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Visitor information centers - new hampshire statewide.

Welcome and visitors’ centers, Ranger stations, and rest areas throughout New Hampshire will get you where you want to go. Open year round, many 24 hours a day, you’ll find knowledgeable staff and the tools you need to find local family-friendly dining , lodging , attractions, fun and services around the state, from the best camping and hiking trails to precise moose locations. There are wheelchair accessible rest rooms and vending machines plus state highway maps, seasonal event guides, interpretive displays, videos, gift shops, courtesy phones, weather forecasts, parking and park passes. - View Our NH State Map NOTE: VisitNewEngland.com is an internet-only publisher. We do not have printed guides or maps to distribute. Free Travel Guides for New Hampshire: AAA - VisitNH (state agency) -->

Lakes Region Tourism Association

61 Laconia Road Tilton, NH, 03276 Phone: 603-286-8008 Toll-Free: 800-605-2537

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Mt. Washington Valley Chamber of Commerce

Inspired All-Season Adventure in the White Mountains

White Mountains Attractions

200 Kancamagus Highway North Woodstock, NH, 03262 Phone: 603-745-8720 Toll-Free: 800-346-3687

Your White Mountains vacation starts here.

Canterbury Rest Area

I-93 Northbound Canterbury, NH Phone: 603- 783-4194

Saco River Ranger Station

33 Kancamagus Highway Conway, NH, 03818 Phone: 603-745-3816

Hours: Open Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday - 9:00 AM - 3:30 PM

Waterville Valley Region Visitor Information Center

Off the ramp at Exit 28 of I-93 Campton (Waterville Valley), NH Phone:

Contoocook Railroad Depot Visitor Center & Riverway Park

896 Main Street Contoocook, NH Phone: 603-746-4100

Hooksett Rest Area- South

Everett Turnpike Southbound Hooksett, NH Phone: 603-485-3542

White Mountain National Forest Visitor Center

200 Kancamagus Hwy. (Exit 32 off of I-93) North Woodstock, NH Phone: 603-745-3816

Hooksett Rest Area- North

Everett Turnpike Northbound Hooksett, NH Phone: 603-485-3019

Sutton Rest Area

I-89 Southbound Sutton, NH Phone:

North Conway Village

2473 White Mountain Highway North Conway, NH, 03860 Phone: 603-356-5947

Seabrook Rest Area and Welcome Center

I-95 Northbound Seabrook, NH Phone: 603-474-5211

Lebanon Rest Area and Welcome Center

I-89 Southbound Lebanon, NH Phone: 603-448-2409

Meredith Visitor Information Center

272 Daniel Webster Hwy. (Route 3) Meredith, NH, 03253 Phone: 603-279-6121

Great Northwoods Interpretive Center

U.S. Route 3, north of town center on the east side of the road Colebrook, NH Phone:

Springfield Rest Area

I-89 Northbound Springfield, NH Phone: 603-763-9684

Intervale Scenic Vista

3654 White Mountain Highway Intervale, NH, 03845 Phone: 603-356-2769

Hours: Daily, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Discover Portsmouth Center

10 Middle Street at Congress Street Portsmouth, NH Phone: 603-436-8433

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Above , a covered bridge on a snowy morning in New Hampshire’s White Mountains, and from left to right below , an historic home at Portsmouth’s Strawbery Banke, a mom and dad enjoying the best family activity since the earth cooled at North Conway’s Mount Cranmore, a cairn on a still quiet morning at Hampton Beach, and tugboats escorting the USS New Hampshire past New Castle, en route to its commissioning at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard.

If there is anything other than palm trees missing here, for families, couples, skiers, surfers, hikers, beach-bums, deep-sea fishermen, theater-goers, whale-watchers, history lovers, or adventurers young or old, honestly, we can’t think of a single thing.  Come visit New Hampshire and see for yourself.

View new hampshire’s top five hotels here.

Historic Portsmouth, founded in 1623, was already 166 years old when President George Washington visited New Hampshire’s only seaport in 1789 .  Portsmouth has a busy working harbor, and its walkable downtown is perhaps best known for its well-preserved colonial architecture and for shopping and harborside dining on the decks, at left, overlooking its iconic tugboats.  Indeed, Portsmouth has more seats in its restaurants than the roughly 25,000 residents who live there. ( Read More ) 

To View the Official Seacoast Region Visitor’s Guide, Click Here .

Hampton Beach

Hampton Beach is New Hampshire’s most popular family vacation destination ( at right, on a blustery September afternoon ), not just because of its mile and a half by 150 yards of sand beach (groomed daily) but also because of its proximity to restaurants, snack bars, arcades, gift shops, free summer concerts nightly at the bandshell, its Wednesday fireworks other attractions.  ( Read More ) 

Isles of Shoals

Historic homes on Star Island on the Isles of Shoals , a cluster of nine small islands, four in New Hampshire and five in Maine, six miles off the coast of Rye, New Hampshire, and originally named “Smith’s Isles” by the British explorer, Captain John Smith in 1614.  Some of the homes here are among the oldest structures in New England, several of which date to the early 1600s. ( Read More )

Rye and North Hampton

Rye and North Hampton.  Rye is said to be the first settlement in New Hampshire, probably visited by French explorer and cartographer, Samuel de Champlain in 1605.  Rye is an affluent, seaside, bedroom community of about 5,000 residents stretching between the Hamptons and Portsmouth, and is perhaps best known for its sandy beaches (three of which are State Parks) and for Rye Harbor , pictured at right, the birthplace of fluffy chowder. Read More

New Castle is the smallest town in New Hampshire, entirely contained on an island surrounded by saltwater at the mouth of the Piscataqua River, a two-minute drive from Portsmouth via a bridge and a causeway.   New Castle is the home of the historic Wentworth by the Sea Hotel ( at left ) and is well known for its lovely beach, its picturesque lighthouse, and its cluster of quaint, colonial homes, some dating almost to the time of its settling in 1623. ( Read More ) 

Hanover is an historic and picturesque town of about 12,000 residents, chartered in 1761 along the east bank of the Connecticut River (which separates New Hampshire from the State of Vermont). Hanover may be best known as the home of Dartmouth College, at right , and the resources, including the Hood Museum of Art the Hopkins Center performing arts facility in the center of town, and the Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center that the College offers its residents and visitors.  ( Read More )   

 To view the official Dartmouth/Lake Sunapee Tourist Guide, click here .

White Mountains

New Hampshire’s White Mountains are the home of the best skiing east of the Mississippi , including Cannon Mountain, Loon Mountain and Waterville Valley along Interstate 93, as well as Attitash, Cranmore, Wildcat and Bretton Woods in the Mount Washington Valley, all with more than 2,000 feet of vertical drop, and not least, the august Mount Washington Hotel and Resort at the base of Mount Washington, at left .

Click here to view the Official White Mountains Visitor’s Guide.

Lakes Region

The Lakes Region of New Hampshire,  home to over 273 lakes and ponds, is the self-proclaimed “ Oldest Summer Resort in America ”.  The Lakes Region is more than just a summertime destination, of course, with breathtaking scenery in the fall, and the lovely hotels in Wolfeboro , and  Meredith,  the principal lakeside towns of the region, are quaint, quiet, off-mountain refuges for snowmobilers and skiers to unwind after a day on one of the major, easily drivable snowmobile trails and ski resorts nearby. Indeed, Meredith’s rustic yet refined Church Landing hotel ( a view of an autumn sunrise over Meredith Bay from one of its guestroom balconies is pictured at right) , is considered one of the top five resort properties in the state.

Click Here to view the official Lakes Region Visitor’s Guide.

Manchester and the Merrimack Valley

Manchester is the most populous city, and the largest convention, sports, and entertainment  destination in New Hampshire , the home to the Hampshire Fisher Cats minor league baseball team and the Manchester Monarchs ECHL hockey team, and a number of historic sites.  The Currier Museum of Art , Manchester’s principal tourist attraction, has a renowned collection of American and European art including works by Picasso, Matisse, Monet, O’Keeffe,  Calder , Sargent and Andrew Wyeth, as well as two house museums designed by famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright .   

Click here to view the official Merrimack Valley Visitors Guide.

Keene and Peterborough

The Monadnock Region , also known as the Currier and Ives corner of New Hampshire , encompassing the small towns of Keene , Dublin , and Peterborough , is characterized by rolling hills, quaint villages, and rustic farmsteads, and one significant mountain .   Keene ( pictured at right ), is a small, walkable, nearly 300-year-old city, rich in classic New England architecture and natural scenery; Peterborough is the regional arts and culture hub, where Thornton Wilder, Studs Terkel, Aaron Copland and Leonard Bernstein among others, wrote and composed while in residence at the venerable MacDowell Colony .   Mount Monadnock is the most climbed mountain in the world.

Click here to view the Monadnock Region Visitors Guide.

Historic Concord is the state capital and New Hampshire’s second largest city.   New Hampshire was the first of the thirteen colonies to declare its independence from England in 1775, and its neo-classical capitol ( pictured  at left ) is the oldest in the nation in which the state’s legislative branches meet in their original chambers.  Concord has a walkable downtown radiating from its golden-domed statehouse, with shops, restaurants, and bars, and several notable museums including the Concord History Museum and the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center , a science and space museum (a short drive from the Statehouse) dedicated to the memory of Christa McAuliffe, the Concord High School teacher who died in the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster, and New Hampshire native Alan Shepard, the first American in space. 

Click  here  for a downloadable Concord Visitors Guide.

Discover history, culture, and New England charm in Exeter, New Hampshire, a walkable, quintessentially New England town of about 15,000, with an apocryphal claim to be the birthplace of the Republican Party .   Exeter is   the home of the American Independence Museum and of   Phillips Exeter Academy , one of the oldest and most prestigious secondary schools in the United States.  ( MAP )  Exeter is an easy day-trip from Boston , about an hour by car, or a one-stop ride on AMTRAK from Boston’s North Station , and about a 25-minute drive from Portsmouth .

C lick Here for an Exeter Area Community Guide.

View the Official State of New Hampshire Visitor’s Guide here  

Or, order your own New Hampshire Visitor’s Guide booklet by calling  (800) 386-4664

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And the seacoast, welcome to portsmouth, new hampshire, a picturesque coastal gem that combines rich history with modern charm. explore the streets of the historic downtown, where you’ll discover quaint boutiques, art galleries, and delectable dining options overlooking the scenic waterfront. whether you’re drawn to its maritime heritage, vibrant cultural scene, or scenic beauty, portsmouth promises a delightful experience for all who visit., portsmouth's neighborhoods.

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Here we go-- almost through November... What we couldn`t fit? 🔴 Nov. 29-Dec. 1 Previews and opening night for 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑺𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝑴𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒄, an @ogunquitplayhouse at @musichallnh presentation 🔴 Nov. 30 Jazz Supper featuring Mark Shilansky & Friends @portsmouthbookandbar See more at GoPortsmouthNH.com 🔴 more music 🔴 more art 🔴 more tours 🔴 more shopping 🔴 more food Plus: Visit @vintagechristmasportsmouth for holiday specific events and sparkles ✨ #GoPortsmouthNH #PortsmouthNH

Heard in the Square #GoPortsmouthNH #PortsmouthNH

Enjoy Restaurant Week Portsmouth & the Seacoast through Nov. 11, 2023! Visit RestaurantWeekPortsmouth.com for venues & menus #RWPortsmouthNH #PortsmouthNH #RyeNH #DurhamNH #KitteryPointMaine #KitteryMaine

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Amazing events still to come this season at @thewarnerhouse (and these pops of Halloween orange🎃) #PortsmouthNH #GoPortsmouthNH #WarnerHouse

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Visiting Manchester

Located in the heart of New England, Manchester, New Hampshire, is a spectacular combination of a vibrant urban center and the famed natural beauty and abundant recreational opportunities that abound throughout the Granite State. This city’s location is prime—Boston, the Atlantic Coast, and New Hampshire’s scenic White Mountain and Lakes Region are all within an hour’s reach, and thanks to our exceptional highway access and the first-class Manchester-Boston Regional Airport, Manchester is accessible from just about anywhere.

This city has fast become a first-rate entertainment hub in the Northeast, playing host to the hottest concerts, top acts, and biggest events. We’ve got anything from theatrical performances to highly-charged sporting events. The Palace Theatre and recently renovated Rex Theatre sit just blocks away from the SNHU Arena, while our riverfront professional baseball stadium overlooks a bustling and vibrant downtown. When one lives in Manchester they will certainly work hard, but undoubtedly have a lot of fun as well.

Manchester has a wide range of shopping and dining options available to them throughout the community. In recent years, Manchester has emerged as the premier dining and tax-free shopping destination north of Boston.

Manchester also has beautiful parks throughout the city, and Lake Massabesic, which is set in the heart of the city, offers boating, gorgeous picnicking locations, and hiking and biking trails. Visit Arms Park for a view of the breathtaking Merrimack River. In the winter, McIntyre Ski Area offers skiers and snowboarders snow-lined trails, while ice skating rinks are located on both the east and west side of the city. The Derryfield Country Club offers 18 holes of golf on expansive greens right in Manchester.

Manchester's location allows for easy access to ski resorts, NASCAR races, beaches, state parks, camping, mountains and dozens of other attractions.  Discover what's within our city's reach.

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As summer nears, a reminder to NH tourists: 'There's more than two or three places to hike or visit'

Summer — New Hampshire’s biggest tourist season — is officially underway with Memorial Day. And state officials are expecting a slight increase in the number of tourists over last year, anticipating 4.3 million visitors through the summer.

Taylor Caswell, commissioner of the Department of Business and Economic Affairs, said he’s projecting about a 5% increase in visitors and a 6.5% increase in spending compared to 2022, when summer spending peaked .

In particular, he said the state expects a jump in international travelers, as pandemic restrictions fade from view.

But a persistent challenge, Caswell said, is dealing with the popularity of certain destinations, like Franconia Notch or the Mount Washington Valley.

“One of the things that we continue to work on is dispersion,” he said, “and sort of demonstrating to people that there's more than just two or three places to hike or to visit in New Hampshire.”

Caswell said his office has been working with regional organizations to help them promote a wider range of destinations to new visitors. In the future, he’s also hoping technological solutions could help — like a system that could show when trailhead parking lots are full and direct people to other places nearby.

As climate change lengthens the warm season in New Hampshire, Caswell said the month of September is increasingly an extension of summer. And as the season for winter activities like skiing shrinks as a result of climate change, warm-weather tourism holds additional significance for some businesses.

“A lot of our outdoor recreation operators, including ski areas and others, are looking for ways to adapt to climate change and offering, like, mountain biking or fat biking or ziplining, other things they can do with their properties to generate income,” he said.

Caswell said the state is also working to educate visitors on how to spend time outdoors safely, including increasing awareness around heat exposure.

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New hampshire tourism officials project another strong fall season.

Published on

The New Hampshire Division of Travel and Tourism Development (DTTD) expects the state’s tourism growth to continue into Fall 2022, with a projected 4.3 million visitors and spending exceeding $2 billion.

This year’s projected visitation will continue a multi-year growth period for New Hampshire, where Fall 2021 tourism resulted in a 39% increase in year-over-year visitation. Like many other domestic destinations that have experienced rapid increases in visitation, the NH DTTD expects Fall 2022 growth to slow as the leisure industry continues to normalize.

“New Hampshire is the premier travel destination in the Northeast all year round, but the vibrant colors of our tremendous foliage truly set us apart during the fall travel season drawing millions of people to all corners of the granite state,” said Taylor Caswell, commissioner of the NH Department of Business and Economic Affairs. “The fall travel season is an incredible economic driver for our state, and we are constantly working to maximize and expand visitation for the benefit of our partners and the people of New Hampshire.”

The primary factors that contributed to last year’s strong performance included a combination of pent-up travel demand, drivable outdoor leisure activities statewide, and early targeted marketing efforts. While those factors from 2021 remain relevant, the considerations of unpredictable economic factors like inflation and higher gas prices, will likely contribute to more modest growth this season.

“We continue to strategically capture market share among our target audiences, promoting the state as a must-visit fall location” said Harnois. “With the abundance of natural beauty across all regions, we expect interest in New Hampshire’s beautiful fall scenery and outdoor activity to continue with both new and returning travelers.”

Although travel continues its return to normalcy, visitors to New Hampshire are encouraged to commit to the “Granite State Promise,” and to practice Leave No Trace, both are efforts to remind residents and visitors alike to be responsible travelers, to plan ahead, be patient, and be respectful of each other to ensure a safe and more enjoyable trip.

For New Hampshire travel inspiration, visit www.visitnh.gov.

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City council to hold public hearing on 4/16 for drainage pipe relining project, nh pet aid receives grant for 11k to help pet owners with emergency veterinary care, dpw to flush fire hydrants starting 4/21 until 5/31, police department: drug take back day scheduled for 4/27, more like this.

The Rochester Post is operated by the Public Information and Community Engagement Office for the City of Rochester, New Hampshire. The purpose of the website is to serve as an aggregate for municipal press releases, community happenings, public meetings and hearings, and regional news from the State of NH. The posts are available to readers at no cost, with no required subscription. The mission of The Rochester Post is to raise awareness, make public information easily accessible, and to encourage Rochester citizens to get involved in their community and municipal government.

©2020-2023 City of Rochester, New Hampshire

Tourist Information

Rochester is a major contributor to the state’s tourism industry.  Rochester offers several lodging accommodations including a luxurious inn and attractive motels prepared to serve tourists and business travelers. Cottages are available for rent and several campgrounds are located in and around the City to offer family getaways with swimming, boating, fishing, trails for hiking and a variety of activities for the family vacation.

Wildflowers blooming in the spring are enjoyed around the state by those visiting our parks, nature trails, bike paths, walking paths, fishing and picnic areas.

The Rochester Fair attracts thousands to Rochester in the fall.  And no matter where you travel in the fall in New Hampshire, you can’t miss the spectacular and breathtaking foliage that brings thousands of tourists.  Foliage hotlines are accessible during this colorful season to provide information on this scenic delight.

Based on the many things to see and do in the region, the NH Department of Travel & Tourism and area chambers of commerce produce maps and guides to promote the many opportunities available to visitors. These guides can be found at chambers of commerce, rest areas and a number of establishments in and around the state.

Rochester also offers convenient access to a number of attractions and tourist areas located in the region and throughout the state, including the beaches of the Seacoast region, the White Mountains with its world class ski resorts and the lakes region offering a wide array of attractions. Lake Winnipesaukee, located 30 minutes from Rochester, is the state’s largest lake that surrounds several communities and features a number of attractions.

Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce

18 South Main Street Rochester, NH 03867 Phone: 603-332-5080 Fax: 603-332-5216 www.rochesternh.org

NH Travel & Tourism

Phone: 603-271-2665 www.visitnh.gov

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New hampshire winter recreation businesses forced to adapt as climate changes.

Winter temperatures warming in state faster than most places in country

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New Hampshire tourism is the second-largest contributor to the state's economy, providing more than $320 million in tax revenue last fiscal year, with winter tourism accounting for about $70 million. But could the changing climate have an impact on the industry?

The ideal picture of New Hampshire in the winter is one of snowcapped mountains and fields covered in a blanket of white. The picturesque landscapes draw tourists from all over to enjoy the season in the Granite State.

But the changing climate is threatening winter recreation in New Hampshire.

"Unfortunately, it is the new normal," said Lauren Casey, a meteorologist for Climate Central, a nonprofit consisting of an independent group of scientists who research changes in our climate. "Unfortunately, unless we really curb our carbon emissions, it's only going to get warmer from here."

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Climate Central has analyzed winter average temperatures for more than 200 locations across the United States, including Concord. It's an effort to see how and where winters have warmed since 1970.

"Across the country, the average rate of warming for these locations was 3.8 degrees," Casey said.

From 1970 to 2022, Concord's average rate of warming was 6.6 degrees, making it one of the Top 5 winter warming locations, along with Burlington, Vermont; Albany, Georgia; Chattanooga, Tennessee; and Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

That means the the winter recreation season is getting shorter for some New Hampshire businesses..

"The ground froze earlier in the year, and we thought, 'We're heading in the right direction. We got a little snow,'" said Dan Gould, executive director of the New Hampshire Snowmobile Association. "Then, it went backwards."

Snowmobile registration numbers have decreased in recent years, from more than 47,000 for the 2020-2021 season to 45,000 in 2021-2022 and 37,000 in 2022-2023.

Gould said changing temperatures don't help an industry that can't make its own snow.

"What we need are multiple storms to form layer upon layer of a base," he said. "Once that's groomed, it can almost be like an ice rink that's nice and hard and firm. And then, you have fresh snow over that. Oftentimes, you can ride from December through late March."

But this year, the vast majority of the state's snowmobile trails closed the first week of March.

And it's not just the trails. Some ski slopes also closed in early March, including McIntyre Ski Area in Manchester.

"Every ski area has been through this from one year to the next," said Ross Boisvert, owner and general manager of McIntyre Ski Area. "The last two years were great. Actually, when COVID hit, it helped us. The snow fell during those years. This year has been a little bit different, but we're hitting our numbers."

Although New Hampshire is experiencing warmer winters, it appears that the temperatures are not affecting winter tourism overall. With the exception of 2021, visitation numbers in New Hampshire have increased over the past couple of years.

"Every year subsequently has seen increases of anywhere between 3 and 5%," said Taylor Caswell, commissioner of the Department of Business and Economic Affairs.

Caswell credits the increase to New Hampshire businesses that have adjusted their models by offering additional outdoor activities, such as winter hiking and fat biking.

"I think we've been looking at this a lot internally," Caswell said. "What is it that we're heading for? What is the science telling us? What are the trends? And what are some of the ways that we can help the tourism industry adapt, get more creative and be more innovative to present offerings to people who want to come to New Hampshire?"

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Lawmakers defeat a sixth gun safety bill, this one aimed at keeping guns out of schools

By: annmarie timmins - april 12, 2024 5:00 am.

Sen. Debra Altschiller, a Stratham Democrat, encourages Moms Demand Action members to continue pushing for gun safety bills. Several hours later, the Senate defeated a bill that would have prohibited guns on school grounds. (Annmarie Timmins | New Hampshire Bulletin)

Thursday morning, Moms Demand Action gathered their gun safety advocates in the New Hampshire State Library to encourage them to continue pressing lawmakers to support their legislative agenda and to run for office to replace those who don’t. 

“We’ve done a lot of work this legislative session, putting up signs, showing up for hearings, and courageously providing testimony,” Kathleen Slover, a volunteer with the New Hampshire chapter, told the crowd. “Without your tireless work, we wouldn’t have any hearings to go to or any bills to support.” 

Several hours later, lawmakers rejected the sixth bill on the group’s priority list. 

Senate Bill 593 , which failed in the Senate, 14-9, along party lines, would have prohibited guns on school grounds and buses. State law prohibits drugs but not firearms on school grounds. 

That leaves just one gun safety bill still in play: House Bill 1711 , a bipartisan effort to add certain mental health records to gun background checks. While federal law prohibits anyone who has been committed to a psychiatric facility from buying or possessing a gun, New Hampshire does not submit the mental health records that would identify those individuals.

The bill cleared the House two weeks ago with the help of 25 Republicans who joined Democrats in backing it. The Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to hold a public hearing on the bill Tuesday afternoon.

The Senate debate over the bill banning guns on school grounds was brief Thursday.

Senate Democrats pointed to school shootings outside New Hampshire and incidents within the state where armed individuals have been on school grounds, threatening to shoot. 

“As a gun owner … and a parent, I value my Second Amendment rights while recognizing the need for responsible firearm regulation, especially in sensitive environments like schools,” said Sen. Donovan Fenton, a Keene Democrat and the bill’s prime sponsor. “Senate Bill 593 strikes this balance effectively, respecting individual rights while prioritizing public safety.”

Republicans countered with two arguments: Bringing a gun to school would have been a misdemeanor under the bill, too light a penalty, they said, to deter anyone. And, they argued the millions the state has given schools to improve safety and expand mental health treatment is a more effective step toward preventing school shootings. 

“Let’s focus … on actual solutions to the problems our state faces instead of supporting legislation that infringes on the constitutional rights of Granite Staters,” said Sen. Sharon Carson, a Londonderry Republican.

Here’s a look at the seven gun-related bills introduced this year. 

Two bills aimed at protecting Second Amendment rights have passed. 

House Bill 1336 would prohibit employers who receive federal or state money from disallowing employees from storing firearms and ammunition in their locked vehicles while at work. It would also make it illegal for employers to search an employee’s vehicle or ask whether they have guns or ammunition in their vehicle.

The Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to hold a public hearing on the bill Tuesday as well.

House Bill 1186 is a gun privacy bill that would block credit card companies from tracking firearm and ammunition purchases by prohibiting merchants from entering a code during a gun or ammunition purchase. 

The bill would also allow the Attorney General’s Office to pursue legal action unless the retailer agreed to cease coding purchases.

Most gun safety bills failed before they could make it to the other chamber.

House Bill 1050 would have created an option for individuals to put themselves on a do-not-sell list for fear they will hurt themselves or others if they have access to a gun. 

Under Senate Bill 360 , family or household members could have asked a court to restrict access to firearms for someone they believe poses an immediate or significant risk to themselves or others. At Thursday’s morning rally with gun safety advocates, Robin Skudlarek, of Londonderry, said she needed such a law 20 years ago when her brother tried to kill himself. 

He survived, but the memory remained difficult for Skudlarek to share Thursday.

“My brother shot himself in the head. He was depressed. He was on the verge of eviction. We knew he had gotten a gun and there was nothing we could do,” she said, wiping away tears. “We went to the police and they said there’s nothing you can do. (SB 360’s red-flag law) is a tool that my family wishes we had, so we could have petitioned to have the guns taken away.”

Senate Bill 577 would have imposed a three-day waiting period to buy a firearm. 

House Bill 1037 would have repealed the liability protections for entities that make, sell, or distribute guns and ammunition in cases where either were used illegally.

Currently criminal background checks are done only when someone purchases a gun from a federally licensed firearm dealer. Under Senate Bill 571 , background checks would be required when all guns changed hands, including during private sales and when guns are given as gifts.

The Biden administration finalized a rule Thursday that may accomplish some of what SB 571 attempted.

A new rule by the Department of Justice and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, would require all gun sales to include a criminal background check. That would include merchants who sell online, by mail, or at flea markets and gun shows. It is expected to face legal challenges once it takes effect. 

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Annmarie Timmins

Senior reporter Annmarie Timmins is a New Hampshire native who covered state government, courts, and social justice issues for the Concord Monitor for 25 years. During her time with the Monitor, she won a Nieman Fellowship to study journalism and mental health courts at Harvard for a year. She has taught journalism at the University of New Hampshire and writing at the Nackey S. Loeb School of Communications. Email: [email protected]

New Hampshire Bulletin is part of States Newsroom , the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.

Related News

Several Trump supporters involved in Jan. 6 are running for office this year

WASHINGTON — Former President Donald Trump has promised to pardon many of his supporters convicted of crimes related to the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol if he’s elected in November.

Further down the ballot in the 2024 elections, several convicted rioters and others who were involved in the lead-up to the Capitol attack are running for local and national office themselves.

This fall will also see a candidate who was on the other side of the clash on Jan. 6, 2021. Former Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn, who faced down a crowd of rioters, is running to replace retiring Democratic Rep. John Sarbanes of Maryland. The primary in that race is on May 14.

NBC News has identified seven candidates who are running for elected office this year who were at the Capitol on Jan. 6 or attended the Trump “Stop the Steal” rally that preceded it, plus three more who ran but have already lost in primaries. Only one candidate — Derrick Evans of West Virginia — returned NBC News’ request for comment for this story.

Kimberly Dragoo, Missouri

Kimberly Dragoo, who pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor in connection with the Jan. 6 attack, lost her race Tuesday for a seat on the St. Joseph Board of Education in Missouri.

Dragoo participated in the riot with her husband, Steven, who photographed the couple throughout the day, including when she went through a broken window into the Capitol, according to court documents. She was one of 10 candidates running for three open seats for a board that oversees 10,000 students and 1,500 staff members, per the district’s website. She came in eighth out of 10 candidates.

Michele Morrow, North Carolina

Michele Morrow won the Republican primary for North Carolina Superintendent of Public Education and will face democrat Mo Green in November.

Morrow has said publicly that she attended the “Stop the Steal” rally on Jan. 6 but that she did not enter the Capitol building. Morrow spoke to a local news station about her experience shortly after Jan. 6, saying that she “was up there” and “around the Capitol” and tried to discourage others from committing violence. She said she was “telling everyone we cannot expect our lawmakers to uphold the law if we’re going to break the law.” She has not been charged in connection with Jan. 6.

Morrow has recently gained national prominence for past social media posts in which she called for violence against prominent Democrats, including calls for the execution of President Joe Biden and then-President Barack Obama, which were first reported by CNN . In a video posted on X , she responded to the reporting of her posts saying they were “old comments taken out of context, made in jest, or never made in the first place.” She accused the media of reporting on the statements to “hide the radicalism of the Democrat platform.”

If elected, Morrow would oversee the nearly 3,000 public schools in North Carolina, attended by 1.4 million children. Morrow has no elected experience, has said that she homeschools her children and has described public schooling as “indoctrination” in social media posts.

Jason Riddle, New Hampshire

Jason Riddle ple a d ed guilty to entering the Capitol and theft of government property and was sentenced to 90 days in prison. Now, he is running for Congress in New Hampshire’s Second District. He admitted to chugging a bottle of wine inside the building and provided a photo of himself holding the bottle to media outlets, per government filings.

This is his second run for Congress. He also ran in 2022, but his candidacy was complicated by the fact that he was incarcerated at the time . He also initially expressed confusion about what office he was running for. In an interview with NBC Boston , Riddle said that he planned to challenge Democratic Rep. Annie Kuster but he “thought Ann was a state representative.” When told that she was a member of Congress, he replied: “Oh, well, I guess I have to run for that then.”

Kuster recently announced her retirement , vacating her seat in the Concord-based swing district.

In a survey about his policy positions for the website Ballotpedia, Riddle described himself as a “recently released January 6th political prisoner” and lists Jesus as his only endorsement. The filing deadline for New Hampshire is in June and he is one of several Republicans seeking to run in the GOP primary, which is set for Sept. 10.

Anthony Kern, Arizona

Anthony Kern is a current member of the Arizona Senate who signed a document falsely “certifying” the Arizona election for Trump as a fake elector . Kern attended the “Stop the Steal” rally and was outside the Capitol while rioters entered it; multiple news outlets identified him in video of the day posted online . Kern tweeted on Jan. 6 that he was in Washington for “D-Day,” using the hashtag #StopTheSteal. He later condemned the violence. He has not been charged in relation to the attack and there is no evidence that he entered the Capitol.

Kern had an ethics complaint filed against him for allegedly using campaign funds for his travel expenses to attend the Jan. 6 rally, but he has not responded to requests for a reply, the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office said. He is currently the subject of a state criminal investigation for his role as a fake elector. He has denied all wrongdoing. 

Kern is running for Congress in Arizona’s 8th District, where he faces several opponents in the race to replace retiring Republican Debbie Lesko. His opponents include Blake Masters, the Republican candidate for Senate in Arizona in 2022, and Abe Hamadeh, the Republican candidate for Arizona Attorney General in 2022. (Hamadeh has filed three legal challenges to his loss in the election , all of which are still pending.)

The district, which covers the northwest Phoenix suburbs, is considered solidly Republican, with Trump having won it in 2020 by 13 points .

Jacob Chansley, Arizona

Jacob Chansley, better known as the “QAnon Shaman,” had indicated that he’s running for the same seat as Kern, but as a libertarian.

Chansley was sentenced to 41 months in prison for felony obstruction of a proceeding. He is notorious for his unusual attire, having worn a furry horned headdress on Jan. 6.

He filed a statement of interest to run for Congress in November, but does not appear to have taken other steps such as setting up a campaign website or filing a statement of candidacy with the Federal Election Commission. He is not listed as a candidate on the Arizona Libertarian Party’s website.

While he did not respond to a request for comment, Chansley indicated in an X post Wednesday , after this article published, that he is not running. Chansley said, “3rd party candidates getting enough signatures to get on the ballot has been made virtually impossible,” adding that he doesn’t “wanna mud wrestle with alligators in the DC swamp anyway.”

Derrick Evans, West Virginia

Derrick Evans, a former West Virginia state lawmaker, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to three months in prison on a felony charge for his role on Jan. 6. Now, he is running for Congress in the state’s 1st District. He will face incumbent Republican Carol Miller in a May 14 primary.

Evans, who had been sworn into office just weeks before the Jan. 6 attack, livestreamed his activities that day on Facebook, including him yelling, “Derrick Evans is in the Capitol!”

When reached for comment this week about how his connection to the riot was affecting his candidacy, Evans said in a statement that he believes there was an effort to steal the 2020 election from Trump.

Evans has been endorsed by Rep. Bob Good, R-Va., chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, who is facing a primary challenge from the right.

Katrina Pierson, Texas

Pierson is headed to a runoff in her bid for Texas’ 33rd state House District. Pierson, a former Trump spokesperson, helped organize the rally at the Ellipse and served as a liaison between organizers and the White House, including sharing Trump’s plan to call on his supporters to march to the Capitol, according to the House Jan. 6 Committee’s report . There is no evidence that Pierson went near the Capitol or into the building and she has not been charged with any crimes.

Pierson faces incumbent state Rep. Justin Holland, also a Republican, in a May 28 runoff. She was endorsed in the race by Gov. Greg Abbot and Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is targeting state House members who voted to impeach him, including Holland.

Candidates who lost

Several candidates involved in Jan. 6 have already lost their bids for office this cycle.

Ryan Zink, who was convicted of a felony and two misdemeanors for his role in the riot, lost his primary challenge to Rep. Jodey Arrington in Texas’ 19th Congressional District. He filmed himself breaching the Capitol in footage cited by prosecutors, saying, “We’re storming the Capitol! You can’t stop us!” He received about 3% of the vote.

Phillip Sean Grillo, who was convicted of five charges, including one felony for his actions that day, lost the race to be the Republican candidate in the special election to replace George Santos in New York’s 3rd District. He testified at his trial that he had “no idea” Congress met at the Capitol.

Bianca Gracia lost her bid to represent Texas’ 128th state House District. According to the Jan. 6 committee report , Gracia helped organize a pro-Trump rally in Washington on Jan. 5 and had close ties to the extremist Proud Boys group, even meeting with leaders of that group and of the Oath Keepers on the night before the riot. Gracia gave testimony to the House Jan. 6 committee but largely invoked her Fifth Amendment rights in declining to answer questions. She has not been charged with any crimes and does not appear to have been at or near the Capitol on Jan. 6.

Gracia was endorsed by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton but that wasn’t enough to help her defeat ultra-conservative Texas house member Briscoe Cain, who assisted the Trump legal team in its election results challenges in 2020.

Diana Paulsen is a desk assistant for NBC News.