New Hampshire Concealed Carry Laws

Last reviewed: May 3, 2026

Constitutional Carry No permit is required for open carry or concealed carry and applies to both residents and non residents 18+.
Open Carry Lawful
Permit honored in 31 states
New Hampshire honors 30 states

New Hampshire Gun Laws

Open Carry

Lawful
Permitted

Duty to Notify Law Enforcement

No
Permitted

State Parks

Concealed Carry is legal in accordance with state laws that regulate the right to carry
Permitted

Restaurants Serving Alcohol

No restrictions
Permitted

Firearms at Colleges

Schools individually decide the weapons policy.
Informational

Firearms at K-12 Schools

New Hampshire permittee may have loaded gun in vehicle only.
Restricted

Church Carry

Churches act like any other private property and may restrict
on a church by church basis
Informational

Hotels

No legal restriction - Reference article on page 67
Informational

Secure Storage Requirements

There are legal consequences if one fails to secure their firearm and that leads to a minor gaining unauthorized access.
Informational

Magazine Capacity Limitations

No restrictions
Permitted

Suppressor Ownership

Ownership & Hunting Legal.
Permitted

Vehicle Possession Without Recognized Permit

Handguns are lawful loaded or unloaded, open or concealed, by resident or non-resident within a vehicle
Permitted

Firearm Law Uniformity

Uniform throughout the state
Permitted

Permit Training Requirements

None
Informational

Non-Resident Permits

The NH State Police issue non-resident permits
Informational

Constitutional Carry

No permit is required for open carry or concealed carry and applies to both residents and non residents 18+.
Permitted

Duty to Retreat

No Duty to Retreat
Permitted

Places Off Limits

I. No person shall 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 or whether licensed or unlicensed, upon
the person or within any of the person's possessions owned or within the person's control in a courtroom or
area used by a court. Whoever violates the provisions of this paragraph shall be guilty of a class B felony.
II. Firearms may be secured at the entrance to a courthouse by courthouse security personnel.
III. For purposes of paragraph I, "area used by a court" means:
(a) In a building dedicated exclusively to court use, the entire building exclusive of the area between the
entrance and the courthouse security.
(b) In any other building which includes a court facility, courtrooms, jury assembly rooms, deliberation
rooms, conference and interview rooms, the judge's chambers, other court staff facilities, holding facilities,
and corridors, stairways, waiting areas, and elevators directly connecting these rooms and facilities.
IV. The provisions of this section shall not apply to marshals, sheriffs, deputy sheriffs, police or other duly
appointed or elected law enforcement officers, bailiffs and court security officers, or persons with prior
authorization of the court for the purpose of introducing weapons into evidence and as otherwise provided
for in RSA 159:5.
V. It shall be an affirmative defense to any prosecution under paragraph I that there was no notice of the
provisions of paragraph I posted in a conspicuous place at each public entrance to the court building.
Informational

State Contact Info

New Hampshire State Police
33 Hazen Drive - Room 106
Concord, NH 03305
603-223-3873
www.nh.gov/safety
Informational

Permit Issuing Authority

Local Police / Sheriff
Informational

Length of Permit Validity

5 years
Informational

Permit Application Process

Local Police/Sheriff issue resident permits. Contact them for forms or print one from online. Take it to your
Police/Sheriff along with your State Photo Drivers License/ID. The process is simple and straight forward.
Cost is $10
Informational

New Hampshire Permit Reciprocity

Reciprocity shown is for a standard resident permit. Non-resident and enhanced permit holders may have different reciprocity. Always verify before carrying. Use our full permit reciprocity map for all permit types →

Your New Hampshire resident permit is honored in 31 states

AK AL AR AZ CO FL GA IA ID IN KS KY LA ME MI MO MS NC ND OH OK PA SD TN TX UT VA VT WI WV WY

New Hampshire honors resident permits from 30 states

AK AL AR AZ CO FL GA IA ID IN KS KY LA ME MI MO MS MT NC ND OH OK PA SD TN UT VA VT WV WY
Disclaimer:
While Concealed Carry Inc strives to maintain legal reference information updated on this website; you as the reader and gun owner are responsible to do any and all necessary research and consult with a local attorney before making any decisions. Concealed Carry Inc is not liable for any misinformation, inaccuracies, or actions taken based on this information. We are not attorneys and this information is not legal advice. If you see any information you feel is outdated or incorrect please contact us.

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