New Hampshire Firearm Laws: Overview

The Headline

New Hampshire is a constitutional-carry state. Since February 22, 2017, when SB 12 took effect, any adult who is not prohibited by state or federal law from possessing a firearm may carry a loaded pistol or revolver, openly or concealed, on the person or in a vehicle, without a license. The operative language lives at RSA 159:6, III, which states that the availability of a pistol 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 who is not otherwise prohibited by statute from possessing a firearm in New Hampshire.

New Hampshire still issues a Pistol/Revolver License under RSA 159:6. The license remains useful for reciprocity with non-constitutional-carry states, as a federal Brady alternative for FFL purchases under 18 U.S.C. 922(t)(3), and to satisfy the federal Gun-Free School Zones Act exception at 18 U.S.C. 922(q)(2)(B)(ii). Under RSA 159:6, I(a), the issuing authority for a resident is the selectmen of the town, the mayor or chief of police of the city, or a full-time officer they designate. For a resident of an unincorporated place, the county sheriff issues the license. For a nonresident, the Director of State Police issues the license. The license authorizes the holder to carry a loaded pistol or revolver in this state for not less than 5 years from the date of issue.

Self-defense in New Hampshire is governed by RSA 627:4. New Hampshire codifies both the Castle Doctrine (no duty to retreat from one's dwelling or its curtilage) and a broader Stand Your Ground rule that eliminates any duty to retreat "anywhere he or she has a right to be," provided the actor was not the initial aggressor. There is no statutory duty to inform a peace officer that the carrier is armed.

The framework in one paragraph

The general criminal rule on carrying a concealed loaded pistol without a license lived for decades at RSA 159:4. SB 12 (2017) repealed RSA 159:4 and added RSA 159:6, III to make clear that no license is required to carry openly, concealed, in a vehicle, or on or about one's person. RSA 159:6 still creates the optional Pistol/Revolver License and sets its 5-year term. RSA 159:6-a keeps license records and applications confidential. RSA 159:6-d directs the Director of State Police to negotiate agreements so that the New Hampshire license is recognized in other jurisdictions. RSA 159:26 preempts municipal firearms regulation. The general self-defense rule lives at RSA 627:4; defense of premises at RSA 627:7 and force in property offenses at RSA 627:8.

Issuing agency

Under RSA 159:6, I(a):

• For a resident of a town or city, the issuing authority is the selectmen of the town, the mayor or chief of police of the city, or a full-time police officer they designate. The county sheriff may issue for a town that has no police chief if the selectmen so designate.
• For a resident of an unincorporated place, the county sheriff is the issuing authority.
• For a nonresident, the Director of State Police, or a person the director designates, issues the license.

The license must be issued within 14 days after application under RSA 159:6, I(b). If the application is denied, the reason must be stated in writing. The license is valid for not less than 5 years from the date of issue. The fee is $10 for a resident and $100 for a nonresident. No photograph or fingerprint may be required unless the applicant requests it (RSA 159:6, II).

What you must have, must do, and must avoid

You must:

• Not be a prohibited person under state or federal law. Federal disqualifiers under 18 U.S.C. 922(g) (a conviction for a crime punishable by more than one year, a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, a qualifying domestic-violence restraining order, unlawful drug use, a mental-health adjudication or commitment, a dishonorable discharge, unlawful-alien or certain nonimmigrant-visa status, fugitive status, and renunciation of citizenship) apply alongside the state prohibition on convicted-felon firearm possession in RSA 159:3, which is a class B felony.
• Meet the federal purchase ages. A licensed dealer may not sell a handgun to a person the dealer knows or has reasonable cause to believe is under 21, and may not sell a long gun to a person under 18, under 18 U.S.C. 922(b)(1). New Hampshire sets no separate state-law minimum age to carry; constitutional carry under RSA 159:6, III runs with the right to possess.

You must avoid carrying at:

• Courtrooms and areas used by a court. 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. Firearms may be secured at the courthouse entrance by security personnel.
• School zones, except as expressly permitted. Federal law makes it unlawful to knowingly possess a firearm in a school zone (generally within 1,000 feet of a K-12 school) under 18 U.S.C. 922(q), the Gun-Free School Zones Act. An exception at 18 U.S.C. 922(q)(2)(B)(ii) covers a person licensed by the state in which the school zone is located, so a New Hampshire license-holder is covered for school zones inside New Hampshire.
• Federal facilities, under 18 U.S.C. 930 (which covers federal facilities other than federal court facilities).
• The secured area of an airport or on an aircraft. Carrying a concealed dangerous weapon that is or would be accessible in flight, on or attempting to board an aircraft in air transportation, is a federal crime under 49 U.S.C. 46505.
• Polling places, where intimidation is prohibited. RSA 659:40 makes it a class B felony to use or threaten force, violence, or coercion to compel or deter voting, but New Hampshire imposes no flat statutory ban on lawful carry at a polling place.
• Private property that is posted or where the owner or an authorized person has communicated a no-firearms policy. Remaining after a personally communicated order to leave is criminal trespass under RSA 635:2.
• Anywhere federal law prohibits carry.

Notable New Hampshire rules

• RSA 159:6, III makes constitutional carry coextensive with the right to possess. A resident, nonresident, or alien lawfully in the state who is not a prohibited person may carry without a license, openly or concealed, in a vehicle or on the person.
• RSA 627:4, III(a) codifies Stand Your Ground: there is no duty to retreat before using deadly force in self-defense if the actor is within the actor's dwelling or its curtilage, or "anywhere he or she has a right to be," and was not the initial aggressor.
• RSA 627:4, II-a (added in 2010) provides that displaying a firearm or other means of self-defense to warn away a person, in response to a threat a reasonable person would consider likely to cause serious bodily injury or death, is not a criminal act.
• RSA 627:7 allows deadly force in defense of premises only when the person reasonably believes it necessary to prevent an attempt by the trespasser to commit arson, or otherwise in defense of a person as prescribed in RSA 627:4. It is a single paragraph with no separate burglary, robbery, or theft trigger.
• RSA 159:26 preempts political-subdivision regulation of firearms, ammunition, and firearms supplies, except that a town or city may still adopt zoning ordinances for firearms businesses on the same terms as other businesses and may act as allowed under RSA 207:59 (the state's exclusive authority over wildlife and hunting).
• Reciprocity runs outbound. RSA 159:6-d directs the Director of State Police to negotiate and enter into reciprocal agreements so other jurisdictions recognize the New Hampshire license. It does not make New Hampshire recognize incoming out-of-state licenses. New Hampshire does not need to, because any non-prohibited adult may carry here under constitutional carry, license or not.
• No state-mandated training. There is no live-fire, classroom, or testing requirement for the optional Pistol/Revolver License under RSA 159:6.
• No state magazine-capacity limit. No state assault-weapons ban. No state-level universal background check on private transfers between non-prohibited New Hampshire residents. Federal prohibited-person rules under 18 U.S.C. 922 still apply.
• No red-flag or extreme-risk protection order statute. Domestic-violence protective orders under RSA 173-B may include firearm-surrender provisions, but New Hampshire has no freestanding extreme-risk order scheme.

What New Hampshire does not have

• No duty to inform law enforcement that you are armed during a stop. Many practitioners still recommend voluntary disclosure as a best practice.
• No state-imposed waiting period for handgun purchases.
• No state permit-to-purchase requirement.
• No state registration of firearms.

How to use this guide

Each section cites the operative New Hampshire statute (RSA Title XII, Chapter 159 for licensing and possession; RSA Title LXII, Chapter 627 for self-defense and justification) plus the controlling federal overlay. Where New Hampshire law and federal law diverge, the more restrictive rule controls. Where this guide cites a session law such as SB 12 (2017), the result is now reflected in the cited RSA section. This overview is general information, not legal advice. Confirm the current statute text before relying on any point.