How strict are gun laws in New Hampshire?
Permissive
No permit to purchase, registration, carry permit or private-sale background checks are required.
New Hampshire is classified “Permissive” for civilian gun ownership, as are 30 of the other 49 states and the District of Columbia. For the United States as a whole, the classification is “Varies by region”.
Source
- Last checked
- 17 September 2026
- How it was classified
- Read from the source’s state-by-state coverage; the topic is published only once hand-verified reference states match it.
Across the United States
- Permissive 31 states, including New Hampshire.
- Licensed / moderate 7 states.
- Restrictive 4 states.
- Highly restrictive / banned 8 states and the District of Columbia.
Nearby states
- Vermont
- Licensed / moderate State law requires or includes magazine capacity limits, background checks on private sales, a red flag law and a waiting period.
- Massachusetts
- Highly restrictive / banned State law requires or includes a permit to purchase, an assault weapons ban, magazine capacity limits, an owner licence, a permit for concealed carry, background checks on private sales and a red flag law.
- Maine
- Permissive State law requires or includes a red flag law.
- Rhode Island
- Highly restrictive / banned State law requires or includes a permit to purchase, an assault weapons ban, magazine capacity limits, a permit for concealed carry, background checks on private sales, a red flag law and a waiting period.
- Connecticut
- Restrictive State law requires or includes a permit to purchase, firearm registration (partial), an assault weapons ban, magazine capacity limits, a permit for concealed carry, background checks on private sales and a red flag law.
- New York
- Highly restrictive / banned State law requires or includes a permit to purchase, firearm registration, an assault weapons ban, magazine capacity limits, an owner licence, a permit for concealed carry, background checks on private sales and a red flag law.
Other laws in New Hampshire
- Abortion
- Legal on request
- Euthanasia
- Illegal
- Same-Sex Marriage
- Marriage legal
- Age of Consent
- 16–17
- Sex Work
- Illegal
- Death Penalty
- Fully abolished
- Cannabis
- Legal (Medical)
Civilian gun ownership in the United States → · How strict are gun laws around the world? →
A visual reference compiled from Wikipedia’s law-by-country articles, not legal advice. Laws change and summaries simplify — check a primary source before relying on anything here.