There is one question that determines whether you get hired. Not the application. Not the background check. Not what the charge was or how long you were inside.
The question is this: why you, over the thirty other people I could hire who don't have a criminal record?
If you walk in without a ready answer, you will not get the job. The interviewer can see the pause the moment you don't have something prepared, and once they see it, the room shifts against you. What you need is an answer practiced enough to say with confidence and humility at the same time.
The answer that works is this:
Everybody deserves a second chance. Somebody is going to give me one. And they are going to get the best employee they ever had, because I am never, ever going to do something that sends me back to prison.
Say it clean. Say it without flinching. It makes no excuses, asks for no sympathy, and tells the employer the one thing they actually need to know: you have more reason to perform than anyone else in that stack.
Then live it. The light is on you from the first day. Use it. Work twice as hard as the person next to you. Show up earlier, stay later, and make that scrutiny your shining light, not a shadow. The person standing next to you does not have anyone watching them that closely. You do. That is the advantage if you decide to use it.
What the Law in New Hampshire Says About Your Record
New Hampshire's ban the box law (House Bill 253) applies to public employers only. State agencies cannot inquire about criminal history before conducting an interview with an applicant. Exceptions apply where federal or state law requires a criminal background check for the specific position. This law does not apply to private employers.
Private employers in New Hampshire face no statewide timing restriction. A private company can ask about criminal history on the initial application and decline without explanation.
Two protections apply more broadly. First, New Hampshire's Criminal History Access Law (Obsolete Information Law) prohibits employers from obtaining background check information about records of arrest, indictment, or conviction that predate the request by more than seven years, but only for positions with an expected annual salary under $20,000. For all other positions, the federal FCRA's seven-year limit on non-conviction records applies when a consumer reporting agency runs the check.
Second, and most importantly: New Hampshire has an annulment law. In New Hampshire, what most states call expungement is called an annulment. Once a court grants an annulment under RSA 651:5, the record is sealed from public view and is removed from most background checks. If your conviction is eligible and has cleared the waiting period, a successful annulment is the single most impactful step you can take for your job search in New Hampshire.
Note the procedural trap: if you file for annulment before the waiting period has fully elapsed, the petition will be denied and you must wait an additional three years before you can file again. Get the timing right before filing.
New Hampshire is also in an active period of building reentry support. The Corrections Education and Vocational Planning Group (CEVPG) was created by legislation signed in June 2024 to improve educational and vocational programs inside NH correctional facilities. On January 1, 2025, NHDOC and DHHS jointly launched the Community Re-Entry program, using a Section 1115(a) Medicaid waiver to provide health care and peer support services to eligible individuals starting 45 days before release. New Hampshire was the second state in the country to implement this model.
Building the Answer Before You Need It
In New Hampshire, your answer is what carries you with private employers.
New Hampshire DOC's Career and Technical Education Center (CTEC), operating at the NH State Prison for Men in Concord, the NH Correctional Facility for Women in Concord, and the Northern NH Correctional Facility in Berlin, offers eight career and technical education training programs to develop foundational skills and core competencies for reentry. If you completed a CTEC program, that credential goes directly into your answer.
New Hampshire DOC operates four Transitional Housing Units (THUs): Shea Farm THU (women, Concord), North End THU (men, Concord), Concord Transitional Work Center, and Calumet House (Manchester, up to 68 residents). C1 residents and parolees can work in the community while living at transitional housing, providing real work experience while still under supervision.
The CEVPG Strategic Plan and the Community Re-Entry program both reflect a state that is actively investing in the infrastructure to help people leave and not come back.
Start with what you did inside. Any CTEC certificate, program completion, work assignment, or education is content, not a gap. Then connect it specifically to what this employer needs.
New Hampshire's economy runs on manufacturing, healthcare, technology, professional services, hospitality, and education. Manchester, Nashua, Concord, Dover, and Portsmouth are the primary labor markets. Labor shortages in manufacturing and construction are real and sustained. Whatever you are applying for, make the answer specific to what that employer needs.
Practice it out loud. Until the hesitation is completely gone. The pause is what loses the room. Eliminate it before you sit down.
Companies in New Hampshire That Hire People with Criminal Records
New Hampshire's economy, spread across the southern tier (Manchester, Nashua, Dover) and the central and northern regions (Concord, Laconia, Plymouth), creates consistent demand in manufacturing, healthcare, technology, and service industries.
Amazon, Walmart, Home Depot, and major food service operators have New Hampshire operations and national fair chance commitments. Healthcare systems including Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, Catholic Medical Center, and Elliot Health System hire in support and entry-level roles. Manufacturing employers across the state, particularly in electronics, plastics, and precision manufacturing, have consistent demand. Construction contractors throughout the state face labor shortages. Hospitality employers in the Lakes Region, White Mountains, and seacoast areas hire seasonally and year-round.
NH Works career centers statewide, operated through New Hampshire Employment Security (NHES), can connect returning citizens with employers open to second chance hiring and provide WOTC documentation.
Staffing agencies across Manchester, Nashua, Concord, and the Seacoast are the most accessible first step, placing workers in manufacturing, logistics, and healthcare support with more flexibility than direct hire.
For the full national list of companies with public fair chance commitments, see the InmateAid Fair Chance Employer Reference List.
The Tax Credit Employers Get for Hiring You
Here is the closing argument for every conversation with an employer on the fence.
There is a federal program called the Work Opportunity Tax Credit, or WOTC. When an employer hires someone from a qualifying group, including individuals recently released from prison, the employer may receive a significant federal tax credit per qualifying hire. That is not charity. It is a business incentive the federal government created specifically to make hiring returning citizens financially advantageous.
You are not asking anyone to take a risk on you. You are telling them your hire comes with a tax benefit attached that none of the other thirty applicants can offer. Say it at the end of the interview, after you have made your case: I qualify for the Work Opportunity Tax Credit. Hiring me may put money back in your business. And I will give you the best work you have ever gotten from a new hire, because I have too much to lose to give you anything less.
NH Works career centers, operated through New Hampshire Employment Security, coordinate WOTC certification and Federal Bonding access for employers statewide.
Where to Get Help in New Hampshire
NH Works career centers, operated through New Hampshire Employment Security (NHES), provide job search assistance, career counseling, resume help, training referrals, WOTC coordination, and Federal Bonding access statewide. Find your nearest NH Works center at nhes.nh.gov.
New Hampshire Department of Corrections provides reentry programming including Career and Technical Education through CTEC at three facilities, Transitional Housing Units in Concord and Manchester, and the Community Re-Entry program (launched January 2025) providing pre-release health and peer services. Contact through corrections.nh.gov.
Community Re-Entry Program (NHDOC/DHHS, launched January 1, 2025) provides Medicaid-covered health care and peer support services to eligible individuals 45 days before release. Contact through NHDOC or DHHS at dhhs.nh.gov.
New Hampshire Legal Assistance (nhla.org) provides free legal services to eligible low-income Granite Staters, including guidance on annulment eligibility and petition assistance.
Greater Manchester Community Legal Aid and New Hampshire Pro Bono Referral Program can provide guidance on annulment filings for those who do not qualify for free legal services.
The Federal Bonding Program, coordinated through NH Works, provides free fidelity bonding to employers who hire returning citizens.
Frequently asked questions
Can employers in NH ask about my criminal record?
Public employers in New Hampshire cannot ask about criminal history before an interview under HB 253. Private employers face no state timing restriction and can ask on the initial application. New Hampshire's Obsolete Information Law prohibits employers from obtaining records older than 7 years for positions with expected salary under $20,000. Federal FCRA protections require employer consent and adverse action notice for any third-party background check. Records annulled under RSA 651:5 are sealed and should not appear on most background checks.
Does New Hampshire have ban the box for private employers?
No. HB 253 covers public employers only. Governor Sununu vetoed a private employer ban the box bill. Private companies in New Hampshire face no state timing restriction. Your answer in the interview is your primary protection with private employers. New Hampshire's annulment law is the most important tool for most returning citizens -- once your record is annulled, it is sealed from public background checks.
What jobs can I not get with a felony in New Hampshire?
Specific licensed fields including healthcare with direct patient care, childcare, education, law enforcement, and some financial services have statutory background check requirements. Research the specific licensing board before investing in training. For most private sector manufacturing, healthcare support, technology, and hospitality employment, the decision rests with the individual employer. A successful annulment can remove most private sector barriers for convictions that are not violent crimes.
How do I explain my record in a job interview?
Do not pause. Come in with the answer ready: everybody deserves a second chance, somebody is going to give me one, and they are going to get the best employee they ever had because you are never going back. Private employers in NH have no timing restriction, so your answer may be needed at any point. Connect your CTEC certificate, NHDOC programming, or any work completed inside directly to what this employer needs. Then close by mentioning that your hire qualifies for the Work Opportunity Tax Credit. End strong. And check your annulment eligibility -- if your record can be annulled, do it before your job search.
What is the Work Opportunity Tax Credit?
The Work Opportunity Tax Credit, or WOTC, is a federal tax credit available to employers who hire workers from qualifying groups, including people recently released from prison. The credit can be significant per qualifying hire based on wages and hours worked in the first year. It is administered through the IRS and the Department of Labor. NH Works career centers coordinate certification for employers statewide. It is a real financial incentive, and you should mention it at the end of every interview.
Do employers get a tax credit for hiring ex-felons?
Yes. Under the Work Opportunity Tax Credit, employers who hire qualifying returning citizens may receive a meaningful federal tax credit. Bring this up at the end of your interview as a closing argument. Your hire comes with a tax benefit the other applicants cannot offer. Ask your NH Works career center counselor for documentation you can share with a prospective employer so they can apply for the credit.
What NH programs help people with records find work?
NH Works career centers statewide offer job search help, training referrals, WOTC coordination, and Federal Bonding access. NHDOC provides CTEC vocational training at three facilities and Transitional Housing Units where residents can work in the community. Community Re-Entry program (January 2025) provides pre-release Medicaid health and peer support. New Hampshire Legal Assistance provides free annulment guidance. NH Pro Bono and Greater Manchester Community Legal Aid provide additional legal support. The Federal Bonding Program is available through NH Works.
Can I get my record annulled in New Hampshire?
New Hampshire uses "annulment" (RSA 651:5) instead of "expungement." Waiting periods from sentence completion: violations, 1 year; Class B misdemeanors (post-January 1, 2019), 2 years (mandatory if completed sentence, unless prosecutor objects); Class A misdemeanors, 3 years; Class B felonies, 5 years; Class A felonies, 10 years; domestic violence misdemeanors, 10 years. Cannot annul: violent crimes, felony obstruction of justice, extended sentence offenses. Important warning: if you file before the waiting period expires, the petition is denied AND you must wait 3 more years before refiling. Get legal help to confirm timing before filing. NH Legal Assistance at nhla.org offers free guidance.
What companies in New Hampshire hire people with felonies?
Amazon, Walmart, Home Depot, and major food service operators have NH operations and national fair chance commitments. Dartmouth Hitchcock, Catholic Medical Center, and Elliot Health System hire in healthcare support. Manufacturing employers across southern NH hire in electronics, plastics, and precision manufacturing. Construction contractors statewide face consistent labor shortages. Hospitality employers in the Lakes Region, White Mountains, and Seacoast hire year-round and seasonally. NH Works career centers can connect you with second-chance employers. Staffing agencies across Manchester and Nashua are the most accessible first step. For the full national list, see the InmateAid Fair Chance Employer Reference List.
How do I get hired if I have a long gap in my work history?
Name what you did inside and present it as work with context. CTEC certificates, NHDOC programming, THU work experience, and any education inside are all content. New Hampshire's annulment law may seal your record from most background checks -- if your waiting period has passed, do that first. NH's Obsolete Information Law means records older than 7 years are off-limits for background checks on lower-wage positions. NHDOC's Transitional Housing Units allow you to start building a community work record before release. NH Works and staffing agencies are the fastest paths back into regular employment after release. Build ninety days of solid performance anywhere and that recent record becomes what employers see instead of the gap. ---