New Hampshire Public Records

The state of New Hampshire has long made provisions for the sharing of government records with the citizens. Actually, most government records in New Hampshire are available to the public.

The New Hampshire Right to Know Law makes public most of the New Hampshire records. The law gives every person the right to obtain, copy, and examine public records. The law specifies that every resident of New Hampshire has the right to obtain and examine any non exempt public record acquired, created, or maintained by a government body. Records can be requested for any purpose. However, an additional fee may be charged if the records are required for commercial purposes.

The records covered under this law include all records from executive, judicial, and legislative branches and all other government agencies. Also covered are records of employees or elected officials who are working for any New Hampshire government body. The law doesn’t grant the public access to any information regarding other records of any non-governmental person or criminal activity of anyone. All non-governmental agencies that receive funding from the state are also covered.

New Hampshire Criminal Records

Criminal records checks in New Hampshire can be conducted on anyone by anyone, with simple background checks that provide arrest records, juvenile criminal records, arrest warrants, misdemeanors, felonies, and conviction records. It also gives probation records, parole information, jail and inmate records, sex offender listing, and serious traffic violations among a wide range of information.

Most New Hampshire criminal records are maintained in a secure online state database. The records are made available in the form of criminal background reports. You can access criminal background reports through the certified New Hampshire State Records Online Database.

For any information regarding New Hampshire correctional facilities, services for victims and their families, and inmates in the system, simply visit the New Hampshire Department of Corrections website. They provide an Official Search page on their site that will enable you locate an offender. You can search for an inmate by a Doc Id or by a First Name and Last Name.

New Hampshire Vital Records

New Hampshire Vital Records include documents such as birth certificates, death certificates, and marriage licenses. The Office of Vital Records has the responsibility to maintain all these records.

The Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics in Concord keep all the birth records in the state.

  • Birth records: New Hampshire has always kept birth records since early 1600s in the city or town where the birth was recorded. The town clerk has been sending copies of birth records of every New Hampshire town to Health Statistics in Concord and the Bureau of Vital Statistics. Birth records prior to 1900 are available at family history centers and Family History Library. Birth records between 1901 and 1904 are available at the New Hampshire Births and Christenings. Birth records are available from 1904 to present at the New Hampshire State Vital Records Index.
  • Death records: For deaths recorded between 1654 and 1947, you can obtain the copies at New Hampshire Family Search. Death records from 1947 to present are available at the New Hampshire State Vital Records Index.
  • Marriage records: Marriage records in the state of New Hampshire were recorded beginning early 1639. Records from 1639 to 1947 are available are available at New Hampshire Marriage Records. Marriage records after 1901 are available at the New Hampshire State Vital Records Index. You can obtain marriage records prior to 1901 at New Hampshire Marriage Records.
  • Divorce records: Divorce records after 1901 are available at the New Hampshire State Vital Records Index. The New Hampshire Vital Statistics keeps all divorce records.

We hope this post provides you with information that will help you access state public records with ease and in concise and efficient manner.

New Hampshire State Court System

Understanding how the system of New Hampshire state court works is very important as it helps you find court records easily.

New Hampshire Courts Overview

To make your work easier, start searching for court records in New Hampshire by simply going to courts by county.

The trial court system of New Hampshire State consists of Circuit Court Family Divisions, Circuit Court Probate Divisions, Circuit Court District Divisions, and Superior Courts.

Superior Courts

New Hampshire Superior Courts have general jurisdiction to handle all cases but generally handle only the cases that other courts have no jurisdiction over. They are the only courts in New Hampshire that offer jury trials.

Civil cases that are heard by these courts include general civil claims for amount exceeding $25, 000, all jury trials, and general civil claims exceeding $1,500 or connected to title to real property. ?They also handle child custody, divorce, foreclosure and redemption of mortgages, domestic violence, appeals of decisions of zoning and planning board, and petitions to enforce contracts.

Criminal cases these courts hear include felonies and criminal cases especially those that are eligible for jury trials.

They share jurisdiction for emergency domestic violence orders with Family Divisions of Circuit Courts and District Courts. There is no Circuit Court – Family Division in Cheshire County and Superior Court handles marital matters.

Circuit Court District Divisions

These courts have exclusive jurisdiction over certain types of criminal and civil cases. They have original jurisdiction over small claims, criminal misdemeanors and violations, stalking, landlord-tenant, land use violations, denial appeals over gun permit, and general civil claims involving less than $1500.

These courts have jurisdiction to handle juvenile matters particularly in counties where Family Divisions are not available.

Circuit Court Probate Division

These courts have exclusive jurisdiction to handle certain types of cases connected to real estate, probate, juvenile matters, and probate. T

They have limited jurisdiction over some partition actions, living wills, probate of wills, termination of parental rights, adoption of children, conservatorships, most name change petitions, guardianships, administration of trusts and estates, and matters related to title to real among other types of cases.

In areas with both a Probate Division and a Family Division, the Probate Division cannot hear most cases that the Family Division has jurisdiction over, but still shares jurisdiction over some types of cases.

Family Court Divisions

Other than Cheshire County, Family Court Divisions are found in all New Hampshire counties. They have limited jurisdiction to handle most domestic relations as well as juvenile cases, including child support, divorce, paternity, annulment, juvenile delinquency, child custody, alimony, neglect or abuse of children, name change petitions related to termination of parental rights, termination of parental rights, and guardianships of minors.

They share jurisdiction for emergency orders in cases related to domestic violence with Circuit Court District Divisions and Superior Courts. They also share jurisdiction for cases related to children in need of services and temporary detention orders in cases related to juvenile cases.

Circuit Court Family Divisions also have limited jurisdiction over most adoptions, but international, agency, or private adoptions remain within limited jurisdiction of Probate Division. Circuit Court Family Divisions also have limited jurisdiction over many guardianship of minors, but jurisdiction over the whole case remains within exclusive jurisdiction of Probate Division if the case involves also the state of a minor.

New Hampshire Crime Statistics

Violent & Property Crime Rates in New Hampshire

Rate of Violent Crime Offenses by Population in New Hampshire
Rate of Violent Crime Offenses by Population in New Hampshire
Rate of Property Crime Offenses by Population in New Hampshire
Rate of Property Crime Offenses by Population in New Hampshire
Offender Age Ratio in New Hampshire
Offender Age Ratio in New Hampshire
Offender Race Ratio in New Hampshire
Offender Race Ratio in New Hampshire
Offender Sex Ratio in New Hampshire
Offender Sex Ratio in New Hampshire

Arrests Offense in New Hampshire

All Arrest by Offense in New Hampshire
All Arrest by Offense in New Hampshire
Female Arrests by Age in New Hampshire
Female Arrests by Age in New Hampshire
Male Arrests by Age in New Hampshire
Male Arrests by Age in New Hampshire
Arrestee Race Ratio in New Hampshire
Arrestee Race Ratio in New Hampshire
Arrestee Sex Ratio in New Hampshire
Arrestee Sex Ratio in New Hampshire

The latest data is from 2021. References: https://cde.ucr.cjis.gov/LATEST/webapp/#/pages/home

The Official Website of New Hampshire County

Manchester City of Manchester NH Official Web Site
Nashua Nashua, NH | Official Website
Concord Concord, NH – Official Website
Derry Town of Derry NH
Dover City of Dover, NH – Official Website
Rochester Rochester NH
Salem Salem NH
Merrimack Merrimack NH
Hudson Hudson NH
Londonderry Welcome to the Town of Londonderry, NH
Keene City of Keene
Bedford edford, NH | Official Website
Portsmouth City of Portsmouth
Goffstown Town of Goffstown, NH – Official Website Goffstown New Hampshire (NH) town website. Providing our citizens with the most current information regarding our town.
Laconia Laconia, NH | Official Website
Rockingham County Rockingham County, NH – The Official Rockingham County, NH Website
Merrimack County Merrimack County
Strafford County Strafford County NH
Grafton County Grafton County, NH – Haverhill, NH
Cheshire County Cheshire County
Belknap County Belknap County
Carroll County Carroll County NH
Sullivan County Events Calendar
Coos County Coos County NH

New Hampshire Jail Roster

Type Name County Inmate Locator Phone Number Inmate Search
Federal Prison Berlin Federal Correctional Institution Co?s County 1 Success Loop Road, Berlin, NH 03570 (603) 342-4000 Federal Inmate Locator
State Prison Northern NH Correctional Facility Co?s County 138 East Milan Road, Berlin, NH 03570 (603) 752-2906 Inmate Search
State Prison New Hampshire Correctional Facility for Women Hillsborough County 317 Mast Road, Goffstown, NH 03045 (603) 668-6137 Inmate Search
State Prison New Hampshire State Prison for Men Merrimack County 281 North State Street, Concord, NH 03302 (603) 271-1801 Inmate Search
Belknap County Jail Roster Belknap County Department of Corrections Belknap County 76 County Drive, Laconia, NH 03246 (603) 527-5480 Inmate Search
Carroll County Jail Roster Carroll County Department of Corrections Carroll County 95 Water Village Road, Ossipee, NH 03864 (603) 539-2282 Jail Roster
Cheshire County Jail Roster Cheshire County Department of Corrections Cheshire County 825 Marlboro Road, Keene, NH 03431 (603) 903-1600 Inmate Roster
Co?s County Jail Roster Co?s County Department of Corrections Co?s County 168 County Farm Road, West Stewartstown, NH 03597 (603) 246-3315 Jail Roster
Grafton County Jail Roster Grafton County Department of Corrections Grafton County 3787 Dartmouth College Hwy, North Haverhill, NH 03774 (603) 787-2019 Jail Roster
Hillsborough County Jail Roster Hillsborough County Department of Corrections Hillsborough County 445 Willow Street, Manchester, NH 03103 (603) 627-5620 Jail Roster
Merrimack County Jail Roster Merrimack County Department of Corrections Merrimack County 314 Daniel Webster Highway, Boscawen, NH 03303 (603) 796-3600 Jail Roster
Rockingham County Jail Roster Rockingham County Department of Corrections Rockingham County 99 North Road, Brentwood, NH 03833 (603) 679-2244 Jail Roster
Strafford County Jail Roster Strafford County Department of Corrections Strafford County 266 County Farm Road, Dover, NH 03820 (603) 742-3310 Jail Roster
Sullivan County Jail Roster Sullivan County Department of Corrections Sullivan County 103 County Farm Road, Claremont, NH 03743 (603) 542-8717 Jail Roster

Belknap County Inmate Roster Archonix XJail Public
Inmates | Carroll County NH Carroll County Inmates
Inmate Information – Rockingham County, NH Rockingham County Inmate Information
Stafford County Department of Corrections Strafford County Department of Corrections Offers information on staff, operations, training, inmate programs, visits, tours, and job openings. Located in Dover NH
Department of Corrections, New Hampshire Department of Corrections Inmate Locator New Hampshire Department of Corrections
Criminal Records, Support Services – Division of State Police, NH DOS New Hampshire State Police Criminal Records
New Hampshire Judicial Branch – Information on Cases for the Public and Media New Hampshire Judicial Branch Court Case Lookup
Criminal Offenders, Division of State Police, NH DOS The Dept. of Safety, Division of State Police, provides safety for the citizens of NH and their vistors.