Business Licensing & Operations in New Hampshire (2026)
15 rules on the books across New Hampshire, 3 cities and counties. Select a rule to read the full details.
Severity: Few Restrictions · Light Restrictions · Some Restrictions · Significant Restrictions · Heavy Restrictions
Adult Entertainment
Zoning and licensing rules for adult entertainment establishments under LAMC §12.70, including distance buffers from schools, churches, and residential zones.
Hudson
Significant RestrictionsIn the Town of Hudson, New Hampshire, a sexually oriented business may open only in the Industrial Zone, must sit 500…
Read full rule →Manchester
Significant RestrictionsManchester bars any business that sells alcoholic beverages from offering exotic or unusual entertainment, including…
Read full rule →Nashua
Significant RestrictionsNashua confines sexually oriented businesses to the HB Highway Business zone, requires a land use permit, and enforces…
Read full rule →Tattoo & Body Modification
Health Department permits and city licensing for tattoo and piercing studios, including bloodborne-pathogen training and inspection requirements.
Hudson
Significant RestrictionsHudson bans tattooing anyone under 18 outright and requires separate Health Officer licenses for every tattoo or…
Read full rule →Manchester
Some RestrictionsManchester requires every tattoo parlor and body piercing establishment to hold an annual business license from the…
Read full rule →Tobacco Retail License
The local license required to sell tobacco and vape products, the conduct rules attached to it, flavored-product bans, self-service and age limits, and the zoning that applies to smoke shops.
New Hampshire: statewide
StatewideSome RestrictionsRSA 126-K regulates e-cigarettes alongside tobacco, requiring licensed sales, age verification, and packaging standards…
Read full rule →Manchester
Some RestrictionsManchester requires any "high-impact retail store" selling tobacco, vape or nicotine products, or lottery tickets, to…
Read full rule →Secondhand Dealers
LAMC §21.12 + CA Bus & Prof Code requirements for secondhand dealers, including item-reporting to law enforcement and 30-day holding periods.
Hudson
Significant RestrictionsIn the Town of Hudson, New Hampshire, Town Code § 261-2 defines a secondhand dealer broadly to cover jewelry…
Read full rule →Manchester
Significant RestrictionsJunk dealers, junk collectors, pawnbrokers, pawnshops, and secondhand dealers in Manchester must hold a City Clerk…
Read full rule →Nashua
Significant RestrictionsNashua requires anyone buying secondhand goods from the public to hold a Board of Aldermen license, keep detailed…
Read full rule →Pawnbrokers
State and city pawnbroker licensing, item-holding periods, interest-rate caps, and the LAPD-monitored CalGang/CAPSS reporting system.
Hudson
Significant RestrictionsIn the Town of Hudson, New Hampshire, no one may operate as a pawnbroker without a license issued by the Board of…
Read full rule →Manchester
Significant RestrictionsManchester requires City Clerk-issued licenses for pawnbrokers, vetted by the Chief of Police, with a 10-year criminal…
Read full rule →Nashua
Significant RestrictionsNashua requires pawnbrokers and secondhand dealers to hold a Board of Aldermen license, with a $50 fee, police vetting…
Read full rule →Towing Companies
Permits, fee caps, and notification requirements for tow companies operating in the city, including official police-rotation tow contracts.
Manchester
Some RestrictionsManchester limits non-consent towing to $175 per tow and $50 per day storage, with the first 24 hours free and no…
Read full rule →Nashua
Some RestrictionsNashua caps tows performed without the owner's consent at the City's own contracted towing rate and requires posted…
Read full rule →