HB 1023 New Hampshire House · 2026 Regular Session

establishing accessory commercial units by right.

HB 1023 authorizes small, neighborhood-scale businesses like coffee shops, bakeries, home-based daycares, and craft studios to operate as accessory commercial units on residential or commercial properties without requiring special local permits. The bill sets clear limits: units must be under 1,000 square feet (or 25% of the main building's size), operate between 6 AM and 10 PM (unless a municipality allows extended hours), and not require extra parking or large signage. It applies statewide, prohibiting municipalities from banning these units or imposing stricter rules than the state law. This law standardizes access for small businesses to operate from existing properties while maintaining neighborhood compatibility.
Bill status failed 1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Nov 2025
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Nov 7, 2025 Last action Mar 11, 2026
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Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
6
Key actions
1
Committee
2
Mar 4, 2026
Committee
Committee Report: Inexpedient to Legislate 03/03/2026 (Vote 15-0; CC) HC 10 P. 5
lower
Feb 13, 2026
Lower · Passed
Full Committee Work Session: 02/18/2026 02:00 pm GP 229
lower
Nov 7, 2025
Introduced
Introduced 01/07/2026 and referred to Commerce and Consumer Affairs HJ 1 P. 3
lower
1 primary · 2 co-sponsors

Sponsors