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...
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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.
There are three practical reasons:
$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.
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.
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.
No. NH imposes no state-mandated training requirement to carry or to obtain the license. Training is strongly recommended for practical and legal reasons.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
No. NH has no statute requiring a person to inform a peace officer that they are armed during a stop.
No. Standard-capacity magazines are lawful in NH.
No. Semi-automatic rifles, including AR-pattern rifles, are lawful to own and transfer in NH.
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.
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).
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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).
NH imposes no state-law restriction on ammunition purchase beyond the general federal prohibitions that bar sales to prohibited persons.
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.
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