Bill to eliminate concealed carry permit up for House vote

A bill to eliminate the permit requirement in order to carry a concealed firearm, SB 12, is up for a vote in the New Hampshire House on February 9th. The bill already passed the Senate.

Currently, firearms owners in New Hampshire who wish to concealed carry their weapons must apply for a permit from their local police department. Read the rules here. The permit costs $10 and is valid for 4 years. There is some debate over the degree of discretion law enforcement officials may legally exercise in determining who qualifies to carry concealed.

Supporters of repealing the permit requirement argue that it constitutes an infringement of the Second Amendment right to bear arms. They express concerns about the power of local police to deny permits to citizens arbitrarily, and note that a permit requirement is unlikely to dissuade law-breakers from carrying concealed firearms.

Opponents counter that the current system is working fine, and that the permit requirement constitutes a sensible “check” against allowing potentially dangerous individuals to carry concealed weapons.

Then-Gov. Maggie Hassan vetoed a similar bill last year. Gov. Chris Sununu has already expressed support for SB 12, and is likely to approve the bill if it passes the House.

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