N.H. Rev. Stat. § 674:16 — NH Code / Title LXIV / Chapter 674 / Section 16
674:16 Grant of Power.
Status: in_force

I. For the purpose of promoting the health, safety, or the general welfare of the community, the local legislative body of any city, town, or county in which there are located unincorporated towns or unorganized places is authorized to adopt or amend a zoning ordinance under the ordinance enactment procedures of RSA 675:2-5. The zoning ordinance shall be designed to regulate and restrict: (a) The height, number of stories and size of buildings and other structures; (b) Lot sizes, the percentage of a lot that may be occupied, and the size of yards, courts and other open spaces; (c) The density of population in the municipality; and (d) The location and use of buildings, structures and land used for business, industrial, residential, or other purposes. II. The power to adopt a zoning ordinance under this subdivision expressly includes the power to adopt innovative land use controls which may include, but which are not limited to, the methods contained in RSA 674:21. III. In its exercise of the powers granted under this subdivision, the local legislative body of a city, town, or county in which there are located unincorporated towns or unorganized places may regulate and control the timing of development as provided in RSA 674:22. IV. Except as provided in RSA 424:5 or RSA 422-B or in any other provision of Title XXXIX, no city, town, or county in which there are located unincorporated towns or unorganized places shall adopt or amend a zoning ordinance or regulation with respect to antennas used exclusively in the amateur radio services that fails to conform to the limited federal preemption entitled Amateur Radio Preemption, 101 FCC 2nd 952 (1985) issued by the Federal Communications Commission. V. In its exercise of the powers granted under this subdivision, the local legislative body of a city, town, or county in which there are located unincorporated towns or unorganized places may regulate and control accessory uses on private land. Unless specifically proscribed by local land use regulation, aircraft take offs and landings on private land by the owner of such land or by a person who resides on such land shall be considered a valid and permitted accessory use. VI. In its exercise of the powers granted under this subdivision, the local legislative body of a city, town, or county in which there are located unincorporated towns or unorganized places shall, as described in RSA 672:1, V-a, allow home-based care (family care and group family care) by right or pursuant to a conditional use permit as long as all requirements for such programs adopted in rules of the department of health and human services (He-C 4002) are met. Family or group family child care shall be allowed as an accessory use to any primary residential use and shall not be subject to local site plan review in any zone where a primary residential use is permitted. If all requirements of the department of health and human services are met, but an application for a conditional use permit is pending with the municipality in which the home-based child care facility is located, an applicant may begin operation during such time until the permit is granted or denied. VII. In its exercise of the powers granted under this subdivision, the local legislative body of a city, town, or county in which there are located unincorporated towns or unorganized places may regulate accessory parking for vehicles, but shall not require more than one residential parking space per unit. VIII. In its exercise of the powers granted under this subdivision, the legislative body of a city, town, village district, or county in which there are located unincorporated towns or unorganized places shall not adopt any ordinance that restricts the number of occupants of any dwelling unit to less than 2 occupants per bedroom, and the governing body thereof shall not enforce any such ordinance. Such legislative body shall not adopt any ordinance based on the familial or non-familial relationships or marital status, occupation, employment status, or the educational status, including but not limited to scholastic enrollment or academic achievement at any level among the occupants of the dwelling unit, including but not limited to college students, and the governing body thereof shall not enforce any such ordinance. Nothing in this section shall prohibit the enforcement of the state building code or state fire code.