Non-Resident permit · DC → NH
Is a District of Columbia Non-Resident Permit Valid in New Hampshire?
Yes on both counts: permit reciprocity and permitless carry. New Hampshire recognizes District of Columbia non-resident permits and separately allows eligible adults to carry without one.
Why
- New Hampshire recognizes valid carry permits from every US state.
- New Hampshire allows permitless carry, which extends to visitors who may legally possess a handgun.
New Hampshire has no inbound recognition statute because none is needed — no license is required to carry. Any out-of-state permit holder (or non-holder) who may lawfully possess a firearm may carry. RSA 159:6-d addresses only outbound reciprocity for NH licenses; the State Police publish the list of states honoring NH resident licenses.
The permit (District of Columbia)
- Permit
- Concealed Carry Pistol License (License to Carry a Pistol)
- Issued by
- Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department
- Issue policy
- Shall-issue
- Issued to non-residents?
- Yes — Non-residents may apply. D.C. Code 22-4506 covers any person with a bona fide US residence or place of business who holds a home-state carry license (or is from a state that does not require one); same 16-hour classroom + 2-hour range training applies, and the pistol must be registered in DC.
The destination (New Hampshire)
- Recognition policy
- Honors permits from all states
- Permitless carry
- Yes
- Duty to inform
- No (present permit on demand)
- Magazine limit
- No state limit
Carry rules in New Hampshire
Crossing into New Hampshire swaps the rulebook. Here is what changes for a visiting carrier.
- No statutory duty to inform a police officer of carrying appears in RSA Chapter 159.
- New Hampshire sets no state magazine-capacity limit for handguns.
- New Hampshire allows permitless concealed carry for people who may legally possess a handgun, including eligible visitors.
- Since Feb 22, 2017, no license is required to carry a loaded pistol or revolver openly or concealed in a vehicle for anyone not prohibited from possessing firearms.
Off-limits places in New Hampshire
New Hampshire bans carry in 3 kinds of places. The first on the list:
- Courtrooms and areas used by a court (RSA 159:19, class B felony)
- Federal facilities (federal law)
District of Columbia vs New Hampshire: what changes at the state line
Crossing from District of Columbia into New Hampshire changes 5 rules: permitless carry (No → Yes); duty to inform police (Yes → No); magazine limit (10 rounds → None); out-of-state permits honored (None → All states); open carry (No → Yes, no permit).
| Rule | District of Columbia | New Hampshire |
|---|---|---|
| Permitless carry | No | Yes |
| Duty to inform police | Yes | No |
| Magazine limit | 10 rounds | None |
| Out-of-state permits honored | None | All states |
| Open carry | No | Yes, no permit |
Going the other way, a New Hampshire non-resident permit in District of Columbia: not recognized.
Driving on from New Hampshire
How a District of Columbia non-resident permit fares in the states bordering New Hampshire:
- Maine — Permit not recognized — but permitless carry applies
- Massachusetts — Not recognized
- Vermont — Recognized — and permitless carry applies
Frequently asked questions
- Does New Hampshire honor a District of Columbia resident permit?
- Recognized — and permitless carry applies. The answer is the same as for the non-resident permit on this page.
- Can a New Hampshire non-resident permit holder carry in District of Columbia?
- Not recognized. Reciprocity is decided by the destination state, so the answer in this direction depends on District of Columbia's law, not New Hampshire's.
- Where does New Hampshire publish its official reciprocity list?
- New Hampshire publishes its recognition policy on an official state page, linked in the sources on this page. That page is the authority — check it shortly before travel, because recognition lists change without much notice.
Official sources
- NH RSA Chapter 159 — Pistols and Revolvers (159:4 repealed, 159:6, 159:6-d, 159:19) — accessed 2026-08-08
- NH State Police — Pistol and Revolver Licensing (incl. outbound reciprocity list) — accessed 2026-08-08
- D.C. Code 22-4504 - Carrying concealed weapons (license required) — accessed 2026-08-08
- D.C. Code 22-4506 - License to carry a pistol (issuance, non-residents) — accessed 2026-08-08
- D.C. Code 7-2509.02 - Concealed carry license eligibility (age 21, registration, training) — accessed 2026-08-08
- D.C. Code 7-2509.04 - Duties of licensees (duty to disclose on a stop) — accessed 2026-08-08
- D.C. Code 7-2509.07 - Prohibited locations — accessed 2026-08-08
- D.C. Code 7-2506.01 - Large capacity ammunition feeding devices (>10 rounds prohibited) — accessed 2026-08-08
- MPD — Fees & Payment (concealed carry license $75, fingerprinting $35) — accessed 2026-09-27
- D.C. Code § 7-2509.03 — expiration and renewal of licenses (2 years) — accessed 2026-09-27