◆ NEW HAMPSHIRE · CARRY LAW

New Hampshire.

Another state or territory

Information, not legal advice. Confirm with the state before you carry.

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◆ THE SHORT ANSWEREvery tile below is one of the answers further down this page, with its citation.

Concealed, no permit

Yes

Open, no permit

Yes

In a vehicle, no permit

Yes

Getting a permit

Yes, shall-issue

Nothing in New Hampshire that most visitors get caught by, but read the answers below before you rely on that.

◆ CARRYING HERE

What New Hampshire requires

The state's permit is the License to Carry, issued by your town selectmen or city police chief.

Carrying without a permit3

Can I carry concealed here without a permit?

Permitless or "constitutional" carry. "Limited" means some adults qualify and others do not. Read the qualifier.

Yes

Yes. New Hampshire did not grant permitless carry. It repealed the offense. There is nothing left to need a license for.

N.H. Rev. Stat. § 159:4, repealed by 2017 ch. 1 s. 3Read at the New Hampshire General Court ↗Checked 10 days ago

Can I carry openly here without a permit?

Yes

Yes. Open carry has never required a license in New Hampshire.

N.H. Rev. Stat. ch. 159Read at the New Hampshire General Court ↗Checked 10 days ago

Can I keep a loaded handgun in my car without a permit?

Yes

Yes, on the same terms as on foot.

N.H. Rev. Stat. § 159:4, repealedRead at the New Hampshire General Court ↗Checked 10 days ago

Permits and age3

If I want this state's permit, will they issue one?

Shall-issue means the state must issue to any qualified applicant. May-issue leaves it to an official's discretion.

Yes, shall-issue

Your town selectmen or city police chief issue it. You do not need it to carry here. It is for traveling.

N.H. Rev. Stat. § 159:6Read at the New Hampshire General Court ↗Checked 10 days ago

Can I get this state's permit if I live somewhere else?

Yes

Yes. New Hampshire issues non-resident licenses through the State Police.

N.H. Rev. Stat. § 159:6Read at the New Hampshire General Court ↗Checked 10 days ago

How old do I have to be to carry here?

The floor for the least restrictive lawful route. Where permitless and permit ages differ, the qualifier says so.

18.

N.H. Rev. Stat. ch. 159Read at the New Hampshire General Court ↗Checked 10 days ago

If an officer stops you1

Do I have to tell an officer I am armed?

"Required" means you must volunteer it on contact. "On request" means only when asked.

Not required

No statute requires you to announce it. Answer honestly if you are asked.

No duty-to-inform provision in N.H. Rev. Stat. ch. 159Read at the New Hampshire General Court ↗Checked 10 days ago

How we checked there is no such law

Read §§ 159:6 and 159:26 on 2026-09-06. The licensing and preemption sections, and the repeal note on 159:4. No notification requirement appears.

Buying and owning2

Do I need a state-issued card just to own or buy a firearm here?

Illinois' FOID is the main example. Distinct from a carry permit.

Not required

No permit or license to buy, and no state waiting period.

No purchase-permit provision in N.H. Rev. Stat. ch. 159Read at the New Hampshire General Court ↗Checked 10 days ago

How we checked there is no such law

Read §§ 159:6 and 159:26 on 2026-09-06. Chapter 159 licenses CARRYING and creates no permit to acquire.

Is there a limit on magazine capacity here?

No limit

New Hampshire sets no cap on magazine capacity.

No magazine capacity provision in N.H. Rev. Stat. ch. 159Read at the New Hampshire General Court ↗Checked 10 days ago

How we checked there is no such law

Read § 159:26 on 2026-09-06, which gives the State authority over “the sale, purchase, ownership, use, possession, transportation, licensing, permitting, taxation, or other matter pertaining to firearms… or ammunition” and bars local rules. No state capacity limit was found.

How the state governs guns2

Can a city here write its own gun rules on top of the state's?

Full preemption means state law is the only law. Partial means some cities may go further. Check locally.

No, state law is the only law

The State has authority over firearms, ammunition and knives. No local ordinance may regulate them except where a statute specifically allows.

N.H. Rev. Stat. § 159:26(I)Read at the New Hampshire General Court ↗Checked 10 days ago

Does this state have a red-flag law?

An extreme risk protection order lets a court order firearms surrendered temporarily.

No, none in this state

New Hampshire has no extreme-risk protection order.

No extreme-risk order in New Hampshire lawRead at the New Hampshire General Court ↗Checked 10 days ago

How we checked there is no such law

Searched for a New Hampshire extreme-risk or red-flag order on 2026-09-06. Domestic violence protective orders under RSA 173-B can require relinquishing firearms, and no petition-based extreme-risk order exists alongside them.

◆ RECIPROCITY

Permits New Hampshire honors

If you are visiting New Hampshire, this is whether your permit counts here.

The state's own list ↗

Which state issued your permit?

Pick a state for the full answer with its citation, or find it in the grid below.

Honored54

◆ RECIPROCITY, THE OTHER WAY

Where New Hampshire permits are honored

If you live in New Hampshire, this is where your permit travels.

Where are you traveling with a New Hampshire permit?

Pick a state for the full answer with its citation, or find it in the grid below.

Honored30

Honored, with a condition3

Not honored19

Not settled2

◆ NFA ITEMS

Suppressors and NFA legality

Federal registration is required everywhere these are legal. A state can prohibit them regardless, and several do.

Can I possess a suppressor here?

Federal NFA registration is required everywhere it is legal. State law can prohibit it regardless.

Legal