SB 509 - AS INTRODUCED
2026 SESSION
26-2105
06/05
SENATE BILL 509
AN ACT preventing municipalities from limiting dead-end road length if compliant with the state fire code.
SPONSORS: Sen. Murphy, Dist 16; Sen. Lang, Dist 2; Sen. Innis, Dist 7; Sen. Watters, Dist 4; Sen. Sullivan, Dist 18; Sen. Perkins Kwoka, Dist 21; Sen. Birdsell, Dist 19; Sen. McGough, Dist 11
COMMITTEE: Commerce
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ANALYSIS
This bill prohibits municipalities from imposing length restrictions on dead-end roads or cul-de-sacs in subdivision approvals or building permits when the proposed road design complies with applicable state fire code requirements.
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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.
Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]
Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
26-2105
06/05
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty-Six
AN ACT preventing municipalities from limiting dead-end road length if compliant with the state fire code.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 New Subparagraph; Subdivision Regulations. Amend RSA 674:36, II by inserting after subparagraph (o) the following new subparagraph:
(p) Subdivision regulations adopted pursuant to this section shall not prohibit or restrict the length of a dead-end road, including cul-de-sacs, if the proposed road design and fire access are certified as compliant with the state fire code as defined in RSA 153:1, VI-a.
2 New Paragraph; Erection of Buildings on Streets; Appeals. Amend RSA 674:41 by inserting after paragraph IV the following new paragraph:
V. No municipality or local board shall deny a building permit or otherwise restrict development based solely on the length of a dead-end road, provided the road is constructed and maintained in accordance with the requirements of the state fire code as defined in RSA 153:1, VI-a.
3 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.
| Date | Body | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Jan. 27, 2026 | Senate | Hearing |
| Jan. 27, 2026 | Senate | Hearing |
Jan. 13, 2026: Hearing: 01/27/2026, Room 100, SH, 10:30 am; SC 1
Jan. 8, 2026: Hearing: 01/27/2026, Room 100, SH, 10:30 am; SC 1
Nov. 21, 2025: Introduced 01/07/2026 and Referred to Commerce; SJ 1