NH House passes bill which would remove the need for a permit to carry concealed

[Keith and stuff]

On March 15th, the NH House passed a bill which would remove the need for a permit to carry a firearm concealed. While NH already has arguable the least restrictive weapons laws in the nation, and among them the easiest process to get a permit to carry concealed in the nation, for many in NH, that isn't good enough. I want it to be very clear to people that NH has the most common sense weapons laws in the world, and if this bill becomes law, that will happen.

By a vote of 244 to 109, HB 330 passed the NH House. This bill was co-sponsored by NH natives and Free State Project participants. It now moves onto the NH Senate where it is likely to pass.

http://www.nhliberty.org/bills/view/2011/HB330

HOUSE BILL 330-FN

AN ACT relative to carrying firearms.

SPONSORS: Rep. Jennifer Coffey, Merr 6; Rep. Comerford, Rock 9; Rep. Swinford, Belk 5; Rep. Baldasaro, Rock 3; Rep. Welch, Rock 8; Rep. Warden, Hills 7; Rep. Groen, Straf 1; Rep. Gagne, Hills 13; Rep. Kreis, Merr 6; Sen. Carson, Dist 14; Sen. Bradley, Dist 3; Sen. Boutin, Dist 16

COMMITTEE: Criminal Justice and Public Safety

ANALYSIS

This bill:

I. Permits any person to carry a firearm, openly or concealed, loaded or unloaded, on or about their person or upon or in a vehicle, whether or not such person possesses a license, permit, or other authorization to carry a firearm.

II. Removes the requirement that nonresidents obtain a license to possess a firearm while in New Hampshire.

[helmuth_hubener]

I want it to be very clear to people that NH has the most common sense weapons laws in the world, and if this bill becomes law, that will happen.

??

I'd say right now it's a close race or tie between Alaska, Arizona, Vermont, and Wyoming, all of which allow both open and concealed carry with no permit. I am willing to be educated, however. In what ways is NH better than those states, so as to be not only the best of the states, but to have "the most common sense weapons laws in the world"?

I look forward to it becoming a five-way tie for most weapons liberty, anyway, or to NH taking the lead if there are in fact other ways they are better. NH, you are going crazy with fantastic bills! Good job, men!

[Keith and stuff]

??

I'd say right now it's a close race or tie between Alaska, Arizona, Vermont, and Wyoming, all of which allow both open and concealed carry with no permit. I am willing to be educated, however. In what ways is NH better than those states, so as to be not only the best of the states, but to have "the most common sense weapons laws in the world"?

I look forward to it becoming a five-way tie for most weapons liberty, anyway, or to NH taking the lead if there are in fact other ways they are better. NH, you are going crazy with fantastic bills! Good job, men!

You bring up a great point. MT, ME and ID are also much less restrictive than most states. I admit, while I'm generally very knowledgeable on liberty, I'm not very knowledgeable on firearm laws. However, I know people that are.

A guy I know that lives in NH as part of the FSP explained, IMO, that NH had the least restrictive laws in the nation for firearms. For one thing, if I recall, he explained that there is no age for open carry in NH (so a 4 year old can legally walk around with a gun) and open carry includes just about every places including police stations, colleges (However, there is a federal law that could be read to say that the firearms laws in NH are so nonrestrictive that the federal government may ban firearms on colleges in NH, of course, a college has never tried to test this issue. I believe this issue is because all towns in NH do not have cops and some concealed carry permits in NH are issued by towns and not cops because of that and the federal government doesn't like that.), churches and even bars.

Additionally, NH has the easiest process to go through to get a concealed carry permit, as far as I am aware. The concealed carry permit in NH has no age restriction and teenagers in NH do apply for and receive concealed carry permits. My understanding is that in some states, even some of the states you mentioned, you have to be 18 or even 21 to get a concealed carry permit. 21 to get a concealed carry permit, that would be unthinkable in NH. Some states have laws that are so restrictive that you have to actually carry the permit with you (why is that needed?) when you are carrying a firearm. In some states you have to actually take a training course, wait more than 2 weeks, or get finger printed. I heard some states even try to make money off the process. That is horrible, a state should not try to make money off of the permit process, just pay it's expenses.

And keep in mind, most states require a permit to concealed carry so it is very useful for a state to offer it. VT, for example, doesn't have a permit process so residents from VT have to get permits in other states if they want to carry there.

As for other weapons, last year a FSPer created a bill that became law that removed all knife laws in NH, except for felons. Not a single State Rep or State Senator voted against the bill as it passed both Houses with unanimous votes and was signed by the Governor. Needless to say, you cannot get any better than no knife laws.

I am not saying NH is gold. I admit we still have work to do in NH and we are doing it. Of course, the more help the better

[Echoes]

I believe in a couple of the 'Constitutional Carry' states like Vermont and Alaska you must inform a cop, if within a certain distance, that you are concealing a firearm. That's not the case in NH. There are a few other nuance restrictions in other states (cant remember right now), making NH perhaps #1

[Keith and stuff]

The NH House leadership is now pushing HB 536 as a no permit to carry concealed bill. The bill had to be heavily amended so that it may possibly get enough votes to overcome a likely veto by Democratic Governor Lynch.

No-permit gun bill is pushed
By TOM FAHEY
State House Bureau Chief
Published Oct 21, 2011 at 3:00 am
http://www.unionleader.com/article/2...WS07/710219987

CONCORD — New Hampshire residents would no longer have to obtain licenses to carry concealed weapons under a bill a key House committee voted for Thursday.

By a vote of 12-5, the Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee recommended passage of House Bill 536, which allows anyone but convicted felons and the mentally ill to carry pistols openly or concealed, loaded or unloaded, without a permit.

The bill continues the current permitting system so gun owners can produce a state permit in other states that have agreements in place that recognize them.

Gun rights advocates said the bill, amended from its original version, preserves the important points they hoped to win.

“This does the one thing we believe is most important, and that is it makes a license to carry optional,” said James Wheeler, treasurer of the New Hampshire Firearms Coalition.

“We believe the Constitution is an individual license to carry,” he added.

The bill also does something else.

In addition to making licenses optional, HB 536 also makes it easier for anyone to sell pistols and revolvers to licensed dealers, state residents or anyone they know.

Here is the amended analysis of what HB 536 does.

http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/bill...llnumber=hb536

I. Increases the length of time for which a license to carry a pistol or revolver is valid, and reduces the fee for nonresidents wishing to obtain a license to carry.
II. Provides that the license to carry a pistol or revolver shall be optional and that the availability of such license shall not prohibit the unlicensed transport or carrying 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, provided such person is not otherwise prohibited by statute from possessing a firearm in this state.
III. Requires the director of the division of state police to negotiate and enter into agreements with other jurisdictions to recognize in those jurisdictions the validity of the license to carry issued in this state.
IV. Clarifies to whom a pistol or revolver may be sold.
V. Allows a person who has obtained a license to hunt with a bow and arrow to carry a firearm if he or she is otherwise qualified under the license to carry statute.

The article also talks about another gun bill that based the committee. I don't understand the intent of HB 334, the other bill. It seems that all or almost all of what HB 334 is trying to do is already the law in NH.
http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/bill...llnumber=hb334

The committee also passed a bill that makes it more difficult for towns to pass ordinances regarding gun use and possession. HB 334 bars gun bans on any public property, whether it is owned by local or state government, unless the specifically ban is authorized in state law. The bill passed on an 11-6 vote.

[muzzled dogg]

nice!

[donnay]

Great news...in all reality we shouldn't have to have a "permit" to carry!

[BuddyRey]

This is awesome. I hope the governor doesn't try to veto it.