Hi, I was wondering what the laws are for shooting on your own property in NH is?
Or if there is a website that might help.
Thanks
Or if there is a website that might help.
Thanks
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Per state law (RSAs 207:3-a, 207:3-c, and 644:13), you may not shoot across or within 15 feet of a road, or “within 300 feet of a permanently occupied dwelling without permission of the owner or the occupant of the dwelling or from the owner of the land on which the person discharging the firearm or shooting the bow and arrow is situated.”
You also may not discharge a firearm within the “compact part of a town or city,” defined as “the territory within a town or city comprised of the following:
(a) Any nonresidential, commercial building, including, but not limited to, industrial, educational, or medical buildings, plus a perimeter 300 feet wide around all such buildings without permission of the owner.
(b) Any park, playground, or other outdoor public gathering place designated by the legislative body of the city or town.
(c) Any contiguous area containing 6 or more buildings which are used as either part-time or permanent dwellings and the spaces between them where each such building is within 300 feet of at least one of the others, plus a perimeter 300 feet wide around all the buildings in such area.”
Oh I was also wondering should I call the local police and ask or just move in and start shooting and hope they dont get called?
The police and people aren't gonna give a crap, one way or another, as long as you are following the required laws to do so.
This ain't MA ya know. People don't call the cops because of a fart in the wind.
RSA207-3-a said:It is unlawful ... within 300 feet of a permanently occupied dwelling without permission of the owner or the occupant of the dwelling or from the owner of the land on which the person ... is situated.[/B].”
Yeah, ain't it great? Usually pretty quiet up here, but I step outside on Saturday mornings and it sounds like popcorn popping.Racenet said:This ain't MA ya know. People don't call the cops because of a fart in the wind
It's a tough setence to parse:
Yeah, ain't it great? Usually pretty quiet up here, but I step outside on Saturday mornings and it sounds like popcorn popping.
See, for me, the part that's difficult to decipher is the "Compact Area" part. Not sure what that means. Is that something you have to figure out for yourself, or is it on the town zoning map or something? I currently have a situation where we have permission from the landowner to shoot. One of the neighbors is probably within 300' of that spot. We may/may not be able to get his permission. But the greater worry is the compact area thing.
See, for me, the part that's difficult to decipher is the "Compact Area" part. Not sure what that means. Is that something you have to figure out for yourself, or is it on the town zoning map or something? I currently have a situation where we have permission from the landowner to shoot. One of the neighbors is probably within 300' of that spot. We may/may not be able to get his permission. But the greater worry is the compact area thing.
Ask him for permission, or just invite him to join you and he won't be calling the local cops, so you won't have to worry about compact area.I currently have a situation where we have permission from the landowner to shoot. One of the neighbors is probably within 300' of that spot. We may/may not be able to get his permission.
Is that house part of a cluster/chain of 6 houses, all within 300 feet of each other? If not, then don't worry about compact area.Well, that's where the confusion with the definition with that comes in.... According to Google Earth, the proposed spot is about 250+- feet away from the nearest corner of the neighbor's house.
Just because your shooting spot is legal, doesn't mean you won't piss off the neighbor 250 feet away with your shooting.If we piss that guy off, it'll piss off the landowner who's land we are using. Then we're done.
The "Compact Part" definition in RSA 644:13 is almost readable. The one clear part is that you can safely assume that if you can stand on your property and be 100 yards from a building (and 5 from a road), that spot is not within a compact part. Now you just need to put the backstop anywhere else it can safely be located on your property.It is illegal to discharge a firearm in a compact part of a town or city. If you live in a residential neighborhood then your house probably would be considered part of a compact area, unless the properties are so large that the there is more than 100 yards between the residential structures on the properties.
Cleaning up the blood and gray matter is going to cost more than paying a hundred buck "violation" fine. But we're talking about New Hampshire, LEO isn't going to write you up for a petty "violation" under RSA 644:13 in a one-off self-defense situation!However, both agreed that discharging a firearm in a compact area would be illegal (i called the officer back who had left me the voicemail). I don't know how this would apply to a self-defense scenario where a home owner is protecting life/limb,
100 yards between dwellings doesn't really require all that much land. If you have a couple of acres and sufficient space for a range and a safe backstop, you are probably not in a "compact part".but I think for plinking/target shooting, shooting in the compact area, even if it's your property, it would be considered illegal. Anyway, be careful. I believe shooting a firearm in your own backyard could be interpreted as being illegal, unless you have a lot of land between you and any other neighbor (including part-time neighbors).
Again, this is NH, towns and town cops can't make up their own rules. If FoF is within the law, he can tell the cops to go pound sand. If his neighbors don't like the noise, maybe should do the polite thing and get a suppressor, or switch to airguns.My daughter has a friend whose father got in trouble because he was firing a gun in his yard (in a pit with a safe backstop). My daughter said that the dad only got a warning but that the police did tell him that what he was doing was illegal and that he had to stop.
The "Compact Part" definition in RSA 644:13 is almost readable. The one clear part is that you can safely assume that if you can stand on your property and be 100 yards from a building (and 5 from a road), that spot is not within a compact part. Now you just need to put the backstop anywhere else it can safely be located on your property.
I wasn't clear about the law for roads; RSA 207:3-c reads "from within 15 feet of the traveled portion of or across any class I through V highway of the state" (Class VI highways are usually unpaved dirt paths).Even in our neighborhood, which is pretty rural, with all neighbors having 3+ acres, I don't think we meet either the 100 yards to dwellings, or 500 to a road. And we have a 600' driveway.
Definitely a tough call. You can always ask the cops; then if you don't like their answer, try for a second opinion?So, the question remains; guess, and try to interpret the law, or take the chance and go ask the cops opinion?