HB1045 Relative to hunting with lights at night.
Relative to hunting with lights at night.
Impact Score — How Does This Bill Affect You?
Overall Impact Score
Mixed
Scale: 1 (harmful) to 10 (beneficial)
Your Wallet
No direct fiscal impact on taxpayer costs or household budgets identified in the bill text.
Your Community
Clarifies enforcement of night hunting laws and provides explicit exemptions for legitimate agricultural, forestry, and utility work, reducing legal ambiguity for rural communities and landowners.
Your Freedom
Expands permissible use of lights by clarifying that normal vehicle operation and work-related lighting are protected, while maintaining restrictions on using lights to locate wildlife during nighttime hunting.
Status
Inexpedient to Legislate: Motion Adopted Voice Vote 03/11/2026 House Journal 7 P. 45
Sponsor
Donald McFarlane (R)
The Short Version
This bill clarifies NH hunting regulations by amending the illegal night hunting statute to explicitly permit use of vehicle headlights and normal driving lights while traveling, and to add exemptions for agricultural work, utility/forestry operations, and property owners using lights for navigation or work purposes. The changes create clearer legal boundaries for when artificial lighting during nighttime hunting is prohibited versus permitted.
Who's Behind This Bill?
Who Benefits
- ▲ Hunters and rural residents using vehicles at night (clarified legal protection for normal headlight use)
- ▲ Farmers and agricultural workers (explicit exemption for livestock/crop protection)
- ▲ Utility workers, foresters, and land management professionals (explicit exemption for work-related lighting)
- ▲ Property owners conducting work or navigation on their own land (new exemption added)
Who Pays the Price
- ▼ Individuals intending to hunt illegally at night using lights (criminal penalties remain, but law is now more clearly defined)
Bill statuses as of October 7, 2026. Check LegiScan or NH General Court for the latest.
This bill was auto-scored using AI analysis of the bill text and legislative data. Scores may be refined as we review more bills.