New Hampshire is a constitutional-carry state. Under RSA 159:6, III, any adult who is not otherwise prohibited from possessing a firearm may carry a...
Reviewed by Will Luker, Founder of CCW Hub. USCCA Training Counselor, USCCA Certified Instructor, NRA Certified Instructor, Law Enforcement.
New Hampshire is a constitutional-carry state. Under RSA 159:6, III, any adult who is not otherwise prohibited from possessing a firearm may carry a loaded pistol or revolver in New Hampshire, openly or concealed, on the person or in a vehicle, with no license at all. That rule applies the same way to a resident, a nonresident, or an alien. Because of this, an out-of-state visitor does not depend on reciprocity to carry here. If the visitor is a non-prohibited adult, the visitor may carry whether or not any state has issued the visitor a license.
This is an important distinction. New Hampshire does not have a statute that recognizes incoming out-of-state licenses one by one. It does not need one. The constitutional-carry rule covers the visitor directly. A home-state license is useful for federal benefits and for a smoother police encounter, but it is not a requirement to carry in New Hampshire.
RSA 159:6, III provides that the availability of a license to carry under that section or any other provision of law "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 if that individual is not otherwise prohibited by statute from possessing a firearm in the state of New Hampshire."
So a visitor who is not a prohibited person may carry a loaded pistol concealed or openly, on the person or in a vehicle, without showing any document. The visitor does not need a home-state license. The only test is whether the visitor is barred from possessing a firearm under New Hampshire or federal law.
A visitor who does hold a home-state carry license carries on the same constitutional-carry footing as everyone else under RSA 159:6, III. The license does not unlock a separate state-law authority, because New Hampshire already allows the carry. What the license does add are two federal benefits:
The practical point: carry the license if you have one. It is the easier way to demonstrate authority during a police encounter and it carries real federal benefits. It is not a New Hampshire requirement to carry.
New Hampshire issues a Pistol/Revolver License under RSA 159:6. It is valid for at least 5 years. The resident fee is $10 and the nonresident fee is $100. Many other states recognize the New Hampshire license under those states' own reciprocity rules.
New Hampshire's reciprocity statute, RSA 159:6-d, runs in the outbound direction. It directs the New Hampshire State Police to obtain recognition of the New Hampshire license in other jurisdictions. The statute provides that "the director of the division of state police shall negotiate and enter into reciprocal agreements with other jurisdictions to recognize in those jurisdictions the validity of the license issued under RSA 159:6," and that the director "shall apply to every jurisdiction with which New Hampshire does not have a reciprocity agreement, at least once every 5 years" to obtain that recognition. RSA 159:6-d is about getting the New Hampshire license honored elsewhere. It is not a statute that makes New Hampshire recognize incoming out-of-state licenses. Whether a given state honors the New Hampshire license is governed by that state's law, not by RSA 159:6-d.
A New Hampshire resident traveling out of state should:
Separate from any reciprocity question, the federal Firearm Owners Protection Act safe harbor at 18 U.S.C. 926A protects a person transporting a firearm between two places where the person may lawfully possess and carry it, even when the route passes through a state where carry is otherwise restricted. The statute says a person not otherwise prohibited "shall be entitled to transport a firearm for any lawful purpose from any place where he may lawfully possess and carry such firearm to any other place where he may lawfully possess and carry such firearm if, during such transportation the firearm is unloaded, and neither the firearm nor any ammunition being transported is readily accessible or is directly accessible from the passenger compartment." In a vehicle with no separate compartment, the firearm or ammunition must be in a locked container other than the glove compartment or console.
FOPA is a transit protection, not a carry authorization. It does not let a traveler stop and carry in a state that prohibits it. For a New Hampshire carrier driving through Massachusetts to Maine, 18 U.S.C. 926A is the safety net through Massachusetts. The firearm must be unloaded and stored inaccessibly before crossing into Massachusetts. In New Hampshire and Maine, both constitutional-carry states, ordinary carry rules apply.
Regardless of New Hampshire's permissive state law, federal restrictions stay in force. A carrier should plan around these:
The New Hampshire reference for licensing and reciprocity is the New Hampshire Department of Safety, Division of State Police (https://www.dos.nh.gov). The State Police administer the nonresident license and pursue the outbound recognition agreements required by RSA 159:6-d. For whether another state honors the New Hampshire license, the destination state's Attorney General or State Police is the controlling source.
This page covers one part of our New Hampshire concealed carry guide.
Read the complete New Hampshire guideBrowse local instructors offering state-approved training in your area. Book online, complete your training, and get one step closer to your concealed carry permit.