New Hampshire
New Hampshire Court Records: How to Search the Case Access Portal, What's Public, and How Annulment Works
New Hampshire's judicial branch runs a Case Access Portal for cases that have been electronically filed, but the court itself is explicit that it is not a background-check tool, and it does not cover every case in the state. New Hampshire also stands apart from most states on the legal basis for court openness: its general public-records law does not apply to the courts at all.
Understanding both of those points first makes the rest of a New Hampshire court records search much easier to navigate.
Information last verified on 2026-08-10. This article has not yet been reviewed by a licensed lawyer.
This guide is part of a broader look at court records by state; for the mechanics of federal versus state versus county searches generally, see how to look up court records and are court records public.
The Case Access Portal, and What It Is Not For
New Hampshire's Case Access Portal, reached through odypa.nhecourt.us/portal after registration, gives remote access to cases that were filed electronically. The Judicial Branch describes its coverage precisely: "The New Hampshire Judicial Branch's Case Access Portal provides remote access to non-domestic violence Superior Court criminal and civil cases and, separately, Circuit Court non-confidential, e-filed case types (civil, small claims, name change, and estates)." Domestic violence matters in Superior Court, and any Circuit Court case type that is confidential or was not e-filed, fall outside what the portal shows.
The Judicial Branch is also direct about a limitation that matters for anyone tempted to use the portal for screening purposes: "Individuals should not use the Case Access Portal for background checks or other purposes that require more complete identity or case information." The portal is a tool for tracking cases people are personally involved in, not a background-check product.
The Paid Alternative: Central Processing Center Record Checks
For a broader, name-based search across the trial courts, New Hampshire's Central Processing Center offers a different, paid service. For a processing fee, it performs an electronic records check across multiple names (five or more requests at a time) and related cases, producing documents called case summaries. The Judicial Branch describes a case summary as "an index of documents and events in a particular case," explicitly stating it "is not the official court record of the New Hampshire Superior or Circuit Courts and is provided for informational purposes only," and the Center does not provide case summaries for confidential cases. This service is requested through the Record Research and Billing Form for Superior or Circuit Court matters, or a separate form for Circuit Court Probate Division records.
Why RSA 91-A Doesn't Apply Here
Most states run court-records access off some version of a general open-records or freedom-of-information law. New Hampshire does not. RSA 91-A, the state's Right-to-Know Law, defines which government bodies it covers, and the judicial branch is absent from both the "public body" and "public agency" definitions in RSA 91-A:1-a. In practice, this means court records access in New Hampshire runs on the judiciary's own rules and procedures rather than on the state's general public-records statute, which instead governs the legislature, the governor and executive council, state agencies, and local government bodies. Anyone comparing New Hampshire to a state where a public-records request can reach court files should not assume the same route works here.
Annulment: New Hampshire's Record-Relief Process
New Hampshire uses a different word than most states for clearing a criminal record: annulment, governed by RSA 651:5. The waiting period before a person can petition to annul a conviction depends on the offense class: one year for a violation, two years for a Class B misdemeanor, three years for a Class A misdemeanor, five years for a Class B felony, and ten years for a Class A felony. Certain offenses carry their own ten-year wait regardless of classification, including sexual assault under RSA 632-A:4, felony indecent exposure or lewdness under RSA 645:1(II), and misdemeanor domestic violence under RSA 631:2-b, while certain Class A misdemeanor or felony drug offenses carry a shorter two-year wait. Violent crimes, felony obstruction of justice, and extended-term sentences are permanently ineligible for annulment under the statute.
New Hampshire is not part of the multi-state Clean Slate wave of broad automatic record relief, but it does have one narrow automatic mechanism: dismissals and not-guilty findings entered after January 1, 2019 are annulled automatically, without the person needing to file a petition. Everything else under RSA 651:5 remains petition-based. For eligibility details and the filing process, see New Hampshire expungement laws, which this page does not duplicate.
Certified Copies
Certified copies of New Hampshire court documents are handled by the clerk of the court where the case was filed. Confirm the current process and any fee directly with that court, since fee specifics were not itemized in the sources reviewed for this page.
Using New Hampshire Court Records the Right Way
The Case Access Portal and the Central Processing Center's record checks are both built for checking a case you are personally involved in, not for compiling a background file on someone else, and the court's own instructions say so directly for the portal. Under the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act, most arrests and civil judgments age off a consumer report after seven years, but criminal convictions are carved out of that limit under 15 U.S.C. section 1681c(a)(5) and can be reported indefinitely unless the record has been annulled. Anyone assembling public court records for a hiring or housing decision may be acting as a consumer reporting agency under federal law, and the FTC has enforced this directly: in 2023 it reached a $5.8 million settlement with TruthFinder and Instant Checkmate over marketing public-records reports for tenant and employee screening without following FCRA requirements. Neither of New Hampshire's own tools is a substitute for an FCRA-compliant background check when the decision involves employment or housing.
Related Resources
Court Records by State covers the full 50-state picture. See also How to Look Up Court Records, Are Court Records Public?, New Hampshire Expungement Laws, New Hampshire Background Check Laws, New Hampshire Warrant Search, and New Hampshire Public Records Laws.
Disclaimer
This article explains how New Hampshire's court records tools are organized. It is general legal information, not legal advice. Portal features and fees change without notice; verify current details with courts.nh.gov before relying on them. Consult a New Hampshire-licensed attorney for advice about a specific case.
Last updated: 2026-08-10. Portal facts and fees reflect their published status as of August 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use New Hampshire's Case Access Portal for a background check?
No. The New Hampshire Judicial Branch specifically states the Case Access Portal should not be used for background checks or other purposes requiring more complete identity or case information.
What does the New Hampshire Case Access Portal cover?
It provides remote access to non-domestic-violence Superior Court criminal and civil cases, and separately to non-confidential, e-filed Circuit Court case types such as civil, small claims, name change, and estate matters.
Does New Hampshire's public-records law cover the courts?
No. RSA 91-A, New Hampshire's Right-to-Know Law, does not include the judicial branch in its definitions of a public body or public agency. Court records access runs on the judiciary's own rules instead.
What is annulment in New Hampshire?
Annulment is New Hampshire's term for clearing a criminal record, governed by RSA 651:5. Waiting periods vary by offense class, from one year for a violation up to ten years for the most serious offenses and certain specific crimes.
Does New Hampshire automatically annul any records?
Yes, but only narrowly. Dismissals and not-guilty findings entered after January 1, 2019 are annulled automatically without a petition. Everything else under RSA 651:5 requires filing a petition.
How do I get a more complete record check in New Hampshire?
The Judicial Branch's Central Processing Center offers a paid electronic records check across multiple names, producing case summaries. The court itself notes these summaries are not the official court record.
Updates
Independently fact-checked against the cited primary sources
Sources and References
- New Hampshire Judicial Branch, Record Checks(courts.nh.gov).gov
- New Hampshire Judicial Branch, Case Access Portal is Here(courts.nh.gov).gov
- New Hampshire General Court, RSA 91-A:1-a, Definitions (Right-to-Know Law)(gc.nh.gov).gov
- New Hampshire General Court, RSA 651:5, Annulment of Criminal Records(gc.nh.gov).gov
- Cornell Legal Information Institute, 15 U.S.C. 1681c, Requirements relating to information contained in consumer reports(law.cornell.edu)
- Federal Trade Commission, FTC Says TruthFinder and Instant Checkmate Deceived Users About Background Report Accuracy, Violated FCRA(ftc.gov).gov