Business license · New Hampshire

Does Your LLC Need a Business License in New Hampshire?

The short answer. We have not confirmed whether New Hampshire requires a general state business license, so do not assume it does not; check with the New Hampshire Secretary of State and the state's revenue department. Your local government may also require a license for certain activities.

New Hampshire Business License at a Glance

General state business license	Not confirmed
City or county licenses	Local governments license some activities (see Local licenses)
Trade and professional licenses	New Hampshire Office of Professional Licensure and Certification

Read from the government sources listed at the foot of this page, last checked September 30, 2026. See the sources.

Does New Hampshire Require a State Business License?

We have not confirmed whether New Hampshire requires a general state business license, so do not assume it does not; check with the New Hampshire Secretary of State and the state's revenue department.

City and County Business Licenses

New Hampshire law lets towns license certain activities, such as restaurants and other food serving establishments, and lets cities license activities such as peddlers, hawkers, pawnbrokers and second-hand dealers. The Department of Revenue Administration tells businesses to contact their city or town clerk's office for municipal permits and licenses.

Where New Hampshire points businesses for local requirements.

Professional and Trade Licenses

New Hampshire's Office of Professional Licensure and Certification (OPLC) keeps the list of regulated activities and licensed professions in the state, with their governing boards. Food service health licenses are issued by the Department of Health and Human Services. Look up New Hampshire license requirements.

Our verified guides for specific trades in this state:

See trade and business license requirements by state for every trade we cover.

Other New Hampshire Registrations to Check

New Hampshire articles of organization, the filing that creates the LLC itself.
Sales tax in New Hampshire, for what a seller registers for in a state without a statewide sales tax.
New Hampshire resale certificate, to buy inventory for resale without paying tax on it.
How to get an EIN, the federal tax ID most LLCs need to open a bank account or hire.

Frequently Asked Questions

: We have not confirmed whether New Hampshire requires a general state business license, so do not assume it does not; check with the New Hampshire Secretary of State and the state's revenue department.
: New Hampshire law lets towns license certain activities, such as restaurants and other food serving establishments, and lets cities license activities such as peddlers, hawkers, pawnbrokers and second-hand dealers. The Department of Revenue Administration tells businesses to contact their city or town clerk's office for municipal permits and licenses.
: New Hampshire's Office of Professional Licensure and Certification (OPLC) keeps the list of regulated activities and licensed professions in the state, with their governing boards. Food service health licenses are issued by the Department of Health and Human Services.

This guide is general information, not legal or tax advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. It reports what each state's law and agencies say about a general state business license, with the sources this page cites. It cannot tell you which licenses your own business needs: that turns on what the business does, where it operates, and what its city or county requires, and fees and exemptions change between our reviews. Confirm your own position with the state agency named on this page, the city or county where the business is located, and any state board that licenses your trade before you open.

Sources

Each entry below is a document recorded in our verified New Hampshire sources, and each entry says what the document is. Some statutory text is read from an accurate mirror rather than from the state's own host, and those say so.

gc.nh.gov/rsa/html/III/31/31-39.htmRSA 31:39, Town bylaws, purpose and penalties
gc.nh.gov/rsa/html/III/47/47-17.htmRSA 47:17, City bylaws and ordinances
gc.nh.gov/rsa/html/XXX/322/322-1.htmRSA 322:1, Junk and second-hand dealers, license
revenue.nh.gov/licenses-certifications/tax-licenses-permitsNH Department of Revenue Administration, Tax Licenses & Permits (archived copy)
revenue.nh.gov/resource-center/taxpayer-assistance/registering-new-businessNH Department of Revenue Administration, Registering a New Business (archived copy)
revenue.nh.gov/faq/how-do-i-register-my-new-businessNH Department of Revenue Administration, FAQ: How do I register my new business? (archived copy)

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Edmond Hui · Founder, MyStateLLC

Edmond Hui is a software engineer and serial entrepreneur based in New York who has founded multiple online businesses across e-commerce, media, and information publishing. Before transitioning into tech, he spent years as a commercial real estate professional closing deals totaling over 100,000 square feet, giving him firsthand experience with business formation and entity structuring. He built MyStateLLC to provide the free, state-specific LLC guidance he wished existed when forming his own companies.