03/06/03 0396s

2003 SESSION

03-1101

04/10

SENATE BILL 140-FN

COMMITTEE: Judiciary

ANALYSIS

This bill allows qualified residents to elect to apply for a 5-year license to carry a pistol or revolver which would coincide with the applicant's driver's license renewal period.

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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.

Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]

Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

03/06/03 0396s

03-1101

04/10

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Three

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

1 Pistols and Revolvers; License to Carry. Amend RSA 159:6 to read as follows:

159:6 License to Carry.

I. The selectmen of a town or the mayor or chief of police of a city or some full-time police officer designated by them respectively, upon application of any resident of such town or city, or the director of state police, or some person designated by such director, upon application of a nonresident, shall issue a license to such applicant authorizing the applicant to carry a loaded pistol or revolver in this state for not less than [4] 5 years from the date of issue, if it appears that the applicant has good reason to fear injury to the applicant's person or property or has any proper purpose, and that the applicant is a suitable person to be licensed. Hunting, target shooting, or self-defense shall be considered a proper purpose. The license shall be valid for all allowable purposes regardless of the purpose for which it was originally issued. The license shall be in duplicate and shall bear the name, address, description, and signature of the licensee. The original shall be delivered to the licensee and the duplicate shall be preserved by the people issuing the same for [4] 5 years. When required, license renewal shall take place within the month of the [fourth] fifth anniversary of the license holder's date of birth following the date of issuance. The license shall be issued within 14 days after application, and, if such application is denied, the reason for such denial shall be stated in writing, the original of which such writing shall be delivered to the applicant, and a copy kept in the office of the person to whom the application was made. The fee for licenses issued to residents of the state shall be $10, which fee shall be for the use of the law enforcement department of the town granting said licenses; the fee for licenses granted to out-of-state residents shall be $20, which fee shall be for the use of the state. The director of state police is hereby authorized and directed to prepare forms for the licenses required under this chapter and forms for the application for such licenses and to supply the same to officials of the cities and towns authorized to issue the licenses. No other forms shall be used by officials of cities and towns. The cost of the forms shall be paid out of the fees received from nonresident licenses.

II. As an alternative to the application procedure in paragraph I, a resident of this state may request that license renewal under this section coincide with the applicant's driver's license renewal date as established in RSA 263:14. The application process and fee for residents of this state exercising this option shall be as provided in paragraph I, provided that the application fee may be prorated during the period in which an applicant changes from a 4-year license to a 5-year license.

2 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.

LBAO

03-1101

Revised 2/18/03

SB 140 FISCAL NOTE

FISCAL IMPACT: