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Free New Hampshire Gun / Firearm Bill of Sale

New Hampshire is one of the most permissive firearm-purchase environments in the country. Constitutional carry has been law since 2017 — no permit needed to carry concealed for any NH resident or visitor who can lawfully possess a firearm. There is no permit-to-purchase, no waiting period, no state firearm registry, no "assault weapons" classification, and no magazine capacity limit. Private-party sales between NH residents do not require an FFL or a NICS background check. Layer in the no-state-sales-tax rule and the cost-and-friction floor for buying or selling a firearm in NH is essentially the federal floor. That makes the bill of sale the only paper trail of the transfer — and the only thing protecting a seller if a firearm is later misused.

New Hampshire Requirements: Transfer title within 30 days.

Seller Information

Buyer Information

Gun / Firearm Details

Sale Information

Condition & Warranty

Important: Federal and state laws may require a background check for firearm transfers. This bill of sale does not replace any legal requirements for background checks, waiting periods, or other regulations. Please consult your local laws before completing this transaction.

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Private firearm sales carry more legal requirements than most buyers realize — background check laws, waiting periods, and prohibited-person rules vary widely by state. Our guide explains when a bill of sale is legally required and what it must say. Read: Do I Need a Bill of Sale? →

New Hampshire Gun / Firearm Bill of Sale — What You Need to Know

Primary Form
Standard bill of sale
Agency
Private sale (NH)
No state firearm registry — federal FFL involvement only for licensed-dealer or interstate transfers
Primary ID Field
Serial Number
Sales Tax
Exempt
Title Required
No
New Hampshire does not register firearms and does not issue firearm titles. Ownership is established by possession plus a written bill of sale. Long guns and handguns are treated equivalently for transfer purposes between NH residents who can lawfully possess them.
Inspection
Not required

Sales Tax Details

No NH state sales tax on firearm sales. This applies to dealer sales, private-party sales, and gun-show transactions inside NH. Federal excise tax (paid by the manufacturer) is built into new-gun prices but is not a separate consumer line item.

Exemption: Not applicable; no sales tax to exempt.

Inspection Requirements

No state firearm inspection or proof-mark requirement. Buyers should personally verify safe condition (chamber clear, action functional) before money changes hands and consider an independent gunsmith inspection for high-value purchases.

Registration

Registration for this vehicle type is handled by None at the state level. Federal: NICS background check required for FFL-mediated transfers and for any interstate transfer. — not the same agency that handles cars in New Hampshire. Plan for separate filings.

New Hampshire Gun / Firearm Sale — Step-by-Step Checklist

  1. Verify the buyer is a NH resident, is 18 or older for long guns / 21 or older for handguns under federal rules, and is not a prohibited person (no felony record, no domestic violence misdemeanor, not subject to a restraining order, etc.).
  2. For interstate transfers, route the firearm through a licensed FFL in the buyer's state of residence — federal law applies regardless of NH's permissive rules.
  3. Document make, model, caliber/gauge, serial number, type (handgun/rifle/shotgun), and condition.
  4. Record the price in dollars; no NH sales tax applies but the number is the documented value if the firearm is later stolen, lost, or used in a crime.
  5. Both parties sign and date; print full names, addresses, and dates of birth so the seller has a defensible record of the transferee.
  6. Photograph the buyer's government-issued ID alongside the bill of sale, with the buyer's permission, for the seller's records.
  7. Keep the original bill of sale permanently — there is no state registry to fall back on if a question arises years later.

Common Pitfalls

  • Selling to a buyer who is "from out of state but staying with family in NH." Federal law requires interstate firearm transfers to go through an FFL in the buyer's state of residence — NH's permissive rules do not override that.
  • Skipping the bill of sale because "NH doesn't require it." Correct, NH does not. But if the firearm is recovered at a crime scene six months later and ATF traces it to you, no bill of sale = your problem.
  • Failing to check the buyer's ID and basic prohibited-person status. Knowingly transferring to a prohibited person is a federal crime regardless of state law.
  • Selling a handgun to anyone under 21. Federal law sets the handgun-purchase floor at 21 for FFL sales and 18 for private sales, but many sellers (and many state laws) treat 21 as the safer floor. NH allows 18 in private transfer, but err high.
  • No serial number on the bill of sale. The serial is the entire identifying feature of the firearm — without it, the document is functionally useless for tracing.

Pro Tip

NH has fewer state firearm rules than almost any other state and no sales tax on top. A bill of sale is not required by law, but it is the seller's only protection if the firearm later surfaces in the wrong context — and the buyer's only proof of legitimate provenance.

New Hampshire Gun / Firearm Bill of Sale — FAQs

Is a bill of sale required for a private firearm sale in NH?
Legally, no — New Hampshire imposes no requirement for a bill of sale, no requirement for an FFL background check, and no firearm registration on private intrastate transfers between two NH residents who can lawfully possess. Practically, both parties should still execute one. The seller wants written proof of when they parted with the firearm, in case it is later used in a crime and the ATF traces the serial to them. The buyer wants written proof of legitimate purchase, in case they are ever stopped with the firearm and asked how they came to own it. NH gives you the freedom to skip the paperwork; that does not make skipping it smart.
Do I need a NICS background check to buy a gun in NH?
Only if you are buying from a federally licensed dealer (FFL) or transferring across state lines. NH does not require background checks on private intrastate sales — it is one of the freest jurisdictions in the country on this point. If you walk into a NH gun shop and buy a rifle, the dealer runs NICS as required by federal law. If you buy that same rifle from your neighbor across the kitchen table, no NICS is required by either NH or federal law. Sellers should still verify the buyer is not a prohibited person — knowingly transferring to a felon, domestic abuser, or other prohibited individual is a federal crime even in a private NH sale.
Is there a waiting period or permit-to-purchase in New Hampshire?
No on both. NH has no waiting period — you can complete the sale and walk out with the firearm the same day. NH has no permit-to-purchase requirement; no license, no application, no fee. NH has had constitutional carry since 2017, meaning no concealed carry permit is required for lawful possession either. The floor is essentially the federal floor: be of legal age, not a prohibited person, and not making a straw purchase. NH neither adds friction on top of federal law nor requires the buyer to apply to the state in advance. The bill of sale is the only non-federal paperwork involved in a private NH transfer.
Can I sell a handgun to someone from Massachusetts at a NH gun show?
No — not directly. Federal law requires that interstate handgun transfers go through a federally licensed dealer in the buyer's state of residence (in this case, MA). The MA buyer must take possession of the handgun through a MA FFL after that FFL runs a NICS check and complies with MA's permit-to-purchase, "approved firearms" roster, and storage rules — all of which are far stricter than NH's. Long guns can sometimes be transferred at an FFL in either state, but practically every reputable gun-show seller will route both handgun and long-gun interstate sales through an FFL. NH's permissive rules end at the state line; federal law does not.
What information should be on a NH firearm bill of sale?
At minimum: full names, addresses, and dates of birth of buyer and seller; the date of transfer; make, model, caliber or gauge, serial number, and type (handgun/rifle/shotgun) of the firearm; the sale price; a statement that the seller has no knowledge the buyer is a prohibited person under federal law; a statement that the buyer is a NH resident (or, for an interstate transfer, that the firearm is being routed through a destination-state FFL); and signatures of both parties. Photographing the buyer's government ID with their permission, and writing the ID type and number on the document, gives the seller a defensible record. Keep the original — NH has no central registry, so this paper is the only proof of when the firearm left your hands.

Other New Hampshire Templates

Vehicle Bill of SaleCar Bill of SaleUsed Car Bill of SaleMotorcycle Bill of SaleBoat Bill of SaleTrailer Bill of SaleHorse Bill of SaleATV Bill of SaleRV Bill of SaleGeneral Bill of SaleFree Printable Bill of SaleOdometer Disclosure Bill of SaleAs-Is Bill of SaleGift Bill of Sale

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