Personal Injury · Dog Bite Liability
Dog Bite Laws in New Hampshire
Whether New Hampshire holds a dog owner automatically liable, follows the one-bite rule, or takes a mixed approach, plus landlord liability and the main defenses.
How liability works in New Hampshire
What the rule is, and what you must show.
Landlords & defenses
Who else can be liable, and what defeats a claim.
The statute is unusual in writing its main defense straight into the rule: recovery is barred if the injury happened while the victim was "engaged in the commission of a trespass or other tort."
The full picture, with the source
Every field, and any recent development.
| Liability model | Strict liability |
| Basis | Statute — N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. §466:19 |
| What it covers | You were harmed by a dog you neither own nor keep, and you were not committing a trespass or other tort when it happened. You do not have to prove a prior bite, a vicious history, or any carelessness by the owner. |
| Landlord | Generally no. RSA 466:19 fixes liability on the person who owns, keeps, or possesses the dog. A landlord who is not the keeper can be reached only through ordinary negligence, which requires actual knowledge the dog was dangerous plus the ability to remove it. |
| Main defenses | Victim was trespassing · Victim was committing another tort · Not the owner, keeper, or possessor |
What New Hampshire dog-bite victims get wrong
New Hampshire is a broad strict-liability state, and the word to notice is "damage," not "bite." RSA 466:19 lets anyone hurt by a dog they do not own or keep recover from the owner, keeper, or possessor, with no need to show the dog had ever been dangerous or that the owner did anything wrong. Because it reaches "damage" generally, it covers more than a bite: a dog that knocks someone down or startles them into a fall can fall inside the statute. The one built-in escape hatch is written into the rule itself. If you were trespassing or committing another tort when the dog hurt you, the statute does not help you. A parent or guardian answers under the section when the owner or keeper is a minor.
Common questions
Is New Hampshire a strict-liability state for dog bites?
Yes. Under RSA 466:19 the owner, keeper, or possessor is liable for damage the dog causes without any proof that the dog was known to be dangerous or that the owner was careless.
Does New Hampshire’s dog law cover more than bites?
Yes. The statute reaches "damage" caused by the dog, not just bites, so a knock-down or a fall triggered by the dog can be covered. New Hampshire courts have said the statute is not limited to an actual bite or direct physical contact.
What if I was trespassing when the dog hurt me in New Hampshire?
Then RSA 466:19 does not help you. The statute bars recovery when the damage was occasioned to a person who was engaged in the commission of a trespass or other tort.
Can I sue a landlord for a tenant’s dog bite in New Hampshire?
Generally only through ordinary negligence, not RSA 466:19, unless the landlord actually kept or possessed the dog. A negligence claim requires showing the landlord knew the dog was dangerous and could have removed it.
Not legal advicePlainStatute provides plain-language summaries of public law for general information only. This is not legal advice. Statutes change; always confirm current requirements with the official source linked above before acting.