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Right to Know Law

New Hampshire’s Right to Know Law, RSA Chapter 91-A, states: “Openness in the conduct of public business is essential to a democratic society. The purpose of this chapter is to ensure both the greatest possible public access to the actions, discussion and records of all public bodies, and their accountability to the people.” RSA 91-A:1.

The Right to Know Law affects every aspect of local government in our state. Every board, committee, commission and subcommittee in every town, city and village district in New Hampshire must comply with this law. As a result, every local official and employee should be aware of the law and what their responsibilities are regarding both public meetings and governmental records.

Visit the NH General Court website to read the full text of the Right to Know Law.

The New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office has published (and updated in 2009) a comprehensive memorandum regarding the Right to Know Law.

LGC Resources

The following resources are available to download:

Is it a Meeting? (PDF)
Use this flow chart to determine whether a gathering is a “meeting” subject to the law.

Nonpublic Session Checklist and Minutes Form (Word document)
This two-page form, adapted from forms in use around the state, may be downloaded for use at your meetings. The form includes the statutory reasons local boards may enter nonpublic sessions, prompts the board to take and record required votes, and provides a place to keep minutes of the nonpublic session. Please feel free to download this form, modify it as appropriate with the name of your town, board, and board members, and use it. Our Legal Services attorneys are pleased to answer any questions our local officials may have regarding this form.

LGC has developed the following PDF reference posters to serve as reminders of the Right to Know Law. (Municipal members can request print copies of these posters while supplies last.)

Public Meetings (PDF; published April 2008)
The basic rule is that all meetings of a public body must be open to the public and require public notice. Minutes must be kept and be made available to the public upon request within five business days after the meeting. Public bodies may only enter a nonpublic session for specific reasons listed in the law, and must keep minutes of those sessions as well.

Governmental Records (PDF; published April 2008)
The basic rule is that governmental records must be made available for public inspection and copying upon reasonable request. The government must respond to requests within five business days. Certain records are exempt from disclosure, but New Hampshire courts generally assume everything is available to the public unless the governmental agency proves otherwise. (Note that the poster published in April 2008 references the term "public" records; as of July 1, 2008 the legislature revised the term to "governmental" records.)

Electronic Communications (PDF; published August 2008)
Under amendments that became effective in 2008, public bodies may not conduct official business via e-mail. Municipal websites may be used as one of the two places for publicly posting notice of meetings. Electronic records must be made available to the public upon request and must be kept for the same length of time as a paper counterpart. Electronic records are considered “deleted” (and no longer available to the public) when they have been “initially and legally deleted” so that they are no longer readily accessible to the public body itself. This means (a) the record wasn’t required to be retained any longer, and (b) it has been deleted and the “trash” or “recycle bin” folder has also been emptied.

LGC Publications and Training Opportunities

The LGC publications Knowing the Territory: A Survey of Municipal Law for New Hampshire Local Officials and Guidebook for New Hampshire Elected City Officials provide an in depth overview of the Right to Know Law. Visit the Available Publications page for more information. The Right to Know Law is covered thoroughly at the spring Local Officials Workshops and winter Elected City Officials Workshop, with ample opportunity for questions and answers.

LGC’s online training platform, the LGC Academy, features a Right to Know Law course available 24/7. The free online course is organized into five modules, which can be taken in any order and as often as desired:


For answers to legal questions, municipal officials should consult their municipal attorney or contact our Legal Services attorneys. LGC Legal Services attorneys are available to answer inquiries and provide general legal assistance to elected and appointed officials from NHMA-member towns, cities and village districts. Attorneys are available Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and can be reached by phone at 800.852.3358, ext. 384, or by email at legalinquiries@nhlgc.org. (School officials should contact the New Hampshire School Boards Association attorney at 800.272.0653.)

The resources on this page are intended to provide information for all public employees and officials about the Right to Know Law and proposed or recently-enacted changes to the law. The information provided is not intended to be legal advice, but is provided as a convenient reference.