New Hampshire Criminal Records

This guide explains how to find New Hampshire criminal records, arrest records, court records, inmate information, and the public sex offender registry, and how New Hampshire's background-check and record-clearing laws work. It was last reviewed in June 2026 using official New Hampshire sources, and it points you to the state and county agencies that hold each type of record. You can also start a name search using the tool on this page.

How do I look up a criminal record in New Hampshire?

There are three realistic ways to find criminal-record information in New Hampshire:

• Name-based search through the NH State Police Criminal Records Unit. The New Hampshire Division of State Police maintains the statewide Criminal History Record Information (CHRI) repository. For non-criminal-justice purposes such as employment or licensing, the unit provides conviction records only. You can submit a request online through the NH State Police Criminal Records Portal, or by mail to 33 Hazen Drive, Concord, NH 03305. A name-based search costs $25; a fingerprint-based search costs $47 (or $20 for volunteers). Contact the unit at (603) 223-3867 or criminalrecordunit@dos.nh.gov.
• The New Hampshire Judicial Branch Case Access Portal. The courts offer free online access to Superior Court criminal and civil cases at the NH Judicial Branch Case Access Portal. You register for a free account, then search by name. Note that the portal covers non-confidential cases and does not represent the complete official court record.
• An online people-search tool like the one on this page, which compiles public-record data from many sources into one report. These tools are for personal knowledge only and are not a substitute for an official CHRI request or an FCRA (Fair Credit Reporting Act)-compliant background check.

A fingerprint-based search is the only way to confirm a record truly belongs to a specific person; a name-only search can return matches that belong to someone else.

Are criminal records public in New Hampshire?

New Hampshire's Right-to-Know Law (RSA 91-A) makes most governmental records presumptively public, and arrest and court records generally fall within that framework. However, there is an important distinction: the statewide CHRI database held by the State Police provides only conviction records to non-criminal-justice requesters - it does not give the public access to the full rap sheet for third parties. Court case files held by the Judicial Branch are separately accessible and are generally public unless sealed by law or court order. So you can look up someone's court cases through the portal or in person at the courthouse, but you cannot freely pull a full conviction history from the State Police for a third party the way you can in some other states.

Where can I look up arrest records in New Hampshire?

Arrest records in New Hampshire are held by the agency that made the arrest - a city police department, a county sheriff, or the State Police. Under RSA 91-A, most arrest records are public unless the record involves an active or ongoing investigation. Many county sheriffs maintain online jail rosters showing current bookings. Remember that an arrest is not a conviction: it documents that a person was taken into custody, not that they were found guilty. The State Police CHRI portal does not include arrests that did not result in a conviction when responding to non-criminal-justice requests.

How do I find court records in New Hampshire?

New Hampshire has a unified court system under the Judicial Branch, and the main tool for public access is the NH Judicial Branch Case Access Portal. After creating a free account you can search Superior Court criminal cases (felonies) and Circuit Court civil cases, small claims, and name-change matters statewide. For older or physical case files, you can visit or write to the clerk's office at the courthouse where the case was filed. The Judicial Branch's Central Processing Center can also run multi-name record checks; contact them at the Administrative Offices in Concord. For guidance on what records exist and how to request them, see the Judicial Branch record-checks page.

How do I look up warrants in New Hampshire?

Warrants in New Hampshire are issued by the courts. To check for an outstanding warrant, contact the clerk of the court in the county where the charge would be filed, or contact the local sheriff's office or State Police. Some sheriff's offices post warrant information online. The NH Judicial Branch Case Access Portal may also show open cases associated with a warrant. Active warrants can surface on third-party background reports, but the issuing court or county law-enforcement agency is the authoritative source.

Do arrests show up on background checks in New Hampshire?

It depends on the type of check and the age of the record. Under New Hampshire RSA 359-B:5 (the state consumer protection law), a consumer reporting agency generally cannot report arrests, convictions, or indictments whose disposition occurred more than seven years before the date of the background check when the position pays under $20,000 per year. For positions paying above $20,000, the information may be reportable beyond seven years. Under the federal FCRA, non-conviction arrests are generally not reported once they are more than seven years old. An arrest that was annulled by a New Hampshire court should not appear on most background checks at all.

How far back does a background check go in New Hampshire?

New Hampshire has its own consumer-reporting law at RSA 359-B that works alongside the federal FCRA. The key rules:

• For jobs paying under $20,000 per year, a consumer reporting agency may not report arrests or convictions older than seven years.
• For jobs above that threshold, older conviction records may be reportable, subject to FCRA rules.
• Records that have been annulled under RSA 651:5 are treated as though the underlying event never occurred and should not appear in reporting.
• The FCRA's seven-year clock generally runs from the date of disposition, release, or parole - not the date of the arrest itself.

How do I find someone in jail or prison in New Hampshire?

It depends on where the person is held:

• State prison. Use the NH Department of Corrections Inmate Locator to search for people in state prison by name. Results include the facility, incarceration status, and projected release date. The tool does not cover people held in county jails.
• County jail. People awaiting trial or serving shorter sentences are held in county jails. Check the relevant county sheriff's website for a jail roster or inmate lookup.
• Federal custody. For federal cases, use the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator rather than the state DOC tool.

How do I find out if someone is on probation or parole in New Hampshire?

Parole in New Hampshire is supervised by the NH Department of Corrections, and a person's parole status may appear in the inmate locator results. Probation is supervised by the DOC's Field Services Division through probation-parole officers assigned to each district. The sentencing court's records are the best public source; contact the clerk of the court that imposed the sentence. Probation lets a person serve a sentence in the community under conditions set by the court instead of being incarcerated.

What crimes are felonies in New Hampshire?

Under RSA 625:9, a felony is any crime punishable by more than one year of imprisonment. New Hampshire divides felonies into two classes, plus unclassified "special" felonies set by individual statutes:

• Class A felony: punishable by up to 15 years in prison and a fine up to $4,000. Examples include kidnapping, first-degree assault, robbery, and repeat serious drug offenses.
• Class B felony: punishable by up to 7 years in prison and a fine up to $4,000. Examples include burglary, theft of a firearm, and many drug offenses.

The court sets a maximum sentence not to exceed the statutory cap and must set a minimum no greater than half the maximum. A felony conviction carries significant collateral consequences including loss of voting rights while imprisoned and restrictions on firearm possession.

What crimes are misdemeanors in New Hampshire?

Under RSA 625:9, misdemeanors are crimes punishable by up to one year in county jail. New Hampshire has two classes:

• Class A misdemeanor: the more serious class, punishable by up to one year in county jail and a fine. Examples include simple assault, driving while intoxicated (DWI) first offense, and theft under $1,000.
• Class B misdemeanor: punishable by a fine only - no jail time. Any misdemeanor that does not involve violence and is not specifically designated Class A defaults to Class B. Examples include minor in possession of alcohol and certain low-level drug possession offenses.

Are traffic offenses crimes in New Hampshire?

Most routine traffic violations in New Hampshire are classified as violations, not crimes. Under RSA 625:9, a violation carries only a fine - not imprisonment - and a conviction for a violation does not give rise to a criminal record or any legal disability. Speeding and most parking tickets fall in this category. However, more serious driving offenses such as DWI, reckless driving, or driving after suspension can be charged as misdemeanors or felonies and do create a criminal record.

Is the sex offender registry public in New Hampshire?

Yes, in part. The New Hampshire State Police maintains the Sex Offender/Offender Against Children Registry under RSA 651-B, and certain information is available to the public at business.nh.gov/nsor. The public registry focuses on offenders convicted of offenses against children and those with outstanding registration warrants. It shows the registrant's photo, address, and offense information. Not every registered offender appears on the public-facing site - the State Police site at nhsp.dos.nh.gov includes a disclaimer explaining the scope and limitations of the public registry.

Can a sex offender be removed from the New Hampshire registry?

It depends on the tier. New Hampshire uses a three-tier classification under RSA 651-B:6:

• Tier I: registration is required for 10 years from the date of release. A Tier I registrant may petition the court for early removal no sooner than 5 years after release, provided they have completed all sentence terms, have not been convicted of any subsequent felony, Class A misdemeanor, sex offense, or offense against a child, and have completed an appropriate sex-offender treatment program.
• Tier II: lifetime registration required. Tier II registrants may petition for removal no sooner than 15 years after release, subject to similar eligibility requirements.
• Tier III: lifetime registration with no option for removal.

How do I annul (expunge) my criminal record in New Hampshire?

New Hampshire does not use the word "expungement" - the state's process is called annulment, governed by RSA 651:5. When a court grants an annulment, the arrest, conviction, and sentence are treated as though the underlying event never occurred; the State Police removes the record from its active files. To start the process, file a Petition to Annul with the court (Circuit Court - District Division or Superior Court, depending on where the case was heard). The filing fee is $125 to the court; if there was a conviction, you also pay a $100 administrative fee to the Department of Corrections and a separate $100 State Police fee. Forms are available from the court clerk or the NH Judicial Branch annulment page. Fee waivers are available for those who cannot afford the filing fee.

What are the waiting periods to annul a record in New Hampshire?

Under RSA 651:5, the waiting period runs from the date you complete every term of your sentence - including any fines, probation, and license suspension - and you must not have any new criminal convictions during that time. The periods by offense class are:

• Violation: 1 year
• Class B misdemeanor: 2 years
• Class A misdemeanor: 3 years
• Class B felony: 5 years
• Class A felony: 10 years
• Dismissed charges or acquittals: no waiting period required

One important special rule applies to DWI (driving while intoxicated) convictions: RSA 265-A:21 separately prohibits a court from ordering annulment of a DWI conviction record until 10 years after the date of conviction. This rule operates outside RSA 651:5 and applies regardless of whether the DWI was charged as a Class A misdemeanor. Even after the 10-year period passes, the annulled DWI record is retained in a permanent file accessible for sentencing purposes in any future DWI case.

Certain offenses cannot be annulled at all, including violent crimes (murder, manslaughter, first-degree assault, robbery, kidnapping, and sexual assault) and felony obstruction of justice. If you file a petition before the applicable waiting period has expired, it will be denied, and you must wait three years before filing again.

Do I need a lawyer to annul my record in New Hampshire?

You are not legally required to hire a lawyer. The NH Judicial Branch and the State Police provide the forms and basic instructions, and for simpler cases - such as a dismissed charge or a low-level misdemeanor - many people handle the petition themselves. That said, the eligibility rules are detailed, the fees are not refundable if you file incorrectly, and a single mistake can trigger a three-year bar on re-filing. Many people use an attorney or a free legal-aid organization such as 603 Legal Aid to improve their odds, especially for felony records or more complex cases.

How long does a felony stay on your record in New Hampshire?

A New Hampshire felony conviction stays on your record permanently unless you obtain an annulment under RSA 651:5. There is no automatic deletion of conviction records with the passage of time. The seven-year rule discussed above limits what a background-check company may report for consumer purposes; it does not erase the underlying record from State Police files or court records. After the applicable waiting period (5 years for a Class B felony, 10 years for a Class A felony), you may petition for annulment, but note that violent crimes are permanently ineligible.

Are juvenile criminal records private in New Hampshire?

Juvenile records in New Hampshire are confidential under RSA 169-B:35. Court records for juvenile delinquency proceedings are kept separately from adult records and are withheld from public inspection. Access is limited to the minor's attorney, parents or guardians, juvenile probation officers, and institutions involved in the minor's care. Once a person reaches age 21 - or two years after the court's final judgment in lesser cases - all court records and institutional records, including police records, are closed and placed in an inactive file, provided the person has not been subsequently convicted of an adult offense. This closure is not the same as annulment; law enforcement may still access the records in appropriate circumstances.

Hillsborough County criminal records

Hillsborough County is the most populous county in New Hampshire, home to roughly 436,000 residents (about one-third of the state's population) and anchored by Manchester and Nashua, the state's two largest cities. Hillsborough County has two Superior Court locations: the Northern District at 300 Chestnut Street, Manchester, NH 03101 and the Southern District at 30 Spring Street, Nashua, NH 03060. Superior Court criminal cases (felonies) from both locations are searchable through the NH Judicial Branch Case Access Portal after a free account registration. For physical case files or records predating the portal's electronic coverage, contact the clerk's office directly at either courthouse.

Official New Hampshire criminal record sources

• NH State Police Criminal Records Portal - submit a name-based or fingerprint-based criminal history request online.
• NH Judicial Branch Case Access Portal - free public search of Superior Court criminal cases and Circuit Court civil cases statewide.
• NH Judicial Branch: Record Checks - guidance on how to request court record checks, including multi-name searches through the Central Processing Center.
• NH Sex Offender/Offender Against Children Registry - public registry maintained by the NH State Police; searchable by name.
• NH Department of Corrections Inmate Locator - search for people currently in New Hampshire state prison by name.
• NH Department of Corrections - information on probation, parole, and supervision programs.
• RSA 651:5 - Annulment of Criminal Records - the full text of New Hampshire's record-clearing statute.
• NH Judicial Branch: Annulment (District Division) - forms, instructions, and eligibility checklist for petitioning to annul a criminal record.

Disclosure: criminal.com may earn a commission when you use the people-search tool on this page, which is powered by a third-party background-check service. Results from such tools are for your personal knowledge only and may not be used to make decisions about employment, housing, credit, tenant screening, or any other purpose covered by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). An arrest record or mugshot is not proof of guilt. This page is general information about New Hampshire public records, not legal advice; for advice about your situation, consult an attorney. Information was last reviewed in June 2026 and laws may change.