Is a Kansas Resident Permit Valid in New Hampshire?
You can leave the permit question aside, because no permit is needed in New Hampshire. Its permitless carry covers eligible residents and visitors, so a Kansas resident permit is not required; New Hampshire's carry rules still apply during your stay.
Why
- No permit is needed in New Hampshire, so out-of-state permits are not checked there.
- 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 (Kansas)
- Permit
- Kansas Concealed Carry Handgun License (CCHL)
- Issued by
- Kansas Attorney General (application submitted through the sheriff of the applicant's county of residence, K.S.A. 75-7c05)
- Issue policy
- Shall-issue
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
Your Kansas habits may not match New Hampshire's law. Check these three areas before you carry there.
- 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)
Kansas vs New Hampshire: what changes at the state line
Crossing from Kansas into New Hampshire changes one rule: permitless carry (Yes (21+) → Yes).
| Rule | Kansas | New Hampshire |
|---|---|---|
| Permitless carry | Yes (21+) | Yes |
| Duty to inform police | No | No |
| Magazine limit | None | None |
| Out-of-state permits honored | All states | All states |
| Open carry | Yes, no permit | Yes, no permit |
Going the other way, a New Hampshire resident permit in Kansas: recognized — holders 18+ only; permitless carry applies.
Driving on from New Hampshire
How a Kansas resident permit fares in the states bordering New Hampshire:
- Maine — Recognized — and permitless carry applies
- Massachusetts — Not recognized
- Vermont — Recognized — and permitless carry applies
Frequently asked questions
- Does New Hampshire honor a Kansas non-resident permit?
- Kansas does not issue non-resident carry permits (Kansas residents only - application must be made to the sheriff of the county where the applicant resides (K.S.A. 75-7c05)), so the question does not arise.
- Can a New Hampshire resident permit holder carry in Kansas?
- Recognized — holders 18+ only; permitless carry applies. Reciprocity is decided by the destination state, so the answer in this direction depends on Kansas'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
- Kansas AG - Out-of-State License Recognition — accessed 2026-08-08
- K.S.A. 75-7c03 (recognition of out-of-state licenses; provisional licenses) — accessed 2026-08-08
- K.S.A. 21-6302 (criminal carrying of a weapon; under-21 rule) — accessed 2026-08-08
- K.S.A. 75-7c05 (application; residency) — accessed 2026-08-08
- K.S.A. 75-7c10 (posted prohibited buildings) — accessed 2026-08-08
- K.S.A. 75-7c04 (disqualifications; 8-hour handgun safety and training course) — accessed 2026-09-27
- K.S.A. 21-6301 (criminal use of weapons; under-18 handgun possession) — accessed 2026-09-27
- K.S.A. 75-7c08 (license renewal) — accessed 2026-09-27