Auctioneer License Requirements in New Hampshire
State license required. New Hampshire licenses traditional auctioneers, but internet auctions are wholly exempt by express statute — an online-only operation needs no license at all.
What Online Auctioneers Need to Know
The cleanest online exemption in the country: RSA 311-B:13, VI states that "any auction conducted over the Internet shall be exempt from the requirements of this chapter." If your auctions are online, New Hampshire's auctioneer law simply does not apply to you.
The Rules in New Hampshire
New Hampshire still has an auctioneer licensing law — RSA 311-B, administered by the Board of Auctioneers under the Office of Professional Licensure and Certification — but it has been heavily deregulated. The bond requirement was repealed in 2022 (SB 225, effective July 26, 2022), and internet auctions are exempt from the entire chapter by express statute.
For an online auction business, that means no license, no bond, and no statutory contract or settlement rules. If you conduct live auctions, the licensing requirement still applies, but even then no statutory bond, contract mandate, or settlement deadline remains.
Requirements at a Glance
- State license for live auctioneering (RSA 311-B, via OPLC Board of Auctioneers)
- Internet auctions wholly exempt from the chapter (RSA 311-B:13, VI)
- Bond requirement repealed effective July 26, 2022 (SB 225)
- No written-contract statute or settlement deadline
Authority: Board of Auctioneers (Office of Professional Licensure and Certification). Statute: RSA 311-B.
Not legal advice. Auction law changes — several states have amended their online-auction rules since 2019. Verify current requirements with the licensing authority above (or your city/county clerk) before your first sale, and have a local attorney review your consignment contract.
Licensed (or Exempt)? Here's the Rest of the Path
The license is usually the easy part. The business itself — platform affiliation, sourcing consignments, cataloging, settlement — is laid out in how to start an online auction business, and the earning math is in how much auctioneers make.