Eligibility Requirements for Gun Ownership
New Hampshire follows both the federal rules and state ones for gun eligibility. The latter are mostly based on the former. Here are examples of the state’s disqualifiers for gun possession:
- Felony convicts
- Undocumented immigrants
- Addicts to controlled substances
- Dishonorably discharged former-members of the Armed Forces
Age Requirements for Gun Ownership and Purchase
The minimum age to buy a handgun from a licensed dealer is 21 in New Hampshire. If buying a rifle or shotgun, it’s 18.
This changes in private sales. The minimum age to buy a handgun from a private or non-dealer seller is 18. If buying a rifle or shotgun, there’s no minimum age.
As for possession itself (not purchase), the state has no law specifying a minimum age for it. It only says you can't give or sell a handgun to anyone under 18.
That said, N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 159:12 also makes exceptions for some cases. These include “fathers, mothers, grandparents, guardians, administrators or executors who give a pistol or revolver to their children or wards or to heirs to an estate.”
Background Check Process
Federal law requires licensed gun dealers in New Hampshire to run background checks. No law requires private or non-dealer sellers to do that in the state.
When the background check happens for licensed dealers, it’s started in one of two ways:
- If what’s being sold is a handgun, the dealer contacts the New Hampshire Department of Safety.
- If what’s being sold is a long gun, he contacts the FBI directly.
In either case, the check goes through the National Instant Criminal Background Check System or NICS.
How to Sell a Gun in New Hampshire
It’s allowed to sell to both licensed firearm dealers and private buyers in New Hampshire. You have to make sure they’re eligible for firearm possession, of course.
Licensed dealers are guaranteed to be eligible to own guns, as they undergo background checks to get their licenses. For private buyers, you just have to make sure they don’t have a disqualifier.
To learn more, see our guide for how to sell a gun in New Hampshire.
Types of Firearms Regulated in New Hampshire
New Hampshire doesn’t regulate any type of firearm.
Federal regulations like the National Firearms Act or NFA ones still apply to residents of the state, however.
Open Carry Regulations
Open carry is lawful in New Hampshire unless it’s in violation of N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 111:15.
This prohibits any member of a civil group from assuming “any semblance of military organization or character by bearing or possessing rifles, pistols, sabres, clubs, or military weapons of any kind.”
Concealed Carry Laws
Permitless carry is allowed in New Hampshire as long as the person involved is eligible to own guns in both federal and state law.
New Hampshire CCW Reciprocity
29 states have reciprocity with New Hampshire, including Maine, Vermont, Ohio, West Virginia, and Indiana.
Notably, states like New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island do not.
Firearm Registration Guidelines
There is no gun registration or state registry in New Hampshire.
Red Flag Laws
New Hampshire has no red flag laws.
New Hampshire Gun Laws in Car
New Hampshire allows guns in vehicles if they are:
- Loaded handguns.
- Unloaded rifles or shotguns.
An exception for the latter is for individuals who are in the act of protecting their livestock or crops, as per N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 207:7.
New Hampshire Gun Storage Laws
New Hampshire does not actually have a law prescribing acceptable storage for unattended guns. However, it does have a law creating the offense of “negligent storage of firearms.”
N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 650-C:1 makes it an offense if all of these are true:
- You stored or left a loaded firearm on premises under your control.
- Someone younger than 16 accessed the aforementioned gun.
- You knew or should have known that the person under 16 was likely to gain access to the gun without the permission of his or her parent or guardian.
- The gun was later used by the person under 16 in a reckless or threatening manner, negligently or recklessly discharged, or was used for a misdemeanor or felony.
New Hampshire Self Defense Laws
New Hampshire is a Castle Doctrine state. This means Stand Your Ground applies and you have no duty to retreat when faced with a threat to your person.
Recent Legislative Changes in New Hampshire Gun Laws
The most recent change to New Hampshire’s gun laws is NH HB1336, also known as the Guns at Work Bill.
Signed by Governor Chris Sununu, it took effect on January 1, 2025. It requires certain employes to let their employees keep loaded guns in their cars parked at work as long as these are true:
- The car is locked.
- The firearm is not visible.