Laws › Title XII: Public Safety and Welfare
RSA 159-B
Chapter 159-B: Shooting Ranges
The text as the General Court's table holds it. Includes changes through 2026; 2027 laws not yet included. Taken from the General Court's database on October 19, 2026. The official text on gc.nh.gov.
Cite this page
Granite Record indexes the General Court’s record; it is not that record. Where a citation allows only one source, cite the General Court — every page here links to what it is drawn from. The date below is the day the page was read.
- MLA
- “Chapter 159-B: Shooting Ranges.” Granite Record, https://graniterecord.org/laws/159-b. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.
- APA
- Granite Record. (n.d.). Chapter 159-B: Shooting Ranges. Retrieved 19 Oct. 2026, from https://graniterecord.org/laws/159-b
- Chicago
- Granite Record. “Chapter 159-B: Shooting Ranges.” Accessed 19 Oct. 2026. https://graniterecord.org/laws/159-b.
- BibTeX
@misc{laws-159-b, title = {Chapter 159-B: Shooting Ranges}, howpublished = {Granite Record}, url = {https://graniterecord.org/laws/159-b}, note = {Accessed 19 Oct. 2026} }
159-B:1 Exemption.
Notwithstanding the provisions of RSA 644:2, III(a) or any other law to the contrary, no person who owns, operates, or uses a shooting range in this state shall be subject to civil liability or criminal prosecution in any matter relating to noise or noise pollution, provided that the owners of the range are in compliance with any applicable noise control ordinances in existence at the time the range was established, was constructed, or began operations.
Source. 2004, 83:2, eff. May 7, 2004.
159-B:2 Injunctions.
The owners, operators, or users of shooting ranges shall not be subject to any action for nuisance and no court shall enjoin the use or operation of a range on the basis of noise or noise pollution, provided that the owners of the range are in compliance with any noise control ordinance that was in existence at the time the range was established, was constructed, or began operations.
Source. 2004, 83:2, eff. May 7, 2004.
159-B:3 Expansion.
Subsequent physical expansion of the shooting range or change in the types of firearms in use at the range shall not establish a new date of commencement of operations for the portion or portions in existence prior to the expansion for the purposes of this chapter.
Source. 2004, 83:2, eff. May 7, 2004.
159-B:4 Retroactivity Prohibited.
No administrative rule, statute, or ordinance adopted, enacted, or proposed by the state of New Hampshire or its political subdivisions shall be applied retroactively to prohibit or limit the scope of the shooting activities previously conducted at a shooting range, which was in operation prior to the adoption, enactment, enforcement, or proposal of the administrative rule, statute, or ordinance.
Source. 2004, 83:2, eff. May 7, 2004.
159-B:5 Nuisance.
Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, a person may not maintain a nuisance action for noise or noise pollution against a shooting range, or the owners, operators, or users of the range, located in the vicinity of that person's property, if the shooting range was established, constructed, or being used on a regular basis as of the date the person acquired the property.
Source. 2004, 83:2, eff. May 7, 2004.
How it has changed
From the section's source note, newest first.
- 2004 Laws of 2004, chapter 83 · HB 1309
159-B:6 Exemption From State Standards.
No standard in rules adopted by any state agency for limiting levels of noise in terms of decibel level, which may occur in the outdoor atmosphere, shall apply to the shooting ranges exempted from liability under the provisions of this chapter.
Source. 2004, 83:2, eff. May 7, 2004.
How it has changed
From the section's source note, newest first.
- 2004 Laws of 2004, chapter 83 · HB 1309
159-B:7 Cause of Action.
The owners of a shooting range shall have a right of action in superior court to enforce the provisions of this chapter.
Source. 2004, 83:2, eff. May 7, 2004.
How it has changed
From the section's source note, newest first.
- 2004 Laws of 2004, chapter 83 · HB 1309
159-B:8 Definitions.
In this chapter:
I. "Noise" shall mean the intensity, duration, and character of sounds from shooting.
II. "Shooting range" shall mean a property or properties designed and operated for persons using rifles, shotguns, pistols, revolvers, or blackpowder weapons; archery; air rifles; silhouettes; skeet ranges; trap ranges; or other similar facilities.
Source. 2004, 83:2, eff. May 7, 2004.
How it has changed
From the section's source note, newest first.
- 2004 Laws of 2004, chapter 83 · HB 1309
Other bills that proposed changes
Bills whose own text says they change this section, and that are not in its history above.
- HB 1474-FN 2007-2008 Died