Bounce house rules in New Hampshire: permits, inspection, and insurance
State-regulated. "Air supported structures" are inside the rule’s scope.
Informational only. Informational only, not legal advice. Amusement-device rules change between legislative sessions, and several of the entries here record changes made in the last three years. The binding authority is the agency named on this page. Confirm the current rule with them before you set up.
Reviewed August 2026
Binding authority: the Tramway and Amusement Ride Safety Bureau
Who regulates inflatables in New Hampshire
New Hampshire Department of Safety, Division of Fire Safety, Tramway and Amusement Ride Safety Bureau, Concord
Permit or registration
Yes. Annual registration at $130.00 per carnival or amusement ride, valid January to December of each calendar year, submitted with a copy of the insurance policy and a completed registration form including operator inspection certification. A registration decal is issued on passing and must be affixed to the ride and visible to the public. Companies are asked to contact the office no less than 10 days before inspection and operation.
Inspection
Relocatable rides are inspected when first assembled in New Hampshire and annually thereafter, plus unannounced inspections and inspections following daily reports. Fixed-location rides are inspected within 15 days of expected operation each season and after disassembly and reassembly. Daily inspections are required before opening to the public each day.
Insurance required by the state
Yes, required by statute. The administrative rules as read do not state a minimum figure.
We could not confirm the minimum figure. The administrative rules we read do not state one, and the figure that circulates in industry summaries traces to no page we opened. Ask the Tramway and Amusement Ride Safety Bureau.
Operator requirements
The registration form requires operator inspection certification.
We could not confirm whether a separate attendant standard applies. Ask the Tramway and Amusement Ride Safety Bureau.
What an operator should know
The rules list "air supported structures" and slides over eight feet in the scope section, so inflatables are squarely in scope in New Hampshire and there is nothing to argue about. Two things follow for a rental business. The annual per-ride registration fee makes fleet size a direct cost driver rather than a rounding error. And the relocatable-ride inspection rule, first assembly in state and then annually, is considerably friendlier than the per-setup rules in Arkansas or New York.
Frequently asked questions
Are inflatables regulated in New Hampshire?
Yes. The rules name air supported structures and slides over eight feet in the scope section, so bounce houses are covered.
What does New Hampshire registration cost?
$130.00 per carnival or amusement ride, annually, valid January to December of each calendar year.
How often does a New Hampshire relocatable ride need inspecting?
When first assembled in the state, and annually thereafter, plus daily pre-opening inspections and the possibility of unannounced inspections.
How much insurance does New Hampshire require?
Insurance is required by statute, and the rules we read do not state a figure. An industry summary reports $100,000, which we could not confirm. Ask the Bureau.
Sources
Every claim above traces to one of these. Where a source is marked as one we could not open, nothing on this page rests on it: it is listed so you can try it yourself.
What to do with this
Knowing the rule is the first half. These four pages are the second half: registering the business, buying the coverage the rule assumes you carry, running a setup that would survive an inspection, and putting the terms in writing before a unit leaves the truck.
Keep the paperwork with the unit
Permits, inspection dates and certificates belong next to the unit they cover, not in a folder. BounceDay keeps each unit’s record with its bookings, so the certificate a venue asks for is one tap away on the delivery. Your checklists are your own templates; the safety standards in them are yours, not ours.
Rules change between sessions. Confirm the current position with the Tramway and Amusement Ride Safety Bureau before you set up.