New Hampshire free contests: keep prize and sponsorship claims truthful, publish the selection method and distinguish paid fundraising formats.
Planning a free giveaway or photo/video competition open to New Hampshire residents? This guide focuses on ordinary commercial promotions with free entry, including random drawings and submission contests using judges or public voting. Paid entries or votes, purchase-linked promotions, charitable raffles and regulated prizes need separate analysis.
Editorial review: . Sources are linked beside the guidance they support. This is an informational overview, not legal advice for a particular campaign.
Truthful promotion claims
New Hampshire’s Consumer Protection Act, RSA 358-A:2, prohibits unfair or deceptive acts in trade or commerce, including misleading sponsorship and product characteristics. Apply that standard to the promotion’s prize description and who is said to support the campaign.
As practical guidance, explain entry eligibility and material redemption conditions before submission. Do not imply an agency or platform has approved the giveaway merely because it hosts the form.
Sources: New Hampshire RSA 358-A:2.
Free submissions and paid raffles are separate formats
For a free photo/video competition, explain whether judges or public votes select the winner, and publish voting dates and tie handling. Keep those rules consistent with the actual administration.
New Hampshire’s RSA 287-A separately regulates qualifying charitable raffles and local permits. Those fundraising provisions are not a licensing checklist for an ordinary free brand contest, and should not be used to justify adding paid entries or votes.
Sources: New Hampshire raffle framework.
Registration and campaigns open to other states
For ordinary free commercial sweepstakes, the familiar prize-value filing regimes are in New York, Florida and Rhode Island. That does not remove New Hampshire's disclosure and conduct rules described above, or special rules for a different industry or format. See the registration guide and its sources for that distinction.
The state-law directory links to all 50 states and DC. A “void where prohibited” line does not itself define your eligible audience or complete a required filing.
Before opening entries
Use these practical drafting and administration steps alongside the applicable state rules:
- Identify the sponsor, eligible entrants, entry period and advertised prize.
- Explain the free entry method and how winners are selected. For submissions, describe judging criteria or voting stages and tie handling.
- Make advertisements, the form and full rules agree; do not imply an entrant has already won.
- Plan verification, notification and fulfillment, and retain the rules and selection records.
Federal advertising standards also apply. The FTC warns against misleading purchase prompts and prize claims; see its advertising guidance. Tax reporting and channel-specific rules are covered in the national sweepstakes guide.
Nearby sweepstakes law guides
Planning a promotion across state lines? Review the guides for nearby jurisdictions.
Revup
Revup helps you collect entries and manage promotion workflows. Match your campaign settings and official rules to the requirements of your actual promotion.
