New Hampshire alcohol laws

What New Hampshire has enacted on alcohol, what each law requires, and what the bills still moving would do. New Hampshire is one of 47 states that enacted an alcohol law in the 2025 and 2026 sessions.

10 new New Hampshire laws take effect in 2027

Bills in scope
24bills in scope
Past committee
16past committee
Most recent action
23 October 2026most recent action

Alcohol laws enacted in New Hampshire

13 alcohol laws enacted in the New Hampshire Legislature in the 2025 and 2026 sessions, newest first. Each links to the legislature's own page.

  • HB 1765enabling wine and beverage manufacturers to offer tastings of and sell products of certain New Hampshire wine and beverage manufacturers and relative to defacing of controlled products.Enacted 10 July 2026

    What it requires: Wine manufacturers may sell wines at retail or wholesale at their winery and at one wine manufacturer retail outlet, paying an annual fee of $216. Wine manufacturers may provide samples of up to one 2-ounce sample per label or one 5-ounce glass per person, or up to two 5-ounce glasses per person when food is available. Beverage manufacturers producing 15,000 barrels or less may distribute directly to retail licensees provided in-state direct retail sales do not exceed 5,000 barrels.

    Three-tier, distribution and franchise, Licensing and retail permits

  • SB 524relative to the sale of tobacco products, e-cigarettes, devices, e-liquids, or alternative nicotine products and relative to the licensure and sale of certain liquor products.Takes effect 1 January 2027

    What it requires: Holders of retail tobacco licenses, tobacco products manufacturers, and tobacco products wholesalers must report inventory, loss, purchases, and sales to the commission. Persons under 21 years of age who violate tobacco laws are subject to fines or community service. Off-premises and retail wine licensees are prohibited from selling tobacco products and e-cigarettes.

    Licensing and retail permits

  • SB 624restricting access to certain hemp-derived products and establishing the offenses of criminal adulteration and distribution of adulterated controlled substances.Takes effect 1 January 2027

    What it requires: Licensees must comply with prohibitions on hemp-derived products containing THC greater than 0.3 percent on a dry weight basis in any formulation. No licensee, salesperson, or other person shall sell, deliver, or give away such products to persons under 21. Persons are prohibited from knowingly adulterating controlled substances with unapproved substances with intent to distribute, or distributing controlled substances known or reasonably believed to contain unapproved additives.

    Hemp and THC beverages

  • HB 1540relative to municipal health ordinances and accessory dwelling units and relative to on-premises licenses for licensed barbershops and salons.Enacted 2 June 2026

    What it requires: Municipalities must allow one accessory dwelling unit as a matter of right in all zoning districts permitting single-family dwellings without imposing greater septic system requirements than the department of environmental services requires, while retaining authority to enforce municipal health ordinances related to septic inspection, maintenance, upgrade, and replacement. Licensed barbershops and salons may obtain tier 1 licenses to serve alcoholic beverages without charge or tier 2 licenses to sell alcoholic beverages, each with specified drink limits per customer per appointment. The liquor commission must submit an annual report by November 1 listing licenses applied for, granted, and denied, inspections performed, and violations occurring.

    Licensing and retail permits

  • HB 529relative to the liquor commission.Enacted 30 March 2026

    What it requires: Off-premises licensees may sell alcoholic beverages from 6:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. seven days a week. On-premises licensees may sell from 6:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m. seven days a week, or until 3:00 a.m. if authorized by local ordinance. On-premises licensees with a restaurant delivery license may deliver beverages and liquor with ordered meals, subject to requirements including sealed containers, W-2 employees aged 21 or older, age verification, and signed receipts. On-premises licensees may refill refillable beer containers regardless of branding.

  • HB 565allowing persons under 21 into veterans' clubs, private clubs, and social clubs under certain conditions.Enacted 30 March 2026

    What it requires: Operators of veterans' clubs, private clubs, and social clubs must allow persons under 18 into rooms where liquor and beverages are sold if accompanied by a parent, legal guardian, or adult spouse who has signed them in and listed their ages. Persons under 21 presenting valid military identification need not be accompanied. Persons under 21 may be in rentable rooms with beverages and liquor when the club uses a supplemental license.

    Licensing and retail permits

  • SB 87relative to one day liquor license requirements and making salons and barber shops eligible for on-premise licenses.Enacted 4 August 2025

    Licensing and retail permits

  • SB 79enabling the use of self-pour automated systems by liquor commission licensees.Enacted 22 July 2025

    Licensing and retail permits

  • SB 80consolidating licensing, auditing, and enforcement responsibilities for wholesale and retail e-cigarettes sales under the liquor commission.Enacted 22 July 2025
  • SB 89enabling non-citizens who are legally authorized to work in the United States to deliver alcohol.Enacted 22 July 2025

    Direct-to-consumer shipping and delivery

  • HB 242relative to brew pub licenses.Enacted 3 July 2025

    Licensing and retail permits

  • HB 77prohibiting certain licensees from electronically recording or storing personal information obtained from an identification card.Enacted 3 July 2025

    What it requires: Licensees may scan approved forms of identification to verify age for alcohol or tobacco purchases. Licensees must not electronically record, retain, or store personal information from identification cards, including photographs, social security numbers, driver identification numbers, names, addresses except 5-digit zip codes, telephone numbers, and medical or disability information.

    Licensing and retail permits, Underage sales and liability

  • HB 538reallocating positions in the liquor commission.Enacted 6 June 2025

Alcohol in New Hampshire, by topic

Alcohol bills in New Hampshire

The bills not yet law, furthest along first, with what each would do.

13Enacted

1Cleared both chambers

2Past committee

8Introduced or inactive

24 bills in scope

Cleared both chambers

1

HB 81relative to consumption of beverages or liquor in areas not approved for service by the liquor commission.Passed both

Past committee

2

SB 669relative to on-premises licenses for licensed barbershops and salons.Passed chamber

What it would do: Creates two tiers of on-premises alcohol licenses for barbershops and salons: tier 1 allows free service ($100 fee) and tier 2 allows sales ($480 fee), each limited to one drink per customer per appointment. Requires the liquor commission to submit annual reports on license applications, grants, denials, inspections, and violations.

SB 557making synthetic and semisynthetic kratom illegal to prepare, distribute, manufacture, sell, possess, or advertise, with exceptions made for scientific research, and relative to the official ballot referendum form of town meetings.Passed chamber

What it would do: Prohibits liquor commission licensees from selling, distributing, possessing, or allowing ingestion of unauthorized kratom products, defined as kratom alkaloids chemically altered, synthetically created, or purified with enhanced 7-hydroxymitragynine levels. Second violations result in license revocation, effective January 1, 2027.

Introduced or inactive

8

SB 485relative to the licensure, regulation and taxation of hemp-based derivative products.In committee

What it would do: Creates a licensing and regulatory framework for hemp-derived cannabinoid products under the Liquor Commission, establishing supplier, wholesaler, and retailer licenses, and imposes a 5 percent wholesale tax on sales.

HB 1174requiring all on-premises and off-premises licensees and state liquor stores to post visible signage warning of the potential health risks associated with alcohol use.Dead

What it would do: Requires all on-premises and off-premises alcohol licensees and state liquor stores to post a visible warning statement in a conspicuous and prominent place on a contrasting background stating that drinking alcoholic beverages may increase cancer risk and women should not drink during pregnancy due to birth defect risk.

HB 1481enabling on-premises licensees to sell drinks made with distilled alcohol for take-out.Dead

What it would do: Allows on-premises licensees to purchase a $250 annual restaurant delivery license to sell and deliver mixed drinks with distilled alcohol for takeout, subject to requirements including food accompaniment, sealed containers with tamper-proof seals, age verification, and employee delivery only.

HB 1673allowing certain liquor manufacturers to sell to on-premises licensees.Dead

What it would do: Allows liquor manufacturers to sell directly to on-premises licensees and amends retail sale limits. Repeals the prohibition on small liquor manufacturers from selling directly to on-premises licensees.

SB 563relative to direct shippers of wine.Dead

What it would do: Requires wineries outside New Hampshire that produce fewer than 5,000 cases annually to obtain a direct wine shipper license from the liquor commission to ship wine to consumers and licensees in the state, and imposes a 25 percent surcharge on all such sales.

SB 417requiring state liquor outlets to post warnings relative to the increased risk of cancer and birth defects from drinking alcoholic beverages.Dead

What it would do: Requires on-premises licensees, off-premises licensees, and state liquor outlets to post a warning statement in a conspicuous and prominent place on a contrasting background stating that drinking alcoholic beverages may increase cancer risk and women should not drink during pregnancy due to birth defect risk.

HB 276establishing a liquor license where beverages, wine, and liquor can be sold without food.Dead

What it would do: Establishes a tavern license for on-premises sale of beverages, wine, and liquor without food, available in towns voting to accept it. Sets annual license fee at $6,480 and requires local voter approval through town meeting or municipal election.

HB 496requiring the liquor commission to distribute certain information in liquor stores.Dead

Bill titles link to the New Hampshire Legislature's own page.

What LawSignals covers

What counts as alcohol legislation

In scope: Direct-to-consumer shipping and delivery; three-tier, distribution and franchise; licensing and retail permits; excise taxes and fees; hemp and THC beverages; and underage sales and liability.

Questions

Does New Hampshire have an alcohol law?

Yes. New Hampshire enacted 13 alcohol laws in the 2025 and 2026 sessions, among them HB 1765, SB 524 and SB 624. Each is listed on this page with what it requires.

When do New Hampshire's alcohol laws take effect?

SB 524 on 1 January 2027 and SB 624 on 1 January 2027. The others have no single date in their text.

Which alcohol bills are moving in New Hampshire?

3 bills not yet law have passed a committee or a chamber, the furthest along HB 81 (passed both), SB 669 (passed chamber) and SB 557 (passed chamber).

What does New Hampshire legislate on most in alcohol?

Licensing and retail permits (13 bills), Underage sales and liability (4 bills) and Direct-to-consumer shipping and delivery (3 bills).

Are these summaries reviewed by a lawyer?

No. Which bills count as Alcohol bills, and the line on what each law requires or each bill would do, are drafted by software from the bill's own text and not reviewed by an attorney. Every bill links to the legislature's own record: read the text before relying on it. The list covers bills from the 2025 and 2026 sessions.

Other practice areas in New Hampshire

Alcohol legislation in other jurisdictions

52 more currently hold bills in this tracker

Know when New Hampshire's alcohol law changes

An alert when a bill moves, and one report a month on what changed in every state and Congress.

Track alcohol laws freeAbout the Alcohol and Beverage Tracker