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...
Reviewed by Will Luker, Founder of CCW Hub. USCCA Training Counselor, USCCA Certified Instructor, NRA Certified Instructor, Law Enforcement.
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.
Per RSA 159:6, I(a):
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 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:
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.
The no-photograph and no-fingerprint rule in RSA 159:6, II is an NH-specific protection. Many other states require one or both.
Per RSA 159:6, I(b):
The statute also provides that the cost of the forms is paid out of the fees received from nonresident licenses.
For residents:
For nonresidents:
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
This page covers one part of our New Hampshire concealed carry guide.
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