New Hampshire
New Hampshire Court Records: How to Search the Case Access Portal, What's Public, and How Annulment Works
Independently fact-checked against primary sources (last audited August 10, 2026). · 5 primary sources cited on this page. How we verify our legal content
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. For an offense disposed of on or after January 1, 2019, a person whose arrest resulted in a finding of not guilty on all charges from that arrest, or whose case was dismissed or not prosecuted, has the arrest record and court record annulled automatically, without needing to file a petition. Note that the trigger is the date the offense was disposed of, and January 1, 2019 itself counts. 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. For an offense disposed of on or after January 1, 2019, an arrest that ended in a finding of not guilty on all charges, a dismissal, or no prosecution is annulled automatically without a petition. The trigger is the date the offense was disposed of. 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
Corrected the automatic annulment rule to match RSA 651:5, II-a: it applies to offenses disposed of on or after January 1, 2019, and covers dismissals, cases not prosecuted, and findings of not guilty on all charges from the arrest.
Independently fact-checked against the cited primary sources
The Law Behind This Article
This article rests on the statutory provisions below, held in our own legal record and retrieved from the official source. Tap a section to read the operative text.
New Hampshire Revised Statutes Annotated, TITLE VI PUBLIC OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES, CHAPTER 91-A ACCESS TO GOVERNMENTAL RECORDS AND MEETINGS
§ 91-A:1-aDefinitions.In force
In this chapter: I. "Advisory committee" means any committee, council, commission, or other like body whose primary purpose is to consider an issue or issues designated by the appointing authority so as to provide such authority with advice or recommendations concerning the formulation of any public policy or legislation that may be promoted, modified, or opposed by such authority. II. "Governmental proceedings" means the transaction of any functions affecting any or all citizens of the state by a public body. III. "Governmental records" means any information created, accepted, or obtained by, or on behalf of, any public body, or a quorum or majority thereof, or any public agency in furtherance of its official function. Without limiting the foregoing, the term "governmental records" includes any written communication or other information, whether in paper, electronic, or other physical form, received by a quorum or majority of a public body in furtherance of its official function, whether at a meeting or outside a meeting of the body. The term "governmental records" shall also include the term "public records." IV.
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-07-29 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at gc.nh.gov
Cited in 12 court opinions in our collectionLatest citing opinion in our collection: 2025
Opinions citing this section in our collection:
- Ortolano v. City of Nashua (Supreme Court of New Hampshire 2025, 2025 N.H. 23)“…ted NPAC’s motion to dismiss based on the plain language of RSA 91-A:1-a, VI(e). NPAC counters that it was unnec…”
- Albert S. Brandano v. Superintendent of New Hampshire School Administrative Unit 16 & a. (Supreme Court of New Hampshire 2023)“…ch constitute “governmental records” as defined in RSA 91-A:1-a, III. Attached to the email were ten P…”
- Paul Martin v. City of Rochester (Supreme Court of New Hampshire 2020)“…argues that: (1) the TRG is a “public body,” as defined by RSA 91-A:1-a, VI(d) (2013), because it is an “adviso…”
Identified automatically from the court opinions citing this section — not a ranking of which case controls.
New Hampshire Revised Statutes Annotated, TITLE LXII CRIMINAL CODE, CHAPTER 651 SENTENCES
§ 651:5Annulment of Criminal Records.In forcecited in 3 of our articles
I. Except as provided in paragraphs V-VIII, the record of arrest, conviction and sentence of any person may be annulled by the sentencing court at any time in response to a petition for annulment which is timely brought in accordance with the provisions of this section if in the opinion of the court, the annulment will assist in the petitioner's rehabilitation and will be consistent with the public welfare. The court may grant or deny an annulment without a hearing, unless a hearing is requested by the petitioner. II. For an offense disposed of before January 1, 2019 and any offense not subject to paragraph II-a, any person whose arrest has resulted in a finding of not guilty, or whose case was dismissed or not prosecuted, may petition for annulment of the arrest record or court record, or both, at any time in accordance with the provisions of this section. Any person who was convicted of a criminal offense whose conviction was subsequently vacated by a court may petition for annulment of the arrest record or court record, or both, in accordance with the provisions of this section. Nothing in this paragraph shall limit the provisions of subparagraph XI(b). II-a.
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-09-01 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at gc.nh.gov
Cited in 26 court opinions in our collectionLatest citing opinion in our collection: 2024
In the courts (editorial summary, independently checked):Panas v. Harakis (1987) held RSA 651:5's "in all respects" language barred disclosure of annulled convictions in a civil suit, though facts underlying a conviction were not erased. Wolfgram v. New Hampshire Department of Safety (2016) held habitual offender notations revealing annulled convictions must stay off a public driving record.
Opinions citing this section in our collection:
- Panas v. Harakis (Supreme Court of New Hampshire 1987, 129 N.H. 591)✓In a false imprisonment and negligent hiring suit over a K-Mart guard whose convictions had been annulled, the court held RSA 651:5 barred even in camera review of the annulment dates, but did not bar evidence of the incident underlying an annulled conviction.
- State v. Comeau (Supreme Court of New Hampshire 1997, 142 N.H. 84)✓Comeau petitioned in 1995 to annul 1991 felony convictions under the shorter old waiting period; the court held the 1994 rewrite of RSA 651:5 governs petitions filed after January 1, 1995, and its longer waiting periods are remedial, not ex post facto punishment.
- Doe v. State (Supreme Court of New Hampshire 1974, 114 N.H. 714)✓An eighteen year old fined $25 in 1971 for concealing a 79 cent ping-pong ball sought annulment under RSA 651:5; the court held the statute reaches convictions predating the 1973 criminal code, covers a fine-only sentence, and does not invade the Governor's pardon power.
Identified automatically from the court opinions citing this section — not a ranking of which case controls.
Also relied on in: New Hampshire Expungement Laws: How Record Annulment Works Under RSA 651:5, New Hampshire Background Check Laws (2026 Guide)
United States Code Title 15
§ 1681cRequirements relating to information contained in consumer reportsIn forcecited in 54 of our articles
Except as authorized under subsection (b), no consumer reporting agency may make any consumer report containing any of the following items of information: Cases under title 11 or under the Bankruptcy Act that, from the date of entry of the order for relief or the date of adjudication, as the case may be, antedate the report by more than 10 years. Civil suits, civil judgments, and records of arrest that, from date of entry, antedate the report by more than seven years or until the governing statute of limitations has expired, whichever is the longer period. Paid tax liens which, from date of payment, antedate the report by more than seven years. Accounts placed for collection or charged to profit and loss which antedate the report by more than seven years. Any other adverse item of information, other than records of convictions of crimes which antedates the report by more than seven years.
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-07-28 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at uscode.house.gov
Cited in 383 court opinions in our collectionLatest citing opinion in our collection: 2026
In the courts (editorial summary, independently checked):Katz v. Donna Karan Co. (2017) addressed the FACTA truncation rule in 1681c(g) and affirmed dismissal for lack of Article III standing, treating material risk of harm as a fact question. Edward Seamans v. Temple University (2014) held the seven-year window in 1681c(a)(4) is extended for an education loan only until that loan is repaid.
Opinions citing this section in our collection:
- Katz v. Donna Karan Co. (Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit 2017, 872 F.3d 114)✓A shopper sued two stores whose receipts printed the first six digits of his credit card number; the Second Circuit affirmed dismissal for lack of standing, seeing no clear error in the finding that those digits show only the card issuer, not a material risk of identity theft.
- Edward Seamans v. Temple University (Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit 2014, 744 F.3d 853)✓A defaulted university loan kept appearing on a borrower's credit reports after he repaid it because the school never reported the delinquency date; the Third Circuit held the Higher Education Act suspends section 1681c(a)(4)'s aging-off rule only until repayment.
- Gonzales v. Arrow Financial Services, LLC (Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit 2011, 660 F.3d 1055)✓A debt buyer offered to settle health club debts over seven years old, saying that if it was reporting the account the bureaus would be told it was settled; the Ninth Circuit, treating those debts as unreportable under section 1681c(a)(4), called that implication misleading.
Identified automatically from the court opinions citing this section — not a ranking of which case controls.
Also relied on in: How Long Does a Felony Stay on Your Record? (2026), Alabama Background Check Laws (2026 Guide), Louisiana Background Check Laws (2026 Guide)
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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