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Homestead Exemption Laws in New Hampshire

New Hampshire protects $400,000 of a homestead from January 1, 2026, with up to $550,000 total when held by more than one person.

Last checked . General information, not legal advice.

New Hampshire at a glance

Exemption amount
$400,000
Effective Jan. 1, 2026 (2025 law). Total exemptions on one homestead are capped at $550,000. The home must be a primary residence for the previous 12 months.
Unlimited in value
No
Full market value is protected against debts from unpaid medical bills for terminal or catastrophic illness or injury.
Acreage limit
No acreage limit

Sources

Last checked

The rules in New Hampshire

How much home equity does the homestead exemption protect in New Hampshire?

Exemption amount in New Hampshire: $400,000. Effective Jan. 1, 2026 (2025 law). Total exemptions on one homestead are capped at $550,000. The home must be a primary residence for the previous 12 months.

Is the homestead exemption unlimited in value in New Hampshire?

No. Unlimited in value in New Hampshire: no. Full market value is protected against debts from unpaid medical bills for terminal or catastrophic illness or injury.

Is there an acreage limit on the homestead exemption in New Hampshire?

Acreage limit in New Hampshire: No acreage limit.

Where do the New Hampshire homestead exemption laws come from?

The rules above come from N.H. Rev. Stat. 480:1. Each source is linked on this page. We last checked them in October 2026.

Good to know

Before 2026 the amount was $120,000. Proceeds from selling a qualifying home stay protected if reinvested in a new primary residence within 6 months.

What this means in practice

The exemption applies to equity, not to the full value of the home. Equity is the market value minus the mortgages and other liens on the property. A lender that holds a mortgage on the home, and certain other claims such as taxes on the property, can usually still be enforced against it regardless of the exemption.

Check whether you need to take a step to claim the protection. Some states protect a home automatically once it is your residence, while others require you to record a homestead declaration with the county or to claim the exemption in court when a creditor tries to collect.

In bankruptcy, federal law can limit a state homestead exemption for a home bought within a set period before the filing, and residency rules decide which state's exemptions apply if you moved recently. Some states also let filers choose the federal bankruptcy exemptions instead of the state list. A bankruptcy attorney can confirm which rules apply to your situation.

General information, not legal advice. Laws change, and cities can add their own rules, so check the current statute before you rely on it.