Self Defense
RSA 627:4 — no duty to retreat at home or anywhere a person has a right to be, and no crime in displaying a firearm to warn
A person may use non deadly force to defend themselves or a third person from what they reasonably believe is the imminent use of unlawful non deadly force, to the degree they reasonably believe necessary.
Who handles this in New Hampshire: New Hampshire Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service; and legal aid programs and the state offices, listed in the New Hampshire directory.
- It is not justified for one who provoked the force meaning to cause harm.
- It is not justified for the initial aggressor, unless they withdraw and effectively say so and the other keeps on.
- It is not justified in a combat by agreement that the law does not authorize.
Deadly force is justified when the person reasonably believes the other is about to use unlawful deadly force against them or a third person, is likely to use unlawful force while committing a burglary, is committing or about to commit kidnapping or a forcible sex offense, or is likely to use unlawful force in a felony against them in their dwelling or its curtilage.
No duty to retreat where a person has a right to be. Deadly force is not justified if the person knows they and the third person can retreat with complete safety, but there is no duty to retreat within one's dwelling, its curtilage, or anywhere one has a right to be, for one who was not the initial aggressor.
A person who responds to a threat a reasonable person would see as likely to cause serious bodily injury or death by displaying a firearm or other means of self defense, meaning to warn the person away, has not committed a criminal act.
Justified conduct is a defense to any offense and a complete defense to a civil action based on it. A person in possession of premises may use non deadly force to stop a criminal trespass there, and deadly force only in defense of a person.
Sources for this section (3)
- RSA 627:4 — Physical Force in Defense of a Person
- RSA 627:1 — General Rule
- RSA 627:7 — Use of Force in Defense of Premises
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed New Hampshire attorney.