New Hampshire’s New “Guns at Work” Law: What Employers Need to Know

New Hampshire has recently made headlines with its new statute allowing employees to bring firearms to work in certain circumstances, which became effective on January 1, 2025. The law, signed by Governor Chris Sununu, allows employees who have concealed carry permits to bring their firearms to work as long as the firearms are secured and stored out-of-sight in employees’ locked vehicles on company property. Note that the law does not require employers to allow guns in the workplace itself; however, it does extend protections to employees who wish to keep their firearms in their personal cars during working hours.

Key Provisions of the Law

Right to Keep Firearms in Vehicles: The law allows employees with valid concealed carry permits to store their firearms out-of-sight in their locked personal vehicles, even if their employer has a general policy prohibiting firearms on the company’s premises. Additionally, employers cannot require an employee to disclose whether they are storing a firearm or ammunition in their vehicle.
Employer Exceptions: The law also clarifies that certain businesses with specific restrictions against firearms on their premises, such as gun-free zones, are not required to alter their policies to accommodate employees who want to bring their guns to work. Additionally, all covered employers still have the right to prohibit employees from carrying firearms in areas other than their vehicles, including in the workplace itself.
Civil Liability: The law provides that an employer may not be held liable in any civil action for any damages for any economic loss, injury, or death resulting from or arising out of another person’s actions involving a firearm or ammunition stored pursuant to this statute.

What Does This Mean for Employers?

The law brings challenges and responsibilities for employers. Employers who are hesitant about firearms in the workplace will need to carefully assess their policies to ensure compliance with the new law and previously existing laws. For example, the federal Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Act’s general duty clause requires employers to protect employees from foreseeable hazards, including incidents of workplace violence. Employers will need to think carefully about how they handle situations where employees store firearms in their vehicles, such as implementing additional security measures to ensure the safety of workers, property, and other visitors.

The introduction of the Guns at Work law is likely to have a mixed impact on workplace culture. In some industries, particularly those where employees work late hours or in remote locations, some workers may feel more secure with firearms nearby. For others, the presence of guns — even if only stored in locked vehicles — could lead to discomfort or fear among staff.

Conclusion

New Hampshire’s new Guns at Work law is a significant step in the state’s evolving gun culture, and it reflects a larger trend of expanding Second Amendment rights in the workplace. With specific provisions aimed at respecting personal rights, this law sets the stage for future debates on the role of firearms in the workplace and how best to balance security, safety, and individual rights.

Disclaimer

This blog is made available by Foley & Lardner LLP (“Foley” or “the Firm”) for informational purposes only. It is not meant to convey the Firm’s legal position on behalf of any client, nor is it intended to convey specific legal advice. Any opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of Foley & Lardner LLP, its partners, or its clients. Accordingly, do not act upon this information without seeking counsel from a licensed attorney. This blog is not intended to create, and receipt of it does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship. Communicating with Foley through this website by email, blog post, or otherwise, does not create an attorney-client relationship for any legal matter. Therefore, any communication or material you transmit to Foley through this blog, whether by email, blog post or any other manner, will not be treated as confidential or proprietary. The information on this blog is published “AS IS” and is not guaranteed to be complete, accurate, and or up-to-date. Foley makes no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, as to the operation or content of the site. Foley expressly disclaims all other guarantees, warranties, conditions and representations of any kind, either express or implied, whether arising under any statute, law, commercial use or otherwise, including implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, title and non-infringement. In no event shall Foley or any of its partners, officers, employees, agents or affiliates be liable, directly or indirectly, under any theory of law (contract, tort, negligence or otherwise), to you or anyone else, for any claims, losses or damages, direct, indirect special, incidental, punitive or consequential, resulting from or occasioned by the creation, use of or reliance on this site (including information and other content) or any third party websites or the information, resources or material accessed through any such websites. In some jurisdictions, the contents of this blog may be considered Attorney Advertising. If applicable, please note that prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Photographs are for dramatization purposes only and may include models. Likenesses do not necessarily imply current client, partnership or employee status.