NEW HAMPSHIRE COORDINATE SYSTEM

RSA tit. I, ch. 1-A

in effect

RSA 1-A:1 Definitions.

1-A:1. Definitions. In this chapter: I. "The New Hampshire coordinate system of 1927", as defined by the former United States Coast and Geodetic Survey, means a transverse mercator projection of the Clarke spheroid of 1866, having a standard meridian at 71degree40' along which meridian the scale shall be one part in 30,000 too small. The origin of coordinates is at the intersection of the said meridian 70degree40' west of Greenwich and the parallel 42degree30' north latitude. This origin is given the coordinates: x = 500,000 feet and y = 0 feet. II. "The New Hampshire coordinate system of 1983", as defined by the National Ocean Service/National Geodetic Survey, means a transverse mercator projection of the North American datum of 1983, having a standard meridian at 71degree40' along which meridian the scale shall be one part in 30,000 too small. The origin of coordinates is at the intersection of the said meridian 71degree40' west of Greenwich and the parallel 42degree30' north latitude. This origin is given the coordinates: x = 300,000 meters and y = 0 meters. III. The "New Hampshire state plane coordinate system" (NHSPCS) is identical to the New Hampshire portion of the state plane coordinate system (SPCS) as defined by the National Geodetic Survey (NGS) or its successors meaning the most recent system of plane coordinates which has been officially released for public use by the National Geodetic Survey (NGS) or its successors, based on the National Spatial Reference System (NSRS) or its successors. Source. 1985, 216:1, eff. July 30, 1985. 2026, 196:1, eff. June 19, 2026.

RSA 1-A:2 Application of Coordinate Systems.

1-A:2. Application of Coordinate Systems. The use of the term "New Hampshire coordinate system of 1927" or "New Hampshire coordinate system of 1983" or the "New Hampshire state plane coordinate system" on any map, report of survey, or other document shall be limited to coordinates based on the New Hampshire coordinate system as defined in RSA 1-A:1. The New Hampshire coordinate system of 1927 shall not be used after December 31, 1989. The New Hampshire coordinate system of 1983 shall not be used for projects commenced after the "New Hampshire state plane coordinate system," as defined in RSA 1-A:1, III has been released for public use by the National Geodetic Survey (NGS) or its successors. Source. 1985, 216:1, eff. July 30, 1985. 2026, 196:2, eff. June 19, 2026.

RSA 1-A:3 Systems of Plane Coordinates.

1-A:3. Systems of Plane Coordinates. The systems of plane coordinates which have been established by the National Ocean Service/National Geodetic Survey or its successors for defining and stating the geographic positions or locations of points on the surface of the earth within the state of New Hampshire are hereafter to be known and designated as the New Hampshire coordinate system of 1927 and the New Hampshire coordinate system of 1983, and the New Hampshire state plane coordinate system (NHSPCS). Source. 1985, 216:1, eff. July 30, 1985. 2026, 196:3, eff. June 19, 2026.

RSA 1-A:4 Plane Coordinate Values.

1-A:4. Plane Coordinate Values. I. The plane coordinate values for a point on the earth's surface, used to express the geographic position or location of such point in this system, shall consist of 2 distances expressed in United States survey feet, which equals (1200)/(3937) meters, and decimals of a foot when using the New Hampshire coordinate system of 1927 and expressed in meters and decimals of a meter or United States survey feet and decimals of a foot when using the New Hampshire coordinate system of 1983. One of these distances, to be known as the "x-coordinate," shall give the position in an east-and-west direction; the other, to be known as the "y-coordinate," shall give the position in a north-and-south direction. These coordinates shall be made to depend upon and conform to plane rectangular coordinate values for the monumented points of the North American Horizontal Geodetic Control Network as published by the National Ocean Service/National Geodetic Survey, or its successors, and whose plane coordinates have been computed on the systems defined in this chapter. Any such station may be used for establishing a survey connection to the 1927 or 1983 New Hampshire coordinate system. II. The plane coordinates of a point to be used in expressing the geographic position or location of the point in the appropriate zone of the NHSPCS, shall consist of 2 distances, expressed in feet and decimals of a foot or meters and decimals of a meter. When the values are expressed in feet (also known as international feet), a definition of one foot = 0.3048 meter exactly shall be used. For conversion of meters to international feet, multiply the meters by 3.280839895. One of these distances, to be known as the "north or y-coordinate," shall give the distance north of the x-axis; the other, to be known as the "east or x-coordinate," shall give the distance east of the y-axis. The y-axis of any zone shall be parallel with the central meridian of that zone. The x-axis of any zone shall be at right angles to the central meridian of that zone. Source. 1985, 216:1, eff. July 30, 1985. 2026, 196:4, eff. June 19, 2026.

RSA 1-A:5 Recording Coordinates.

1-A:5. Recording Coordinates. Coordinates based on any New Hampshire coordinate system, purporting to define the position of a point on a land boundary, presented to be recorded in any public land records or deed records shall be accompanied by a specific statement by the licensed land surveyor as to their basis and a description of the survey method used to determine them on the record plat or description of the survey. Source. 1985, 216:1, eff. July 30, 1985. 2026, 196:5, eff. June 19, 2026.

RSA 1-A:6 Restrictions.

1-A:6. Restrictions. The use of the terms "New Hampshire state plane coordinate system," "New Hampshire coordinate system 1927," or "New Hampshire coordinate system 1983" on any map, report of survey, or other document shall be limited to coordinates based on the respective New Hampshire coordinate system as defined in this chapter. Source. 2026, 196:6, eff. June 19, 2026.

Source: New Hampshire General Court (gc.nh.gov)URL: https://gc.nh.gov/rsa/html/NHTOC/NHTOC-I-1-A.htmFetched: 10/20/2026