New Hampshire CCW Website
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Non­Resident Application Form
Frequently Asked Questions
New Hampshire Revised Statutes
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Reciprocity Information
New Hampshire Attorney General
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New Hampshire is a Shall Issue state which honors carry permits issued by the following states: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Utah, West Virginia and Wyoming. The state does not recognize non-resident permits/licenses.

Title XII 159:6-d. Full Faith and Credit for Licenses from Other States; Reciprocity.
A non-resident currently residing in New Hampshire who possesses a carry permit from a recognized state should not be required to apply for a permit in New Hampshire if the individual’s carry permit is in his or her possession.

The local police or sheriff is responsible in issuing carry permits among residents of New Hampshire. Contact the sheriff of the county where you reside to ask for an application form or print the form from their website. Take the completed form to the sheriff’s office along with the New Hampshire Driver’s License. The permit fee costs $10 and is valid for 4 years.

The state of New Hampshire issues carry permits for non-residents. Reach them through the following address:
Department of Safety
Division of State Police
Permits and Licensing Unit
33 Hazen Drive
Concord, NH 03305

They will send the application form to you or they may instruct you to download and print the form online and send it to them through mail. The permit fee costs $100 and it is valid for 4 years.
Note: Non-residents applying for carry permits in New Hampshire are required to submit a photocopy (front and back) of the carry permit issued by the state of their residence.

Saf-C 2101.02. Applicability.
Non-residents who are residing on states which provide reciprocity privileges to New Hampshire shall not be required such.

Saf-C 2012.03. License Required.
Under this section, “resident state license” means a permit to carry a concealed firearm in the state where the individual lives.

If the applicant does not submit a copy of the carry permit issued by his state, he will not be issued a non-resident carry license.

For applicants whose states do not require concealed carry permit, they may provide the following:
a. Letter from the local police department of the individual’s state of residence signed by an authorized person which states that:
•The state does not require concealed carry permit among residents.
• The applicant is not a drug user.
• The applicant does not have mental disorders.
• The applicant was not involved in a domestic violence.
• The applicant is not prohibited by the state to possess a firearm.
• The applicant has not been convicted of a misdemeanor.

The Non-Resident Permit Application Form can be viewed here.

Title 12 § 159:19. Courtroom Security.
a. Carrying of firearms, either concealed or open or either licensed or unlicensed, in a courtroom or any area used by the court is not permissible. Violation of this section is considered as class B felony.
b. Courthouse security personnel has the right to secure firearms from a carrier.
c. Under this section, “area used by the court” as used in the first paragraph refers to any facility utilized by the court including courtrooms, deliberation rooms, jury assembly rooms, conference rooms, interview rooms, holding facilities, stairways, corridors, waiting areas and even elevators.
d. This section is not applicable to marshals, deputy sheriffs, sheriffs and peace officers who are on active duty or who are authorized by the court to bring the weapon as an evidence of a crime.
e. The absence of notice of such law on a court building’s public entrance may be used as an affirmative defense.

Places with “No Gun” signs in New Hampshire do not have the force the law, unless such place is mentioned as off limits in the “Carry Permit Limitations” section above. However, if a property owner asks you to leave his or her place, even though it is not posted, you must leave. Failure to leave may result to Trespass Charges. Responsible gun owners shall respect the property owner’s right as well.

The New Hampshire law does not require carriers to immediately inform police on contact.

Title XII. Chapter 159. Section 159:4. Carrying Without License.
If an individual doesn’t have a carry permit, he or she shall not carry his loaded firearm in his possession or in any vehicle, unless he or she is on his own home or business. A loaded firearm means a pistol or revolver with an attached magazine or cartridge inserted on the firing chamber. First offense against this section is a misdemeanor, while the second and every subsequent violation is considered a class B felony.

Note: The law above does not clearly state that the carrier must have in his possession the valid license when carrying, but nationalcarryacademy.com recommends you always carry your license along with your firearm.

Possession of firearms in state parks, national forests and road side rest areas is allowed in New Hampshire.

Carrying of firearms in any vehicle without a valid permit in New Hampshire is illegal.

159:4. Carrying Without License.
No individual shall be allowed to carry a loaded firearm in his possession or in any vehicle without a valid carry permit unless he is on his own house or place of business. A loaded firearm refers to a pistol or revolver with the magazine attached or the cartridge inserted on the firing chamber. First offense against this section is a misdemeanor, while second and every subsequent offense are class B felony.

Note: Open carrying outside a vehicle is permissible, but open carrying in a vehicle is prohibited. You must have a carry permit to be able to carry a loaded firearm in a vehicle within New Hampshire. To know more about the Supreme Court Ruling on Loaded Firearms, check the “Relevant Court Cases and Opinions of New Hampshire AG” section below.

Open carrying in New Hampshire is legal, but there must be a valid carry permit when carrying a firearm in a vehicle either concealed or open. The firearm must be unloaded. There can be a full magazine, but it should not be attached to the firearm. For more information, check the “Relevant Court Cases and Opinions of New Hampshire AG” section below. The off limits places listed in the “Carry Permit Limitations” section above also apply to open carriers.

No state or local authorities shall be allowed to pass laws or ordinances that prohibit open carrying. An open carrier must leave a property when asked by the owner to do so. Refusal to leave can result to Trespass Charges. An individual must be at least 18 years old to be able to carry openly.

Some states prohibit open carrying on places that allow concealed carrying. To know more information about open carrying, visit the website at www.opencarry.org or search the keywords “New Hampshire Open Carry” on Google. Also check the “Relevant Court Cases and Opinions of New Hampshire AG” section below for court decisions and attorney general’s opinions on open carrying.

State Jurisdiction

159:26. Firearms and ammunition; Authority of the State.
The state of New Hampshire shall have the right to regulate purchase, sale, possession, ownership, registration, transportation, taxation and licensing of firearms, ammunition and firearm accessories. Ordinances and laws established by political subdivisions and local governments regarding firearms or ammunition are considered null and void.

Title LXIII: Criminal Code
Chapter 627: Justification
§101. General Rules for Defenses and Affirmative Defenses; Justification.
§627:1. General Rule.
§627:1-a. Civil Immunity.
§627:2. Public Duty.
§627:3. Competing Harms.
§627:4. Physical Force in Defense of a Person.
§627:5. Physical Force in Law Enforcement.
§627:6. Physical Force by Persons with Special Responsibilities.
§627:7. Use of Force in Defense of Premises.
§627:8. Use of Force in Property Offenses.
§627:8-a. Use of Force by Merchants.
§627:8-b. Detention Powers of County Fair Security Guards.
§627:9. Definitions.

To learn about the laws for carrying knives, click this link.

Restaurant carrying is allowed in New Hampshire. Restaurant carrying means carrying a firearm on a restaurant that serves alcoholic beverages. This may or may not mean that the carrier is allowed to occupy the bar area of the restaurant., because some states consider this as illegal. Nationalcarryacademy.com recommends carriers to avoid consuming alcohol whenever carrying. There are some states where taking just a single drink is already an unlawful act.

Some places including Friday’s and Red Lobster are using “No Guns” signs to prohibit visitors from possessing firearms. Checking the laws of your state will help you further understand restaurant carrying.

No laws are found on the use of electric weapons, defensive sprays and high capacity magazines in New Hampshire.

Information on State LEOSA is not available. For more LEOSA information, visit the USA page

• New Hampshire Supreme Court on Ammunition Should be on the Firearm

No laws are found regarding carrying of firearms on parking lots and terminals of airports. There is no set time period for the validity of an individual’s training. Residency is established once a person obtains a driver’s license from New Hampshire. The law does not state the minimum age requirement for obtaining a carry permit.

Laws on State Reciprocity: Title XII 159:6-d
Laws on Using Firearms: 12-159 thru 12-159-D
Laws on Using Deadly Force: 62-627.1 thru 62-627.9
Laws on Using Knives: 62-625.11 and 12-159:16 and 12-159-24
Laws on Using Chemical and Electric Weapons: 12-159:20 thru 12-159:23
Laws on Using Body Armor: 62-650-B1 and B2

159:4. Carrying without License.
Carrying of a loaded firearm in any vehicle without a valid carry permit is illegal in New Hampshire. A loaded firearm refers to a pistol or revolver with the magazine attached or the cartridge inserted on the firing chamber. Violation of this section is a misdemeanor for the first offense. The second and every subsequent violation is considered as Class B felony.

Note: Check the “Relevant Court Cases and Opinions of New Hampshire AG” section above. A loaded firearm has a round in the chamber or an attached loaded magazine. If the magazine is just near the firearm, then it is not loaded.

State of Emergency

Title 1 Chapter 4
4:46. Taking of Private Property: Compensation and Use.
During a state of emergency, the Governor have the power to do the following:
• Take personal property if it is necessary to protect the lives of the residents.
• Take away high explosives.
• Take possession of vehicles, horses, aircraft, motorboats, ships or any means of transportation.
• Take possession of clothes, medicines, medical supplies and poultry if they are in excess of one’s household.
• Take possession of fuel and gasoline.

This section shall not authorize confiscation of firearms and ammunition.

A person who is authorized by the state to take possession of a private property shall present a warrant on the owner of such property.

Note: During a state of emergency, the federal law may apply if the state is receiving financial assistance from the federal government. To know more about the federal laws applicable for State of Emergencies, see US Code 42-5207. .

The minimum age requirement to carry and transport an unloaded firearm in a vehicle within New Hampshire without the need for any type of permit is 18 years old.

Note: Some states are very restrictive when it comes to possession and transportation of firearms that they only allow transporting to and from the gun shops, repair shops, shooting range, and the carrier’s own house or place of business. Other states do not have restrictions.

To know more information about transportation of firearms in a vehicle, check the “Traveling in a Vehicle with a Firearm without a New Hampshire Permit” section above.

4/12/15 – Initial page created.