Free New Hampshire Warrant Search (State & Local Agencies)

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Free New Hampshire Warrant Search

Find out if you or someone else has a warrant out for their arrest in New Hampshire, free of charge.

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Execute a free New Hampshire warrant search to reveal more about where and when one was issued and gain insight into anyone wanted in the area.

Warrants are considered public records and are freely available for viewing or copying, thanks to state and federal public record laws. Many government agencies provide databases, online search forms, inmate listings, and additional options for searchers to find warrant records.

Use this informative resource to make your warrant search as quick and seamless as possible.

Can Anyone View Warrants Issued in New Hampshire?

Citizens are granted access to governmental records through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), established in 1967.¹

The FOIA includes laws ensuring government transparency for the public, keeping them informed about how their government works and what decisions are being made. It covers any handwritten, typed, emailed, recorded or filmed record pertaining to an agency’s business.

There are a few exemptions concerning records that may inhibit law enforcement, disclose protected, private information or jeopardize national security. New Hampshire’s FOIA laws are embodied in its state law, Chapter 91-A, Access To Governmental Records & Meetings, Section 91-A:1.

Judges or magistrates issue warrants, and New Hampshire utilizes the most common, such as arrest, bench and search warrants, and several others that pertain to varying legal situations and offenses. Some custodians made warrant information available online while others required to call or visit their department in person to access this information.

Warrant information is considered public record in New Hampshire, this allows anyone to access and view these records. However, while most warrants are available for public scrutiny, there are certain exemptions and restrictions, which depend on the type and its current status. The access to this information is determined by whether it has been executed or if it is still active.

Active warrants that have not yet been executed may have their details withheld from the public to avoid compromising ongoing investigations. More on several types of warrants will be explained in the preceding section.

Accessing Warrant Details in NH (An Overview)

When performing a search for a New Hampshire warrant, knowing where the warrant was issued is essential.

Finding the county or city and knowing which court approved the warrant reduces the number of results and allows the searcher to focus on one court system. While New Hampshire offers state search options, the counties and municipalities also provide citizens with public record requests.

If unsure about which court to request the record from, it’s helpful to know the type of offense that caused a warrant to be issued. Courts in New Hampshire that issue warrants include county district or superior courts, municipal courts and federal courts.

The municipal court issues the arrest warrant if a crime occurs within a city’s limits. The district or superior court approves a bench warrant if an offender doesn’t appear for a scheduled hearing. While there are various types of warrants, most of these can be accessed through similar means.

How To Execute an Online New Hampshire Warrant Search for Free

People who need to search for a warrant in New Hampshire can request records by calling the local government office or police department.

Additional options include using an agency’s online search form, filling out a form and faxing, emailing or mailing it or requesting the record in person. Several agencies provide free warrant information but may charge for copies or mailing the record, or there may be a minimal charge for the time it takes an employee to gather the documents.

The New Hampshire Department of Corrections (DOC) allows the public to search for individuals incarcerated in the state’s prisons. Using the online Inmate Locator Form, inquirers can search by surname, first and/or second name or a partial surname name.² When submitted, the form returns a table with the inmate’s:

• Age
• Inmate ID
• Term ID
• Booked Date
• Maxed Facility

Having the inmate ID number allows focused searches for additional warrant retrieval forms provided by agencies in New Hampshire. Further inquiries should be directed to:

New Hampshire Department of Corrections
Public Information Office
PO Box 1806
Concord, NH 03302-1806

Phone: 603-271-5602
Email: feedback@doc.nh.gov

The New Hampshire Department of Safety’s Division of State Police provides a Criminal Offender Search Tool that only requires the last name.³ Additional fields for the online search form include first name, middle initial, address, city, county, state and zip code.

Once submitted, the search returns a page with a list of offenders or one offender if the search included all possible information. The user can click on the name to view a page with detailed criminal information, including any available warrant data.

For further information, the public can contact the Division of State Police at:

Department of Safety Division of State Police
33 Hazen Drive
Concord, NH 03305

Phone: 603-223-4381
Email: SPHeadquarters@dos.nh.gov

There’s also a Non-compliant Criminal Offenders Search Page to find current active warrants.⁴ In addition, warrant information concerning state residents is also listed on the U.S. Marshals Service’s Fugitive of the Week, New Hampshire website.

New Hampshire is part of the Victim Information Notification Exchange (VINE). This free service allows interested parties to perform a New Hampshire warrant search, access up-to-date information about an offender and receive notifications when the status or location changes.

Inquirers can perform a search using a full name, partial name or ID number. The results appear on a new page with a custody record and a link to view record details.

Check Warrants Issued at the County Level in New Hampshire

New Hampshire’s Right-to-Know Law consists of statutes that ensure public access to records created by government bodies. Public records refer to any information produced, received or obtained by a public body or on its behalf. Warrants are included under the law and provided by the state, counties and cities in New Hampshire.

The table below presents some of the agencies in larger counties in New Hampshire that may assist in obtaining warrant information:

Department	Contact Information	Description
Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Offices Goffstown Office 329 Mast Road Goffstown, NH 03045	Phone: 603-627-5610 Fax: 603-627-5634	The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office has a specific department where concerned individuals can contact for criminal or arrest warrant inquiries.
Crimewatch Hillsborough County	Phone: 603-464-5512	The Hillsborough Crimewatch website provides a news feed on arrests and department news that can be filtered by warrants.
Carroll County Sheriff’s Office 95 Water Village Road Ossipee, NH 03864	Phone: 603-539-2284	Record requests must be made by phone or in person.
Belknap County Sheriff’s Department 42 County Drive Laconia, NH 03246	Phone: 603-527-5454 Fax: 603-527-5469	The Belknap Sheriff’s Department’s most wanted Facebook page lists current offenders with warrants and is updated daily.
Cheshire County Sheriff’s Office 12 Court Street Keene, NH 03431	Phone: 603-352-4238 Fax: 603-355-3020	The Cheshire County Sheriff’s Office’s Most Wanted List is updated daily and provides information on offenders with warrants for their arrest.
Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office 14 Main Street, Suite 2 Newport, NH 03773	Phone: 603-863-4200 Fax: 603-863-0012	Sullivan County provides a Right-to-Know request Form, and the Sheriff’s Office keeps an updated page with the Fugitive of the Week and a Criminal history Request Form.

Retrieve NH Warrant Records via Municipal Courts & Law Enforcement Agencies

Municipal courts and city government agencies in New Hampshire provide criminal records that include warrant information. Whether through the city clerk or the local police department, public records are open for all citizens to view and copy. Some larger cities with information on conducting a warrant search are listed below.

Manchester: Manchester Police Department publishes and regularly updates a Warrant Log.⁵ Accessible to the public, this list provides the following details about citizens with warrants against them:

• Full Name
• Warrant Number
• Issue Date
• Date of Birth
• Offense or Offenses
• Warrant Location
• Current Disposition

Anyone searching for Manchester warrants can access Governmental records via the Office of the City Clerk. Interested parties need to complete the Access to Governmental Records Form and submit it to the Clerk’s office.⁶

Records are free to view and hard or electronic copies are provided for a fee of $1.00 for the first page and $0.50 for each additional page. The City also charges for postage and the full cost of any required electronic storage device.

Manchester Police Department
405 Valley Street
Manchester, NH 03103

Phone: 603-668-8711

Manchester Office of the City Clerk
One City Hall Plaza
Manchester, NH 03101

Phone: 603.624.6455

Concord: The Concord Police Department provides warrant details through its Records Division. Requests can be made in person at the Police Department, by post, by email or by calling 603-225-8600. Applications should include the following information:

• Date & Location of Occurrence
• Parties Involved
• Report Number if Known

Records incur a fee of $0.25 per page plus postage.

Concord Police Department
Records Section
35 Green Street
Concord, NH 03301

Phone: 603-225-8600
Email: records@concordpolice.com

Derry: Criminal and warrant records can be obtained by visiting the Derry Police Department Records Bureau in person. If an individual is requesting an arrest record for themselves, they must address a letter to the prosecutor and include:

• Name
• Date of Birth (DOB)
• Date of Arrest
• Reason for Arrest
• Court Date
• Address to Mail the Report

Derry Police Department
Records Bureau
1 Municipal Drive
Derry, NH 03038

Phone: 603-432-6111
Fax: 603-432-6119

Dover: Local criminal records for the City of Dover cost $5.00 and must be picked up in person from the Dover Police Department.

Police reports and public records are held by the Records Bureau. Applicants should complete a Records Request Form and pay the fee by check or in cash at the time of application — 10 pages for $20.00 and $1.00 for each additional page.⁷

Dover Police Department Records Bureau
46 Chestnut Street
Dover, NH 03820

Phone: 603-516-6138

Rochester: Rochester Police Department makes reports publicly available through its Records Division. Inquirers can make an online request through the website or submit a printed form, specifying that they require any available warrant information included in the report. Copies of these reports cost $0.50 per page.

Rochester Police Department Records Division
23 Wakefield Street
Rochester, NH 03867

Phone: 603-330-7127
Fax: 603-330-7159

Find Federal Warrants Issued in New Hampshire or Elsewhere in the U.S.

Federal warrants are only issued in a federal court system, and the government provides a search system to locate them. The Public Access to Court Electronic Records online search (PACER) system provides a search for federal warrants issued in New Hampshire and all other states.⁸

Citizens wanting to carry out a New Hampshire warrant lookup or locate details of criminal cases must register for a PACER account and need to know the state and court where the warrant was issued.

PACER’s Case Locator provides the offender’s name and the court where the case is filed. If applicable, warrant information is also provided.

Citizens can view electronic documents free of charge at public terminals located in the Clerk’s office at all federal courts.

PACER fees include $3 for a 30-page document, including case documents such as docket reports and claims registers. The cap isn’t applicable for name search results, nonspecific case information or transcripts. All fees are waived if a registered user incurs less than $30 per quarter.

Additional federal warrant information may be found by viewing the following agencies’ most wanted lists:

• The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) recognizes the need for the public’s help in tracking down fugitives. Its Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list draws attention to dangerous criminals who would not otherwise be known to the general public.⁹
• The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) publishes a Most Wanted Fugitives list to enlist the help of the public in capturing and bringing to justice criminals wanted for federal violations involving drugs and other controlled substances.
• The U.S. Marshal’s Service publicizes a list of its 15 Most Wanted Fugitives, all of whom are considered armed and dangerous.

Common Types of Warrants in New Hampshire & Why They’re Issued

In New Hampshire, different kinds of warrants are issued for various legal scenarios. While some warrants are more common, others have specific causes and consequences — some more serious than others. Below are details of the different warrant types issued in New Hampshire and why they’re issued.

• Arrest Warrant: When an individual is suspected of committing a crime, a judge or magistrate may issue a warrant for their arrest. This arrest warrant must be backed by a signed and sworn affidavit showing probable cause that the individual committed the crime.

• Bench Warrant: Bench warrants are a form of arrest warrant, issued when a subject fails to appear in court.

• Search Warrant: When a judge finds sufficient probable cause based on the information presented by the police, they can issue a search warrant. This gives law enforcement the authorization to search for evidence at a specified location.

• Capias Warrant: The sheriff’s office or local law enforcement agency can detain a suspect or defendant with a capias warrant to ensure their appearance before the court.

• Capias Pro Fine Warrant: When a person is found guilty in court and required to pay a fine or complete certain conditions within a specified time period but fails to do so, a capias warrant pro fine is authorized.

• Civil Capias Warrant: When a defendant in a civil case repeatedly fails to comply with the judge’s orders, a particular type of apprehension order called a civil capias warrant is issued. In a contempt case, the purpose of the civil capias warrant is to bring the person in question to the court hearing.

• Fugitive Warrant: This warrant is sent to law enforcement in New Hampshire from another state when that state’s law enforcement believes a suspect is in New Hampshire’s jurisdiction.

• Governor’s Warrant: The governor’s office will issue a warrant when a suspect from another state is believed to be residing in New Hampshire.

The Process for Resolving Warrants & Reporting Persons of Interest in New Hampshire

Any individual who searches public records and finds they have an outstanding warrant must quickly decide how to handle and resolve it. Warrants in New Hampshire don’t expire, and all law enforcement agencies have access to the records.

If someone with a warrant is pulled over for a minor traffic infraction, the police officer will search their record and find the writ. They’ll have to arrest the warrant holder and bring them to jail.

The first option to resolve the issue is to contact a criminal or warrant attorney. An attorney may quash the warrant by petitioning the court and having the client pay any outstanding fees or completing any conditions of their release they didn’t fulfill.

Traffic warrants may only require that a ticket be paid or a condition, such as attending driving school, be completed. If outstanding warrants aren’t related to a serious crime, such as domestic violence or assault, there’s usually a reasonable way for the individual to take care of the problem and clear their record.

The State of New Hampshire’s Judicial Branch provides a “motion to vacate default and/or recall warrant” form. Individuals with a bench warrant can fill out the form and submit it to the court to either vacate the default, recall the order or schedule a new hearing.

It’s a simple form, but staff members at the Clerk’s Office & Trial Court Information Center can provide help filling it out.¹⁰ Call 1-855-212-1234 to get assistance.

If a search reveals a warrant is outstanding and the inquirer knows the person, they can let them know about it if they feel safe doing so. Bench or traffic warrants may indicate a minor infraction.

However, if a search brings up a warrant for violent crime, the searcher should report the person’s location to local law enforcement or call 911 if they see them in public.

Warrants are public records and are therefore accessible to everyone. Although the information is freely available, finding the right agency to conduct a search can be difficult. Following the guidance in this article is the best place to start when conducting a New Hampshire warrant search.

For further insight, refer to the New Hampshire free public information search tutorial (for guidance on accessing details of inmates, court cases, vital records, background checks, etc.) and the steps for finding NH arrest and criminal records (for information on inmates, probationers, parolees, fugitives, and more).