Non-Resident permit · NH → CO
Is a New Hampshire Non-Resident Permit Valid in Colorado?
The answer is no. Colorado's reciprocity policy excludes New Hampshire non-resident permits, and its law requires a permit to carry concealed. Visitors without a Colorado-recognized permit cannot legally carry.
Why
- Colorado's official reciprocity list includes New Hampshire.
- The agreement covers only permits issued to New Hampshire residents.
- A non-resident permit from New Hampshire therefore does not qualify — the holder is not a New Hampshire resident.
Colorado honors a permit only if the issuing state honors Colorado's CHP, the holder is 21+, is a RESIDENT of the issuing state, and carries a matching driver's license or state ID from that state. Colorado explicitly does not recognize any permit issued to a non-resident of the issuing state - a Colorado resident also cannot carry in-state on another state's non-resident permit (C.R.S. 18-12-213; CBI reciprocity page).
The permit (New Hampshire)
- Permit
- New Hampshire Pistol/Revolver License
- Issued by
- Local chief of police, selectmen or mayor (residents); NH State Police (non-residents)
- Issue policy
- Shall-issue
- Issued to non-residents?
- Yes — Non-resident licenses are issued by the NH State Police Permits and Licensing Unit ($100, 5 years); resident licenses by the local licensing authority ($10). RSA 159:6 sets no minimum age — federal law governs handgun possession by minors. NH-issued non-resident licenses are valid only in NH or states that recognize them.
The destination (Colorado)
- Recognition policy
- Honors a named list of 34 states
- Permitless carry
- No
- Duty to inform
- No (present permit on demand)
- Magazine limit
- 15 rounds
Carry rules in Colorado
Your New Hampshire habits may not match Colorado's law. Check these three areas before you carry there.
- No duty to volunteer. Permittee must carry the permit plus valid photo ID whenever carrying and must produce both upon demand by a law enforcement officer; failure is a class 1 petty offense (C.R.S. 18-12-204(2)(a)).
- Colorado limits magazine capacity to 15 rounds — a limit that applies to visitors, and one of the easiest laws to break by accident.
- Colorado is not a permitless-carry state: concealed carry there requires a permit Colorado recognizes.
- A person who may lawfully possess a handgun may carry it, loaded, in a private automobile without any permit for a legal use including self-defense (C.R.S. 18-12-204(3)(a)); this does not extend onto school grounds under 18-12-105.5.
Off-limits places in Colorado
Colorado bans carry in 6 kinds of places. The first on the list:
- K-12 public school grounds (permittee's handgun may remain in a locked vehicle)
- Public buildings with permanent security screening and guards at each entrance
New Hampshire vs Colorado: what changes at the state line
Crossing from New Hampshire into Colorado changes 3 rules: permitless carry (Yes → No); magazine limit (None → 15 rounds); out-of-state permits honored (All states → 34 states).
| Rule | New Hampshire | Colorado |
|---|---|---|
| Permitless carry | Yes | No |
| Duty to inform police | No | No |
| Magazine limit | None | 15 rounds |
| Out-of-state permits honored | All states | 34 states |
| Open carry | Yes, no permit | Yes, no permit |
Going the other way, a Colorado non-resident permit in New Hampshire: no such permit issued.
Driving on from Colorado
How a New Hampshire non-resident permit fares in the states bordering Colorado:
Frequently asked questions
- Does Colorado honor a New Hampshire resident permit?
- Recognized — carry with your permit. That differs from the non-resident permit on this page, because Colorado treats the two permit types differently.
- Can a Colorado non-resident permit holder carry in New Hampshire?
- Colorado does not issue non-resident carry permits, so there is no such permit to carry in New Hampshire.
- Where does Colorado publish its official reciprocity list?
- Colorado 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
- Colorado Bureau of Investigation - CHP Reciprocity — accessed 2026-08-08
- Colorado Bureau of Investigation - Concealed Handgun Permit (CHP) — accessed 2026-08-08
- C.R.S. 18-12-203 - Criteria for obtaining a permit (CBI-hosted) — accessed 2026-08-08
- C.R.S. 18-12-204 - Permit contents, carrying requirements (CBI-hosted) — accessed 2026-08-08
- C.R.S. 18-12-214 - Authority granted by permit, carrying restrictions (CBI-hosted) — accessed 2026-08-08
- Colorado General Assembly - SB24-131 Prohibiting Carrying Firearms in Sensitive Spaces — accessed 2026-08-08
- Colorado Attorney General - statement on 15-round large-capacity magazine limit — accessed 2026-08-08
- C.R.S. 18-12-205 — permit fee not to exceed $100 (CBI-hosted PDF, via Wayback) — accessed 2026-09-27
- Colorado General Assembly — HB24-1174 Concealed Handgun Carry Permit Training — accessed 2026-09-27
- Colorado General Assembly — SB21-256 Local Regulation Of Firearms — accessed 2026-09-27
- Denver Police — Concealed Handgun Permits (local fee example) — accessed 2026-09-27
- 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