Earlier in the week, New Hampshire Governor Kelly Ayotte signed HB551, which repealed the requirement for an additional local retail license to lawfully sell firearms in the Granite State. Firearms dealers are already required to have a federal firearms license (FFL), which the previous Administration was systematically turning into a trap. Numerous FFLs I know dropped their license to avoid any Imperial entanglements, to borrow from Obi-Wan Kenobi. Duplicative local licensing made matters worse, giving local police chiefs and town councils veto power despite the federal licence..
I asked Londonderry Fish and Game Club President Rick Olson, a long-time ‘Grok contributor, what he thought about the passage of HB551.
I supported those legislative efforts. Towns were NOT issuing licenses to keep gun businesses out of towns, despite those applicants ALREADY being approved by the ATF and issuing an FFL. [HB551 is a] Good bill, …as is limiting of liability of any firearm manufacturer.
HB551 “further limits liability for firearm manufacturers and federal firearm licensees regarding specific design features.” The new section reads as follows.
507-D:6 Limitation of Actions Against Firearm Manufacturers and Federal Firearms Licensees.
I. In any product liability action involving a firearm, the manufacturer of the firearm and any federal firearms licensee (FFL) who sold or transferred the firearm shall not be liable in tort under any theory of defective product design, failure to warn, negligence, strict product liability, or any other claim based on the absence or presence of any of the following features:
(a) A magazine disconnect mechanism;
(b) A loaded chamber indicator;
(c) Authorized user recognition technology; or
(d) An external mechanical safety, including but not limited to a hinged, pivoting, or tabbed trigger safety.
Wait, There’s More!
Rick Olson’s sentiment was echoed by JR Hoell, president of the NH Firearms Coalition (NHFC). JR and others have been working with activist groups to get two ‘critical Federal bills—the Hearing Protection Act (H.R. 404) and the Stop Harassing Owners of Rifles Today (SHORT) Act (H.R. 2395)’ included in the Big Beautiful Bill before Congress.
As of this writing, the House included and passed a version that removes the suppressor tax and related regulations. Work is still underway to get the SHORT Act included as well. Changes that will, as JR noted here, “dismantle antiquated NFA restrictions.”
On HB551, JR said that,
The requirement to obtain permission from your local select board or town council so that you could have a federal firearms license (FFL) was rediculous. No other at-home occupation was subject to so much red-tape to get it started. It is great to know that Granite Staters who want to run a home FFL will be able to do so without a (local) government permissions slip.
We appreciate the legislature’s work, as well as that of Granite State Gun groups, to repeal this unnecessary limitation, which towns used to prevent licensed local business owners from operating legally within their borders. We also applaud Governor Ayotte for signing it.
The new law is effective upon passage.
