TITLE XII
PUBLIC SAFETY AND WELFARE
Chapter 159-D
CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECKS
Section 159-D:1
159-D:1 Sale of Firearms; Criminal History Record and Protective Order Check. –
The department of safety may become the point of contact for the federal government for the purposes of the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS).
Source. 1999, 336:1, eff. Nov. 3, 1999.
Section 159-D:2
159-D:2 Confidentiality. –
I. If the department of safety conducts criminal background checks under RSA 159-D:1, any records containing information pertaining to a potential buyer or transferee who is not found to be prohibited from receipt or transfer of a firearm by reason of state or federal law, which are created by the department of safety to conduct the criminal background check, shall be confidential and may not be disclosed by the department or any officers or employees to any person or to another agency. The department shall destroy any such records after it communicates the corresponding approval number to the licensee and, in any event, such records shall be destroyed within one day after the day of the receipt of the licensee's request.
II. The department shall retain records containing any information pertaining to a potential buyer or transferee who is prohibited from receipt or transfer of a firearm for 3 years.
III. Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, the department may maintain only a log of dates of requests for criminal background checks and unique approval numbers corresponding to such dates for an indefinite period.
IV. Nothing in this section shall be construed to allow the department to maintain records containing the names of licensees who receive unique approval numbers or to maintain records of firearm transactions, including the names or other identification of licensees and potential buyers or transferees, including persons not otherwise prohibited by law from the receipt or possession of firearms.
Source. 1999, 336:1, eff. Nov. 3, 1999.
Section 159-D:3
159-D:3 Penalties for Attempts to Purchase Firearms Illegally. –
A person who completes and signs an application for purchase of a firearm and who knows that such purchase is illegal because he or she is subject to a protective order shall be guilty of a class A misdemeanor for a first offense and a class B felony for a second or subsequent offense.
Source. 2000, 152:1, eff. Jan. 1, 2001.
Section 159-D:4
159-D:4 Motions for the Return of Firearms and Ammunition. –
I. In any matter pending before a court in New Hampshire where firearms and/or ammunition have been seized or removed from an individual in connection with a restraining order issued under RSA 173-B or RSA 633:3-a, an order pertaining to a criminal proceeding such as a bail order, or any other order issued pursuant to the statutory or equitable authority of a court, the individual whose firearms and/or ammunition property has been seized or removed shall be entitled to the prompt return of his or her property upon the termination or expiration of the relevant order, unless such individual is explicitly prohibited from receiving said property by a state or federal statute.
II. A court shall not be required to request, conduct, or receive the results of a background check prior to returning firearm property to its owner. Should any New Hampshire court require, at its discretion, that a background check be conducted on an individual prior to the return of his or her firearm property, the following conditions shall apply:
(a) Upon receipt of a motion or other request for the return of firearms, whether written or oral, the court shall request a National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) check with the New Hampshire department of safety within 2 business days.
(b) The department of safety shall initiate a NICS check and shall provide a conclusive response to the court within 10 business days of receiving the court's request stating either "proceed" or "deny." A "deny" response shall only be provided if the NICS check depicts that the individual is prohibited from possessing a firearm pursuant to state or federal law or it is known to the department of safety that such individual is explicitly prohibited from possessing said property by a state or federal statute. If the NICS check is inconclusive and the department of safety cannot explicitly demonstrate that the individual is prohibited from possessing a firearm within 10 business days of the court's request, the department of safety may provide a "proceed" response to the requesting court.
(c) If the department of safety issues a "deny" response, it must provide a specific citation to statute, such as one of the prohibited categories included in 18 U.S.C. section 922(g), and a narration of the specific facts relied upon for finding that the individual is prohibited from possessing a firearm. The narration supporting a "deny" response shall be held in a confidential record with the court and only accessible to court staff, the individual seeking the return of firearms, and his or her designated legal counsel.
(d) Should the court receive a "deny" response from the department of safety, the individual seeking the return of firearms property shall be promptly notified and may, within 10 business days of receiving notice, request that the court hold a hearing on the matter. Any such hearing shall be scheduled within 10 business days of the court's receiving such a request. At the hearing, the department of safety shall attend and shall hold the burden to demonstrate, by clear and convincing evidence, that the individual seeking the return of firearms property is prohibited from receiving said property under state or federal law. Should the department of safety fail to attend or to meet its burden, the court shall order that the firearms property at issue be returned.
(e) Should any person seeking the return of firearms be aggrieved by an order made by the trial court pursuant to the department of safety's determination pursuant to subparagraph II(c), or the court's determination after conducting a hearing as set forth in subparagraph II(d), such person shall be entitled to appeal the court's decision within 30 days, and have his or her case heard by the New Hampshire supreme court. In any such case, a transcript of the proceedings and the trial court's record shall be transmitted to the supreme court in full, without any fee charged to the petitioner.
(f) Upon receipt of a "proceed" response from the department of safety, the court shall immediately issue an order to return the property. The order shall be mailed to the law enforcement agency and the petitioner. The court shall telephonically notify the petitioner that he or she may pick up the order at the court. The law enforcement agency shall accept an original of the order from the petitioner and return the property.
Source. 2025, 280:1, eff. Jan. 1, 2026.