How do I search New Hampshire court cases online?

New Hampshire's trial courts publish case lookups through the New Hampshire Judicial Branch. Start at www.courts.nh.gov — most case dockets, filings, and hearing calendars are searchable by name, case number, or filing date. County-level clerks publish additional searches; see the cards below for direct county court links.

Is there a free statewide court case search in New Hampshire?

The New Hampshire Judicial Branch operates New Hampshire's official statewide judicial portal at www.courts.nh.gov. Basic case lookups are typically free of charge; certified copies and bulk-data exports may incur a per-document or per-search fee. Federal cases for New Hampshire residents are searched separately through PACER.

What's the difference between trial and appellate courts in New Hampshire?

Trial courts in New Hampshire handle the original filing of civil, criminal, family, probate, and traffic matters. Appellate courts review questions of law from trial-court decisions. The New Hampshire Judicial Branch publishes the full court structure, judge rosters, and jurisdiction maps at www.courts.nh.gov.

How far back do New Hampshire court records go online?

Online coverage varies by court and case type. Most New Hampshire county courts have digitized records from approximately the late 1990s or early 2000s forward; older case files may require an in-person clerk visit or a written record request. Check the New Hampshire Judicial Branch portal at www.courts.nh.gov for each court's coverage window.

Are sealed or expunged New Hampshire cases visible in the online search?

No. New Hampshire courts redact or remove sealed, expunged, juvenile, and certain confidential records from public-facing searches as required by state statute and court rule. If a record was previously visible and has since been sealed, it will no longer appear in the New Hampshire Judicial Branch portal. For verification you can contact the county clerk where the case was filed.

New Hampshire Court Records — SearchSystems.net

How to Search New Hampshire Court Records (Start Here)

New Hampshire court records are filed with the Clerk of Court in each county. The Superior Court / Circuit Court handles trial-level cases. New Hampshire does not have a single statewide court search portal — you must go to the county where the case was filed.

What this page covers: New Hampshire state court case records. What it does not cover: Federal court cases (PACER) or sealed/juvenile records.

Where to start: Identify the county where the case was filed, then contact the Clerk of Court in that county. Some counties courts offer online case search on their individual websites.

Common mistake: Without a statewide portal, many people search the wrong county. If you are unsure where a case was filed, start with the county where the defendant lived or where the incident occurred.

Trial court of general jurisdiction

Our Courts | New Hampshire Judicial Branch - NH.gov

Highest court

Supreme Court | New Hampshire Judicial Branch - NH.gov

Statewide civil case search

Case Access Portal is Here! | New Hampshire Judicial Branch

Statewide criminal docket search

Using the Online Portal | New Hampshire Judicial Branch

Federal courts

New Hampshire District Court | PACER: Federal Court Records

Number of counties

10 counties

Population

1,409,032

Households

565,600

Median Income

$90,845

Median Home Value

$350,100

SearchSystems Editorial

Edited by Sam Rokni — Editor & Owner, SearchSystems.net. Public records professional since 1999. NAPBS founding member. Full bio & credentials.

Last reviewed: June 04, 2026 · Methodology: all New Hampshire court URLs verified against the official .gov / state-judiciary publisher on the review date. 6 primary .gov / .uscourts.gov sources cited below.

New Hampshire Court Records — Key Numbers (FY2025)

New Hampshire's 2025 Efficiency Study sets forth 27 recommendations to maximize the efficient use of court resources.

New Hampshire Judicial B

Court system

Statewide

FY2025

Latest fiscal year

Official .gov data

.gov

Primary source

Never data brokers

Free

Public access

Most case records

June 04, 2026

Last reviewed

By SearchSystems editorial

What New Hampshire court records actually cost

New Hampshire case searching is free where electronic access exists; older files mean a clerk request with per-page copy fees. Annulment petitions — New Hampshire's term for expungement — carry both a filing fee and a state police processing fee.

Exact amounts are set by each court's current fee schedule — check the official source before you order.

What Changed in 2026 — New Hampshire Court Records

2026

New Hampshire FY2025 caseload report active

The New Hampshire Judicial Branch publishes its current FY2025 case filings, dispositions, and trends on the official statistics portal.

Source →

2026

New Hampshire statewide case-access portal live

New Hampshire Judicial Branch's public case-access portal continues to operate at www.courts.nh.gov with statewide coverage.

Source →

2026

Latest New Hampshire judiciary annual report

The most recent annual report from the New Hampshire Judicial Branch is publicly available with full statistical addenda.

Source →

2026

New Hampshire courts main directory

New Hampshire's primary judicial-branch directory at www.courts.nh.gov continues to be the canonical entry point for all state court matters.

Source →

The 4-Step New Hampshire Court Records Pathway

Step 1 — Identify the court level

In New Hampshire, civil and criminal trial cases sit in New Hampshire Judicial Branch trial courts. Appellate matters go to the state's appellate courts.

Step 2 — Use the state case-access portal

Start at https://www.courts.nh.gov/our-courts/access-court-records — the official public case-access for New Hampshire.

Step 3 — Federal cases are separate

Federal cases involving New Hampshire parties live on PACER (pacer.uscourts.gov), not the state system.

Step 4 — Sealed / expunged records

Records sealed or expunged under New Hampshire law are NOT searchable on public portals. To verify, contact the originating court clerk directly.

Five Things People Get Wrong About New Hampshire Court Records

MYTH"New Hampshire court records are on PACER."

FACTPACER only has federal cases. New Hampshire state court records live on www.courts.nh.gov.

MYTH"All New Hampshire case files are free."

FACTPartly true. Searching and viewing dockets is usually free. Downloading full documents or certified copies often costs $1-$5 per item.

MYTH"Sealed = deleted in New Hampshire."

FACTSealed records still exist — they're just hidden from public search. The court clerk and law enforcement can still access them.

MYTH"Third-party search sites are official."

FACTOnly www.courts.nh.gov and the linked official portals are authoritative for New Hampshire.

MYTH"Same-day filings show online immediately."

FACTMost New Hampshire courts have a 24-48 hour processing lag before new filings appear in public search.

Primary Sources and Official Record Portals

www.courts.nh.gov — New Hampshire Judicial Branch — Main judicial-branch portal for New Hampshire
New Hampshire case access — Public case-search portal
New Hampshire court statistics — Official caseload statistics
New Hampshire annual report — Most recent annual report (PDF)
uscourts.gov — PACER — Federal court records (separate system)
uscourts.gov — Judicial Business 2025 — Federal caseload context

Related Court Records Resources

📍 Other New Hampshire records:

🇺🇸 Court Records in other states:

National: U.S. Court Records hub →

Related Public Records

More New Hampshire records: Criminal records · Wants & warrants · Property records · Vital records · Voter records · Licenses · Recorded docs

National view of this topic: All states: Court records

Sample New Hampshire counties: Belknap · Carroll · Cheshire · Coos · Grafton

Court Records Databases

7 official New Hampshire court records sources.

Court Records Criminal Records Wants & Warrants Vital Records Voter Records Licenses Recorded Documents Property Records

Court Records

Welcome | New Hampshire Judicial Branch