It takes a great deal of time and effort to see changes made to the law in an individual state, especially if the law covers something serious like gun ownership. The constitution of the United States includes the Right to Bear Arms within the Second Amendment, with each state having certain licensing requirements in place that must be followed in order to be a certified and responsible gun owner. The licensing requirements may soon change in the state of New Hampshire if Senate Bill 12 passes into law.
The new measure is sponsored by Senator Jeb Bradley of New Hampshire and would work to repeal the requirement for licensing that says individuals who carry a concealed revolver or pistol must have a license to do so. The Existing Firearms Law in NH
The existing state law of New Hampshire in regards to firearms allows for any citizen of the state to legally own a firearm to carry the weapon openly. The gun can be unloaded or loaded. If the firearm is concealed, perhaps with a jacket or kept in a female’s pocketbook for protection, then the individual would be required to have a concealed carry license. With the proposed legislation, the need for this type of licensing would be eliminated.
The legislation would actually extend the permitless open carry law to a permitless concealed carry option. This means that law abiding citizens would have the right to conceal or open carry with one license in place. The new measure would also extend the time frame of licensing from four years to five.
Similar legislation was proposed in 2016 but shot down by former Governor Maggie Hassan. The measure made it through the New Hampshire General Court before losing ground. It seems this year, the legislation actually has a chance to pass into law. Just a few days ago, the bill moved past the House Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee after a vote of 12 to 8 and will now move forward to the House floor with the entire House of Representatives considering the measure.
Proponents of the measure are asking individuals to contact state representatives to see the bill become law. With a new governor in place, it could be that the measure will have enough support to move through the House and be one step closer to becoming law, needing the signature of the governor to do so.
Concealed Weapons Laws
Criminal attorneys commonly deal with this category of law as individuals face charges for carrying a concealed weapon when essentially the law-abiding citizen is doing nothing wrong. It is important to work with an attorney who knows the gun laws of New Hampshire and can help you in a case of concealed weapon charge or others issues involving firearms. If the law changes, attorneys will have new legal ways of dealing with such charges to assist those in need.
Over the next few weeks, the full House should considered Senate Bill 12 and it will be determined if the measure will become law and open/concealed carry will be meshed into one license for gun owners.
By Kevin Tighe
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