaded, in any location, subject to the hunting-context restriction in RSA 207:7. Under RSA 207:7, II, no person may have or carry a loaded rifle, loaded shotgun, muzzleloader, or air rifle, or a cocked crossbow, in or on a motor vehicle, OHRV, snowmobile, or aircraft when it is moving, with a narrow exception for protecting livestock or crops. This is a fish-and-game hunting rule, not a general storage rule.

Practical recommendations:

• Use a vehicle safe under the seat or in the console for firearms left in the vehicle.
• Conceal the safe from view. Theft is the major risk.
• For longer absences, take the firearm with you or use a high-quality safe bolted to the vehicle structure.
• Federal interstate-travel rules under 18 U.S.C. 926A require the firearm to be unloaded and not readily accessible from the passenger compartment, and in a vehicle without a separate compartment, the firearm or ammunition must be in a locked container other than the glove compartment or console, when transiting between two places where the person may lawfully possess and carry it.

Workplace storage

An employer may set workplace firearms policies and may prohibit firearms inside the workplace itself. New Hampshire's vehicle-storage protection is RSA 159:27 (Stored Firearms in Vehicles), effective January 1, 2025. It applies to any public or private employer that receives public funds from federal, state, or local government, in any form and in any amount. A covered employer may not prohibit an employee who may legally possess a firearm from storing a firearm or ammunition in the employee's own vehicle while the vehicle is parked on the employer's property, so long as the vehicle is locked and the firearm or ammunition is not visible. A covered employer also may not take adverse action against an employee for storing a firearm under the statute, may not require the employee to disclose whether a firearm is stored, and may not search the employee's vehicle for a firearm except by a law enforcement officer acting under a warrant or a recognized exception to the warrant requirement. The statute gives the employer civil-liability protection for harm arising from a stored firearm unless the employer intentionally solicited the injurious act, and it does not authorize carrying a firearm anywhere that carry is otherwise prohibited by law. An employer that receives no public funds is not covered by RSA 159:27 and may set its own vehicle policy.

A NH employee who carries to work over an employer's no-firearms policy faces employment consequences but not, by itself, state-law criminal exposure. Criminal trespass under RSA 635:2 can attach if the employee knowingly enters or remains after being personally told to leave or not to enter by the owner or other authorized person (RSA 635:2, III(b)(2)), or on posted or enclosed "secured premises" (RSA 635:2, III(b)(1) and V).

Federal storage requirements

• 18 U.S.C. 922(z): the FFL must include a secure gun storage or safety device with a transferred handgun. Buyer use is not required.
• 18 U.S.C. 926A: interstate transportation requires the firearm to be unloaded and not readily accessible from the passenger compartment (locked container, not the glove box or console, if there is no separate compartment).
• 49 C.F.R. 1540.111 and TSA rules: airline checked baggage requires an unloaded firearm in a locked hard-sided case, declared at check-in.
• 18 U.S.C. 930: prohibits knowingly possessing a firearm or other dangerous weapon in a federal facility (a building, or part of one, owned or leased by the federal government where federal employees are regularly present), subject to the exceptions in subsection (d). Posting is required for a conviction under subsection (a) unless the person had actual notice.
• 39 C.F.R. 232.1(l): USPS prohibits firearms on postal property, including in parking lots, as the regulation is written.

These federal rules attach when the carrier is in the federal context. They do not impose general NH storage duties.

Storage when a prohibited person is in the home

If anyone in the home is:

• A federally prohibited person under 18 U.S.C. 922(g) (for example a person convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year, a fugitive from justice, an unlawful drug user, a person adjudicated mentally defective, a person subject to a qualifying domestic-violence protective order, or a domestic-violence misdemeanant), or
• Subject to a NH domestic-violence protective order under RSA 173-B with firearm-surrender provisions,

then the firearm owner should store firearms so the prohibited person does not have access. Constructive possession by the prohibited person creates federal criminal exposure for that person, and the owner risks aiding-and-abetting exposure for knowingly providing access.

Practical approach: a locked safe with the combination known only to the lawful owner, located so the prohibited person cannot reach it.

Insurance and civil liability

NH common law imposes ordinary negligence duties on firearm owners. Storage that allows a foreseeable third-party harm (a child accessing a firearm and being injured, or a theft leading to a crime) can support a civil claim. The PLCAA (15 U.S.C. 7901 et seq.) shields firearm manufacturers, distributors, dealers, and importers from civil suits for harm solely caused by the criminal or unlawful misuse of a firearm by a third party. It does not shield an individual owner from a negligence claim.

Storage that meets industry best practices (a locked safe, separate ammunition for long-term storage, an unsecured firearm only when on the person or in immediate ready access) is the practical risk-minimization standard.

Bottom line

NH has no state-mandated storage requirement. Federal law touches storage only in specific contexts (FFL transfer, interstate travel, federal property, airline baggage). Common-sense storage practices, such as a locked safe, child-access prevention, and secure containers in vehicles, are recommended and reduce theft, accident, and civil-liability risk. The absence of a NH state storage mandate does not relieve a carrier of common-law duties of care, and a grossly unsafe situation involving a child could draw a charge under the general endangerment statute, RSA 639:3.

New Hampshire Use of Force in Self-Defense

The framework

New Hampshire's self-defense law is codified in RSA Chapter 627 (Justification). RSA 627:4 governs physical force in defense of a person. RSA 627:7 governs use of force in defense of premises. RSA 627:8 governs use of force in property offenses. RSA 627:9 supplies the definitions (curtilage, deadly force, dwelling, non-deadly force) that the rest of the chapter relies on.

New Hampshire codifies both a castle-style rule for the dwelling and a stand-your-ground rule that removes the duty to retreat anywhere a person has a right to be. There is no general duty to retreat before using deadly force in lawful self-defense if the actor is somewhere they have a right to be and was not the initial aggressor. These rules are limited by the specific bars in RSA 627:4, III, discussed below.

Non-deadly force

RSA 627:4, I: "A person is justified in using non-deadly force upon another person in order to defend himself or a third person from what he reasonably believes to be the imminent use of unlawful, non-deadly force by such other person, and he may use a degree of such force which he reasonably believes to be necessary for such purpose."

That justification is lost under RSA 627:4, I(a)-(c):

• (a) The force is NOT justifiable if, with a purpose to cause physical harm to another person, the actor provoked the use of unlawful, non-deadly force by the other person.
• (b) The force is NOT justifiable if the actor was the initial aggressor, unless after such aggression the actor withdraws from the encounter and effectively communicates the intent to withdraw, but the other person continues the use or threat of unlawful, non-deadly force.
• (c) The force is NOT justifiable when the force involved was the product of combat by agreement not authorized by law.

Deadly force

RSA 627:4, II authorizes deadly force when the actor reasonably believes that the other person:

• (a) Is about to use unlawful, deadly force against the actor or a third person;
• (b) Is likely to use any unlawful force against a person present while committing or attempting to commit a burglary;
• (c) Is committing or about to commit kidnapping or a forcible sex offense; or
• (d) Is likely to use any unlawful force in the commission of a felony against the actor within such actor's dwelling or its curtilage.

The (a) prong is the classic deadly-force-in-response-to-deadly-force rule. The (b)-(d) prongs are broader and reflect New Hampshire's burglary, sexual-assault, and felony-in-the-dwelling rules. Every prong still requires a reasonable belief, judged objectively.

"Deadly force" is defined at RSA 627:9, II as "any assault or confinement which the actor commits with the purpose of causing or which he knows to create a substantial risk of causing death or serious bodily injury." The statute adds that "Purposely firing a firearm capable of causing serious bodily injury or death in the direction of another person or at a vehicle in which another is believed to be constitutes deadly force." Firing toward a person is deadly force whether or not anyone is hit.

The stand-your-ground rule

RSA 627:4, III opens: "A person is not justified in using deadly force on another to defend himself or herself or a third person from deadly force by the other if he or she knows that he or she and the third person can, with complete safety:"

RSA 627:4, III(a) is the no-duty-to-retreat provision: "Retreat from the encounter, except that he or she is not required to retreat if he or she is within his or her dwelling, its curtilage, or anywhere he or she has a right to be, and was not the initial aggressor."

The "anywhere he or she has a right to be" language is the stand-your-ground codification. It was added by 2011, 268:1, effective November 13, 2011, and it removes the duty to retreat that previously applied. Subject to the not-the-initial-aggressor requirement, a New Hampshire defendant who is somewhere they have a right to be need not retreat before responding with deadly force when a RSA 627:4, II condition is met.

The other paragraph III bars on deadly force

RSA 627:4, III is not only about retreat. It lists three more ways a person can avoid deadly force "with complete safety," and if one of them is available the deadly force is not justified:

• (b) Surrender property to a person asserting a claim of right to it. You cannot use deadly force to keep disputed property when you could safely hand it over.
• (c) Comply with a demand that you abstain from performing an act you are not obliged to perform. The same subsection contains a separate bar: deadly force is not justifiable when, with the purpose of causing death or serious bodily harm, the person has provoked the use of force against himself or herself in the same encounter.
• (d) A law enforcement officer, or a private person assisting an officer at the officer's direction and acting pursuant to RSA 627:5, need not retreat.

For an armed civilian, III(b) and III(c) matter in practice. If a safe alternative to deadly force exists (surrendering property to someone claiming it, or simply complying with a demand you have no legal duty to resist), deadly force is not justified, and the III(c) provocation bar independently strips the justification from someone who provoked the encounter intending to cause death or serious bodily harm.

The castle rule

RSA 627:4, II(d) authorizes deadly force when the assailant is "likely to use any unlawful force in the commission of a felony against the actor within such actor's dwelling or its curtilage." Inside the dwelling and its curtilage, the felony-prevention threshold is lower than the general II(a) deadly-force-in-response-to-deadly-force standard.

RSA 627:4, III(a) reinforces this by expressly carving out the dwelling and its curtilage from any duty to retreat. After the 2011 stand-your-ground amendment that no-retreat rule already extends anywhere a person has a right to be, so the dwelling carve-out is the strongest case, not the only one.

"Dwelling" is defined at RSA 627:9, III as "any building, structure, vehicle, boat or other place adapted for overnight accommodation of persons, or sections of any place similarly adapted," and "It is immaterial whether a person is actually present." "Curtilage" is defined at RSA 627:9, I as "those outbuildings which are proximately, directly and intimately connected with a dwelling, together with all the land or grounds surrounding the dwelling such as are necessary, convenient, and habitually used for domestic purposes." Whether a detached structure is curtilage turns on how proximately and habitually it is connected to and used with the dwelling.

The brandishing-as-warning safe harbor

RSA 627:4, II-a: "A person who responds to a threat which would be considered by a reasonable person as likely to cause serious bodily injury or death to the person or to another by displaying a firearm or other means of self-defense with the intent to warn away the person making the threat shall not have committed a criminal act."

This provision was added by 2010, 361:1. Displaying a firearm in response to what a reasonable person would consider an imminent threat of serious bodily injury or death, with the intent to warn the threatening person away, is not a criminal act. It shields a carrier from charges such as criminal threatening when the display is a defensive warning. RSA 627:9, IV reinforces the point at the definitional level: "The act of producing or displaying a weapon shall constitute non-deadly force." Drawing without firing is treated as non-deadly force, not deadly force.

Defense of others

RSA 627:4, I covers defense of "a third person" on the same terms as defense of self. The actor must reasonably believe the third person faces the imminent use of unlawful force.

For deadly force in defense of others, the RSA 627:4, II conditions apply: the actor reasonably believes the other person is about to use unlawful deadly force against the third person, is likely to use any unlawful force against a person present during a burglary, is committing or about to commit kidnapping or a forcible sex offense, or is likely to use any unlawful force in the commission of a felony against the actor within the actor's dwelling or its curtilage. The paragraph III bars, including the duty to retreat where it applies, are measured against what the actor knows about both the actor's own safety and the third person's safety.

Defense of premises

RSA 627:7 governs defense of premises: "A person in possession or control of premises or a person who is licensed or privileged to be thereon is justified in using non-deadly force upon another when and to the extent that he reasonably believes it necessary to prevent or terminate the commission of a criminal trespass by such other in or upon such premises, but he may use deadly force under such circumstances only in defense of a person as prescribed in RSA 627:4 or when he reasonably believes it necessary to prevent an attempt by the trespasser to commit arson."

Two points follow directly from the text. First, non-deadly force to stop a criminal trespass on premises you possess, control, or are privileged to be on is broadly authorized. Second, deadly force in defense of premises is authorized on only two grounds: (1) in defense of a person, as already governed by RSA 627:4, or (2) when the actor reasonably believes it necessary to prevent an attempt by the trespasser to commit arson. The arson ground is independent. A person does not have to satisfy a RSA 627:4 trigger to use deadly force against a trespasser who is attempting arson. RSA 627:7 is a single paragraph with no subsections and no request-to-desist condition.

Defense of property

RSA 627:8 governs property offenses: "A person is justified in using force upon another when and to the extent that he reasonably believes it necessary to prevent what is or reasonably appears to be an unlawful taking of his property, or criminal mischief, or to retake his property immediately following its taking; but he may use deadly force under such circumstances only in defense of a person as prescribed in RSA 627:4."

Non-deadly force to stop a theft or criminal mischief, or to immediately retake taken property, is authorized. Deadly force to protect property alone is NOT authorized. Deadly force becomes available only when the situation also satisfies RSA 627:4, for example a burglary in which a person is present (627:4, II(b)) or a felony against the actor within the dwelling or curtilage (627:4, II(d)). Property value, by itself, never justifies deadly force.

Initial aggressor and withdrawal

The initial-aggressor doctrine bars a self-defense claim by the person who started the encounter. For non-deadly force, RSA 627:4, I(b) provides the exception: if the initial aggressor withdraws and effectively communicates the intent to withdraw, and the other party continues unlawful force, the justification is restored. This requires both an actual disengagement and a clear communication of it. The stand-your-ground rule in III(a) is likewise conditioned on the actor not being the initial aggressor.

Civil immunity

New Hampshire does not have a freestanding statutory civil-immunity provision for defensive force comparable to those in some other states. A defendant who acted in lawful self-defense under RSA 627:4 may still be sued civilly. The justification doctrine is raised as a defense in that suit, and the outcome of any criminal matter can bear on the civil case. Treat lawful self-defense as a defense to liability, not as an automatic bar to being sued.

Federal overlay

Federal law does not displace New Hampshire self-defense law. The Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, 15 U.S.C. 7901 et seq., limits certain civil lawsuits against firearm manufacturers, distributors, dealers, and importers for harm caused by the criminal or unlawful misuse of firearms by third parties. It is an industry-liability statute. It does not change who may use force, when, or how under state law.

Practical guidance

• Lawful self-defense in New Hampshire requires an objectively reasonable belief of imminent unlawful force. Subjective fear alone is not enough. The test is what a reasonable person would believe in the same circumstances.
• Stand your ground is the rule, so retreat is not legally required where III(a) applies, but RSA 627:4, III also bars deadly force when you could, with complete safety, surrender disputed property (III(b)) or comply with a demand to abstain from an act you are not obliged to perform (III(c)). Know the bars, not just the headline.
• Deadly force to protect property alone is not justified. It becomes available only when the facts also meet a RSA 627:4 deadly-force trigger.
• Drawing a firearm as a defensive warning is treated as non-deadly force (RSA 627:9, IV) and is protected by the warning safe harbor in RSA 627:4, II-a when a reasonable person would view the threat as likely to cause serious bodily injury or death.
• After any defensive use of force, comply with law enforcement, preserve what you remember, note any witnesses, and contact an attorney promptly.

New Hampshire Castle Doctrine and Defense of Premises

Two layers

New Hampshire's "castle" protections operate across the justification statutes in RSA Chapter 627. For a person defending the home, two of them do most of the work:

1. RSA 627:4 (Physical Force in Defense of a Person) governs force used against a person. Its deadly-force triggers in RSA 627:4, II include a burglary-specific rule (II(b)) and a dwelling-specific rule (II(d)), and its no-duty-to-retreat rule (III(a)) is the codified castle rule.

2. RSA 627:7 (Use of Force in Defense of Premises) governs force used to defend the premises themselves against a criminal trespass. It authorizes non-deadly force broadly, but it authorizes deadly force in only two situations: in defense of a person as prescribed in RSA 627:4, or to prevent an attempt by the trespasser to commit arson.

A third statute, RSA 627:8 (Use of Force in Property Offenses), governs force used to protect property and never authorizes deadly force on its own.

Most home-defense scenarios are analyzed under RSA 627:4, because the intruder is using or about to use unlawful force against a person who is present. RSA 627:7 and RSA 627:8 fill in for cases where the threat is to the premises or to property rather than to a person.

RSA 627:4, II - when deadly force against a person is justified

RSA 627:4, II lists the situations in which deadly force against another person is justified. A person is justified in using deadly force when he reasonably believes that the other person:

• (a) Is about to use unlawful, deadly force against the actor or a third person;
• (b) Is likely to use any unlawful force against a person present while committing or attempting to commit a burglary;
• (c) Is committing or about to commit kidnapping or a forcible sex offense; or
• (d) Is likely to use any unlawful force in the commission of a felony against the actor within such actor's dwelling or its curtilage.

Two of these matter most for home defense.

RSA 627:4, II(b) is the burglary rule. If an intruder is committing or attempting to commit a burglary and is likely to use any unlawful force against a person who is present, deadly force is justified. The force the burglar threatens does not have to be deadly force. Any unlawful force against a person present is enough.

RSA 627:4, II(d) is the dwelling rule, and it is the most home-specific of the four. It authorizes deadly force when the actor reasonably believes the other person "is likely to use any unlawful force in the commission of a felony against the actor within such actor's dwelling or its curtilage." Key elements:

• "Dwelling" is the actor's home, including attached structures used as part of the home.
• "Curtilage" is the enclosed grounds and outbuildings immediately surrounding the dwelling and used in connection with home life.
• "Felony" is a felony under New Hampshire law, such as burglary, robbery, or a forcible sex offense.
• "Likely to use any unlawful force" is the standard. The intruder's force does not have to be deadly or even imminent in the strict sense. Any unlawful force in the commission of the felony triggers the rule.
• "Reasonably believes" means the actor's belief must be objectively reasonable, not just subjective fear.

The (d) trigger is broader than the general (a) standard in two ways. First, it does not require that the intruder's force be deadly. Any unlawful force suffices. Second, it is tied to the dwelling and its curtilage rather than to a generalized deadly-force threat.

RSA 627:4, III(a) - no duty to retreat

The duty-to-retreat exception is at RSA 627:4, III(a). The statute says a person is not justified in using deadly force if he or she knows that he or she can, with complete safety, "retreat from the encounter, except that he or she is not required to retreat if he or she is within his or her dwelling, its curtilage, or anywhere he or she has a right to be, and was not the initial aggressor."

Inside the dwelling and its curtilage, the actor has no duty to retreat, even where retreat would be safe. This is the historic castle rule. New Hampshire goes further with broader stand-your-ground language ("or anywhere he or she has a right to be"), but the castle protection inside the home applies on its own terms.

RSA 627:7 - defense of premises

RSA 627:7 is titled "Use of Force in Defense of Premises." It is a single undivided paragraph with no subsections. The full text reads:

"A person in possession or control of premises or a person who is licensed or privileged to be thereon is justified in using non-deadly force upon another when and to the extent that he reasonably believes it necessary to prevent or terminate the commission of a criminal trespass by such other in or upon such premises, but he may use deadly force under such circumstances only in defense of a person as prescribed in RSA 627:4 or when he reasonably believes it necessary to prevent an attempt by the trespasser to commit arson."

Two rules come out of that single sentence:

• Non-deadly force. A person in possession or control of premises may use non-deadly force when and to the extent he reasonably believes it necessary to prevent or terminate a criminal trespass on the premises.
• Deadly force. Under RSA 627:7, deadly force is justified in only two situations. The first is defense of a person as prescribed in RSA 627:4 (so the RSA 627:4, II triggers do the work). The second is to prevent an attempt by the trespasser to commit arson. Arson is the only property-related offense that RSA 627:7 lists as a standalone deadly-force trigger.

This is narrower than many people assume. Burglary, robbery, and theft do not appear in RSA 627:7 as deadly-force triggers. If deadly force is used against a burglar, the justification comes from RSA 627:4, II(b) or II(d), not from RSA 627:7. RSA 627:7 itself adds only arson to the RSA 627:4 baseline, and it contains no request-to-desist or "warning first" requirement.

RSA 627:8 - force in property offenses

RSA 627:8 is titled "Use of Force in Property Offenses." Its full text reads:

"A person is justified in using force upon another when and to the extent that he reasonably believes it necessary to prevent what is or reasonably appears to be an unlawful taking of his property, or criminal mischief, or to retake his property immediately following its taking; but he may use deadly force under such circumstances only in defense of a person as prescribed in RSA 627:4."

So a person may use non-deadly force to stop an unlawful taking of property, to stop criminal mischief, or to retake property immediately after it is taken. Deadly force in a property offense is justified only in defense of a person under RSA 627:4. Deadly force in defense of property alone is never authorized by RSA 627:8.

The bright line for deadly force in New Hampshire is this:

• Defense of a person under RSA 627:4, with one of the RSA 627:4, II triggers (about to use deadly force, burglary with force against a person present, kidnapping or forcible sex offense, or a felony with unlawful force inside the dwelling or curtilage); or
• Defense of premises under RSA 627:7, but only to prevent an attempt by the trespasser to commit arson.

Bare defense of moveable property is not on that list. Both RSA 627:7 and RSA 627:8 route deadly force back to RSA 627:4 except for the single arson trigger in RSA 627:7.

Initial aggressor

RSA 627:4, III(a) ties the no-duty-to-retreat castle rule to the actor not being the initial aggressor. Someone who provokes the encounter in their own home does not get the benefit of the no-retreat rule on those facts.

The initial-aggressor bar has an exception drawn from RSA 627:4, I(b): if the actor withdraws from the encounter and effectively communicates the intent to withdraw, and the other person continues the use or threat of unlawful force, the justification can be restored.

Curtilage and outbuildings

The RSA 627:4, II(d) and III(a) protections extend to the dwelling "and its curtilage." Curtilage is generally understood as the enclosed area immediately surrounding the home that is used in connection with daily home life. Porches, decks, attached garages, and the yard close to the home are typically curtilage. Detached outbuildings such as sheds and barns are more fact-dependent, turning on factors like proximity to the home, whether they sit inside the same enclosure, and how they are used.

The practical implication: a homeowner confronting an intruder on the porch or in the attached garage is generally within the protected zone. The same homeowner confronting someone in a detached shed across the property may be outside it, and the analysis can shift accordingly.

No firearm-owner civil-immunity statute

New Hampshire does not have a freestanding self-defense civil-immunity statute of the kind some other states have enacted. A homeowner who lawfully uses force in self-defense under RSA 627:4 can still be named in a civil suit, such as a wrongful-death action. The justification doctrine is the defense, and a reasonable use of force in self-defense should support a defense outcome, but the homeowner is not statutorily immune from being sued.

The display-as-a-warning safe harbor

RSA 627:4, II-a addresses displaying a firearm as a warning. The statute says that a person who responds to a threat which would be considered by a reasonable person as likely to cause serious bodily injury or death, by displaying a firearm or other means of self-defense with the intent to warn away the person making the threat, has not committed a criminal act.

In the home, this means a resident who draws a firearm to warn off a threatening intruder, without firing, has a statutory safe harbor when the threat would be considered by a reasonable person as likely to cause serious bodily injury or death.

Federal overlay

Federal law does not displace New Hampshire's castle and defense-of-premises rules. The Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (15 U.S.C. 7901 et seq.) limits certain civil lawsuits against firearm manufacturers and sellers for the criminal misuse of firearms by third parties. It is about industry liability, not about a homeowner's right to defend the home, and it does not change the RSA 627 analysis.

Practical guidance

• The castle protections in RSA 627:4 apply inside the dwelling and its curtilage. An intruder on the porch or in the attached garage is generally within the protected zone.
• Deadly force in New Hampshire requires either a defense-of-person trigger from RSA 627:4, II (including the burglary rule in II(b) and the dwelling rule in II(d)) or, under RSA 627:7, an attempt by a trespasser to commit arson. It is not authorized for bare defense of property.
• There is no duty to retreat inside the dwelling or its curtilage, but retreating to a safer position deeper in the home, with a phone, is often the wiser tactical choice.
• Displaying a firearm as a warning is protected by RSA 627:4, II-a when the threat would be considered by a reasonable person as likely to cause serious bodily injury or death.
• Do not rely on a civil-immunity statute. New Hampshire does not have a self-defense civil-immunity law, so a lawful use of force can still draw a civil suit.
• Document the encounter, comply with law enforcement, and contact an attorney promptly.

This page is general legal information, not legal advice. Statutes and court decisions change. Confirm the current text of RSA 627:4, RSA 627:7, and RSA 627:8 and consult a New Hampshire attorney before relying on any of it.

New Hampshire Duty to Inform Law Enforcement

The headline

New Hampshire has NO statutory duty to inform a peace officer that you are carrying a firearm. No provision in RSA Chapter 159 (Pistols and Revolvers), RSA Chapter 627 (Justification), or anywhere else in the New Hampshire Revised Statutes requires a person to volunteer the presence of a firearm during a traffic stop, a Terry stop, or any other police-citizen encounter.

This stands in contrast to a number of states (for example Michigan, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Texas, and others, depending on context) that statutorily require some level of disclosure when contacted by law enforcement. New Hampshire is not one of them.

What the law says

RSA 159:6, the license-to-carry statute, sets up an optional pistol/revolver license. It imposes no duty to inform an officer that you are armed. RSA 159:6, III confirms that the availability of a license does not impose any prohibition on the unlicensed transport or carry of a firearm, openly or concealed, loaded or unloaded, by any person who is not otherwise prohibited from possessing a firearm in New Hampshire. Because New Hampshire is a constitutional-carry state, a non-prohibited adult may carry with or without a license, and no NH statute attaches a duty to inform to the act of carrying.

What the law does NOT require

New Hampshire does NOT require:

• Verbal disclosure that you are armed during a traffic stop or other encounter.
• Production of the optional pistol/revolver license on demand, because no license is required to carry in the first place.
• Notification to any registering authority of a change in your carry status.

What an officer may do

A police officer who reasonably believes that a person poses a danger may, consistent with Terry v. Ohio, 392 U.S. 1 (1968), conduct a limited frisk for weapons. If the officer observes a firearm or learns of its presence, the officer may temporarily take control of it during the encounter for officer safety. This is a constitutional rule grounded in case law, not a New Hampshire statutory duty placed on the carrier.

A traffic stop in New Hampshire does not by itself generate a duty to disclose. An officer may ask whether you have any weapons in the vehicle. You may answer truthfully (recommended) or decline to answer. Silence is permitted, though it often produces more friction in the encounter.

False statements to an officer

You are not required to volunteer that you are armed, but actively lying to an officer is a different matter, and the line is narrower than people assume.

• RSA 641:1 (Perjury) does NOT apply to a casual oral denial during a traffic stop. By its terms it reaches only a false material statement made under oath or affirmation in an official proceeding before a body authorized by law to take evidence under oath. A roadside statement is neither sworn nor an official proceeding.
• RSA 641:3 (Unsworn Falsification) reaches a person who, with a purpose to deceive a public servant, makes a written or electronic false statement, or who makes a false statement on a form bearing a notification that false statements are punishable. It is a misdemeanor. By its terms it is aimed at written or electronic falsehoods and form-based statements, not a spoken denial at the roadside.

The practical takeaway: a simple verbal "no" to "do you have a weapon" is usually not, by itself, a chargeable New Hampshire offense under these statutes. That is not a reason to lie. False statements can still feed into obstruction or resisting charges depending on the facts, can destroy your credibility, and can escalate an otherwise routine stop. The safe and lawful course is to either disclose truthfully or decline to answer, never to give a false denial.

Best practices (not legal requirements)

Most New Hampshire carry instructors and defense attorneys recommend voluntary disclosure during a traffic stop even though it is not required. A typical approach:

• Keep your hands visible on the steering wheel.
• Wait for the officer to approach.
• Calmly state something like: "Officer, I want to let you know I have a firearm," and indicate the location (for example, "in a holster on my right hip" or "in the glove box").
• Follow the officer's instructions.
• Do not reach for the firearm or its location without specific direction from the officer.

This prevents the officer from being surprised by the firearm later in the encounter during a frisk or a vehicle search, and it tends to produce a more professional, less escalated interaction.

Out-of-state travel: the duty to inform can travel even though New Hampshire's lack of one does not

The absence of a New Hampshire duty to inform does not follow the carrier into other states. A New Hampshire license holder traveling in a duty-to-inform state must comply with that destination state's disclosure rules. Failure to comply with a destination state's duty-to-inform statute can be a serious offense in that state.

Note that New Hampshire's own reciprocity statute, RSA 159:6-d, runs in one direction only. It directs the New Hampshire director of state police to negotiate agreements so that the New Hampshire license is recognized in OTHER jurisdictions. It does not control whether New Hampshire recognizes an incoming out-of-state license, and it has nothing to do with disclosure. New Hampshire allows carry by any non-prohibited adult under RSA 159:6, III regardless of whether that person holds any license. New Hampshire carriers traveling out of state should check each destination state's duty-to-inform and recognition rules before every trip.

Special contexts

• School zones. Federal law makes it unlawful under 18 U.S.C. 922(q)(2)(A) to knowingly possess a firearm in a school zone, with exceptions. One exception, 18 U.S.C. 922(q)(2)(B)(ii), applies where the individual is licensed by the state in which the school zone is located and the state verified the person's qualifications before issuing the license. To rely on that carve-out, a New Hampshire resident generally needs the state-issued pistol/revolver license, which is one of the few situations where holding and being able to show the license actually matters. This is a possession rule, not a duty-to-inform rule.

• Federal facilities. Under 18 U.S.C. 930, knowingly possessing a firearm or other dangerous weapon in a federal facility is a federal crime, with limited exceptions for law enforcement and official duties. If you are stopped on federal property with a firearm you should not have brought there, disclosure may be the least of your concerns because the possession itself can be unlawful.

• Airports and aircraft. Carrying a concealed dangerous weapon that is or would be accessible to you in flight, or placing a loaded firearm on an aircraft, is a federal crime under 49 U.S.C. 46505, punishable by a fine and imprisonment. TSA regulations separately govern checkpoints and sterile areas. The prohibition comes from 49 U.S.C. 46505 and TSA rules, not from any New Hampshire carry statute.

• Courthouses. Although this is a place restriction rather than a duty-to-inform rule, it is worth knowing that under RSA 159:19 no person may knowingly carry a loaded or unloaded pistol, revolver, firearm, or other deadly weapon, whether open or concealed and whether licensed or unlicensed, in a courtroom or area used by a court. A violation is a class B felony. Firearms may be secured at the courthouse entrance by security personnel, and the statute exempts law enforcement officers and certain others.

• Border crossings. U.S. Customs and Border Protection authority controls at ports of entry. Firearms must be declared as required by federal law and regulation when entering or leaving the country.

Summary

New Hampshire has no duty to inform. You are legally free to remain silent about a firearm during a police encounter. The practical best practice is voluntary, controlled disclosure during a traffic stop or other extended encounter. Do not give a false denial. The lack of a New Hampshire duty does not travel with you, so check each destination state's rules before you go.

New Hampshire Carrying Under the Influence

The rule

New Hampshire has no statute that explicitly prohibits carrying a firearm under the influence of alcohol or drugs. There is no NH equivalent to the "CCW DUI" statutes that some states use to criminalize possession of a concealed firearm with a blood-alcohol concentration above a stated threshold.

That absence is not a green light. A NH carrier who handles or carries a firearm while intoxicated still faces real exposure: several generally applicable criminal statutes, a weakened self-defense justification, federal prohibited-person law tied to drug use, and civil and insurance consequences.

No specific CCW-DUI statute

RSA Chapter 159 (Pistols and Revolvers) does not address carrying while intoxicated. The closest weapons-specific provision is RSA 159:15 (Possession of Dangerous Weapon While Committing a Violent Crime), which makes it a class A misdemeanor to use or employ a slung shot, metallic knuckles, billies, or other deadly weapon as defined in RSA 625:11, V during the commission or attempted commission of a violent crime. That statute punishes weapon use tied to a separate violent crime. It does not address ordinary carry by an intoxicated person, and it does not set any intoxication threshold.

Reckless conduct - RSA 631:3

RSA 631:3 (Reckless Conduct) makes a person guilty of reckless conduct if he recklessly engages in conduct which places or may place another in danger of serious bodily injury. Under RSA 631:3, II, reckless conduct is a class B felony if the person uses a deadly weapon as defined in RSA 625:11, V. All other reckless conduct is a misdemeanor.

An intoxicated person who handles a firearm in public, in a crowded space, or in any setting where the intoxication impairs safe handling can be exposed under RSA 631:3. The mental-state standard is "recklessly," meaning the person is aware of and consciously disregards a substantial and unjustifiable risk that the conduct places another in danger.

Note one limit built into the statute. RSA 631:3, V provides that the act of displaying a firearm shall not, in and of itself and without additional circumstances, constitute reckless conduct under this section. Mere display is not automatically reckless conduct, but display combined with intoxication and other circumstances can be.

Disorderly conduct - RSA 644:2

RSA 644:2 (Disorderly Conduct) provides several bases for liability. Under RSA 644:2, I, a person is guilty if he knowingly or purposely creates a condition which is hazardous to himself or another in a public place by any action which serves no legitimate purpose. Other subsections reach fighting or violent, tumultuous, or threatening behavior in a public place (RSA 644:2, II(a)) and making loud or unreasonable noises and similar breaches of the peace (RSA 644:2, III).

Conduct that combines intoxication with a visible firearm display in a public place can fall within subsection I if a court finds the conduct hazardous and lacking a legitimate purpose. Disorderly conduct is a misdemeanor if the offense continues after a request to desist; otherwise it is a violation (RSA 644:2, VI).

Criminal threatening - RSA 631:4

RSA 631:4 (Criminal Threatening) has several subsections. The core provision, RSA 631:4, I(a), makes a person guilty when, by physical conduct, the person purposely places or attempts to place another in fear of imminent bodily injury or physical contact. Other subsections address placing objects or graffiti on another's property, or threatening to commit a crime against the property or person of another, with a purpose to coerce or terrorize (RSA 631:4, I(b) through I(d)).

An intoxicated carrier who brandishes a firearm at another person, or otherwise threatens, can be charged. Criminal threatening is generally a misdemeanor, but it becomes a class B felony when the person uses a deadly weapon as defined in RSA 625:11, V in the violation of subparagraph I(a), I(b), I(c), or I(d) (RSA 631:4, II(a)(2)). Pointing or displaying a firearm during a threat is exactly the kind of deadly-weapon use that triggers the felony enhancement.

RSA 631:4, IV provides a narrow safe harbor: a person who responds to a threat which would be considered by a reasonable person as likely to cause serious bodily injury or death by displaying a firearm or other means of self-defense, with the intent to warn away the person making the threat, has not committed a criminal act under this section. That safe harbor requires an actual underlying threat that a reasonable person would view as likely to cause serious bodily injury or death. Drunk brandishing with no real underlying threat does not qualify, because the reasonable-person test is not satisfied.

Possession by an unlawful user of a controlled substance - 18 U.S.C. 922(g)(3)

Federal law at 18 U.S.C. 922(g)(3) makes it unlawful for any person who is an unlawful user of or addicted to any controlled substance (as defined in section 102 of the Controlled Substances Act, 21 U.S.C. 802) to ship, transport, possess, or receive a firearm or ammunition in or affecting commerce. The ATF has long taken the position that this includes any current user of marijuana, including in states where the use is state-legal, and the Form 4473 transfer questionnaire carries an express warning on this point.

A NH resident who is a current marijuana user and who possesses firearms is in federal jeopardy under 18 U.S.C. 922(g)(3), regardless of state-law status. New Hampshire has not resolved this conflict by statute. The practical advice many instructors give is to pick one, the firearm or the marijuana, until federal law changes.

Loss of self-defense justification

RSA 627:4 (Physical Force in Defense of a Person) ties justification to what the actor "reasonably believes." For non-deadly force, RSA 627:4, I requires a reasonable belief in the imminent use of unlawful, non-deadly force. For deadly force, RSA 627:4, II requires a reasonable belief that the other person is about to use unlawful deadly force, is likely to use unlawful force while committing a burglary, is committing or about to commit kidnapping or a forcible sex offense, or is likely to use unlawful force in the commission of a felony within the actor's dwelling or curtilage.

Intoxication does not by itself strip away self-defense, but it complicates the analysis:

• The justification turns on reasonableness, which is measured against what a reasonable, sober person would believe, not what an impaired person actually believed.
• A jury can find that an intoxicated person's belief in the need for force was not objectively reasonable.
• Under RSA 626:4, intoxication is not, as such, a defense. A defendant may introduce evidence of intoxication only when it is relevant to negate an element of the offense, and the jury weighs it in deciding whether that element was proved beyond a reasonable doubt.

The practical reality is that a defendant who used force while intoxicated faces a steeper climb on the justification defense than a sober defendant in identical circumstances.

Bars and licensed premises

New Hampshire has no statute that flatly prohibits carry in a bar or other establishment licensed to sell alcohol. The licensee, typically the owner, may exclude armed patrons as a property right. A patron who refuses to leave after being told to do so can be charged with criminal trespass under RSA 635:2, which makes it an offense to knowingly enter or remain in a place when not licensed or privileged to do so.

Even without a bar-specific carry ban, carrying into a place where alcohol is served raises particular risk:

• Inadvertent or deliberate alcohol consumption while armed.
• A higher chance that an ordinary dispute escalates.
• Disorderly-conduct exposure under RSA 644:2 for a hazardous firearm display.

Practical advice from many NH instructors: do not carry while consuming alcohol. If you are going to drink, leave the firearm secured at home or in the vehicle in a lawful parking location.

Quantitative threshold

There is no NH statutory blood-alcohol threshold for carrying a firearm. The reckless-conduct analysis under RSA 631:3 is fact-specific and does not key off a number. Some carriers adopt a personal rule of thumb that if they are too impaired to drive lawfully, they are too impaired to handle a firearm responsibly. That is a personal heuristic, not a NH firearms statute, and the impaired-driving limit lives in the motor vehicle code, not in the weapons chapter.

Range and training

Most NH ranges and training facilities ban alcohol on the firing line and may remove participants who appear impaired. This is a private-property rule, not a state firearms law. Violation typically results in ejection, and refusing to leave can create criminal trespass exposure under RSA 635:2, not a separate firearms charge.

Workplace and home consumption

New Hampshire has no statute that prohibits possessing a firearm at home while drinking. The use-of-force rules under RSA 627:4 continue to apply, and the reasonableness standard for self-defense in the home, including the lack of a duty to retreat within one's dwelling or curtilage under RSA 627:4, III, is unchanged. Practical considerations such as safe storage, secure handling, and awareness of household members matter independently of any statute.

Prescription drugs

18 U.S.C. 922(g)(3) reaches unlawful users of controlled substances. A patient using a lawfully prescribed medication as directed is generally not an unlawful user under that provision, and NH imposes no separate firearms restriction tied to prescription use. Carriers who take strong medications such as opioids or benzodiazepines should still consider whether the effects on judgment and motor control create reckless-conduct exposure under RSA 631:3 if they carry while impaired by the medication.

Summary

New Hampshire has no carrying-under-the-influence statute. The real exposures are: reckless conduct under RSA 631:3, disorderly conduct under RSA 644:2, criminal threatening under RSA 631:4 (a class B felony when a deadly weapon is used), loss of self-defense reasonableness under RSA 627:4 (with intoxication not a standalone defense under RSA 626:4), criminal trespass under RSA 635:2 when a property owner excludes an armed or impaired patron, and the federal bar on possession by unlawful drug users under 18 U.S.C. 922(g)(3). The legal flexibility NH gives carriers is not permission to combine carry and intoxication. The practical rule is simple: do not carry while impaired.

New Hampshire Firearm Restrictions

The headline

New Hampshire imposes very few state-level restrictions on firearms beyond the prohibited-person rules at RSA 159:3 (felon ban) and the federal floor of 18 U.S.C. 922(g) (federal prohibited persons). There is no NH assault-weapons ban, no NH magazine-capacity limit, no NH universal background check, no NH waiting period, no NH permit-to-purchase, no NH firearm registration, no NH red-flag law, and no NH state-imposed limit on the number of firearms a person may own.

This section covers the actual NH-specific restrictions that do exist, along with the federal rules that apply in New Hampshire the same as everywhere else.

Prohibited persons under NH law

RSA 159:3 (Convicted Felons) makes it a class B felony to own, possess, or control a pistol, revolver, other firearm, or other deadly weapon as defined in RSA 625:11, V if the person has been convicted of a felony against the person or property of another, a felony under RSA 318-B (controlled drugs), or an equivalent felony in another jurisdiction. The same statute makes it a separate class B felony for such a convicted felon to complete and sign a firearm purchase application.

RSA 159:3 also directs the state to confiscate the weapon or weapons of a person convicted under the section. The statute provides an affirmative defense where the out-of-state felony would not have been a felony in New Hampshire when committed. The state-law ban runs parallel to the federal 18 U.S.C. 922(g)(1) ban, but uses New Hampshire's own list of qualifying offenses.

The text of RSA 159:3 does not contain a mandatory-minimum sentence for second or subsequent offenses. It sets the offense as a class B felony.

Restoration of NH firearm rights generally requires a pardon from the Governor and Executive Council under RSA 4:21, or a set-aside of the underlying conviction. Restoration of federal rights requires a separate process under 18 U.S.C. 925(c), the federal relief-from-disabilities provision, which has long been unfunded by Congress as to individual applicants, leaving most federal restoration unavailable in practice.

Federal prohibited persons

18 U.S.C. 922(g) prohibits firearm possession by:

• (g)(1) - convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year in prison.
• (g)(2) - fugitive from justice.
• (g)(3) - unlawful user of or addicted to a controlled substance (this includes marijuana even where state-legal).
• (g)(4) - adjudicated as a mental defective or committed to a mental institution.
• (g)(5) - alien unlawfully in the US, or admitted on a non-immigrant visa subject to exceptions.
• (g)(6) - dishonorably discharged from the armed forces.
• (g)(7) - renounced US citizenship.
• (g)(8) - subject to a qualifying domestic-violence restraining order.
• (g)(9) - convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.

These apply in New Hampshire the same as elsewhere.

Being under indictment is not part of 922(g). A separate provision, 18 U.S.C. 922(n), makes it unlawful for a person under indictment for a crime punishable by more than one year to ship, transport, or receive a firearm. A person already under indictment may generally keep firearms already possessed, but may not acquire new ones until the charge is resolved.

Return of firearms seized under a court order

RSA 159-D:4 (Motions for the Return of Firearms and Ammunition) took effect January 1, 2026. It is a return-of-property procedure, not a new restriction, and it creates no new ground for taking firearms.

Where a New Hampshire court has ordered firearms or ammunition seized or removed "in connection with a restraining order issued under RSA 173-B or RSA 633:3-a, an order pertaining to a criminal proceeding such as a bail order, or any other order issued pursuant to the statutory or equitable authority of a court," the owner "shall be entitled to the prompt return of his or her property upon the termination or expiration of the relevant order, unless such individual is explicitly prohibited from receiving said property by a state or federal statute."

A court is not required to run a background check before returning the property. If a court requires one as a matter of discretion, RSA 159-D:4, II fixes the timetable: the court requests a NICS check from the NH department of safety within 2 business days, and the department must answer "proceed" or "deny" within 10 business days. A "deny" must cite a specific statute and narrate the specific facts relied on. The owner may then request a hearing within 10 business days, at which the department of safety must attend and must prove by clear and convincing evidence that the owner is prohibited, and an adverse ruling may be appealed to the New Hampshire supreme court within 30 days with no fee charged to the petitioner. The red-flag section of this guide covers the full procedure.

Minors

Federal 18 U.S.C. 922(x) prohibits a person under 18 from possessing a handgun, with exceptions for supervised use in target practice, hunting, and similar contexts. New Hampshire does not impose a lower minimum age.

RSA 639:3 (Endangering Welfare of Child or Incompetent) makes it an offense to knowingly endanger the welfare of a child under 18 by purposely violating a duty of care, protection, or support, or by inducing the child to engage in conduct that endangers the child's health or safety. Giving a child unsupervised access to a firearm could fall within this general duty-of-care language depending on the facts. Most violations of RSA 639:3 are misdemeanors.

Federal age to purchase from an FFL

18 U.S.C. 922(b)(1) sets the minimum age to purchase a handgun from a federally licensed dealer (FFL) at 21. Long guns (rifles and shotguns) may be purchased from an FFL at 18. New Hampshire does not impose a higher age.

Private sales

RSA 159:14 is an exemption, not a prohibition. It provides that nothing in the pistols-and-revolvers chapter prohibits an individual who is not licensed and not in the business of selling pistols or revolvers from selling a pistol or revolver to a person licensed under the chapter or to a person personally known to the seller. This is the statutory basis for lawful private handgun sales in New Hampshire.

Private sellers must still respect the rules that apply regardless of licensure. Federal law independently prohibits any person from transferring a firearm to someone they know or have reasonable cause to believe is a prohibited person under 18 U.S.C. 922(d). The NH felon-in-possession statute, RSA 159:3, separately makes possession by a convicted felon a class B felony. So a private seller cannot lawfully sell to a known felon even though RSA 159:14 permits private sales generally.

NH does NOT have

• No assault-weapons ban. AR-pattern and AK-pattern semi-automatic rifles are lawful to own and transfer in New Hampshire.
• No magazine-capacity limit. Standard-capacity magazines (30-round AR magazines, 17-round pistol magazines, and the like) are lawful.
• No universal background check on private transfers. Private sales between non-prohibited New Hampshire residents do not require an FFL or a background check, consistent with the RSA 159:14 exemption. The federal 18 U.S.C. 922(d) and 922(g) prohibited-person rules still apply to the buyer.
• No waiting period. A purchase from an FFL is processed without a state-imposed delay, subject to the federal NICS check.
• No permit-to-purchase.
• No firearm registration.
• No red-flag / Extreme Risk Protection Order law. Domestic-violence protective orders under RSA 173-B may include firearm-surrender provisions, but that is order-by-order rather than a freestanding red-flag scheme. Since January 1, 2026, RSA 159-D:4 has given a person whose firearms were seized under such an order a right to prompt return once the order terminates or expires.
• No "good-cause" requirement for the optional license. Under RSA 159:6, I, hunting, target shooting, or self-defense is a proper purpose for the license, and New Hampshire is a constitutional-carry state under RSA 159:6, III, so a license is not required to carry in the first place.

Altering identification marks

RSA 159:13 (Changing Marks) makes it a misdemeanor to change, alter, remove, or obliterate the maker's name, model, manufacturer's number, or other identification mark on any pistol or revolver. Possession of a pistol or revolver with an altered or removed mark is presumptive evidence that the possessor altered it. This is a serial-number tampering offense. It is not a recordkeeping rule for dealers.

Courthouse carry

RSA 159:19 (Courthouse Security) makes it a class B felony to knowingly carry a loaded or unloaded pistol, revolver, firearm, or other deadly weapon as defined in RSA 625:11, V, whether open or concealed and whether licensed or unlicensed, in a courtroom or area used by a court. The statute defines "area used by a court" to cover the relevant building or court facilities, allows firearms to be secured at the entrance by courthouse security, and exempts law enforcement officers, bailiffs, court security officers, and persons with prior court authorization. It is an affirmative defense that no notice of the prohibition was posted at each public entrance.

Federal NFA items

NFA items (machine guns, short-barreled rifles, short-barreled shotguns, suppressors, and "any other weapon," all defined in 26 U.S.C. 5845) are governed by the National Firearms Act and ATF regulations. New Hampshire does not prohibit lawfully registered NFA items.

Each NFA firearm must be registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record under 26 U.S.C. 5841. The federal tax is set by 26 U.S.C. 5811 (transfer tax) and 26 U.S.C. 5821 (making tax). As amended by Pub. L. 119-21 in 2025, both taxes are $200 for each machinegun or destructive device and $0 for any other NFA firearm. That amendment applies to calendar quarters beginning more than 90 days after July 4, 2025. Before then, the long-standing $200 stamp applied to most NFA transfers and makings.

Airport secured areas

Federal law, not state law, governs firearms at airport security checkpoints and on aircraft. 49 U.S.C. 46505 makes it a federal crime, punishable by up to 10 years in prison, to have a concealed dangerous weapon accessible in flight when boarding or attempting to board an aircraft, or to place a loaded firearm on an aircraft in a way accessible to passengers. The law exempts authorized law enforcement officers and permits transporting an unloaded firearm in checked baggage not accessible in flight when the air carrier has been informed. Carrying into a TSA secured area, even a license holder, can trigger this statute.

Mailing firearms

18 U.S.C. 1715 makes pistols, revolvers, and other firearms capable of being concealed on the person nonmailable through the US Postal Service, with narrow exceptions for certain officials and for licensed manufacturers and dealers in customary trade shipments. The statute reaches concealable handguns. It does not make long guns nonmailable. Knowingly mailing a nonmailable handgun is punishable by a fine or up to two years in prison.

Pawnbroker and second-hand dealer rules

Pawnbrokers and second-hand dealers in New Hampshire operate under the commercial licensing and recordkeeping rules of RSA 398-A. Federal law treats a pawnbroker who takes firearms as collateral as a dealer under 26 U.S.C. 5845(k), so federal dealer recordkeeping applies as well. These are commercial-licensee obligations, not requirements imposed on private parties. (Note: RSA 159:13 is the serial-number tampering statute described above, not a pawnbroker provision.)

Hunting restrictions

New Hampshire Fish and Game rules under RSA Title XVIII impose context-specific restrictions during hunting:

• Under RSA 207:7, no person may have or carry a cocked crossbow, a loaded rifle, a loaded shotgun, a muzzleloader, or an air rifle in or on a moving motor vehicle, OHRV, snowmobile, or aircraft (with a narrow exception for protecting livestock or crops). This vehicle restriction is written in terms of long guns and crossbows. It does not list handguns or pistols.
• Specific caliber and method requirements apply to taking certain game.
• Federal rules limit shotguns used for migratory waterfowl to three shells (50 C.F.R. 20.21(b)).

These are hunting-context rules, not general public-safety rules.

Brandishing / display

New Hampshire has no separate "brandishing" statute. Depending on the facts, display of a firearm could constitute:

• RSA 631:4 (criminal threatening) if the display is a purposeful threat.
• RSA 644:2 (disorderly conduct) if the display is reckless or tumultuous.

But RSA 627:4, II-a creates a safe harbor: a person who responds to a threat that a reasonable person would consider likely to cause serious bodily injury or death by displaying a firearm or other means of self-defense, with intent to warn away the person making the threat, has not committed a criminal act.

Defense of premises

RSA 627:7 (Use of Force in Defense of Premises) is a single paragraph. It allows non-deadly force to prevent or terminate a criminal trespass, but allows deadly force in defense of premises only in defense of a person as prescribed in RSA 627:4 or when the person reasonably believes it necessary to prevent an attempt by the trespasser to commit arson. It does not authorize deadly force merely to stop a burglary, robbery, or theft of property, and it contains no request-to-desist condition. Deadly force in defense of a person is governed separately by RSA 627:4, which addresses imminent deadly force, burglary, kidnapping, forcible sex offenses, and felonies within the dwelling or curtilage.

Manufacturing and dealing

New Hampshire does not impose a separate state license on manufacturing or dealing firearms beyond federal ATF licensure. A federally licensed dealer or manufacturer in New Hampshire operates under federal authority and ordinary business licensing.

Under RSA 159:26, the state has preempted local regulation of the sale, purchase, ownership, use, possession, transportation, licensing, permitting, and taxation of firearms, firearm components, ammunition, and firearms supplies. Any conflicting municipal ordinance is null and void. RSA 159:26 does preserve a political subdivision's right to adopt zoning ordinances for firearms or knives businesses in the same manner as other businesses. So while a town cannot regulate firearms generally, it can apply neutral business-zoning rules to a gun shop the same way it would to any other business.

Summary

New Hampshire is one of the most permissive firearm-law states in the country. Beyond the prohibited-person rules at RSA 159:3 (state) and 18 U.S.C. 922(g) (federal), there are very few state-imposed restrictions. The state does not ban semi-automatic rifles, does not limit magazine capacity, does not require universal background checks, and does not register firearms. The restrictions that do bite are mostly federal (NFA items, airport security, mailing handguns, prohibited persons) plus a handful of NH criminal statutes covering courthouses (RSA 159:19), serial-number tampering (RSA 159:13), and threatening or disorderly display (RSA 631:4 and RSA 644:2).

New Hampshire and National Firearms Act Items

The headline

New Hampshire does not impose additional state restrictions on lawfully-registered National Firearms Act (NFA) items beyond the federal NFA framework. Suppressors, short-barreled rifles, short-barreled shotguns, "any other weapons," and machine guns are lawful to own in NH provided the federal NFA registration is complete. There is no separate NH registry, no NH tax stamp, and no NH-specific waiting period.

The federal NFA framework

The National Firearms Act is codified at 26 U.S.C. 5801 et seq. and implemented at 27 C.F.R. Part 479. The statutory definitions are at 26 U.S.C. 5845. Under that section, an NFA "firearm" includes:

• Short-barreled shotguns: a shotgun with a barrel or barrels of less than 18 inches, or a weapon made from a shotgun with an overall length under 26 inches or a barrel under 18 inches (26 U.S.C. 5845(a)(1)-(2) and 5845(d)).
• Short-barreled rifles: a rifle with a barrel or barrels of less than 16 inches, or a weapon made from a rifle with an overall length under 26 inches or a barrel under 16 inches (26 U.S.C. 5845(a)(3)-(4) and 5845(c)).
• Any other weapon (AOW): certain concealable, disguised, or smooth-bore items defined in 26 U.S.C. 5845(e).
• Machine guns: any weapon that shoots, is designed to shoot, or can be readily restored to shoot, automatically more than one shot, without manual reloading, by a single function of the trigger (26 U.S.C. 5845(b)).
• Silencers and suppressors: any silencer as defined in 18 U.S.C. 921 (26 U.S.C. 5845(a)(7)).
• Destructive devices: explosive bombs, grenades, certain large-bore weapons over one-half inch in diameter, and similar items (26 U.S.C. 5845(f)).

Antique firearms are excluded from the NFA definition (26 U.S.C. 5845(a) and (g)).

Each NFA item must be registered with the ATF in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record (NFRTR). The Secretary maintains that central registry, and each transferred firearm is registered to the transferee by the transferor (26 U.S.C. 5841). A person possessing a registered NFA item must retain proof of registration and make it available to the Secretary on request (26 U.S.C. 5841(e)).

The federal NFA tax after the 2025 amendment

The NFA tax structure changed in 2025. Pub. L. 119-21 (signed July 4, 2025) amended both the transfer tax and the making tax. The amendment applies to calendar quarters beginning more than 90 days after July 4, 2025.

• Transfer tax (26 U.S.C. 5811): As amended, the transfer tax is $200 for each firearm transferred in the case of a machine gun or a destructive device, and $0 for any firearm not described in that paragraph. So a transfer of a suppressor, an SBR, an SBS, or an AOW now carries a $0 transfer tax. The transfer tax is paid by the transferor (26 U.S.C. 5811(b)).
• Making tax (26 U.S.C. 5821): As amended, the making tax is $200 for each firearm made in the case of a machine gun or a destructive device, and $0 for any firearm not described in that paragraph. So making an SBR or SBS on a Form 1 now carries a $0 making tax. The making tax is paid by the person making the firearm (26 U.S.C. 5821(b)).

Before the 2025 amendment, the transfer tax was $200 for most items and $5 for an AOW under 5811, and the making tax was a flat $200 under 5821. Those prior rates are now superseded. Even where the tax is $0, the registration, background-check, and ATF approval process still applies; only the dollar amount of the stamp changed for non-machine-gun, non-destructive-device items.

Transfers still run through ATF-approved forms. A transfer between private parties uses ATF Form 4, an estate transfer uses ATF Form 5, and making your own NFA item uses ATF Form 1. Multi-month approval times remain typical.

What NH specifically does not do

• No state ban on suppressors.
• No state ban on short-barreled rifles.
• No state ban on short-barreled shotguns.
• No state ban on "any other weapons."
• No state ban on lawfully-registered machine guns (subject to the federal 1986 freeze under 18 U.S.C. 922(o); pre-1986 transferable machine guns remain lawful for civilians).
• No state tax stamp.
• No state registration database.
• No state-imposed waiting period beyond the federal ATF approval time.

Federal machine gun rules: the 1986 freeze

18 U.S.C. 922(o) makes it unlawful to transfer or possess a machine gun, except for a lawful transfer or lawful possession of a machine gun that was lawfully possessed before the date the subsection took effect. That date is May 19, 1986 (the effective date of section 102(9) of Pub. L. 99-308). The practical result is that civilians may acquire only "transferable" machine guns registered before that cutoff. Newly-manufactured machine guns are reserved for government, military, and licensed manufacturers and dealers for governmental sales.

NH does not have a parallel state-law restriction. The federal freeze controls.

Suppressors: NH practical scope

NH allows civilian suppressor ownership consistent with federal NFA registration. The general process:

1. Acquire the suppressor from a Class 3 SOT (Special Occupational Taxpayer) dealer or as a private transfer from another lawful owner.
2. Submit ATF Form 4 with the required photograph, fingerprints, and Chief Law Enforcement Officer (CLEO) notification. Under the current transfer-tax rate in 26 U.S.C. 5811, the tax on a suppressor transfer is $0.
3. Wait for ATF approval.
4. Pick up the suppressor from the dealer after approval is in hand.

NH has no statute that restricts suppressor possession or that imposes a separate suppressor tax or permit. There is no NH statute in this guide's source set that addresses suppressor use while hunting, so consult current New Hampshire Fish and Game rules and the federal NFA rules before hunting with a suppressed firearm.

SBRs and SBSes

Acquiring or making an SBR or SBS in NH follows the federal NFA process:

1. ATF Form 4 for the transfer of an existing item, or ATF Form 1 to make your own (for example, by building one on a registered host).
2. Tax stamp. Under the current rates in 26 U.S.C. 5811 (transfer) and 5821 (making), the tax on an SBR or SBS that is not a machine gun or destructive device is $0.
3. CLEO notification.
4. Wait for ATF approval.

After approval, the SBR or SBS is lawful to possess, transport, and use anywhere a long gun is lawful, subject to the federal interstate-transport rules described below.

"Any other weapons" (AOW)

AOW classification under 26 U.S.C. 5845(e) covers weapons capable of being concealed on the person from which a shot can be discharged through the energy of an explosive, smooth-bore pistols designed to fire a fixed shotgun shell, and certain combination weapons. Common examples include pen guns and certain disguised firearms.

Under the current transfer-tax rate in 26 U.S.C. 5811, an AOW transfer carries a $0 tax. The prior $5 AOW rate was removed by Pub. L. 119-21. NH permits lawful possession of registered AOWs.

CLEO notification

The Chief Law Enforcement Officer notification requirement under 27 C.F.R. 479.85 (the 2016 rule 41F) is satisfied by notice to the CLEO of the locality where the applicant resides. In NH, that is typically the local police chief. The CLEO need not approve. Notice is sufficient; the ATF does not require CLEO approval.

Trusts and corporate ownership

Many NH NFA owners use a gun trust or corporate structure to allow multiple "responsible persons" to possess and use the NFA item and to simplify estate handling. Each responsible person on the trust submits ATF Form 23 (responsible person questionnaire) and a fingerprint card. Ordinary NH trust and corporate structures are valid for this purpose; NFA gun trusts are recognized in NH.

Interstate transport of NFA items

Under 27 C.F.R. 478.28, a person who lawfully possesses a registered NFA item (other than a pistol or revolver) and wants to transport it temporarily across state lines for a period of less than 30 days must notify the ATF in advance, using ATF Form 5320.20. The approval is generally routine. This is a federal requirement with no NH-specific component. A NH owner traveling to a hunt or a competition in another state files the notification before the trip.

Estate planning

When the registered owner of an NFA item dies, the item passes to the estate. The executor handles the item under federal NFA rules. A lawful transfer to an heir uses ATF Form 5, which carries no tax but still requires full transfer paperwork and approval. ATF policy generally treats the executor as the lawful possessor for safekeeping during the interim period between death and Form 5 approval.

A gun trust simplifies estate handling. Items registered to a trust remain registered to the trust and can be used by new responsible persons once an amended Form 23 is approved, without a separate Form 4 or Form 5 transfer.

Practical NH NFA tips

• Use a gun trust for any item that may be inherited or used by family members.
• Submit Form 1 or Form 4 paperwork as soon as the SOT dealer has the item. The ATF clock starts when the application is received.
• File ATF Form 5320.20 well in advance of interstate travel with an NFA item other than a pistol or revolver.
• Confirm the current ATF tax amount for your item type before you budget. After Pub. L. 119-21, the stamp is $0 for non-machine-gun, non-destructive-device items and $200 for machine guns and destructive devices.

Summary

NH does not impose additional state-law restrictions on lawfully-registered NFA items. The federal framework at 26 U.S.C. 5801 et seq. and 27 C.F.R. Part 479 controls. Suppressors, SBRs, SBSes, AOWs, and transferable pre-1986 machine guns are all lawful in NH subject to federal registration. After the 2025 amendment to 26 U.S.C. 5811 and 5821, the federal tax stamp is $200 only for machine guns and destructive devices and $0 for other NFA items. NH remains one of the more NFA-friendly states in the Northeast.

New Hampshire Red Flag / Extreme Risk Protection Orders

The headline

New Hampshire has NO red-flag law. There is no New Hampshire Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO) statute. There is no NH equivalent to the ERPO frameworks of CA, CO, MA, NY, OR, WA, or the other states with freestanding red-flag schemes.

What NH has instead

While NH does not have a freestanding ERPO, several adjacent legal mechanisms can result in firearm-surrender orders or firearm-possession prohibitions:

Domestic Violence Protective Orders - RSA 173-B

RSA 173-B (Protection of Persons from Domestic Violence) authorizes a person who has been abused by a family or household member, a current or former intimate partner, or a person with whom the victim has a child in common, to seek a civil protective order in the circuit court.

A court issuing a protective order under RSA 173-B can order relief that affects firearms, including ordering the respondent to relinquish firearms and prohibiting the respondent from acquiring or possessing firearms while the order is in effect. Protective orders can be issued on an emergency or temporary basis and then followed by a hearing on the merits where the respondent has notice and an opportunity to be heard.

A respondent who possesses a firearm in violation of a RSA 173-B order can face criminal liability for violating the protective order. Federal law adds an independent layer: 18 U.S.C. 922(g)(8) prohibits firearm possession by a person subject to a qualifying protective order, but only where the order meets the federal criteria described below.

Stalking Protective Orders - RSA 633:3-a

A victim of stalking can seek a civil protective order under RSA 633:3-a, III-a by filing a petition in the district court. On a showing of stalking by a preponderance of the evidence, the court grants relief necessary to bring about a cessation of stalking. RSA 633:3-a, III-a expressly ties the available relief, procedures, burdens of proof, methods of service, enforcement, and penalties to those set forth in RSA 173-B, so a stalking order can carry the same firearm-relinquishment consequences as a domestic-violence order.

A stalking order does NOT automatically trigger the federal firearm prohibition. The federal 18 U.S.C. 922(g)(8) prohibition reaches a court order only if the order restrains the person from harassing, stalking, or threatening "an intimate partner of such person or child of such intimate partner or person." A RSA 633:3-a order that protects a victim who is not an intimate partner (for example a coworker, neighbor, classmate, or stranger) does not by itself meet the 922(g)(8) intimate-partner requirement. Where the stalking victim is an intimate partner or that partner's child, and the order satisfies the federal notice-and-hearing and findings requirements, the federal prohibition can apply.

Mental Health Commitment - RSA 135-C

Involuntary mental-health commitment under RSA 135-C can trigger the federal 18 U.S.C. 922(g)(4) prohibition. That federal provision makes it unlawful for a person "who has been adjudicated as a mental defective or who has been committed to a mental institution" to possess firearms. A person who is involuntarily committed under NH RSA 135-C falls within the federal "committed to a mental institution" category, is reported through NICS, and is prohibited from purchasing or possessing firearms under federal law.

Criminal No-Contact and Bail Conditions

A criminal no-contact order or a bail condition issued under RSA 597:2 can prohibit contact with a specific person and can be paired with firearm-relinquishment conditions. Violating such a condition is a criminal matter handled in the underlying case.

Getting firearms back after an order ends - RSA 159-D:4

RSA 159-D:4 (Motions for the Return of Firearms and Ammunition) took effect January 1, 2026. It is not a red-flag statute and it creates no new ground for taking firearms. It runs the other way: it sets the procedure for returning firearms and ammunition that a court already ordered seized or removed.

The statute reaches any matter pending before a New Hampshire court where firearms or ammunition "have been seized or removed from an individual in connection with a restraining order issued under RSA 173-B or RSA 633:3-a, an order pertaining to a criminal proceeding such as a bail order, or any other order issued pursuant to the statutory or equitable authority of a court." In those matters the owner "shall be entitled to the prompt return of his or her property upon the termination or expiration of the relevant order, unless such individual is explicitly prohibited from receiving said property by a state or federal statute."

RSA 159-D:4, II provides that a court "shall not be required to request, conduct, or receive the results of a background check prior to returning firearm property to its owner." If a court does require one as a matter of discretion, the statute fixes the timetable and the safeguards:

• The court requests a NICS check from the NH department of safety within 2 business days of the motion or request, whether the request was written or oral.
• The department must give a conclusive "proceed" or "deny" answer within 10 business days. If the check is inconclusive and the department cannot show within that window that the person is prohibited, it may answer "proceed."
• A "deny" must cite a specific statute, "such as one of the prohibited categories included in 18 U.S.C. section 922(g)," and must narrate the specific facts relied on. That narration is confidential and reaches only court staff, the person seeking return, and that person's counsel.
• After a "deny," the person has 10 business days to ask for a hearing, and the court schedules it within 10 business days of the request. At the hearing the department of safety must attend and carries the burden of showing by clear and convincing evidence that the person is prohibited. If it fails to attend or fails to meet that burden, the court orders the property returned.
• A person aggrieved by the trial court's ruling may appeal to the New Hampshire supreme court within 30 days. The transcript and the trial court record are transmitted in full, with no fee charged to the petitioner.
• On a "proceed," the court issues the return order immediately, mails it to the law enforcement agency and the petitioner, and telephonically notifies the petitioner that the order can be picked up at the court. The agency accepts the original order and returns the property.

What NH does NOT have

NH does NOT have:

• A freestanding "extreme risk protection order" statute that lets a family member, household member, or law enforcement officer petition a court to remove firearms from a person who poses a risk to self or others, separate from the domestic-violence and stalking frameworks.
• An emergency firearm-removal procedure based on imminent risk alone, without an underlying RSA 173-B, RSA 633:3-a, or RSA 135-C predicate.
• A mandatory reporting requirement that obligates healthcare providers to identify firearm-risk patients to law enforcement.

Legislative history

NH legislators have introduced red-flag bills in multiple sessions. None have been enacted. The state has chosen to rely on the existing protective-order framework and the federal mental-health-commitment process rather than create a freestanding ERPO.

Federal context

Federal law does not require states to enact a red-flag law. The 2022 Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (P.L. 117-159) made federal grant funding available to states that choose to implement crisis-intervention or red-flag programs, but it did not preempt state law or require any state to create such a program.

Practical implications

For a person facing a domestic-violence allegation

If a person is named as a respondent in a RSA 173-B petition, the hearing can result in a firearm-relinquishment order. Practical points:

• Take the proceeding seriously. Even an emergency or temporary order has immediate effect.
• Retain counsel promptly.
• Comply with any firearm-relinquishment order while the case is pending. Violating the order is a criminal matter.
• At the hearing, contest the underlying allegations if appropriate. The standard for a protective order under RSA 173-B is preponderance of the evidence.
• When the order terminates or expires, RSA 159-D:4 entitles you to prompt return of any firearms and ammunition seized under it, unless a state or federal statute explicitly prohibits you from receiving them.

For a person in a mental-health crisis

Voluntary mental-health admission generally does NOT trigger 18 U.S.C. 922(g)(4), because the federal disqualifier reaches a person "committed to a mental institution," which the established federal interpretation treats as an involuntary commitment rather than a voluntary admission. Involuntary commitment under RSA 135-C is what triggers the federal disqualification.

A person who seeks mental-health treatment voluntarily generally preserves firearms rights under this federal rule. This distinction matters for carriers who are weighing whether to seek help.

For a family member concerned about a relative

In a state with a red-flag law, a family member could petition for an ERPO. In NH, family-member options are:

• If domestic violence has occurred, file a RSA 173-B petition.
• If stalking has occurred, file a RSA 633:3-a petition.
• If the person is a danger to self or others, pursue the RSA 135-C involuntary-emergency-admission process (for example a police welfare check or an emergency room mental-health evaluation).
• Arrange voluntary safekeeping by transferring firearms to a trusted friend, family member, or licensed dealer (FFL), consistent with state and federal transfer law.

There is no statutory mechanism in NH for a family member to obtain a firearm-removal order based on risk alone, without one of the predicate situations above.

For the federal overlay

A NH carrier who is subject to a qualifying RSA 173-B order, a qualifying intimate-partner RSA 633:3-a order, or a RSA 135-C involuntary commitment can be federally prohibited under 18 U.S.C. 922(g)(8) or 922(g)(4). The NICS check reflects that federal prohibition. A stalking order protecting a non-intimate-partner victim can still impose firearm relinquishment under NH practice, but it does not by itself create the federal 922(g)(8) bar.

Summary

NH does not have a red-flag law. Firearm-removal orders in NH come through the domestic-violence (RSA 173-B), stalking (RSA 633:3-a), and mental-health-commitment (RSA 135-C) frameworks, each with its own procedural protections. The federal prohibited-person rules at 18 U.S.C. 922(g) overlay all of these, but the federal protective-order bar at 922(g)(8) applies only to intimate-partner orders, and the federal mental-health bar at 922(g)(4) applies to a person committed to a mental institution. Since January 1, 2026, RSA 159-D:4 has given a person whose firearms were seized under a RSA 173-B order, a RSA 633:3-a order, a bail order, or any other court order a right to prompt return once the order terminates or expires, unless a state or federal statute explicitly bars that person from receiving them.

New Hampshire Firearms Preemption

The rule

New Hampshire preempts municipal regulation of firearms. RSA 159:26 vests authority and jurisdiction over the sale, purchase, ownership, use, possession, transportation, licensing, permitting, and taxation of firearms, firearm components, ammunition, firearms supplies, and knives in the state, to the extent consistent with federal law. A city or town cannot pass its own firearms ordinances except in the two narrow areas the statute preserves.

Statutory text

RSA 159:26 (Firearms, Ammunition, and Knives; Authority of the State):

I. "To the extent consistent with federal law, the state of New Hampshire shall have authority and jurisdiction over the sale, purchase, ownership, use, possession, transportation, licensing, permitting, taxation, or other matter pertaining to firearms, firearms components, ammunition, firearms supplies, or knives in the state. Except as otherwise specifically provided by statute, no ordinance or regulation of a political subdivision may regulate the sale, purchase, ownership, use, possession, transportation, licensing, permitting, taxation, or other matter pertaining to firearms, firearms components, ammunition, or firearms supplies in the state. Nothing in this section shall be construed as affecting a political subdivision's right to adopt zoning ordinances for the purpose of regulating firearms or knives businesses in the same manner as other businesses or to take any action allowed under RSA 207:59."

II. "Upon the effective date of this section, all municipal ordinances and regulations not authorized under paragraph I relative to the sale, purchase, ownership, use, possession, transportation, licensing, permitting, taxation, or other matter pertaining to firearms, firearm components, ammunition, firearms supplies, or knives shall be null and void."

What preemption covers

NH preemption is broad. RSA 159:26, I reaches:

• Sale and purchase (including any local sales-tax, transfer-tax, or licensing scheme).
• Ownership and possession (including any local registration or "permit to own" scheme).
• Use (including any local discharge restriction beyond what state law provides).
• Transportation (including any local "transport-only-in-locked-container" rule).
• Licensing and permitting (including any local concealed-carry licensing scheme).
• Taxation (including any local excise tax on firearm sales).
• "Or other matter pertaining to firearms, firearms components, ammunition, firearms supplies, or knives."

The statute also reaches knives, which most state preemption statutes do not.

What preemption does NOT cover

RSA 159:26, I preserves two narrow carve-outs.

1. Zoning. A municipality may adopt zoning ordinances that regulate firearms or knives businesses (gun stores, ranges) in the same manner as other businesses. A city may, for example, restrict firearm retailers from operating in residential zones, so long as the restriction applies equally to other commercial uses. This is a power to zone businesses, not a power to regulate firearms themselves.

2. Action allowed under RSA 207:59. RSA 207:59 is the wildlife-management authority statute. It gives the state exclusive authority and jurisdiction over the management, preservation, protection, propagation, and taking of wildlife, and it bars political subdivisions from regulating those wildlife matters. Its only carve-out is a property-rights clause: "Nothing in this section shall be construed as affecting a political subdivision's property rights concerning land owned and controlled by that entity." The RSA 159:26 cross-reference to RSA 207:59 means a municipality may exercise that property-rights carve-out over land it owns and controls. It does not give a town a backdoor route to regulate firearms generally.

The general result: a NH municipality cannot enact a local concealed-carry ordinance, a local magazine-capacity limit, a local universal-background-check ordinance, a local waiting period, a local registration scheme, a local "no firearms in city parks" rule, or any other restriction beyond what state law already provides.

Express invalidation of pre-existing ordinances

RSA 159:26, II provides that "all municipal ordinances and regulations not authorized under paragraph I... shall be null and void." Any NH municipal firearm ordinance that was on the books when the controlling version of the preemption statute took effect is void to the extent it falls outside the paragraph I carve-outs.

A carrier confronting a municipal officer who cites a local firearms ordinance has a NH-law defense: the ordinance is void under RSA 159:26 unless it fits the zoning or RSA 207:59 property-rights carve-out.

Enforcement

NH does not have a freestanding statutory enforcement mechanism in RSA 159:26 itself (for example, a fixed civil penalty payable to a private litigant against a municipality that violates preemption). A carrier or business challenging a void ordinance typically files for declaratory and injunctive relief in superior court. The remedy is invalidation of the ordinance.

Federal floor

RSA 159:26, I qualifies the state's authority "to the extent consistent with federal law." Federal firearms law overlays state law and continues to apply. The prohibited-person rules in 18 U.S.C. 922(g) (which bar possession by, among others, felons, fugitives, unlawful drug users, those adjudicated mentally defective or committed, and certain others), the National Firearms Act, and the Gun-Free School Zones Act at 18 U.S.C. 922(q) all operate regardless of NH preemption. NH municipalities cannot regulate firearms more restrictively than NH state law allows, and federal law sets a separate floor that no level of state or local government can drop below.

City and town park rules

A NH city or town may not, by local ordinance, prohibit firearms in city parks. Such an ordinance regulates possession and use, which RSA 159:26 reserves to the state, so it is void unless state law itself authorizes the restriction.

A municipality may set rules for its own facilities (for example, a city-owned community center) as part of its proprietary role as a landowner, which is distinct from a regulatory enactment. RSA 207:59's property-rights clause reflects the same landowner principle in the wildlife context. The line between proprietary management of municipally owned property and a regulatory ordinance is fact-specific.

School policies

Federal law and state law both address firearms at schools, and the two work together rather than displacing each other.

The federal Gun-Free School Zones Act, 18 U.S.C. 922(q), makes it unlawful to knowingly possess a firearm in a school zone, with several exceptions. One exception applies when the individual is licensed by the state in which the school zone is located, or by a political subdivision of that state, under a licensing scheme that requires the licensing authority to verify the person's eligibility before issuing the license. RSA 159:6, II also bars a fingerprint or photograph requirement for the NH license unless the applicant requests it, so carriers should understand how the 922(q) license exception interacts with NH's license process before relying on it near a school.

Importantly, 18 U.S.C. 922(q)(4) states that the federal Gun-Free School Zones Act does not preempt or prevent a state or local government from enacting its own gun-free school zone statute. So the federal provision is a floor, not a ceiling, on school-zone restrictions, and NH's own statutes on firearms at schools operate alongside it. School-board policies governing firearms on school property are generally treated as proprietary management of school property rather than as a municipal firearms ordinance, which is why they are not simply voided by RSA 159:26.

Examples of local restrictions that conflict with preemption

The following kinds of local ordinances fall outside the RSA 159:26 carve-outs and conflict with state preemption:

• Local ordinances banning carry in public parks.
• Local ordinances requiring locked storage of firearms in private residences.
• Local ordinances mandating reporting of lost or stolen firearms beyond what state law requires.
• Local ordinances requiring liability insurance for firearm owners.

Each of these regulates ownership, possession, use, or storage, which RSA 159:26 reserves to the state.

Why this matters for carriers

NH carriers can travel throughout the state without facing a patchwork of local firearm rules. The legal framework is statewide and consistent. The optional Pistol/Revolver License under RSA 159:6 is valid in every NH municipality. Constitutional (permitless) carry under RSA 159:6, III lets any adult who is not prohibited by NH or federal statute carry a firearm, openly or concealed, loaded or unloaded, with or without a license, and that right is the same in every NH municipality.

Historical context

RSA 159:26 traces to a 2003 enactment (2003, ch. 283:2) and was amended in 2011 (2011, ch. 139:1, effective August 6, 2011). The current statute carries the "null and void" language in paragraph II and the broad scope that reaches firearms components, ammunition, firearms supplies, and knives. The Source note on the statute reflects these dates.

Federal preemption is separate

State preemption under RSA 159:26 runs downward, from the state to its municipalities. A separate question is whether federal law preempts state law on a given firearm topic. The Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA), at 15 U.S.C. 7901 and the sections that follow, bars most civil liability actions against firearms manufacturers and dealers for harm caused by the criminal or unlawful misuse of a firearm by a third party. PLCAA is a federal limit that applies regardless of NH preemption. NH's downward preemption of municipalities and the federal preemption framework above it are two different layers.

Summary

RSA 159:26 is one of the stronger state firearms-preemption statutes in the country. NH municipalities have no authority to regulate firearms beyond state law, except for the narrow business-zoning carve-out and the RSA 207:59 property-rights carve-out for land a municipality owns and controls. Pre-existing inconsistent ordinances are null and void under paragraph II. Federal law, including 18 U.S.C. 922(g), 922(q), and PLCAA at 15 U.S.C. 7901, applies on top of state law. Carriers may rely on a uniform statewide legal framework.

New Hampshire Reciprocity

The headline rule

New Hampshire is a constitutional-carry state. Under RSA 159:6, III, any adult who is not otherwise prohibited from possessing a firearm may carry a loaded pistol or revolver in New Hampshire, openly or concealed, on the person or in a vehicle, with no license at all. That rule applies the same way to a resident, a nonresident, or an alien. Because of this, an out-of-state visitor does not depend on reciprocity to carry here. If the visitor is a non-prohibited adult, the visitor may carry whether or not any state has issued the visitor a license.

This is an important distinction. New Hampshire does not have a statute that recognizes incoming out-of-state licenses one by one. It does not need one. The constitutional-carry rule covers the visitor directly. A home-state license is useful for federal benefits and for a smoother police encounter, but it is not a requirement to carry in New Hampshire.

Two paths for an out-of-state visitor

Path 1: Constitutional carry under RSA 159:6, III

RSA 159:6, III provides that the availability of a license to carry under that section or any other provision of law "shall not be construed to impose a prohibition on the unlicensed transport or carry of a firearm in a vehicle, or on or about one's person, whether openly or concealed, loaded or unloaded, by a resident, nonresident, or alien if that individual is not otherwise prohibited by statute from possessing a firearm in the state of New Hampshire."

So a visitor who is not a prohibited person may carry a loaded pistol concealed or openly, on the person or in a vehicle, without showing any document. The visitor does not need a home-state license. The only test is whether the visitor is barred from possessing a firearm under New Hampshire or federal law.

Path 2: Carry while holding a home-state license

A visitor who does hold a home-state carry license carries on the same constitutional-carry footing as everyone else under RSA 159:6, III. The license does not unlock a separate state-law authority, because New Hampshire already allows the carry. What the license does add are two federal benefits:

• A qualifying license can substitute for the federal National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) check at the point of a dealer purchase. Under 18 U.S.C. 922(t)(3), the background-check requirement does not apply to a transfer where the buyer presents a permit that allows the buyer to possess or acquire a firearm and that was issued after a check that the buyer is not prohibited, if the permit qualifies under that provision.
• A carve-out from the federal Gun-Free School Zones Act. Under 18 U.S.C. 922(q)(2)(B)(ii), the general ban on possessing a firearm in a school zone does not apply to a person who is licensed to carry by the state in which the school zone is located, where that state verified the person's eligibility before issuing the license. The federal school zone is the area within 1,000 feet of the grounds of a K-12 school, as defined in 18 U.S.C. 921(a)(26). New Hampshire's own license can satisfy this carve-out for school zones inside New Hampshire. A home-state license from another state does not satisfy it for a New Hampshire school zone, because the carve-out is keyed to a license issued by the state where the school zone sits.

The practical point: carry the license if you have one. It is the easier way to demonstrate authority during a police encounter and it carries real federal benefits. It is not a New Hampshire requirement to carry.

How a New Hampshire license travels (NH residents going out of state)

New Hampshire issues a Pistol/Revolver License under RSA 159:6. It is valid for at least 5 years. The resident fee is $10 and the nonresident fee is $100. Many other states recognize the New Hampshire license under those states' own reciprocity rules.

New Hampshire's reciprocity statute, RSA 159:6-d, runs in the outbound direction. It directs the New Hampshire State Police to obtain recognition of the New Hampshire license in other jurisdictions. The statute provides that "the director of the division of state police shall negotiate and enter into reciprocal agreements with other jurisdictions to recognize in those jurisdictions the validity of the license issued under RSA 159:6," and that the director "shall apply to every jurisdiction with which New Hampshire does not have a reciprocity agreement, at least once every 5 years" to obtain that recognition. RSA 159:6-d is about getting the New Hampshire license honored elsewhere. It is not a statute that makes New Hampshire recognize incoming out-of-state licenses. Whether a given state honors the New Hampshire license is governed by that state's law, not by RSA 159:6-d.

A New Hampshire resident traveling out of state should:

• Confirm recognition at the destination before traveling. Reciprocity arrangements change. The destination state's Attorney General or State Police is the authoritative source. Privately maintained reciprocity maps are useful for a first look but are not authoritative.
• Follow the destination state's rules. Recognition lets you carry under the destination state's law, not under New Hampshire law. A New Hampshire carrier in Massachusetts must follow Massachusetts rules on prohibited places, magazine capacity, and use of force. New Hampshire constitutional carry does not travel. In a state that does not recognize the New Hampshire license, the New Hampshire carrier has no carry authority there at all.
• Comply with destination duty-to-inform rules. Some states require a carrier to tell an officer about the firearm during a stop. New Hampshire has no such requirement, but the visitor must follow the destination state's rule.

What New Hampshire does not do

• New Hampshire does not maintain a statutory list of recognized out-of-state licenses, and it does not need one. Carry by a non-prohibited adult is allowed under RSA 159:6, III regardless of any license.
• New Hampshire does not require a visitor to register a firearm or notify any state agency on entry.
• New Hampshire does not impose a duty to inform an officer that you are carrying.

Federal interstate travel: 18 U.S.C. 926A (FOPA)

Separate from any reciprocity question, the federal Firearm Owners Protection Act safe harbor at 18 U.S.C. 926A protects a person transporting a firearm between two places where the person may lawfully possess and carry it, even when the route passes through a state where carry is otherwise restricted. The statute says a person not otherwise prohibited "shall be entitled to transport a firearm for any lawful purpose from any place where he may lawfully possess and carry such firearm to any other place where he may lawfully possess and carry such firearm if, during such transportation the firearm is unloaded, and neither the firearm nor any ammunition being transported is readily accessible or is directly accessible from the passenger compartment." In a vehicle with no separate compartment, the firearm or ammunition must be in a locked container other than the glove compartment or console.

FOPA is a transit protection, not a carry authorization. It does not let a traveler stop and carry in a state that prohibits it. For a New Hampshire carrier driving through Massachusetts to Maine, 18 U.S.C. 926A is the safety net through Massachusetts. The firearm must be unloaded and stored inaccessibly before crossing into Massachusetts. In New Hampshire and Maine, both constitutional-carry states, ordinary carry rules apply.

The federal overlay applies everywhere

Regardless of New Hampshire's permissive state law, federal restrictions stay in force. A carrier should plan around these:

• Prohibited persons. A person barred under federal law, including the categories in 18 U.S.C. 922(g) and a person under indictment for a felony under 18 U.S.C. 922(n), may not carry or possess at all. New Hampshire constitutional carry does not reach a federally prohibited person, because RSA 159:6, III applies only to a person "not otherwise prohibited by statute."
• Federal facilities. Possessing a firearm in a federal facility is a federal crime under 18 U.S.C. 930, punishable by up to 1 year, and up to 2 years in a federal court facility. The statute carries narrow exceptions, including lawful carry incident to hunting or other lawful purposes under 18 U.S.C. 930(d)(3), but a carrier should treat federal buildings as off-limits.
• School zones. The federal Gun-Free School Zones Act at 18 U.S.C. 922(q) restricts firearms within 1,000 feet of a K-12 school as defined in 18 U.S.C. 921(a)(26), subject to the state-license carve-out discussed above.
• Aircraft and airport secured areas. Carrying a concealed, accessible dangerous weapon on or attempting to board an aircraft, or placing a loaded firearm on an aircraft, is a federal crime under 49 U.S.C. 46505, punishable by up to 10 years. This is the statute that governs the airport secured area and the cabin. Checked firearms must be unloaded and declared to the air carrier under the exception in 49 U.S.C. 46505(d)(3) and applicable TSA rules.

Official reference for reciprocity

The New Hampshire reference for licensing and reciprocity is the New Hampshire Department of Safety, Division of State Police (https://www.dos.nh.gov). The State Police administer the nonresident license and pursue the outbound recognition agreements required by RSA 159:6-d. For whether another state honors the New Hampshire license, the destination state's Attorney General or State Police is the controlling source.

Practical recommendations for visitors to New Hampshire

• You do not need your home-state license to carry lawfully in New Hampshire. Bringing it is still wise. It speeds up a police encounter and carries the federal NICS and school-zone benefits described above.
• Confirm you are not a prohibited person under federal or New Hampshire law. That is the one real gate on constitutional carry here.
• Keep the federal overlay in mind. Federal buildings under 18 U.S.C. 930, school zones under 18 U.S.C. 922(q), and airport secured areas under 49 U.S.C. 46505 remain off-limits no matter how permissive New Hampshire law is.
• Plan your route through neighboring states. Vermont and Maine are constitutional-carry states. Massachusetts and New York are restrictive and may not recognize a New Hampshire-style license, so use the FOPA safe harbor at 18 U.S.C. 926A when transiting.

Practical recommendations for New Hampshire residents traveling out of state

• Check the destination state's recognition of the New Hampshire license before you travel. RSA 159:6-d governs only New Hampshire's effort to get the license recognized elsewhere, not whether a given state actually honors it today.
• Bring your New Hampshire Pistol/Revolver License if you have one.
• Follow the destination state's rules. Constitutional carry does not travel with you, and in a non-recognizing state you have no carry authority.
• Use the FOPA safe harbor at 18 U.S.C. 926A when transiting restrictive states, with the firearm unloaded and stored inaccessibly.

New Hampshire Firearm Resources

This is a directory of the agencies, organizations, and statutes a New Hampshire gun owner is most likely to need. Each statute label below has been checked against the text of the statute it names. Always confirm a statute against the official New Hampshire Revised Statutes Annotated before relying on it.

State agencies

New Hampshire Department of Safety, Division of State Police - Permits and Licensing

• Issues the nonresident License to Carry a loaded pistol or revolver. The director of state police, or a person the director designates, signs and issues licenses to nonresident applicants under RSA 159:6, I.
• Provides the application form. RSA 159:6, I(b) requires use of the state pistol/revolver license application, form DSSP 85 (as revised December 2009), and no other form.
• Negotiates reciprocity agreements so the New Hampshire license is recognized in other states. Under RSA 159:6-d the director of state police negotiates and enters into reciprocal agreements with other jurisdictions to recognize the validity of the RSA 159:6 license. This statute is outbound only. It directs the director to seek recognition of the New Hampshire license elsewhere. It does not control whether New Hampshire recognizes out-of-state licenses.
• URL: https://www.dos.nh.gov/divisions/state-police/permits-licensing/pistol-revolver-license

New Hampshire Fish and Game Department

• Issues hunting, fishing, and trapping licenses. RSA 214:1 requires a valid license before a person may fish, hunt, trap, shoot, pursue, take, or kill the wildlife listed in that section.
• Sets hunting season dates, bag limits, and method restrictions.
• Operates the hunter education program. A basic hunter education certificate of completion is required before a hunting license is issued under RSA 214:23-a. The program itself is authorized under RSA 214:23-b.
• URL: https://www.wildlife.nh.gov

New Hampshire Attorney General's Office

• Publishes opinions on the application of New Hampshire firearm law.
• URL: https://www.doj.nh.gov

New Hampshire General Court (Legislature)

• Maintains the official online version of the New Hampshire Revised Statutes Annotated.
• URL: https://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/rsa
• RSA Chapter 159 (Pistols and Revolvers): https://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/rsa/html/XII/159/159-mrg.htm
• RSA Chapter 627 (Justification): https://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/rsa/html/LXII/627/627-mrg.htm

Federal agencies

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

• Federal firearms regulator.
• Maintains the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record for NFA firearms under 26 U.S.C. 5841, and processes NFA registration (Forms 1, 4, 5, 5320.20).
• Issues federal firearms licenses (FFLs).
• URL: https://www.atf.gov

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) - NICS

• Operates the National Instant Criminal Background Check System.
• Processes background checks for FFL transfers under 18 U.S.C. 922(t).
• URL: https://www.fbi.gov/services/cjis/nics

Transportation Security Administration (TSA)

• Governs air-travel firearms transport. Carrying a weapon onto an aircraft or into the sterile area is a federal crime under 49 U.S.C. 46505. Lawful transport is in a locked, hard-sided case as checked baggage, declared at the airline counter.
• Publishes the prohibited-items list and check-in procedures.
• URL: https://www.tsa.gov/travel/transporting-firearms-and-ammunition

Local law enforcement

For New Hampshire residents, the issuing authority for the optional License to Carry under RSA 159:6, I(a) is:

• The selectmen of a town, or a full-time police officer they designate.
• The mayor or chief of police of a city, or a full-time police officer they designate.
• The county sheriff for a resident of an unincorporated place, or for a town that has no police chief if the selectmen so designate.

Each town and city has its own contact information. See the municipal website or the New Hampshire Municipal Association directory at https://www.nhmunicipal.org.

Training providers

Sig Sauer Academy (Epping, NH)

• Major regional training facility.
• Courses ranging from basic pistol to professional and tactical training.
• URL: https://www.sigsaueracademy.com

NRA-Certified Instructors

• Locator: https://www.nrainstructors.org

USCCA-Certified Instructors

• Locator: https://www.usconcealedcarry.com/instructors

NH Fish and Game Hunter Education

• Free, hands-on courses statewide.
• A certificate of completion is required for a first-time New Hampshire hunting license under RSA 214:23-a.
• URL: https://www.wildlife.nh.gov/hunting/hunter-education.html

Membership organizations

Gun Owners of New Hampshire (GO-NH)

• State-level Second Amendment advocacy.
• URL: https://gonh.org

National Rifle Association (NRA)

• National advocacy and member benefits.
• URL: https://home.nra.org

Second Amendment Foundation (SAF)

• National civil-rights litigation focused on Second Amendment cases.
• URL: https://www.saf.org

USCCA (US Concealed Carry Association)

• Membership-based concealed-carry resource with insurance and training.
• URL: https://www.usconcealedcarry.com

Reciprocity references

New Hampshire is a constitutional-carry state. Under RSA 159:6, III any adult who is not prohibited by statute from possessing a firearm may carry a loaded pistol or revolver, openly or concealed, with or without a license. Visitors from other states may carry on the same terms, whether or not they hold an out-of-state permit. The New Hampshire License to Carry exists mainly so that residents can have their carry recognized in other states that require a permit.

The reciprocity agreements the director of state police negotiates under RSA 159:6-d affect where the New Hampshire license is honored in other states. They do not change who may carry inside New Hampshire.

• USCCA reciprocity map: https://www.usconcealedcarry.com/resources/ccw_reciprocity_map
• NRA-ILA reciprocity map: https://www.nraila.org/gun-laws/state-gun-laws
• NH Department of Safety reciprocity list: https://www.dos.nh.gov/divisions/state-police/permits-licensing/pistol-revolver-license

Reciprocity lists change. Always verify the destination state's recognition of the New Hampshire license before traveling.

Litigation tracking

Giffords Law Center

• National firearms policy resource.
• URL: https://giffords.org/law-center

Everytown for Gun Safety

• National policy and advocacy resource.
• URL: https://www.everytownresearch.org

Firearms Policy Coalition

• Litigation focused on Second Amendment rights.
• URL: https://www.firearmspolicy.org

Self-defense resources

Armed Citizens Legal Defense Network

• Membership-based legal defense network for armed self-defense cases.
• URL: https://armedcitizensnetwork.org

USCCA Self-Defense Insurance

• Coverage for armed self-defense legal expenses.
• URL: https://www.usconcealedcarry.com

Second Call Defense

• Legal defense membership.
• URL: https://www.secondcalldefense.org

Note: New Hampshire does not endorse or regulate self-defense insurance products. Evaluate any coverage carefully on its own terms.

Ranges and clubs

New Hampshire has numerous public and private ranges and clubs. Notable facilities:

• NH Fish and Game public shooting ranges (Owl Brook Hunter Education Center; several wildlife management areas).
• Pelham Fish and Game Club.
• Manchester Firing Line.
• Sig Sauer Academy public ranges (Epping).
• Bristol Outdoor Club.
• Concord Junior Rifle Club.

A directory of clubs is maintained by the NH State Rifle and Pistol Association.

Federal statutes and regulations relevant to NH carriers

• 18 U.S.C. 922(g) - federal prohibited persons. Lists nine categories, including felony conviction, fugitive status, unlawful drug use, certain mental-health adjudications, certain alien status, dishonorable discharge, renounced citizenship, a qualifying domestic-violence protective order, and a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence. Being under indictment is addressed separately in 18 U.S.C. 922(n), not 922(g).
• 18 U.S.C. 922(q) - federal Gun-Free School Zones Act.
• 18 U.S.C. 922(t) - federal NICS background-check requirement for licensed dealers.
• 18 U.S.C. 926A - federal interstate-transport safe harbor (Firearm Owners Protection Act). Protects transport of an unloaded firearm, not readily accessible, between two places where carry is lawful.
• 18 U.S.C. 930 - possession of firearms and dangerous weapons in federal facilities.
• 18 U.S.C. 1715 - nonmailable firearms. Covers pistols, revolvers, and other firearms capable of being concealed on the person. It does not apply to long guns.
• 26 U.S.C. 5811 - NFA transfer tax. As amended by Pub. L. 119-21 (enacted July 4, 2025), the tax is $200 for a machinegun or destructive device and $0 for any other NFA firearm. The amended rates apply to calendar quarters beginning more than 90 days after enactment, so the first quarter they apply to is January 1, 2026.
• 26 U.S.C. 5821 - NFA making tax. As amended by Pub. L. 119-21, the same rule applies, on the same January 1, 2026 effective date: $200 for a machinegun or destructive device and $0 for any other NFA firearm.
• 26 U.S.C. 5841 - National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.
• 49 U.S.C. 46505 - carrying a weapon or explosive on an aircraft.
• 27 C.F.R. Part 478 - federal firearms commerce regulations.
• 27 C.F.R. Part 479 - NFA regulations.
• 39 C.F.R. 232.1(l) - USPS premises firearm prohibition.
• 49 C.F.R. 1540.111 - TSA rules for firearms in checked baggage.
• 36 C.F.R. 2.4 - National Park Service firearm rules.

Key NH statutes for quick reference

The label after each citation matches the title of the statute as published. Where the prior version of this guide carried an incorrect label, the corrected entry is used here.

• RSA 159:3 - Convicted Felons. Makes possession of a firearm or other deadly weapon by a person with a qualifying felony conviction a class B felony.
• RSA 159:6 - License to Carry. The optional license, valid for not less than 5 years, with a $10 resident fee and a $100 nonresident fee.
• RSA 159:6-a - Confidentiality of Licenses. License papers and records are open only to law enforcement or by court order.
• RSA 159:6-b - Suspension or Revocation of License. Sets the suspension and revocation procedure and the 7-day hearing request window.
• RSA 159:6-c - Appeal From Denial, Suspension, or Revocation. A 30-day petition to the district or municipal court.
• RSA 159:6-d - Reciprocity. Directs the state police to seek recognition of the New Hampshire license in other states.
• RSA 159:6-e - Violation. A civil petition to the superior court for injunctive relief against a licensing entity that violates the licensing sections.
• RSA 159:14 - Exemption. Lets a private individual not in the business of selling pistols or revolvers sell one to a licensee or to a person known to the seller.
• RSA 159:15 - Possession of Dangerous Weapon While Committing a Violent Crime. A class A misdemeanor.
• RSA 159:19 - Courthouse Security. Knowingly carrying a loaded or unloaded pistol, revolver, firearm, or other deadly weapon, whether open or concealed and whether licensed or unlicensed, in a courtroom or area used by a court is a class B felony, subject to the law enforcement and court-authorization exceptions in the statute.
• RSA 159:26 - Firearms, Ammunition, and Knives; Authority of the State. State firearm preemption.
• RSA 173-B - Domestic Violence Protective Orders.
• RSA 207:7 - Hunting from Motor Vehicle, OHRV, Snowmobile, Boat, or Aircraft. Restricts carrying a loaded long gun in or on a moving motor vehicle while hunting.
• RSA 207:7-a - Disabled Persons. A permit allowing certain disabled hunters to hunt from a motor vehicle, with the firearm not loaded while the vehicle is moving.
• RSA 207:13 - Field Trials. Governs permits for dog field trials. It does not concern hunter education or carry.
• RSA 214:23-a - Certificate of Completion Required. No hunting license is issued without a basic hunter education certificate of completion or an accepted equivalent.
• RSA 627:1-a - Civil Immunity. Immunity from civil liability for force used and justified under RSA 627:4, 627:5, 627:6, 627:7, and 627:8, plus attorney's fees and costs.
• RSA 627:4 - Physical Force in Defense of a Person. The core self-defense and deadly-force statute.
• RSA 627:5 - Physical Force in Law Enforcement.
• RSA 627:6 - Physical Force by Persons With Special Responsibilities.
• RSA 627:7 - Use of Force in Defense of Premises. Allows non-deadly force to prevent or terminate a criminal trespass, and deadly force only in defense of a person under RSA 627:4 or to prevent an attempt to commit arson. It is a single paragraph with no subsections.
• RSA 627:8 - Use of Force in Property Offenses.
• RSA 627:9 - Definitions.
• RSA 635:2 - Criminal Trespass. A misdemeanor for a first offense.
• RSA 639:3 - Endangering Welfare of Child or Incompetent. The statute used when an adult's handling or storage of a firearm endangers a child. New Hampshire has no broad child-access-prevention storage statute.
• RSA 641:3 - Unsworn Falsification. A false statement on a form bearing a statutory penalty notice, or made to deceive a public servant, is a misdemeanor. This is the offense that applies to a false statement on a state firearm form.
• RSA 644:13 - Unauthorized Use of Firearms. Discharging a firearm within the compact part of a town or city without permission is a violation. This is not a storage statute.

How to read NH statutes online

The official New Hampshire RSA text is at https://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/rsa. The URL pattern is:

https://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/rsa/html/{TITLE}/{CHAPTER}/{CHAPTER}-{SECTION}.htm

For example: https://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/rsa/html/XII/159/159-6.htm

This is the authoritative source. Justia, FindLaw, and other secondary sources mirror the official text but may lag updates.

New Hampshire Firearm Law FAQ

Do I need a license to carry a concealed firearm in New Hampshire?

No. New Hampshire is a constitutional-carry state. RSA 159:6, III provides that the availability of a license shall not be construed to impose a prohibition on the unlicensed carry or transport of a firearm in a vehicle or on or about the person, whether openly or concealed, loaded or unloaded, by a resident, nonresident, or alien, so long as that individual is not otherwise prohibited by statute from possessing a firearm in New Hampshire. The constitutional-carry rule took effect with SB 12 on February 22, 2017.

Then why would I get the optional NH Pistol/Revolver License?

There are three practical reasons:

1. Out-of-state reciprocity. Other states recognize the NH license, which lets you carry in those states under their law. Constitutional carry does not travel with you across state lines. Under RSA 159:6-d, the director of the division of state police negotiates reciprocal agreements so other jurisdictions recognize the NH license. That statute works in the outbound direction only. It does not make NH recognize an incoming out-of-state license, because NH does not require any license for a non-prohibited adult to carry.
2. Federal Brady alternative. Under 18 U.S.C. 922(t)(3), a federally licensed dealer may transfer a firearm without contacting the national instant criminal background check system if the buyer presents a state permit, issued within the prior 5 years, that the state issues only after an authorized government official has verified that the buyer is not prohibited. The NH license qualifies.
3. Federal Gun-Free School Zones Act carve-out. 18 U.S.C. 922(q)(2)(B)(ii) exempts a person who is licensed by the state in which the school zone is located, where state law requires law-enforcement verification before issuing that license, from the federal 1,000-foot school-zone restriction. The NH license qualifies.

How much does the NH license cost?

$10 for residents and $100 for nonresidents, per RSA 159:6, I(b). The license is valid for not less than 5 years from the date of issue under RSA 159:6, I(a), and renews at the same fee.

How long does the application take?

The license must be issued within 14 days after application, per RSA 159:6, I(b). If the application is denied, the reason must be stated in writing and delivered to the applicant.

Do I need fingerprints or a photograph for the license?

No. RSA 159:6, II provides that no photograph or fingerprint shall be required or used as a basis to grant, deny, or renew a license, unless requested by the applicant.

Is training required?

No. NH imposes no state-mandated training requirement to carry or to obtain the license. Training is strongly recommended for practical and legal reasons.

What is the minimum age to carry?

Federal law sets the floor. Under 18 U.S.C. 922(x), it is unlawful for a juvenile (a person under 18) to possess a handgun, subject to listed exceptions. Under 18 U.S.C. 922(b)(1), a federally licensed dealer may not sell a handgun to anyone under 21, though long guns may be sold at 18. NH does not impose a separate higher age to carry.

Can a nonresident carry in NH without a NH license?

Yes. The unlicensed-carry rule in RSA 159:6, III applies to a resident, nonresident, or alien, provided the person is not prohibited by statute from possessing a firearm in NH. A visitor may carry without any license.

Can I carry in a school?

For K-12 schools, the federal Gun-Free School Zones Act at 18 U.S.C. 922(q)(2)(A) makes it unlawful to knowingly possess a firearm in a place the person knows is a school zone, which the statute defines to include the area within 1,000 feet of the grounds of a K-12 school. The state-license carve-out at 18 U.S.C. 922(q)(2)(B)(ii) exempts a holder of a qualifying state license from that 1,000-foot zone restriction. That exemption does not authorize carry inside school buildings or on school property itself, where other rules and institutional policy apply.

For colleges, universities, and private schools, institutional policy controls. Many prohibit carry on campus.

Can I carry in a courthouse?

No. RSA 159:19, I prohibits knowingly carrying a loaded or unloaded pistol, revolver, or firearm, or any other deadly weapon, whether open or concealed and whether licensed or unlicensed, in a courtroom or area used by a court. A violation is a class B felony. Firearms may be secured at the entrance by courthouse security personnel under RSA 159:19, II. The prohibition does not apply to law enforcement officers and certain other persons listed in RSA 159:19, IV.

Can I carry in a federal building?

No. 18 U.S.C. 930(a) prohibits knowingly possessing a firearm or other dangerous weapon in a federal facility, defined as a building or part of a building owned or leased by the federal government where federal employees are regularly present to perform their official duties. A separate, stricter rule applies to federal court facilities. NH law does not displace this.

Can I carry in a post office?

No. 39 C.F.R. 232.1(l) prohibits firearms on postal property, including, by the terms of the regulation, parking lots. There has been litigation over the parking-lot reach, but the conservative reading is no.

Can I carry in a bar or restaurant that serves alcohol?

NH has no statute that flatly prohibits carry in a bar. The business may exclude armed patrons, and refusal to leave after being told to do so is criminal trespass under RSA 635:2, III(b)(2). Carrying while drinking is a poor practice. Note that under RSA 631:3, V, the act of displaying a firearm does not, by itself and without additional circumstances, constitute reckless conduct, but conduct that places another in danger of serious bodily injury can still be charged under RSA 631:3.

Can I carry on private property?

Yes, unless the owner has communicated a no-firearms policy. Under RSA 635:2, a person commits criminal trespass by entering or remaining in a place when not licensed or privileged to do so. It is a misdemeanor to enter or remain in defiance of an order to leave or not to enter that was personally communicated by the owner or another authorized person, or to enter secured premises that are posted or enclosed to exclude intruders. The owner may eject an armed visitor, and refusal to leave can be charged as criminal trespass.

Does NH have Stand Your Ground?

Yes. Under RSA 627:4, III(a), a person is not required to retreat before using deadly force if the person is within their dwelling, its curtilage, or anywhere they have a right to be, and was not the initial aggressor.

Does NH have a Castle Doctrine?

Yes, in two related forms. Under RSA 627:4, II(d), a person is justified in using deadly force when they reasonably believe another person is likely to use any unlawful force in the commission of a felony against the actor within the actor's dwelling or its curtilage. Defense of premises is separately governed by RSA 627:7, which permits non-deadly force to prevent or terminate a criminal trespass but allows deadly force only in defense of a person as prescribed in RSA 627:4, or when the person reasonably believes it necessary to prevent an attempt by the trespasser to commit arson.

Does NH have a duty to inform?

No. NH has no statute requiring a person to inform a peace officer that they are armed during a stop.

Does NH have a magazine-capacity limit?

No. Standard-capacity magazines are lawful in NH.

Does NH have an assault-weapons ban?

No. Semi-automatic rifles, including AR-pattern rifles, are lawful to own and transfer in NH.

Does NH have a universal background check requirement?

No. Private transfers between non-prohibited NH residents do not require a dealer or a background check under state law. Federal law still applies. Under 18 U.S.C. 922(d), it is unlawful for any person to sell or otherwise dispose of a firearm to someone they know or have reasonable cause to believe is prohibited, including a person convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year of imprisonment.

Does NH have a waiting period for purchase?

No. A dealer sale is processed without a state waiting period, subject to the federal NICS check or the state-permit exemption under 18 U.S.C. 922(t)(3).

Does NH register firearms?

No. NH does not maintain a state firearms registry. The only registry that applies is the federal National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record for NFA items, maintained under 26 U.S.C. 5841.

Does NH have a red-flag law?

No. NH has no freestanding extreme-risk protection order. Firearm-related restrictions in NH arise through other frameworks, including domestic-violence protective orders under RSA 173-B and stalking protective orders under RSA 633:3-a, III-a, which lets a stalking victim petition for relief and authorizes the court to grant relief to bring about a cessation of stalking.

Can I carry while visiting NH from out of state?

Yes. Under RSA 159:6, III, a nonresident who is not prohibited by statute may carry in NH without any license. NH does not condition this on recognizing your home-state license, because NH does not require a license at all. Keep your own state's restrictions in mind for your return trip.

What do I do if I am in a self-defense incident?

• Ensure your safety and the safety of others.
• Call 911 and report the incident.
• Comply with responding officers.
• Provide identifying information, but exercise your right to remain silent on substantive details until you have spoken with an attorney.
• Contact a criminal-defense attorney experienced in self-defense cases as soon as possible.

What about suppressors and other NFA items?

NH does not impose state-law restrictions beyond the federal NFA framework. Suppressors, short-barreled rifles, short-barreled shotguns, any-other-weapons, and transferable pre-1986 machine guns are lawful to own in NH when properly registered. The NFA defines these categories at 26 U.S.C. 5845, and registration is governed by 26 U.S.C. 5841. As for the federal tax, a 2025 amendment (Pub. L. 119-21) changed the rates. Under 26 U.S.C. 5811 (transfer tax) and 26 U.S.C. 5821 (making tax), the tax is $200 for each machinegun or destructive device and $0 for any other NFA firearm, which includes suppressors, short-barreled rifles, short-barreled shotguns, and any-other-weapons.

Can a felon possess a firearm in NH?

No. Under RSA 159:3, it is a class B felony for a person who has been convicted of a felony against the person or property of another, or a felony drug offense, to own or possess a firearm or other deadly weapon. Federal law at 18 U.S.C. 922(g)(1) separately bars firearm possession by anyone convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year of imprisonment. A separate federal provision, 18 U.S.C. 922(n), bars a person under indictment for such a crime from shipping, transporting, or receiving firearms. Restoration of rights in NH requires a pardon, which is petitioned to the governor and council under RSA 4:21. Federal relief from disabilities under 18 U.S.C. 925(c) exists on paper but has long been unfunded for individuals.

What if my license is denied?

Under RSA 159:6-c, a person whose application is denied, or whose license is suspended or revoked, may within 30 days petition the district or municipal court in the jurisdiction where the person resides. The court holds a hearing within 14 days, and the issuing authority carries the burden to show by clear and convincing proof that the denial, suspension, or revocation was justified. If it fails, the court orders the license granted or reinstated.

Can I carry in NH state parks, beaches, and state forests?

RSA 159:26 establishes that firearms regulation is reserved to the state and preempts most municipal firearm ordinances. State parks and forests are state property, and carry is generally lawful for non-prohibited adults, subject to the prohibited-place rules covered above. You still cannot carry in a federal building located inside a park, in a courthouse, or past the security screening checkpoint at any airport in the state.

Can I mail a handgun?

Generally no, not yourself. Under 18 U.S.C. 1715, pistols, revolvers, and other firearms capable of being concealed on the person are nonmailable through the U.S. mail, with narrow exceptions for licensed manufacturers, dealers, and certain officials. This restriction applies to concealable handguns, not to long guns. Long guns may be shipped by mail or common carrier subject to other federal rules.

Can I carry through an airport?

You cannot bring a firearm through the security screening checkpoint or into the sterile, screened area of an airport. Under 49 U.S.C. 46505, it is a federal crime to have a concealed dangerous weapon that is or would be accessible in flight when boarding or attempting to board an aircraft, and to place a loaded firearm on an aircraft in property not accessible to passengers in flight. In practical terms, a firearm transported as checked baggage must be unloaded. Firearms may be transported only as checked baggage, unloaded and in a locked hard-sided case, with the air carrier notified, following TSA and airline rules.

Do I need a permit to buy a handgun from a dealer?

No state permit. A federal NICS background check applies at the point of sale unless the buyer holds a qualifying state license under 18 U.S.C. 922(t)(3).

What about ammunition purchase?

NH imposes no state-law restriction on ammunition purchase beyond the general federal prohibitions that bar sales to prohibited persons.

Final note

This FAQ provides general information about NH firearm law and is not legal advice. For a specific situation, especially any self-defense, license-denial, or NFA matter, consult a New Hampshire-licensed attorney.

New Hampshire Firearm Law: Other Topics

Overview

This section covers New Hampshire firearm topics that do not fit neatly into a single dedicated section. It includes civil immunity for justified force, the general criminal statutes used to punish firearm misuse, law-enforcement and military exemptions, antique firearms, the hunting overlay, federal-license and NFA special cases, state preemption of local gun rules, and emergency-powers protections. Every statute below has been checked against its text. New Hampshire is a constitutional-carry state, so most of these rules apply to carry by any non-prohibited adult, with or without a license, under RSA 159:6, III.

Civil immunity: RSA 627:1-a

RSA 627:1-a (Civil Immunity) provides that a person who uses force in self-protection or protection of others under RSA 627:4, in protection of premises and property under RSA 627:7 and RSA 627:8, in law enforcement under RSA 627:5, or in the care or welfare of a minor under RSA 627:6, and whose use of force is justified, is immune from civil liability for personal injuries sustained by the perpetrator that were caused by that use of force.

The statute goes further than a bare immunity rule. It directs that in a civil action brought by or on behalf of a perpetrator against the person who used justified force, the court shall award the person reasonable attorney's fees and costs, including expert witness fees, court costs, and compensation for loss of income. The immunity is tied to the underlying justification under RSA Chapter 627. There is no separate statutory pre-trial immunity hearing of the kind some other states use; the justification is established under the Chapter 627 rules.

Criminal statutes used for firearm misuse

New Hampshire has no general "unlawful carry" crime, because constitutional carry removed the licensing baseline. Misuse of a firearm is instead prosecuted under generally applicable criminal statutes. The labels and penalty levels below are taken directly from the statute text.

• RSA 631:3 (Reckless Conduct). A person is guilty of reckless conduct by recklessly engaging in conduct that places or may place another in danger of serious bodily injury. It is a class B felony if the person uses a deadly weapon as defined in RSA 625:11, V; all other reckless conduct is a misdemeanor. The statute also states that the act of displaying a firearm does not, by itself and without additional circumstances, constitute reckless conduct.
• RSA 631:4 (Criminal Threatening). This covers placing or attempting to place another in fear of imminent bodily injury, and several related threat offenses. It is a class B felony if the person uses a deadly weapon as defined in RSA 625:11, V in the violation, or violates the bomb-threat provision; all other criminal threatening is a misdemeanor. The statute also protects a person who displays a firearm or other means of self-defense to warn away someone making a threat that a reasonable person would view as likely to cause serious bodily injury or death.
• RSA 159:3 (Convicted Felons). A person is guilty of a class B felony if he possesses a pistol, revolver, other firearm, or listed deadly weapon and has a qualifying felony conviction (a felony against the person or property of another, a felony under RSA 318-B, or an equivalent out-of-state or federal controlled-drug felony). The statute confiscates the weapon to the state and provides an affirmative defense where the out-of-state felony would not have been a felony in New Hampshire. The statute text contains no mandatory minimum sentence.
• RSA 159:14 (Exemption). This is not a sales-to-felons prohibition. It is a private-seller exemption: it provides that the chapter does not prohibit an individual who is not licensed and not in the business of selling pistols or revolvers from selling a pistol or revolver to a person licensed under the chapter or to a person personally known to the seller. The prohibition on supplying firearms to felons is handled by RSA 159:3 at the state level and by 18 U.S.C. 922(d) federally.
• RSA 159:15 (Possession of Dangerous Weapon While Committing a Violent Crime). This is a standalone class A misdemeanor, not a sentencing enhancement. A person is guilty if that person uses or employs a slung shot, metallic knuckles, billies, or other deadly weapon as defined in RSA 625:11, V during the commission or attempted commission of a violent crime, with "violent crime" defined by reference to RSA 651:5, XIII. It applies to any qualifying violent crime, not only felonies.
• RSA 159:19 (Courthouse Security). No person may knowingly carry a loaded or unloaded pistol, revolver, or firearm, or any other deadly weapon as defined in RSA 625:11, V, whether open or concealed and whether licensed or unlicensed, in a courtroom or an area used by a court. A violation is a class B felony. The statute lets courthouse security secure firearms at the entrance, exempts listed law enforcement and court personnel, and gives an affirmative defense where no notice was posted at each public entrance.
• RSA 644:2 (Disorderly Conduct). This covers hazardous or tumultuous conduct in public, among other things. Disorderly conduct is a misdemeanor if the offense continues after a request by any person to desist; otherwise it is a violation.
• RSA 635:2 (Criminal Trespass). A person commits criminal trespass by knowingly entering or remaining in a place without license or privilege. Refusing to leave private property after the owner or an authorized person personally communicates an order to leave is a misdemeanor under RSA 635:2, III(b)(2). This is the usual charge when someone ignores a posted or communicated no-firearms instruction on private property. Some other criminal trespass is only a violation; it rises to a class B felony for a subsequent offense involving more than $1,500 in damage.
• RSA 644:13 (Unauthorized Use of Firearms). This is a discharge statute, not a storage statute. It makes it a violation to fire or discharge any cannon, gun, pistol, air rifle, or other firearm within the compact part of a town or city without written permission of the chief of police or governing body, and it defines the compact part and lists ceremonial exceptions. New Hampshire has no broad child-access-prevention or negligent-storage firearm statute.
• RSA 639:3 (Endangering Welfare of Child or Incompetent). A person is guilty if he knowingly endangers the welfare of a child under 18 or of an incompetent person by purposely violating a duty of care, protection, or support, or by inducing conduct that endangers the person's health or safety. Most violations are misdemeanors; the statute makes certain enumerated violations a class B felony. There is no firearm-storage subsection, but grossly unsafe handling of a firearm around a child could be charged under this general endangerment statute.
• RSA 641:3 (Unsworn Falsification). A person commits a misdemeanor by making a written or electronic false statement on a form bearing a legally authorized punishability notice, or by making such false statements with intent to deceive a public servant. This can apply to false statements made on a firearm-related application form.

Law enforcement and military exemptions

RSA 159:5 (Exceptions) provides that RSA 159:3 and RSA 159:4 do not apply to:

• Marshals, sheriffs, policemen, and other duly appointed peace and law enforcement officers, and bailiffs and court officers responsible for court security.
• The regular and ordinary transportation of pistols or revolvers as merchandise.
• Members of the armed services of the United States when on duty, and the national guard when on duty.
• Organizations by law authorized to purchase or receive such weapons.
• Duly authorized military or civil organizations when parading, or the members thereof when at, or going to or from, their customary places of assembly.

At the federal level, the Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act lets qualified active officers (18 U.S.C. 926B) and qualified retired officers (18 U.S.C. 926C) carry a concealed firearm notwithstanding most state and local law. Both sections still allow private property owners and state or local governments to restrict firearms on their own property, installations, buildings, bases, or parks, and both carry strict eligibility and identification requirements. Neither section covers machineguns, silencers, or destructive devices.

Antique firearms

Federal law defines an antique firearm at 18 U.S.C. 921(a)(16) to include any firearm manufactured in or before 1898, certain replicas, and qualifying muzzle-loading rifles, shotguns, and pistols designed to use black powder and not capable of using fixed ammunition. Under 18 U.S.C. 921(a)(3), the term "firearm" for Gun Control Act purposes does not include an antique firearm. The National Firearms Act uses a parallel exclusion: 26 U.S.C. 5845(a) and 5845(g) exclude antique firearms (manufactured in or before 1898 and similar items) from the NFA definition of "firearm." New Hampshire imposes no additional restrictions specific to antique firearms.

Hunting overlay

Hunting is regulated under RSA Title XVIII (Fish and Game) and Fish and Game Department rules. The points that touch carry law include:

• A hunting or fishing license is required under RSA 214:1, which must be carried while engaged in the activity.
• RSA 207:7 (Hunting from Motor Vehicle, OHRV, Snowmobile, Boat, or Aircraft) prohibits carrying a loaded rifle, loaded shotgun, muzzleloader, or air rifle, or a cocked crossbow, in or on a motor vehicle, OHRV, snowmobile, or aircraft when moving, subject to limited livestock and law-enforcement exceptions.
• RSA 207:7-a (Disabled Persons) creates a narrow exception to RSA 207:7 for qualifying disabled hunters who obtain a special permit to hunt while using a motor vehicle, and even then no loaded firearm may be carried with a cartridge in the chamber or in an attached magazine or clip while the vehicle is in motion.

Carrying a handgun for self-defense while hunting does not require a separate license, because constitutional carry under RSA 159:6, III applies to any non-prohibited adult.

Federal firearm dealers and manufacturers

Anyone engaged in the business of importing, manufacturing, or dealing in firearms must obtain a federal license under 18 U.S.C. 923 and operate under the federal regulations at 27 C.F.R. Part 478. New Hampshire does not require a separate state firearm-dealer or manufacturer license beyond the federal license. Under RSA 159:26, the state has reserved to itself authority over firearm sale, purchase, ownership, and related matters, but the statute preserves a political subdivision's right to apply ordinary zoning ordinances to firearm or knife businesses in the same manner as other businesses, and to act under RSA 207:59.

New Hampshire is home to several well-known firearm manufacturers, including Sig Sauer (headquartered in Newington) and Sturm, Ruger & Co. (Newport). These companies are governed by federal ATF licensure and ordinary state business law; New Hampshire imposes no firearm-specific manufacturer regulation.

National Firearms Act items

NFA-regulated items, defined at 26 U.S.C. 5845 (short-barreled rifles and shotguns, machineguns, silencers, any other weapons, and destructive devices), are registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record under 26 U.S.C. 5841. Each maker, importer, manufacturer, and transferor must register the item, and each transfer must be registered to the transferee.

The NFA tax was changed by the 2025 reconciliation act (Pub. L. 119-21). Under the current text of 26 U.S.C. 5811 (transfer tax) and 26 U.S.C. 5821 (making tax), the tax is $200 for each machinegun or destructive device transferred or made, and $0 for any other NFA firearm transferred or made. Before this amendment, the rate was $200 for most items and $5 for an "any other weapon" transfer. New Hampshire follows federal law on NFA items and imposes no separate state NFA scheme.

State preemption of local gun laws

RSA 159:26 gives the state authority and jurisdiction, to the extent consistent with federal law, over the sale, purchase, ownership, use, possession, transportation, licensing, permitting, and taxation of firearms, firearm components, ammunition, firearms supplies, and knives. Except as specifically provided by statute, no ordinance or regulation of a political subdivision may regulate these matters, and any non-conforming municipal ordinance is null and void. The statute preserves only ordinary zoning of firearm businesses and actions allowed under RSA 207:59 (the Fish and Game preemption, which reserves wildlife management to the state).

Mailing and air travel

Two federal statutes commonly trip up travelers:

• 18 U.S.C. 1715 makes pistols, revolvers, and other firearms capable of being concealed on the person nonmailable through the U.S. mail, with narrow exceptions for listed officials and for shipments by or to manufacturers and licensed dealers. This applies to concealable handguns; it does not make long guns nonmailable.
• 49 U.S.C. 46505 makes it a federal crime to have a concealed, accessible dangerous weapon on or about a person boarding or attempting to board an aircraft, or to place a loaded firearm in inaccessible baggage in violation of the rules. Penalties run up to 10 years, and up to 20 years or life where the conduct shows reckless disregard for human life. The statute exempts authorized law enforcement officers and certain others, and it allows transport of an unloaded weapon in checked baggage not accessible in flight when the air carrier is informed. This is the controlling federal statute for carrying a weapon into a secured airport or aircraft area, not the general penalties section at 18 U.S.C. 924.

Federal prohibited-person rules

Carry in New Hampshire is open to any adult not prohibited from possessing a firearm. The federal prohibited categories appear at 18 U.S.C. 922(g) and include, among others, persons convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year, fugitives, and others listed in that subsection. A separate provision, 18 U.S.C. 922(n), makes it unlawful for a person under indictment for a crime punishable by more than one year to ship, transport, or receive a firearm in interstate or foreign commerce; "under indictment" is not part of the 922(g) possession list. Penalties for federal firearm offenses are set out at 18 U.S.C. 924.

Reciprocity is outbound only

RSA 159:6-d (Reciprocity) directs the director of the division of state police to negotiate reciprocal agreements with other jurisdictions to recognize the New Hampshire license issued under RSA 159:6, and to apply at least once every five years to jurisdictions without an agreement to obtain recognition of the New Hampshire license. This statute works in one direction: it is about getting the New Hampshire license recognized elsewhere. It does not control whether New Hampshire recognizes an out-of-state license. New Hampshire allows carry by any non-prohibited adult regardless of license status under RSA 159:6, III, so an out-of-state visitor who is not prohibited may carry here whether or not that visitor holds a license.

Emergency powers and firearms

During a declared state of emergency, the Governor has broad powers under RSA 4:45 and emergency-management powers under RSA 4:47. Both statutes contain an express limit: civil liberties shall on no account be suspended, and neither the United States Constitution nor the New Hampshire Constitution shall be suspended (RSA 4:45, III-a; RSA 4:47, III). These provisions protect constitutional rights during an emergency. The statutes do not, in their text, contain a clause that specifically addresses firearm or ammunition confiscation, so the protection here runs through the general constitutional-rights and civil-liberties language rather than through a firearm-specific anti-confiscation provision.

Summary

New Hampshire's "other" firearm topics center on civil immunity for justified force (RSA 627:1-a), a set of generally applicable criminal statutes that handle firearm misuse (RSA 631:3, RSA 631:4, RSA 159:3, RSA 159:15, RSA 159:19, RSA 635:2, RSA 644:2, RSA 644:13, RSA 639:3, and RSA 641:3), law-enforcement and military exemptions (RSA 159:5; 18 U.S.C. 926B and 926C), antique-firearm and NFA federal rules (18 U.S.C. 921; 26 U.S.C. 5811, 5821, 5841, and 5845), strong state preemption of local gun laws (RSA 159:26; RSA 207:59), and constitutional protections during emergencies (RSA 4:45, III-a; RSA 4:47, III). Reciprocity under RSA 159:6-d runs outbound only, and inbound carry by non-prohibited visitors rests on constitutional carry under RSA 159:6, III.