No Need For Carry Conceal Permit in New Hampshire

The New Hampshire Senate voted to eliminate the need for a license to carry a concealed handgun or revolver in the state on Thursday, January 19. The bill had previously been vetoed by then-Gov. Maggie Hassan.

Senate Bill 12, sponsored by Republican Senator Jeb Bradley, won the State Senate with a 13-10 vote, despite the attempts by Democratic senators to delay the bills advancements. Bradley said in a statement, “We are talking about law abiding citizens being able to protect themselves. We are not talking about criminals. This is not radical, this is no ideological this is practical”

Before, the law required anyone who wanted to carry a handgun or revolver not immediately visible to apply for a license to carry that weapon concealed. There was never any law on the books that prevented an individual from openly carrying a firearm in plain sight unless that person was prohibited from owning a firearm.

Republican Gov. Chris Sununu said in a statement given to the Concord Monitor on Thursday that he praised the bill. Sununu remarked, “I am pleased that the state Senate today voted to advance common sense legislation in support of a citizen’s right to carry a firearm, joining neighboring states throughout the region and across the country.”

Not all were in favor of passing Senate Bill 12. Democratic Senator Lou D’Allesandro brought up the fact that this would eliminate the further background check that was once required to obtain the permit. D’Allesandro said, “2,477 people applied in Manchester and 41 of those applicants were revoked. And the 41 that were denied were probably bad guys. In my district we have shootouts. We had two of them yesterday.”

The Union Leader reported that sixteen people were murdered in 2016 in New Hampshire. Out of those sixteen, eight people were shot to death. The Union Leader also reported that four murders, 25 percent, which were not all gun related, occurred in Manchester alone.

Gov. Sununu is expected to sign the bill into power soon, and New Hampshire will join neighboring Vermont and Maine, which also do not require a license to conceal a firearm.