Drone Laws in New Hampshire

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Boasting coastal regions, quarries, and granite formations, there’s lots of terrain throughout New Hampshire that you’re very interested in exploring with your drone. Before you begin flying, you want to be privy to the rules.

What are the drone laws in this state?

New Hampshire has federal and state drone laws but no local laws. Drone pilots must always follow Part 107 rules. You cannot use a UAS for fishing or hunting disruptions, and no drones are allowed in New Hampshire’s many state parks.

In today’s article, we’ll take you through every drone law in New Hampshire so you can be clear on the rules.

There’s lots of great info to come, so make sure you check it out!

Federal Drone Laws in New Hampshire #

In New Hampshire, as is true in the rest of the United States, federal drone laws as instated by the US government are in play. These laws are created for hobbyists as well as government employees and commercial drone pilots.

Here’s an overview of New Hampshire’s federal drone laws.

Recreational Drone Pilots #

Hobbyists still have to follow the Federal Aviation Administration’s Part 107 rules when flying a drone, even if it is just for fun. These FAA rules are for the safety and protection of citizens and property.

Under FAA rules, recreational drone pilots must have a TRUST certificate on their person when operating a drone.

If you’ve yet to earn your TRUST certificate, you can do so by taking the TRUST exam, which is short for The Recreational UAS Safety Test.

The TRUST exam is the FAA’s test for recreational drone pilots. It’s designed to reinforce your knowledge of Part 107 rules.

The exam has multiple-choice questions, 23 in all. You can go back and answer any of the questions that you got wrong when you’re taking the test.

The TRUST exam is free to take and is all done online, so it’s incredibly convenient to get your TRUST certificate. The certificate never expires either.

Be sure to register your drone with the FAA if it weighs 0.55 pounds and up. You’ll pay $5 to register your drone for the next three years.

Agency Drone Pilots #

Fire departments, law enforcement, and other government employees who use drones are subject to New Hampshire federal drone laws as well.

Agency drone pilots must follow Part 107 rules or obtain a Certificate of Authorization or COA.

Commercial Drone Pilots #

Federal drone law in New Hampshire of course applies to commercial drone pilots too.

Just like recreational and agency drone pilots, you’re also expected to always obey Part 107 drone laws when commandeering a drone.

Moreso, you have to prove your proficiency in these laws inside and out by passing the Part 107 exam.

» MORE: FAA Part 107 for Commercial Drone Pilots

This test for commercial pilots is far more difficult than the TRUST exam. The questions are all multiple-choice, but there are 60 in all, and you can’t change your answers once you submit them.

You must also pay to take the Part 107 exam, and you have to do it at a testing center rather than online.

To boost your chances of test success, you might enroll in an online drone school for exam prep. We’ve rounded up all the best online drone schools below, complete with reviews!

» MORE: Best Drone Courses Taught by Experts

Should you score at least 70 percent on the Part 107 exam, then congratulations, you’ve earned your Remote Pilot Certificate. You need this certificate when flying commercially per federal law.

Your certificate is good for two years. At that time, you’ll have to enroll for an FAA renewal exam.

» MORE: Renewal of Your Part 107 Certificate – 5 Steps to a Part 107 sUAS Recurrent Certificate

The exam takes 90 minutes and includes 45-multiple choice questions. You can take the test online and change any of the answers that you’ve gotten wrong.

You must score 100 percent on the renewal exam to get your Remote Pilot Certificate renewed.

Long before you’ll have to renew your certificate, you’ll have to register your drone with the FAA. You’re required to do this as a commercial pilot no matter how much your UAV weighs.

The three-year registration costs $5.

State Drone Laws in New Hampshire #

Next, let’s examine New Hampshire’s two state drone laws.

New Hampshire State Parks Drone Policy #

New Hampshire State Parks has its own drone policy that applies throughout this great state.

We’ll save you the time of clicking through the pages for all 93 state parks throughout New Hampshire.

No matter which state park you select, drones are forbidden from being flown.

SB 222 // 2015 #

The other state drone law in New Hampshire is SB 222, which was passed in 2015. This law is all about preventing the harassment of game and fish.

In Section 38:1 Fish and Game; Harassment, the law reads as follows: “No person shall purposely engage in an activity that will tend to disturb wild animals, with intent to prevent their lawful taking.

No person shall use a drone or UAV with the intent to conduct video surveillance of private citizens who are lawfully hunting, fishing, or trapping without obtaining the written consent of the persons being surveilled prior to conducting the surveillance.”

This section of the law has two parts, so let’s break them down a little.

In the first paragraph, SB 222 is making clear that drone pilots are not allowed to fly their UAVs in such a way that will interrupt a fisherman, hunter, or trapper’s “lawful taking” of a wild animal.

You also can’t use your drone to scare away the wildlife to prevent a fisherman, hunter, or trapper.

Then, in the second paragraph, SB 222 makes it clear that you cannot film anyone who’s fishing, hunting, or trapping unless you have their written permission.

If you wanted to use your drone to capture footage of a fishing buddy’s big catch, they’d need to provide a written statement giving you permission to do so.

Does New Hampshire have any local drone laws? #

In this section, we’d normally go over a state’s local drone laws, but New Hampshire doesn’t have any.

This isn’t too unique. Many states throughout the country don’t have laws on a city, town, village, or countywide level.

New Hampshire doesn’t have many state drone laws, but the policy about the state parks is very all-encompassing. Thus, perhaps there’s no need for any local drone laws. That’s merely conjecture, though.

Regardless, without any local drone laws to abide by when visiting New Hampshire, that’s all the more reason to always triple-check that you’re following all federal and state drone laws.

New Hampshire drone law FAQs #

Are there still a couple of lingering questions in the back of your mind about New Hampshire drone laws? Do you want to be extra, especially sure that you’re on the right side of the law?

This FAQ section is for you!

Can you fly a drone in a Public Park in New Hampshire? #

It’s not all about the state parks in New Hampshire. If you check out this page, you can see a list of local parks as well.

Some of them include the Livermore Falls Recreation Area in Holderness, the Eisenhower Memorial Wayside Park in Carroll, and many more.

Since these are not state parks, the New Hampshire State Parks drone policy does not apply. You’d probably be allowed to fly your drone in a public park throughout the state, as there are no federal or state laws forbidding it.

We always recommend that you call the local parks and rec association and ask what the rules are before you take off with your drone. You don’t want to unknowingly break any laws!

Can you fly a drone in a State Park in New Hampshire? #

As for whether you can fly a drone in New Hampshire’s nearly 100 state parks, that is far more cut and dried. The New Hampshire State Parks drone policy forbids it.

That’s the case for each and every state park, and it does not appear that there are any exceptions such as being granted a permit.

If you want to check out such gorgeous slices of New England beauty as Mt. Sunapee State Park, Moose Brook State Park, Jericho Mountain State Park, and Echo Lake State Park, you’re going to have to do so without your drone.