FULL ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR MISS NEW HAMPSHIRE STATE FINALS AND LOCAL PROGRAM FINALS

(A) A contestant may not compete in Miss New Hampshire Finals unless she has been certified the winner in actual competition in a Local Pageant.

(B) A contestant may compete in any State of the United States if she is a bona fide resident of that State and has been a bona fide resident of that State for a period of six months immediately preceding the date if the first preliminary competition of the Local Pageant and has MAINTAINED such residence until the State Finals. In order to establish eligibility to compete in the State under this residency criteria, a contestant must supply proof of residency consisting of copies of 2 or more of the following:

1. 1. Current drivers license issued in the State of New Hampshire or current automobile registration issued in the State of New Hampshire; or
2. 2. Current voters registration card or written statement from the applicable State/Local voting registrar of valid current registration in the State of New Hampshire.
3. 3. Current lease in the contestant's name for housing in the State of New Hampshire; or
4. 4. Current utility bills in the contestant's name in the State of New Hampshire; or
5. 5. Information sufficient to the Miss New Hampshire State/or Local Program that the contestant is living in the State of New Hampshire with her parent(s) or legal guardian but attends a college or university out of state; or
6. 6. Most recent federal income tax return showing the State of New Hampshire as the State of residence (financial information may be redacted).
7. 7. Where a contestant splits her time with her divorced parents, the parent who has primary physical custody is the home state for that contestant. If physical custody is also shared, then which ever parent she resides 3 of the 5 school days shall determine her home state.

(D) A contestant may compete in any State, as a student within the State, if she has successfully completed one semester (or two quarters if semesters are not used) as a full time student (minimum 12 credit hours) at a college or university located within the State of Competition and is presently a bona fide registered full time student attending classes at a college or university located within the same State of Competition. Further, State Pageant agrees that no more than six months may have elapsed between the completion of the first semester and the beginning of the second semester as described within this paragraph.

(E) One or more of the requirements set forth in paragraphs (B), (C), and (D) above must be in existence at the time of the Local Pageant and the State Pageant and, if selected, must remain in effect through conclusion of the State or National Finals, as applicable.

(F) At the option of the Local Organization, they may adopt an open program or a closed program. They may not, however, defeat the live, work, or attend school, criteria in their geographic territory. (They may not exclude work or school and only draw from residents of a certain town or geographic area).

(G) A contestant is ineligible to compete in another Local Pageant anywhere in the United States in the same year she has been selected the winner in another Local Pageant (i.e., a contestant may not hold two local titles simultaneously) and is ineligible to compete in the same Local Pageant where she had previously been selected the winner in the preceding year. Each contestant, however, is released from this clause after the Miss New Hampshire State Finals so that she may begin competing in the next fiscal year's Local Competitions.

(H) A contestant shall not have been a previous State Finalist who competed in the National Miss America Finals. In each Pageant year, a contestant may only compete in one State Final leading into the Miss America Finals. However, a contestant who has assumed the title and duties of a State Finalist but has never competed in the National Miss America Finals must allow a lapse of one year, following her year of service prior to competing again in a Local Pageant where she is eligible. The same holds true for a Local Titleholder. In other words, a contestant may not succeed herself in a Title. At the sole discretion of the Local Chapters, they may elect to disallow any former Miss Local from competing for their title after winning that tile.

(I) A contestant must be eligible to make the representations under oath which are set forth in the "Contestants Contract with the Miss New Hampshire/Miss Local Organization."

(J) For the 2008-2009 New Hampshire Local Year (which leads to Miss New Hampshire during the week of in April 29 - May 3, 2009 and Miss America by tradition in January of 2010) a contestant must be a high school graduate or have successfully completed the G.E.D. testing program for high school equivalency by July 30, 2009; have been at least seventeen (17) years of age and at least a high school senior at the time of her first appearance in the preliminary round of the local competition that she enters in anticipation of the National Finals. A contestant shall be no older than twenty-four (24) years of age on December 31, 2009.

(K) By Miss America rules, each local contestant for each local competition must raise a minimum of $100.00 for the Miss America's National Platform, The Children's Miracle Networks. The Local and State Chapters in New Hampshire, however, have committed to raise funds to offset this Miss America requirement. These volunteers have indicated that they will put forth their best effort to raise enough funds so that no contestant is left out of the program. However, should that effort fall short, then contestants in order to compete will have to raise their own funds. Contestants should help, when requested, the local and state chapters raise funds.

(L) A contestant must be a citizen of the United States at any time before the commencement of the Local Pageant and must remain such throughout her participation with the program.

(M) A contestant must possess and display talent in accordance with the rules set forth in the Official Guide for Contestants Participating in a Preliminary Pageant.

(N) A contestant may be either amateur or professional.

(O) Unless specifically waived in writing by the Miss America Organization, and the Miss New Hampshire Organization, no contestant in either Miss New Hampshire or a Local Program shall be eligible to compete if she has endorsed or contracted to endorse any product or service competitive to those products or services sold by the national sponsors or national licensees of the Miss America Organization within three months prior to the competition and/or is under such contract for endorsement at the time of the competition or thereafter.

(P) Local Program agrees that it will require all contestants in the Local Program and shall cause contestants in its Local Programs to sign a Contestant Contract PRIOR TO COMPETITION with the Local Pageant, as appropriate, a copy of which is attached hereto.

(Q) Local Pageant acknowledges that it is MAO's policy that all contestants in the Local and State Pageants during their competition and the winner and runners-up thereof, during the entire period of their year of service, will not associate with in any way, or participate in any way, in the promotion or conduct, or become a contestant or participant, either directly or indirectly, in any other national or international competition of a nature similar to the Miss America Organization competition. This policy includes the participation in any activity which relates in any aspect, either directly or indirectly, including judging, to another national or international competition of a nature similar to the Miss America Organization competition.

(R) A contestant's eligibility to compete shall be subject to review at each level of competition that is entered.

(S) A contestant must be and always have been a female.

(T) Contestants must not now and never been married.

(U) Contestants are not now pregnant, and have never been pregnant. She is not the adoptive parent of any child.

(V) She must be of good moral character and never been involved at any time in any act of moral turpitude.

(W) Other than minor or petty offenses, she has never been convicted of any criminal offense and there are no criminal charges presently pending against her.

(X) She has never performed any act or engaged in any activity or employment that is or could reasonably be characterized as dishonest, immoral, or indecent.

(Y) She is in good health, and can, to best of her knowledge, participate fully and without limitation in any Program activities. She does not use or consume any illegal controlled dangerous substances or abuse the use of alcohol or other dangerous substances.

(Z) Should a contestant submit an application to compete in a Local Preliminary, but then fail to follow through to compete, and she has failed to give the Local Director notice or failed to have a reasonable reason for the cancellation, she is subject to being disallowed entry into another Local Preliminary competition for a period to be determined by the Miss New Hampshire Board of Directors. Good reasons include a medical or bona fide family emergency. Having to work at the last minute is not a good reason. Contestants are responsible for arranging their schedules to fulfill all local rehearsal commitments, pageant activities and each phase of competition IF they submit an application. Contestants should obtain a copy of all Local commitments prior to competing in a Local Preliminary. If she cannot meet the requirements of a particular Local Program's appearance schedule, then she should not submit an application to enter that particular Local Program. Contestants must also be familiar with all Miss New Hampshire rehearsal dates and pageant activity schedules so that if she wins Miss Local, she has no scheduling conflicts for the Miss New Hampshire Scholarship Program.

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Click here for a listing of important dates. All Local Contestants must keep in mind the dates listed on that page, because when you win a local title, you are locked into those dates. All rehearsals are mandatory and may require you to rearrange your academic schedule on those dates. Ask your Local Director for more information.