New Hampshire is a constitutional-carry state. The state imposes almost no transport-specific restriction on firearms. The rules that matter for most...
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. The state imposes almost no transport-specific restriction on firearms. The rules that matter for most people on the road, in the air, or shipping a gun are federal, plus one state hunting-vehicle rule that is broader than many people assume. This section walks through each context and grounds every limit in the controlling statute.
A non-prohibited adult may transport a loaded or unloaded pistol or revolver anywhere in New Hampshire by any conveyance, including a vehicle, motorcycle, bicycle, or on foot, without any state-law license, fee, or specific storage requirement. RSA 159:6, III is the controlling provision. It states that the availability of a license to carry "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."
There is no general state-law transport restriction on long guns when you are not hunting and not in a vehicle. The one state rule that does reach long guns in vehicles is the loaded-long-gun-in-a-moving-conveyance rule in RSA 207:7, II, covered next. It is not limited to hunting.
RSA 207:7, II is broader than a hunting-only rule. It provides that "No person shall have or carry, in or on a motor vehicle, OHRV, snowmobile, or aircraft, when moving, a cocked crossbow, a loaded rifle or loaded shotgun, muzzleloader, or air rifle," with a narrow exception only for "a person or a person's agent while in the act of protecting his or her interest in their livestock or crops." A second sentence lets that same agricultural person carry a loaded long gun while traveling through or between farming or agricultural areas to protect livestock or crops, except when crossing or traveling on a public way.
In practical terms: do not carry a loaded rifle, shotgun, muzzleloader, or air rifle (or a cocked crossbow) in or on a moving motor vehicle, OHRV, snowmobile, or aircraft in New Hampshire, whether or not you are hunting. Unload the long gun before the vehicle moves. The statute exempts law enforcement officers carrying in the line of duty (RSA 207:7, IV). RSA 207:7, III applies a parallel rule to boats and other mechanically propelled craft. Note that this rule reaches long guns, not pistols and revolvers, which are governed by RSA 159:6, III.
When you cross state lines, the federal Firearm Owners Protection Act safe harbor at 18 U.S.C. 926A applies. The statute provides that any person not otherwise prohibited from transporting, shipping, or receiving a firearm is entitled to transport a firearm for any lawful purpose from a place where he may lawfully possess and carry it to any other place where he may lawfully possess and carry it, if during the transportation:
The statute adds a proviso: in a vehicle without a compartment separate from the driver's compartment, the firearm or ammunition must be in a locked container other than the glove compartment or console.
26A shields the traveler from prosecution under a more restrictive state or local law, but only while the firearm is in transit between two places where the person may lawfully possess it. The protection is fact-specific. Courts in some states (New Jersey and New York are the common examples) have read the in-transit requirement narrowly, so stopping for an extended stay can put a traveler outside the safe harbor. Plan the route so the firearm stays unloaded and inaccessible the entire way through any state where you could not otherwise carry it.
Common scenarios:
TSA rules at 49 C.F.R. 1540.111 and airline-security rules at 49 C.F.R. 1544.105 govern firearms in airline baggage:
Carrying a firearm or other concealed dangerous weapon into the secured (post-screening) area of an airport, or onto an aircraft, is a federal crime under 49 U.S.C. 46505. That statute makes it an offense, punishable by a fine and up to 10 years imprisonment, for an individual who, when on or attempting to board an aircraft, "has on or about the individual or the property of the individual a concealed dangerous weapon that is or would be accessible to the individual in flight," or who places or attempts to place a loaded firearm on the aircraft in property not accessible to passengers in flight. An accidental violation (a forgotten pistol in a carry-on bag) can also draw a TSA civil penalty under 49 C.F.R. part 1540, in addition to the criminal exposure. Properly declared, unloaded, locked, checked firearms are not a 46505 violation, because they are not concealed or accessible in flight.
Federal law governs shipping. The starting points are 18 U.S.C. 922 and 18 U.S.C. 1715:
Always confirm the current carrier policy, because UPS, FedEx, and USPS each impose requirements that are stricter than the bare federal minimum.
A non-prohibited adult walking with a firearm on the person (holstered, slung, or in a backpack) is engaged in lawful carry under RSA 159:6, III. The firearm need not be unloaded or encased when carried on foot. The prohibited-place rules still apply, including no carry in a courtroom or area used by a court (RSA 159:19), no carry in a federal facility (18 U.S.C. 930), school grounds, and posted private property.
A New Hampshire resident returning home from a more restrictive state should keep the firearm in 926A-compliant condition (unloaded and inaccessible) while transiting that state and any restrictive state in between. Once inside New Hampshire, RSA 159:6, III governs, and a non-prohibited adult may load and re-holster a pistol or revolver. Remember the in-vehicle long-gun rule: a loaded long gun in a moving vehicle remains prohibited in New Hampshire under RSA 207:7, II.
Carrying a loaded or unloaded pistol, revolver, firearm, or other deadly weapon, whether open or concealed and whether licensed or unlicensed, in a courtroom or area used by a court is a class B felony under RSA 159:19, I. This is one of the few hard state-law carry prohibitions, and it applies regardless of New Hampshire's general constitutional-carry rule. Firearms may be secured at the courthouse entrance by court security personnel.
New Hampshire places almost no state-law restriction on transporting firearms within the state. The main state rule to remember is RSA 207:7, II: no loaded long gun (or cocked crossbow) in a moving motor vehicle, OHRV, snowmobile, or aircraft, hunting or not. Federal law controls the rest of the high-risk contexts: 18 U.S.C. 926A for interstate transit, 49 U.S.C. 46505 and the TSA rules for air travel, 18 U.S.C. 922 and 1715 for shipping, and 18 U.S.C. 930 for federal facilities. Common practice is to keep unattended firearms in a locked vehicle safe and to use a retention holster for on-person carry.
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.