Free New Hampshire (NH) Arrests & Criminal Records Lookup

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Free New Hampshire Arrest Records & Criminal Records Search

Access New Hampshire Records: background checks, warrants, probation and parole, court records, and all criminal and arrest records.

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Lookup free New Hampshire criminal records through official channels to learn more about another person today.

Whether looking for New Hampshire arrest records, mugshots, probation status, warrant information, prisoner records, nearby sex offenders, or background check reports, this information is made available through New Hampshire’s Right to Know Law and the federal government’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).^1,2

However, knowing what to look for and where to look can prove difficult.

This resource details everything you need to know to find public criminal records of all sorts in the state of New Hampshire — simply follow the guide and the links within to find the information you’re seeking.

Written or authored by Attorney Robert Bailey Jr, who possesses a Juris Doctorate in Law from Widener University School of Law and is a Licensed Attorney.

Are Arrest Records & Criminal Records Available to the Public in New Hampshire?

In New Hampshire, criminal and arrest records are generally made publicly available. In New Hampshire, multiple ways exist to determine whether someone has a criminal record.

These local and state agencies in New Hampshire have databases and online search tools that can be used as a people finder for folks that were arrested or convicted of a crime.³

When you are trying to find out the details on why someone is in jail, these search tools can be a great resource to search through daily arrests, what crimes were committed and other related information.

Both New Hampshire’s Right to Know Law and FOIA provide the basis for citizens to search New Hampshire public records, which includes arrests and criminal records.

That being said, both of these laws also regulate what criminal and arrest information can be made publicly available. They also list specific situations when criminal records should not be released.

These regulations are in place to ensure that the release of those records does not have a detrimental impact on law enforcement investigations or related activities. It also ensures that the release of those records does not violate someone’s personal protected rights.

Different custodians host criminal records as opposed to arrest records. That means you will also have to use different processes in order to successfully find these two different records. Arrest records can be secured through state and local law enforcement agencies.

In contrast, criminal records can be obtained through district/county courthouses and certain state agencies.

While the ability to access these arrest and criminal records depends largely on these laws, there are also some other state and federal restrictions.

For instance, the state prohibits the public release of juvenile records.⁴ Another example are sealed/expunged records. Once an order to expunge records is finalized, they are removed from all government public records.

Records are expunged or sealed by a court order (called an annulment of criminal records in New Hampshire) and occur in specific situations that we will delve into later in this article.⁵

Information Shown When Searching Arrest Records vs Criminal Records in the State of New Hampshire

While criminal and arrest records contain some overlapping information, they also can provide different information as well.

Certain information contained on an arrest record may not be on a criminal record and vice versa. Arrest records are made available shortly after someone has been charged with a criminal offense.

You can find the following information on arrest records:

• First and Last Name
• Date of birth
• Sex
• Current Address
• Date of arrest
• List of Charges (this may include the Indictment, Complaint and particular statutes violated)
• Current Disposition of the Case and a brief explanation
• Sentence length (if applicable)
• Attorney of record
• Appeals and Motions
• Bail (including amount)

When you access a criminal records you will be able to obtain a variety of information.

Criminal records will include information from the date someone was arrested to the most recent court hearing. For criminal records you can view the following information:

• Inmate ID
• Full Name
• Age
• Ethnicity
• Sex
• Hair and Eye Color
• Weight/Height
• DOB
• Race
• Date Admitted
• Current Facility
• Criminal Docket Number
• Date Booked
• All Offenses (current arrests and sentence date)
• Incarceration history
• Minimum and Maximum sentence
• Mugshot
• Aliases

Free Ways To Find Recent Arrests, Mugshots & Why Someone Is in Jail

There are multiple free ways to find recent arrests in New Hampshire and figuring out where to search depends on where someone is incarcerated and which agency made the arrest.

The first step in the process is to gather some basic information before performing your search.

When using a state agency or court’s online directory, a person’s name is a great starting point. However, if you perform a search in person, you may still be able to find recent arrest information with other useful information. This could include the city or county where someone was arrested or the date they were arrested.

If you have enough information, the agency or court will be able to provide the person’s arrest record. The arrest record contains basic information on why they are in jail and general background information on the arrestee. Here are the best free tools for finding arrest records in New Hampshire.

Search Arrests Through County Jail Rosters or Contact the County Sheriff’s Office in New Hampshire

To perform a county arrest records search, be aware that not every county has the same information contained within their New Hampshire arrest records.

Also, one county’s process will differ from another with different nuances and ways upon which you can access their public arrest records. Some counties provide the public with an inmate search tool online.

You can use this search tool to enter the individual’s full name or part of their name if you have limited information. Different counties have various options when it comes to the type of information that you can include in your search.⁶

After entering the information you have you will be provided with any people that match your search criteria. When you select a particular individual the search tool will provide any arrests or crimes they were charged with along with some general info on the individual.

The arrest record will also contain incarceration information, bail and other information connected with their arrest.

Several counties will have some type of free search tool that you can use. However, this is not the case for every county. Some may only provide a jail or sheriff’s contact information.

Here is a chart with every New Hampshire county, a link for their inmate search tool (if there is none we provide a link to the sheriff/jail contact page) and information on whether or not they have a mugshot database.

This chart also lists the county jail or sheriff’s phone number if you need to call them directly to determine how to obtain an arrest record.

County Jail Inmate Roster or Contact Page	Sheriff’s Office or County Jail Phone Number	Shows Mugshots?
Belknap County	603-527-5480	✓
Carroll County	603-539-2282	X
Cheshire County	603-352-0056	X
Coos County	603-246-3321	X
Grafton County	603-787-2019	X
Hillsborough County	603-627-5620	X
Merrimack County	603-796-3600	X
Rockingham County	603-679-2244	X
Strafford County	603-742-3310	X
Sullivan County	603-542-8717	X

If this option does not help you find what you are looking for, try using New Hampshire’s Department of Corrections search tool as detailed below or contact them directly. It may be that the individual is currently in a state correctional facility.

How To Contact Someone in a New Hampshire (NH) Jail & Bail Them Out

You can call the jail directly as long as you know where the person is currently incarcerated. The jail will be able to provide you with information on visiting and phone hours as well as their processes for communicating with an inmate. They can also let you know what their process is for posting an inmate’s bail.

In New Hampshire there are two primary types of bail.⁷ The first is personal recognizance bail which allows the individual being arrested to be released with their written promise to show up for their court date. If they do not show up it will turn into cash bail.

Cash bail means the person must post a specific amount of cash before they will be released. If you want to bail out someone that is currently incarcerated, you should contact the local jail to ask them what their specific process is for posting bail.

If they are unable to assist you, then you may want to reach out to a local bail bondsman for more information.

When it comes to state prisoners, The New Hampshire Department of Corrections has general information on how to visit, mail, email or call an inmate.⁸ In order to send money or make phone calls to an inmate you must use the Global Tel Link (GTL).⁹

In order to send money or call an inmate you must also make sure you are on their approved list and you have set up an account to pay for any calls.

How To Run a New Hampshire Criminal Records Search

While local agencies host New Hampshire arrest records, criminal records are primarily located with county courts and with other state agencies. If you are finding it difficult to obtain a criminal record try contacting their Court of Clerks for assistance.

There are paid services that can provide background checks, but only use these as a last resort if all free methods were unsuccessful.

Below are the best free ways in New Hampshire to search for criminal records:

• District and County Courts – visit any district or county courthouse (addresses can be found further down in this article) and ask them how you can search their specific New Hampshire criminal records.
• Case Access Portal – this portal is another option for checking criminal records through a NH criminal case search.¹⁰ There are limitations depending on whether or not you are a party to the criminal case you are searching.

• Department of Corrections – this website provides a statewide search of criminal records in New Hampshire.

Use the County’s Court and Clerk Office in New Hampshire to Retrieve Criminal Records

You can start by going to the county courthouse’s website if you know which county the individual was incarcerated or arrested.

Here you can check to see if that particular court has any online search options. If records are not available online, your next option is to call or visit the county courthouse in person to search for criminal records in that county.

If you do not know who to call or where to go you can contact their Clerk of Court and ask how to best access criminal records.

If you are searching for criminal records in person, learn how that specific courthouse operates since each courthouse usually has different nuances or processes.

Unfortunately, county courthouses in NH do not have the option to search criminal records online. If you want to search NH county court records you will have to call or go in person to the courthouse.

For criminal matters, the Superior Court in each county has jurisdiction over criminal trials, except those that specifically delegated to the circuit court’s district divisions. The various District Divisions are tasked with handling non-jury trials on misdemeanor and violation charges.

Below is a complete list of every New Hampshire county courthouse. Here you can view their address or click on their link to access their courthouse contact page.

County Courts for Criminal Record Searches	County Courthouse Address
Belknap County	Belknap Superior Courthouse Address: 64 Court Street Laconia, NH 03246
Carroll County	Carroll County Superior Court Address: 96 Water Village Road, Box 3 Ossipee, NH 03864
Cheshire County	Cheshire County Superior Court Address: 33 Winter Street, Suite 2 Keene, NH 03431
Coos County	Coos County Superior Court Address: 55 School Street, Suite 301 Lancaster, NH 03584
Grafton County	Grafton County Superior Court Address: 3785 Dartmouth College Highway North Haverhill, NH 03774
Hillsborough County (North)	Hillsborough County Superior Court North Address: 300 Chestnut Street Manchester, NH 03101
Hillsborough County (South)	Hillsborough County Superior Court South Address: 30 Spring Street Nashua, NH 03060
Merrimack County	Merrimack County Superior Court Address: 5 Court Street Concord, NH 03301
Rockingham County	Rockingham County Superior Court Address: 10 Route 125 Brentwood, NH 03833
Strafford County	Strafford County Superior Court Address: 259 County Farm Road, Suite 301 Dover, NH 03820
Sullivan County	Sullivan County Superior Court Address: 22 Main Street Newport, NH 03773

Searching online or contacting the above county courts is usually your best option for tracking down criminal records in NH. However, if you need additional assistance try reaching out on a more local level with one of New Hampshire’s 31 district divisions that serve specific towns.

It may be that the individual was charged with a misdemeanor or violation charge and was handled here.

The main administrative office for the judicial branch in these districts can be reached by phone at (603)-271-6418. Their physical address is 1 Granite Place, Ste N400, Concord, New Hampshire 03301.

Here is the contact information for each district division:

District Division Courts	District Division Courthouse Address
1st Circuit – Berlin	650 Main Street, Suite 100 Berlin, NH 03570-2476
10th Circuit – Brentwood	10 Route 125 Brentwood, NH 03833
10th Circuit – Candia	110 Raymond Road Candia, NH 03034
5th Circuit – Claremont	1 Police Court, Suite 2 Claremont, NH 03743
1st Circuit – Colebrook	17 Bridge Street Colebrook, NH 03576
6th Circuit – Concord	32 Clinton Street Concord, NH 03301
3rd Circuit – Conway	35 East Conway Road Center Conway, NH 03813
10th Circuit – Derry	10 Courthouse Lane Derry, NH 03038
7th Circuit – Dover	25 St. Thomas Street Dover, NH 03820
6th Circuit – Franklin	7 Hancock Terrace Franklin, NH 03235-0172
9th Circuit – Goffstown	329 Mast Road Goffstown, NH 03045
10th Circuit – Hampton	3 Timber Swamp Road Hampton, NH 03842
2nd Circuit – Haverhill	3785 Dartmouth College Highway, Box 10 North Haverhill, NH 03774
6th Circuit – Hillsborough	15 Antrim Road, Box #3 Hillsborough, NH 03244
6th Circuit – Hooksett	101 Merrimack Street Hooksett, NH 03106-1416
8th Circuit – Jaffrey	84 Peterborough St. Jaffrey, NH 03452-0039
8th Circuit – Keene	33 Winter Street, Suite 1 Keene, NH 03431
4th Circuit – Laconia	26 Academy Street Laconia, NH 03246
1st Circuit – Lancaster	55 School Street, Suite 201 Lancaster, NH 03584
2nd Circuit – Lebanon	38 Centerra Parkway Lebanon, NH 03766
2nd Circuit – Littleton	134 Main Street Littleton, NH 03561
9th Circuit – Manchester	35 Amherst Street Manchester, NH 03101
9th Circuit – Merrimack	4 Baboosic Lake Road Merrimack, NH 03054-3605
9th Circuit – Milford	4 Meadowbrook Drive Milford, NH 03055
9th Circuit – Nashua	30 Spring Street, Ste 101 Nashua, NH 03060
5th Circuit – Newport	55 Main Street Newport, NH 03773-0581
3rd Circuit – Ossipee	Carroll County Courthouse 96 Water Village Road, Box 2 Ossipee, NH 03864
2nd Circuit – Plymouth	26 Green Street Plymouth, NH 03264
10th Circuit – Portsmouth	111 Parrott Avenue Portsmouth, NH 03801-4490
7th Circuit – Rochester	76 North Main Street Rochester, NH 03867-1905
10th Circuit – Salem	35 Geremonty Drive Salem, NH 03079

Conduct a Criminal Record Search Through New Hampshire’s Case Access Portal

Beyond local searches, you can search all New Hampshire criminal records through the NH Courts Case Access Portal.¹¹ This system shows all public arrest and criminal records information. There is, however, a big caveat.

The NH Courts Case Access Portal only provides the general public with summary information for cases that have been electronically filed in a county’s superior court. For all public documents, only individuals that are a party in a case can request the information through this portal.

New Hampshire requires individuals to register in order to use their case access portal. Take these steps to use the New Hampshire Courts’ Public Access system:

1. Go to the Case Access Portal.¹²
2. Click “Register” at the top of their home page.
3. Complete the electronic registration form and select “next” when finished.
4. If everything was done correctly you should get a notification indicating that your registration was complete. Click “finish” when you see this notice.
5. Once these steps are completed you should receive an email with a link to confirm your email address.
6. After you validate your email click “Log In” and enter your Sign in credentials.
7. When asked for your “role” select “General Public” and click “submit” after accepting the Terms and Conditions.
8. The user will receive a final email when they have been granted access.

Note: If you are not a party to the case and need additional public records, contact the courthouse directly or go in person. 

Check Criminal Records Through the New Hampshire Department of Corrections

The New Hampshire Department of Corrections hosts a public records repository where you can find criminal records for current and previously incarcerated inmates.

The only option for using this search tool is to enter all or part of the individual’s first and last name. This tool from New Hampshire’s Department of Corrections provides certain information on incarcerated individuals (e.g., name, age, inmate ID) as well as detailed criminal record information.

This includes the following information:

• Case ID
• Offense Date
• Minimum required sentence
• Maximum sentence
• Docket Number
• Court

While you can use this tool to find out someone’s charges in jail it does not contain a mugshot database or probation/parole information.

How To Request & Obtain a Copy of Criminal Records in New Hampshire

In New Hampshire, you can request a copy of an individual’s rap sheet, both at the local and state level. Through the state you can request a copy of criminal records from the New Hampshire State Police.¹³ These criminal records can be given to anyone as long as they pay the required fee.

If you are making the request for yourself you can receive confidential criminal history information such as non-conviction data which is typically only available for law enforcement personnel.

There are still rules for people requesting criminal records of other individuals. All state and federal laws are applicable which means that when making this request for professional reasons, you are committing a violation if you do not receive the individual’s consent.

For instance, it’s common for a prospective employer to request a release with their job applications.

Individuals can use this release to request someone else’s criminal records and it does not need to be notarized.

If you are looking to make a request with a local agency, such as a sheriff’s office or county courthouse, you will have to contact them directly to determine their process for requesting an individual’s criminal record. The processes will likely vary depending on the county and agency.

How To Find Out or Determine If a Person Is on Parole or Probation in New Hampshire

Sometimes you want to find specific information, such as if an individual is on probation or parole. When someone is considered on “probation” in New Hampshire, that indicates they were sentenced to jail after being convicted of either a misdemeanor or felony but are now released under supervision. In some instances, an individual may be convicted of a crime and only be sentenced to probation.

Parole is reserved for individuals that were convicted of a felony, sentenced to New Hampshire state prison and have now been released by the New Hampshire parole board.

To illustrate just how many people are on probation and parole, the following image shows the combined total of probationers and parolees in New Hampshire, along with their ethnicities.

The New Hampshire Department of Corrections only provides information on an individual’s sentence and does not provide a probation or parolee database. To get more information you can contact the field division in the county where someone was arrested.

In New Hampshire field divisions are responsible for probation and parole as well as bail, restitution and house arrest.

Use the Federal Bureau of Prisons to conduct a parole search if the person in question served their sentence in federal prison.¹⁴ While it does not explicitly state an individual’s parole status, a recent release increases the likelihood the individual is on parole.

For individuals that have committed sexual crimes, you can find relevant information by checking the United States Department of Justice National Sex Offender website.¹⁵

How To Erase Criminal Records: Steps To Expunge or Seal Records in New Hampshire

When New Hampshire criminal records are removed from public records, it is considered sealed.

While it still exists, it will not be seen when someone conducts a background check. When a criminal record in New Hampshire is expunged it means any information about an arrest has been completely removed.

This includes all details such as the particular charges or disposition of the case.

To do this in New Hampshire you need to submit a request for an annulment of criminal records. The New Hampshire courts provide a helpful checklist to guide you in this process. Depending on the crime you committed (and whether it’s classified as a misdemeanor or a felony you will have a waiting period of anywhere from 1 to 10 years to request an annulment.

For arrests in which you are not convicted the wait time is minimal but still varies depending on the particular circumstances. For additional details on eligibility and time frames you can review New Hampshire’s Annulment of Criminal Records statute.¹⁶

To determine whether you qualify for an expungement you can request a case summary from the court where the charges were brought. If you have more than one offense you are trying to have expunged you must file a separate petition for each charge.

The base fee for filing an annulment of criminal records is $125.00 with potential additional charges if your annulment requires additional investigation by the Department of Corrections or Department of Safety.

New Hampshire provides an expedited process for possession of ¾ oz. or less of marijuana. For further information on annulments, you can go to New Hampshire’s Annulment District Division.¹⁷ There you can find all applicable petitions, statutes and a checklist for requesting an annulment.

How To Locate Someone in Prison: New Hampshire State Prison or Federal Prison Search

If you are trying to locate a person in New Hampshire State prison, your best option is the inmate locator operated by the Department of Corrections. You can use this online tool to search for individuals located in a New Hampshire state prison.

Searches are limited to entering the individual’s name. It does not allow you to search by other information such as inmate number, birth date, address or descriptive characteristics of the individual (e.g., age, hair or eye color, height). When you search the department, among other information, it will let you know what facility the inmate is located.

Federal prison inmates can be located at the Federal Bureau of Prison (BOP) website. Here you can look for inmates by their name.

If needed, you can refine your results by including the following details: (1) sex, (2) age, or (3) race. If you have their inmate number (e.g., BOP Register Number) you can also search with this information.

How To Perform a New Hampshire Warrant Search

New Hampshire provides a warrant list database to search if someone has an active warrant out for their arrest.¹⁸ You can search this database by name or address. When you successfully search for an individual with a warrant it will provide their name, alias(es), offense(s) and a mugshot.

From there you can click on their name and get more information such as the warrant agency (including their contact information), last reported address and descriptive information (race, sex, hair, eyes, etc.) about the individual with an active warrant.

The U.S. Marshall is responsible for federal warrants which are not hosted in a public database. Federal warrant information is securely stored on the Warrant Information System (WIN) which provides access to individuals who need this information to perform their job.¹⁹

While you can access some federal case information through a Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) account, the information is limited to active cases.

In addition, there is a fee per document charged for this service. A final option, depending on the crime, is to perform a search on the US Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) fugitive list.²⁰

If your warrant search is unsuccessful, you can reach out to the appropriate clerk of court or law enforcement agency to see if there is any information they can provide.

An Overview of New Hampshire (NH) Background Checks

Background checks may be needed for a variety of reasons, both personal and professional. Here are some common reasons for requesting a background check:

• Renting an apartment
• Applying for a job
• Purchasing a Firearm
• Security Clearance
• Adopting a child
• Employer required to comply with state and federal laws
• Employees or volunteers that work with the elderly or minors

A professional background check is typically requested to verify information that someone has provided to make sure they are being truthful.

The use of professional background checks is regulated by state law, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and federal laws such as the Fair Credit Reporting Act.^21,22

Some of the protections these laws afford is prohibiting discrimination and requiring consent from an individual before receiving their background check.

Here are the 4 general levels when conducting a professional background check:

• Level 1 – for this level a name search (plus SSN for verification) is conducted. This level check only applies to New Hampshire state criminal and employment records.
• Level 2 – for this level, a more thorough search of local records is performed as well as a nationwide criminal history check. At this level you can obtain an individual’s (1) criminal record including arrests and pending cases; (2) records of any time a person spent in jail or prison; (3) previous addresses; (4) civil judgments; and (5) their marital status.
• Level 3 – verification of employment and education
• Level 4 – for this level, a detailed health and financial screening is performed.

You can conduct an informal personal background check by gathering criminal and New Hampshire arrest records from relevant counties by using various state and local agencies. You also can fill out a Criminal History Records Request with New Hampshire’s State Police (NHSP).

New Hampshire provides the following 3 general options for making a request for criminal history:

• Apply in person at 33 Hazen Drive, Room 106A Concord, NH 03305
• Mail in unnotarized application
• Unnotarized release for a third-party

If you are requesting the records for yourself you can obtain a full confidential record. To secure a full New Hampshire criminal history record you must provide additional proof (e.g., valid photo ID) whether requesting in person or by mail. Regardless of the type of request, NHSP charges a $25 fee.

This fee is reduced to $10 for qualified volunteers.

In New Hampshire, there are several state laws that require individuals to obtain a NH and FBI background check. New Hampshire provides a comprehensive list of those laws regulating the release of criminal records.²³

Below is a list of state agencies and individuals in New Hampshire that require a local and FBI background check:

• Banking Department (including credit unions and banking department employees)
• Department of Health and Human Services
• Office of Professional Licensure and Certification
• Lottery Commission and Charitable Gaming Commission
• New Hampshire Department of Revenue
• Department of Safety
• Municipal Employees and Volunteers
• Hawker & Peddlers License
• County Employees
• Serve America Act Volunteers
• Consumer Reporting Agencies

Note: The laws are sparse when it comes to personal background checks. They can be performed without consent as long as they are not using the information to, for instance, blackmail someone or commit any other type of crime.

How To Find Nearby Sexual Offenders Using New Hampshire’s Registry or the National Registry

If you are looking for information on sex offenders, you can conduct a broad search using the national sex offender registry which is run by the U.S. Department of Justice.

A state specific option is the  New Hampshire’s sex offender registry.²⁴ When you use this site you can search sex offenders by name, address or county.

Once you find the individual you are searching for there is a lot of useful information. You can get the following information on New Hampshire’s Sex Offender Registry:

• Name
• Dated mugshot
• Alias
• Date of birth
• Age
• Race
• Descriptive information (e.g., Hair, Sex, Eyes, weight, etc.)
• Scars, Marks, Tattoos and piercings
• Last reported address
• Court and Offense information
• Criminal history
• Parole/Probation/Supervised Release status

Note: These search tools are for sex offenders only. Use the resources discussed earlier in this article for a general felony registry.

New Hampshire Statutes & Your Rights Regarding Arrest Records & Criminal Records

As mentioned earlier, there are few options to stop an individual who conducts a personal background check of your criminal or arrest records. The primary exception being that they cannot use your criminal or arrest information to engage in any illegal behavior.

However, when it comes to professional background checks there are additional protections provided by federal and state laws that must be strictly followed.

This is done primarily through the FCRA and EEOC.

In addition, the FOIA and New Hampshire’s Right to Know Law provides restrictions on what information must be publicly disclosed. If the information is being used in an ongoing investigation then the information will likely be restricted.

If you have any concerns about your arrest or criminal records, you have options. First, you may want to search online to see what information is publicly available. You can do this with the instructions provided in this article.

If there is information you do not want others to see, your best option is to figure out whether your records are available to be expunged or sealed.

In summary, the best way to access New Hampshire arrest records is to use a county’s inmate lookup tool or contact the local sheriff/jail directly. For New Hampshire criminal records, you can choose from searching the Case Access Portal, Department of Corrections, or contacting the appropriate local courthouse.