2023 New Hampshire Revised Statutes › Title LXII - Criminal Code › Chapter 631 - Assault and Related Offenses › Section 631:3-a - Conduct Involving Laser Pointing Devices.

631:3-a Conduct Involving Laser Pointing Devices. –
I. As used in this section:
(a) "Government" means the federal government, the state government or any political subdivision thereof, or a state or municipal agency or department, including any employee or agent.
(b) "Person" means any individual, partnership, limited liability company, corporation, or any other organization, including a for-profit and not-for-profit entity, but excluding government.
II. (a) Any person in direct or remote control of a laser pointing device who knowingly shines the beam of a laser pointing device at an occupied motor vehicle, off highway recreational vehicle, snowmobile, vessel, window, or structure, or at a person shall be guilty of a violation and the laser pointing device shall be seized and forfeited upon conviction.
(b) Any person in direct or remote control of a laser pointing device who knowingly shines the beam of a laser pointing device at an occupied aircraft shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and the laser pointing device shall be seized and forfeited upon conviction.
III. Any person in direct or remote control of a laser pointing device who knowingly shines the beam of a laser pointing device at a law enforcement officer or law enforcement vehicle, off highway recreational vehicle, or snowmobile shall be guilty of a class A misdemeanor and the laser pointing device shall be seized and forfeited upon conviction.
IV. This section shall not prohibit aiming a beam of a laser pointing device at a motor vehicle, aircraft, vessel, window, structure, or at a person by any of the following:
(a) An authorized person in the conduct of research and development or flight test operations conducted by an aircraft manufacturer, the Federal Aviation Administration, or any other person authorized by the Federal Aviation Administration to conduct such research and development or flight test operations.
(b) The government or persons authorized by the government, including defense and aerospace contractors, engaged in research, development, operations, testing, or training.
(c) An individual using a laser emergency signaling device to send an emergency distress signal, in an organized meeting or training class by the instructor or speaker, the use of medical lasers by qualified medical personnel, sporting use related only to calibrate distance without violating the prohibitions set forth in paragraph III, agricultural use, use related to land surveying, construction lasers used by construction personnel in the course of their work or other use of lasers for lawful business purposes, or lawful laser devices utilized by law enforcement personnel in the performance of their official duties.
(d) Vehicle sensors, including those used for navigational aids, and research, development, test, evaluation, and operation of autonomous vehicles, as permitted by law.
(e) An individual authorized by the owner of the motor vehicle, aircraft, vessel, window, or structure.
(f) An individual authorized by the person, or the parent or guardian of the person.
Source.
1999, 230:1, eff. Jan. 1, 2000. 2016, 92:1, eff. Jan. 1, 2017. 2021, 206:2, Pt. I, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 2022.