New Hampshire Is Now A Constitutional Carry State

As a New Hampshire resident I am pleased that the current state government saw fit to align with the U.S. Constitution and its 2nd Amendment.

Governor Chris Sununu Signs Constitutional Carry Legislation.

Concord, NH – Governor Chris Sununu today signed Senate Bill 12, Constitutional Carry legislation, into law. Governor Sununu delivered the following statement:

“SB 12 ensures New Hampshire citizens are guaranteed the fundamental right to carry a firearm in defense of themselves and their families, as prescribed by Article 2a of our state constitution,” said Governor Chris Sununu.

“This common sense legislation aligns our concealed carry laws with that of our neighboring states of Vermont and Maine and states across the country. This is about safety. This is about making sure that the laws on our books are keeping people safe while remaining true to the Live Free or Die spirit that makes New Hampshire the great state that it is. This is a commitment I made to the people of New Hampshire and I am proud today to fulfill that commitment, signing SB12 into law.”

 
List of Constitutional Carry states:

 

A license is no longer required to carry a loaded gun under a jacket or in a purse in New Hampshire, making it the 11th state that doesn’t require a license or permit in most cases.

Note: State law bars anyone who has a restraining order against them or a felony conviction from possessing a gun. Federal law goes further, also barring anyone convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment exceeding one year, drug users, certain people with mental illness, or someone convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence, among several other categories.

 

States that have constitutional carry

Alaska
Arizona
Idaho (residents only)
Kansas
Maine
Mississippi
Missouri
New Hampshire
Vermont
West Virginia
Wyoming (residents only)

 

States that have a limited form of permitless concealed carry

Montana (outside city limits)
New Mexico (unloaded weapon & loaded magazine, vehicle carry)
Oklahoma (residents of constitutional carry states)

 
Molon Labe vinyl decal sticker

 
If you ‘carry’, the following article should be of interest:
Self Defense Threat And The Tueller Distance 21-Foot-Rule

40 Comments

  1. Hooray for us! As I understand it, the new law still provides for permitting, as this would be required for reciprocity. My only concern, and in fact the reason I opposed this bill, was that on the rebound, I am concerned we may lose our right to conceal carry altogether.

    1. The concealed carry license mechanism is still in place for purposes of reciprocity with other states. I have one too – like you said, now for reciprocity.

    2. You must now get them to say NICS EXEMPT. By filling out BATF form 4473 when I submitted my Concealed carry application I now have this on my CCW license. I still have to fill out a form 4473 but I now don’t have to wait for BATF conformation to receive the firearm. The 4473 stays with the dealer until he surrenders his license.

  2. Thumbs up for NH!

    Sad that this has to be separate legislation to restate what’s in the Constitution. Every state should just follow the Constitution! (Hear this, Virginia??)

    1. @ no joke

      “this is a case of common sense” the problem is not many times is “common sense” used when the .gov and Snowflakes are involved….

      NRP

      PS; good to see you around again, welcome back.

  3. Ken, I have a question for ya, or I could go look it up myself, but this way everyone sees this;

    Does this law allow for non-residents to carry in this manor also?

    I have a CCW in NM and it is NOT in reciprocity with NH, just curious for when I come over for dinner :-)

    NRP

    1. Yes, also for non-residents. Just as I can travel over into Vermont or the other direction over to Maine without issue while carrying concealed. NH is actually recognizing that our 2nd Amendment rights go beyond state lines. It’s a national right.

      But if I travel south into Massachusetts, I’ll be locked up as a criminal! Go figure.

      Sure, come on over for dinner… you’re only about 3000 miles away ;)

  4. This is one of the reasons I wish to move farther north. That and lower taxes.

  5. Now you get to weed out the crazies that will be carrying as well. I agree with the second amendment, but allowing “anyone” to carry is not a good idea.

    1. That’s an apparent reason why NH State law bars anyone who has a felony conviction from possessing a gun (as well as those who have a restraining order against them).

      Additionally, the crazies (and the criminal element) tend not to obey the law anyway…

  6. Congrats to NH.
    I’ve had a Conceal carry here in Fl. Since 1985. Back then it wasn’t easy.
    But has become easier now, hopefully in the near future that will change.

  7. Sorry Bluecatmatt but I have to disagree with you.

    I came from a nanny-state that made it very difficult to obtain a CCW and the way they did that was by a series of very complicated rules and regulations that varied from county to county. This made it difficult for people who worked in the private security sector.

    As I get older, I am more sensitive to actions of the nanny-state attempting to disarm senior citizens that are requesting to obtain financial aid from Social Security/Medicaid/Medicare. One of the conditions for obtaining aid is to have a visiting nurse to come to your house and help you out?

    The agency removes all guns from the house for the safety of its employees providing treatment. This issue has been brought up on this site before. The scary fact is: Once something is confiscated like that, there is no organized or legal way to get it back. (or pass it down to your children or trusted relative)

    As a retired peace officer, I have held the weapons of others out there who were receiving home health aid/had mentally unstable family members/member of the household has recently been convicted of felony charges. Just like I did when I was on the job, I wrote down the serial # of the weapon and stored it in a locked, dry security cabinet for them to pick up later. The person received a receipt of things I was holding for them. I was part of a network within my community that included several gun shops. This was in California.

    Mas Ayoob talks about establishing and maintaining a similar network in the communities he lives in on the East Coast of the United States and so I know that I am not alone in being part of this network. He has published an article about it in Backwoods Home Magazine. I believe Mas Ayoob retired from working for a police agency somewhere in New Hampshire and now lives in Florida.

    1. Massad Ayoob was an officer with the Concord NH police department. He also wrote one of the first books I ever read on personal defense titled “In the Gravest Extreme” if you haven’t read it yet, you should.

  8. In signing this new law into effect the New Hampshire Governor relies on Article 2a of their state constitution. Therefore, congratulations to all NH residents. Is it shocking to anyone that the California Constitution has NO PROVISION for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms? In other words, there is no “2nd Amendment” provision in our state Constitution. We can only hope that the current administration will be able to sign into law the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2017 (H.R. 38).

  9. Good for ya’ll,(Live Free of Die), meanwhile in Maryland the courts backed the banning of semi-autos and high cap mags. Can anyone say Supreme Court?

    So happy that I live in Florida, The “Gunshine State”.

  10. I tend to lean slightly towards Bluecatmatt’s opinion. I was an instructor in north Idaho for 3 years, and believe me there are a few people out there that should not have a gun in their hand. But on the other hand, how are you going to weed out the crazies? You can’t penalize everyone because of the few. I myself have a conceal permit from the sheriff office. Lets just hope most people are responsible.

    1. @BigBadCat,

      Quote, “You can’t penalize everyone because of the few.”

      You are exactly correct! This is (one of) the problems with so many (all) of the ‘Nanny State’s’. They create excessive laws, rules, regulations in an attempt to ‘save us from ourselves’. We should not be penalized for the dumb actions of others.

    1. Yes indeed, ‘Constitutional Carry’ is gaining ground across the nation. What a concept… ;)

  11. I am envious, living in a country that has a policy of obstructing and demonizing gun owners with an illogical mish mash of laws even the government’s own lawyers don’t understand. Shoot at a gang of armed home invaders here with your duck gun and you will surely face financial losses or ruin for legal defenses, plus probable jail time regardless of the eventual verdict. Just another reason why I like your neck of the woods.

    1. And so many cannot get it in their heads that ‘criminals’, the bad element, DO NOT OBEY THE LAWS. It doesn’t matter how many you put on the books. It is we, the responsible ‘normal’ folks who get penalized or affected by this instead.

      Additionally, the leaders of the ‘gun-grabbers’ know that criminals don’t obey laws but they still leverage their criminal actions to the sleeping sheeple who accept such draconian laws, rules, and regulations…

  12. Went to the court the other day to start the process of getting a restraining order against my ex step son in law. I was asked by the official who he was as he is currently in jail. I was told that the order is only a piece of paper and I should consider other means of defense. I replied that I am. It turns out that he had just beaten his cell mate severely and now faces additional charges. He is a bad dude. Probation now wants a mental health evaluation as he might be “treatable”. He is a sociopath and I told them so. Also told them I didn’t think he is a candidate for voluntary treatment. Regardless, he will get out of jail and probably sooner than later. I will be starting the CCW process here in northern California and will see how it progresses. I do have a better chance here than in the major cities or in southern California as issue is at the local sheriffs discretion.

    I have a question for the group. I currently own a Glock .40 which I feel is too big for me for CC and a Hipower 9mm which always go bang when there is a round in the chamber but a crap shoot on the second shot. (crappy shooter?)

    Out of every three magazines it will have a failure to feed. Doesn’t matter what kind of ammunition. Anyway it is too unreliable. Any thoughts on smaller CC pistols? I think .380 is marginal and would prefer 9mm. I’d appreciate input. Thanks.

    1. Mrs.J has the Glock G43 (Gen 4). Great CC handgun. Small, but still 9mm. Sometimes I carry it too ;)

      By the way, you should bring your Glock to a gunsmith. There’s obviously something wrong with it based on your report…

      1. Thanks Ken. It’s the Hipower not the Glock that is the problem. I’ll look into the G43. The Glock is a gen 3 22 and the fit for my medium sized hand just doesn’t cut it.

        1. Oh, got it regarding not the Glock… I wasn’t aware of the Hipower (Browning?) handgun, never saw or handled one…

          One of the best things you can do (besides actually getting to shoot and try it) is to physically hold the gun in your hand at the store. Some guns, like the current Glocks, come with a kit of multiple grips to accommodate different size hands.

        2. Ken, I owned and carried a Hi-Power back in the 1970s and 1980s. The only failures to fire I ever encountered was with crappy practice ammo, the imported Communist-bloc Berdan-primed crap designed to be used in automatic weapons that fire from an open bolt. The problem is that the firing pin/hammer in the HP isn’t really strong enough to reliably detonate Berdan-primed ammo. American ammo should work every time as it is designed for handguns not submachine guns. If the mags aren’t feeding reliably the answer is simple – get new mags. Sounds like a spring problem.

        3. OMG! I goofed. The Hi-Power is a great gun, I have a Hi-Point which is not.

        4. The Browning High Power or P-35 has been used by the Canadian armed forces since WW 2 and as you probably know has earned a great reputation here and with the many other countries that adopted it. Unless it is completely worn out, filthy, or previously ‘ billy bobbed and tricked out ‘ by Mickey and his friends, I’ll bet the problem is with the ammo and or magazines, especially if they are aftermarket. One of the earliest high capacity wonder nines, it has become high priced and uncommon in comparison to everything else available now, but at one time it was king.

    2. @ me

      Unlike Ken, I don’t care for Glock, for me it’s a little to unreliable, on the other hand I know others that don’t have a problem. Plus they just don’t fit my hand well.

      I have switched to Springfield Armory XD, 45ACP compact for a carry, It’s fairly large, but I’m a big old fat guy; so it’s not too obvious concealed in a layer of fat… HAHAHAHA

      I like the idea of 10 Plus 1 in the pipe in the compact version, 13 +1 in the Subcompact and full sized. And the (2) 13 round mags for spare on the other hip counterbalances the weight.

      Now I know a 45ACP is a lot of boom boom, and the new 9MM is very good ammo, but I’m just old school I guess.

      Hard to teach an old dog new tricks.

      NRP

      PS; if a firearm is not reliable, get it fixed, or get rid of it ASAP.

    3. For CCW I recently bought a S&W M&P 9mm compact. It’s easy to fire, has been reliable, and fits easier into my waistband for Concealed carrying.
      Used to use HK 40 compact (which what I carried for work) which is nice, but much bigger to carry. Also have a S&W BG 380 which can fit in my pocket, but is almost too small, but it works.

      1. My edc is a S&W M&P 9mm too. I have a medium build (5’11” 225lbs) and can conceal it well. I don’t like shooting it nearly as well as my Glock 19 because I have larger hands. I can’t grip the M&P as well.

        1. My HK40 s best, the BG 380 is almost too small for my hands. The M&P is in between.

  13. In the interest of firearms and the rights to carry, I just love to use Chicago as an example of the craziness.

    FYI Chicago has some of the strictest firearm “laws” in the country, A second close is California.

    Here are the stats for Chicago year to date for 2017; TWO MONTHS
    Shot & Killed: 94
    Shot & Wounded: 403
    Total Shot: 497
    Total Homicides: 99

    FYI, total incidents in the entire US, 8727; and if you look at a map of the shootings; most are in the “snowflake” cities.

    Y-all want to know the numbers in my area???? I bet you can guess with no uncertainty. And yes we have Open Carry, CCW, and Castle Doctrine that includes your vehicle as part of your home, AND “Stand Your Ground” laws. I will admit it’s far better to walk away if you can….. See many other articles about this.

    I really congratulate HN for passing a “smart” law regarding the peoples safety, I do hope places like CA, W-DC, OR and a LOT more wake up one of these days, It’s time to stop the insanity AND to stop the criminals.

    A question, do the Criminals obey the laws set forth by those that will take our firearms?

    NRP

    1. Same with my area in northern NH… ZERO incidents, and similarly with Open Carry, CCW, Castle Doctrine, etc..

      When there are shootings, they are most always in the city of Manchester and drug-related. Same old story… the bad guys/gangs in the cities make up most of the statistics, and they don’t follow the laws regardless…

  14. Louisiana has open carry for hand guns. Vehical is considered as an extension of your home for defending yourself from violent attack. Louisiana also has Concealed Carry Permit.

  15. To me:

    I have posted in the past that I am a small, thin guy with small “girlie-man” hands. (Glove size S-M in mens/medium in womens) It is difficult for me to carry concealed without something sticking out so I wear baggy clothes.

    The 2 firearms I have settled on for Concealed Carry are the Kahr CM-9 which holds 7 rounds of 9mm. The other is a Ruger LCR in 38 special. either one is carried in an inside waistband holster or/and the revolver is dropped into a coat pocket as it can be fired from within without jamming. Both have proven very reliable even when using hollow tipped ammunition.

    To NRP: I love my 1911 45 ACP and I now have 3 of them. 2 in 45 acp and one in 9mm. Try as I can, they are just too big and heavy to conceal on my person. (but they are fun to shoot and are used to teach new people how to safely operate and shoot a handgun.) My wife chose the high capacity 9mm handgun she has on her side of the bed at night. It has a small laser/light attached to it and holds 15 in the magazine. with an extra mag beside it. (comforting to have when something goes bump in the night.

    To Bam Bam: Using a Duck Gun to interupt a Home Invasion Party? I like the way you think! Come on down to join us in the lower 48. You will be in good company.

  16. Woot! :)
    our state has CCW. I’ve had my permit for some time.
    .380 w/hp’s in my edc

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