Dear henry041696,
New Hampshire State Law makes indeed a difference whether a gun buyer
is resident in the state or outside of it. Generally, New Hampshire
does not license handgun purchasers; but N.H. Rev Stat. § 159:8-a says
that no licensed seller of handguns may sell such a weapon to a
nonresident unless the purchaser is either by the laws of his place of
residence permitted to buy a handgun, or the director of the division
of state police has decided "for good cause shown" to issue a purchase
permit to the non-resident. So if you are not resident in New
Hampshire and not allowed to own a gun by your home state's laws, you
will have to apply for such a permit at the office of the director of
the division of state police. Since this is a not-standardized
procedure, there is no fixed fee for issuing such a permit.
When buying the handgun, you will - apart from that permit, if
necessary - not need to show additional licenses, such as certificates
of handgun training courses, tests or the like. But you will have to
show a document confirming your identity to the dealer. N.H. Rev.
Stat. § 159:8 reads:
"III. No pistol, revolver, or other firearm shall be delivered to a
purchaser not personally known to the seller or who does not present
clear evidence of his identity (...)"
The law does not define explicitly the kind of evidence required, so a
valid ID card should fulfill that purpose. Also, when buying a
handgun, the purchaser must sign and deliver to the dealer a statement
containing his full name, address and nationality, the date of sale
and the caliber, make, model and serial number of the handgun to be
purchased. The seller must transfer this data to the mayor or the
chief of police within one week. You
Please note that it is absolutely unlawful in New Hampshire to sell
firearms to minors - although they may own guns legally -, and also to
sell those arms to to a person who has been convicted, in any
jurisdiction, of a felony.
Though purchasing and owning a handgun is handled rather liberal in
New Hampshire, it is unlawful for private persons to carry a loaded
handgun in any vehicle or concealed about one's person in public
without a license. To obtain such a license, a non-resident must apply
to the director of state police. He must pay a fee of $20 and meet the
following requirements:
- The applicant has good reason to fear an injury to his person or
property; or
- Has any other "proper purpose" (such as hunting or target shooting);
and
- He is a suitable person to be licensed.
The license is issued within 14 days after application; licenses to
carry a firearm concealed issued to a non-resident by another state
shall be honored if such state provides a reciprocal privilege.
Sources:
NRA Institute for Legislative Action: Gun Laws - New Hampshire
http://www.nraila.org/GunLaws.asp?FormMode=Detail&R=NH
Firearms Law Center: New Hampshire State Law Summary
http://www.firearmslawcenter.org/content/newhampshire.asp
Brady Campaign: State Gun Laws - New Hampshire
http://www.bradycampaign.org/legislation/state/viewstate.asp?state=nh
Search terms used:
"New Hampshire" firearms purchase:
://www.google.de/search?q=%22New+Hampshire%22+firearms+purchase&hl=de&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&start=0&sa=N
Hope this answers your question!
Regards,
Scriptor |
Request for Answer Clarification by
henry041696-ga
on
14 Nov 2002 09:57 PST
Regarding this portion of my question:
[Is it necessary to have proof of residency in that
state? If so, what would suffice? Currently, I have an expired
out-of-state driver's license, a current out-of-state photo ID, and a
social security card. Would I need a state photo ID or driver's
license and if so, what kind of documentation would I need to present
to obtain either of these (i.e., would I need some form of proof of
residency and, if so, what)? ]
I am in the process of moving to NH, and do have an address I will be
residing at, but I am not yet receiving mail or utilities at that
address. So, I can either renew my driver's license in the state I am
leaving, or I can use the state's photo ID card to prove my identity.
From what you told me, if I had a NH driver's license or ID card, I
could simply go to a dealer (I'm well over 21, BTW) and purchase a
handgun. Can you please tell me, then, what I would need to present
at the Motor Vehicle Department there to obtain a driver's license or
photo ID. Actually, my current driver's license is not yet expired,
but will expire in the next few weeks. If I need that license to
easily obtain a NH license, I will go there before it expires to do
so. My hope is that by presenting my current driver's license or photo
ID card, I could readily obtain a NH driver's license or photo ID
card, and use either to purchase a handgun. So, what I need to know
is if I need to present anything additional to the motor vehicle
department so that I can obtain NH ID? I assume they might want to
see some proof of residency in NH, but if I am not yet living there,
can I simply state the address at which I will be living or will I
need some form of documentation (e.g., utility bill) showing that I
already live there? Please let me know what forms of documentation
would suffice, from the standpoint of wanting to obtain a handgun asap
and not receiving utility type bills at that address for probably two
more months or so. Can I type up a statement giving the date I will
begin residing there, list the address, have it notarized or
something, and then would that be sufficient along with my current ID
to get a NH ID? I hope I didn't make this more confusing than it is.
Thank you very much.
|
Clarification of Answer by
scriptor-ga
on
14 Nov 2002 11:21 PST
Dear henry041696,
I am sorry to say that this would be a second question, completely
different from the first one (which has been, as I hope, answered to
your satisfation). I humbly recommend posting your question about this
new topic seperately from this one.
Best regards,
Scriptor
|
Request for Answer Clarification by
henry041696-ga
on
14 Nov 2002 12:52 PST
Scriptor,
I did appreciate the original depth of your response to my question.
However, as you will notice from the section I enclosed in brackets
above, that section was part of my original question. If you did not
feel you could answer the entire question, you could have informed me
that the amount of time required would necessitate a greater fee or
something. However, the part I am seeking an answer to could simply be
found by calling the motor vehicle dept in NH, although I do not know
what it is called. If I had time to do this on my own, I would not
post it as a question for the Google researchers. Thanks.
|
Clarification of Answer by
scriptor-ga
on
14 Nov 2002 13:49 PST
Dear henry041696,
Please do not regard this as an attempt to contradict you. But indeed,
the part of the original question you quoted in brackets was already
fully answered by me, as you will see:
"Is it necessary to have proof of residency in that state?"
No, it isn't. But you will have to indentify yourself with a valid,
official document. And as a non-resident of New Hampshire, you will
need to get a special permit from the director of the division of
state police.
You did not mention in any way that you want to buy a handgun in New
Hampshire as a new resident of that state but don't have the necessary
documents yet.
"If so, what would suffice? Currently, I have an expired
out-of-state driver's license, a current out-of-state photo ID, and a
social security card. Would I need a state photo ID or driver's
license and if so, what kind of documentation would I need to present
to obtain either of these (i.e., would I need some form of proof of
residency and, if so, what)?"
This part does not need any answer. You have a valid ID card and a
still-valid driving license of your current home state. That should,
in any discretion, be enough to identify yourself when buying firearms
in New Hampshire.
When I answered the question, I did not know about the fact that you
were soon to move to New Hampshire. Neither did I know that you wanted
information on how to get a New Hampshire ID card and driving license.
In your original question, you just asked if you needed to get any new
ID documents, and I ansewered: No, you needn't. How should I have
known that you absolutely want to get new ID documents, even though
they are absolutely not necessary for purchasing a handgun?
I really answered your original question. Your new question is: "What
I would need to present at the Motor Vehicle Department there to
obtain a driver's license or photo ID." You should have made clear
right from the start that you wanted these documents, unaware of
whether you need them or not. I am, alas, no clairvoyant.
Best regards,
Scriptor
|
Request for Answer Clarification by
henry041696-ga
on
14 Nov 2002 15:19 PST
Scriptor,
Thank you, again, for your response. I am sorry this is taking up so
much of your time. I have not normally required additional responses
for questions I have asked of Google, though few. Hence, I am not
trying to be difficult, but I would like the entire question answered
unless it originally seemed too time consuming for the fee provided,
which I now know it is not. However, note this part:
"...[no dealer] may sell such a weapon to a
nonresident unless the purchaser is either by the laws of his place of
residence permitted to buy a handgun, or the director of the division
of state police has decided "for good cause shown" to issue a purchase
permit to the non-resident. So if you are not resident in New
Hampshire and not allowed to own a gun by your home state's laws, you
will have to apply for such a permit at the office of the director of
the division of state police. "
As was implied, I am interested in purchasing a handgun without going
through unusual channels.
As I originally mentioned, or at least strongly implied, I do not
currently have an FID card or "permission" to purchase a handgun in my
current state of residence (haven't applied for it--it costs a lot and
takes 9 months). Thus, according to you (since, IMHO, it would not be
likely that a typical person would be granted special permission for a
permit from the "director of the division of state police" in NH), I
would need a NH photo ID--that is part of what I was trying to find
out: what kind of ID is required and whether it is based on special
classes or firearms testing, or not; you said not. One of the things I
originally wanted to know was, if I could not use my out-of-state ID,
what would be required to obtain the necessary NH ID? In this case,it
seems that a NH Driver's license or perhaps a NH state photo ID, as
you indicated, would be sufficient. I am not interested in being told
how to obtain a driver's license for the sake of driving; I am
interested in finding out what I need to go to that ID department
with, in the form of documentation, to obtain a NH photo ID so I can
purchase a handgun. They are not going to sell it to me with an
out-of-state photo ID, as you said. Whether I live there now or not is
not the issue--I just offered that info to try to make it easier for
you to envision what I was asking.
By making an effort at understanding what I originally asked you, it
will help you to better answer others' questions in the future. Many
people are not as articulate as I am. Plus, I work as a Research
Specialist. I was pretty careful to give you everything you needed to
understand what I was asking and needing a response to. If I need to
train you to do excellent research, then I shouldn't need to pay you.
I think you can see everything clearly if you look back at the
original question. Again, I thank you for your time and I hope this
will turn out to be a mutually beneficial experience.
|
Clarification of Answer by
scriptor-ga
on
14 Nov 2002 16:43 PST
Dear henry041696,
From New Hampshire.com's Relocation Information:
Driver's Licenses
Driver's licenses can be obtained at any New Hampshire Licensing
Office. The offices are located in Berlin, Claremont, Colebrook,
Concord, Dover Point, Epping, Keene, Laconia, Lebanon, Manchester,
Merrimack, Milford, Plymouth, Rochester, Tamworth, Twin Mountain,
Woodsville and Windham. If it is your first license, you will take a
written test, a driving test and an eye exam. You must pass all three
to be issued a license. Driving tests are also required for all
persons age 75 or older.
If you already have a valid driver's license from another state and
are under age 75, you may walk into the Licensing Office, pay the
licensing fee, have your eyes tested, photo taken, and receive a
temporary six-month license. You must bring with you a valid current
out-of-state driver's license and one other form of identification.
For more information, contact the Division of Motor Vehicles, (603)
271-2371.
http://www.newhampshire.com/pages/relocationinformation.cfm
From New Hampshire.com's Directory of State Departments:
Motor Vehicles, Division of
Drivers Licenses
10 Hazen Drive
Concord, NH 03305-0002
Ph: (603) 271-2371
New Hampshire State Police
Licensing & Permits
10 Hazen Drive
Concord, NH 03305-0002
Ph: (603) 271-3575
http://www.newhampshire.com/pages/statedepts.cfm
Have a nice day.
Scriptor
|
