New Hampshire uses the term "annulment" rather than expungement, and the state's record-clearing framework under RSA 651:5 has one feature that stands out across this series: since 2019, dismissed charges and acquittals are automatically annulled 30 days after disposition with no petition required and no fee for the individual. New Hampshire also has an important public access limitation: non-conviction data is confidential. What the public receives through the Criminal Records Unit is conviction information only -- not arrests that didn't result in a charge or conviction. This guide covers how the full system works.
What Makes New Hampshire Arrest Records Public
New Hampshire's public records framework is governed by the Right-to-Know Law at RSA Chapter 91-A. It establishes a general right of public access to government records, and most adult criminal conviction information is public.
The New Hampshire Criminal History Record Information Act at RSA 106-B:14 governs the specific collection, storage, and dissemination of criminal history record information. The NH Division of State Police serves as the primary repository for criminal history records statewide.
A critical access limitation distinguishes New Hampshire from more open states: non-conviction data is confidential. Information on arrests that did not lead to a conviction is not available to the general public. Civilians and commercial or non-profit entities requesting criminal history for non-criminal-justice purposes receive only conviction information. Law enforcement agencies and authorized criminal justice agencies can access the full record including non-conviction data.
Exemptions from public access include juvenile records, annulled records, records related to ongoing investigations and parole proceedings, and non-conviction arrest data for civilian requesters.
What a New Hampshire Criminal History Record Contains
An arrest record is a booking document. It reflects the facts of an arrest at the time of booking and carries no presumption of guilt.
A New Hampshire criminal history record from the State Police Criminal Records Unit typically includes personal identifying information, arrest details, outstanding warrants, indictments, plea agreements, case dispositions, sentencing information, and incarceration history. For public requests, the record is limited to conviction information.
Records are compiled from state law enforcement agencies, courts, and the Department of Corrections and are part of the Criminal History Records Information (CHRI) database, which is also linked to an Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) tri-state network shared with Maine and Vermont.
How to Search New Hampshire Arrest Records
The NH Division of State Police Criminal Records Unit provides both online and in-person access. The online NH Criminal Conviction Check Portal allows name-based searches. The Criminal Records Unit is at 33 Hazen Drive, Concord, NH 03305. Phone: 603-223-3867. Hours: Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 4:15 PM. The fee for a name-based search is approximately $25 per subject. In-person requests receive same-day processing; mail requests take approximately 7 to 10 business days. Photo ID is required for in-person requests.
The NH Courts Case Access Portal provides online access to court case records, though the public receives only summary information for electronically filed superior court cases. Registration is required to use the portal. For full case documents, parties to a case must request them directly through the portal.
County sheriff offices and local police departments maintain booking records for recent arrests. New Hampshire has 10 counties and each county sheriff manages the local detention facility. Most publish online inmate rosters or recent booking information. For anyone recently arrested, the county jail or local police department is where to look.
For broader multi-source searches that aggregate public record data across New Hampshire's 10 counties and other jurisdictions, TruthFinder is a practical option.
VINELink at vinelink.com connects to the New Hampshire DOC system and many county facilities and provides free real-time custody status and notification registration.
County Jail Records in New Hampshire
New Hampshire's 10 counties each manage a county jail or house of corrections. County facilities hold people recently arrested, those awaiting trial, and those serving shorter sentences.
When someone is convicted and sentenced to state prison, they enter the New Hampshire Department of Corrections system. The NHDOC provides a free online inmate locator accessible through the NHDOC website at nh.gov/nhdoc. You can search by name to locate current state inmates and get facility and status information.
Federal Arrests in New Hampshire
Federal arrests in New Hampshire are made by agencies including the FBI, the DEA, U.S. Marshals, the ATF, and Homeland Security Investigations. After federal sentencing, individuals enter the Bureau of Prisons rather than the New Hampshire DOC.
The BOP Inmate Locator at bop.gov/inmateloc is the official free tool for locating anyone serving a federal sentence. Search by name or BOP register number. Federal court records are available through the PACER system at pacer.gov.
Federal arrests and convictions are not part of the NH State Police criminal history system.
Arrest Records Versus Conviction Records
An arrest record documents that law enforcement took someone into custody. A conviction record documents a court's finding of guilt. New Hampshire draws a sharper line between these than most states: non-conviction arrest data is confidential and not available to the general public.
For conviction records, the arrest entry and conviction remain in the public CHRI system unless annulled under RSA 651:5. Since 2019, dismissed charges and acquittals are automatically annulled 30 days after disposition without any action from the individual -- meaning most non-conviction outcomes should be disappearing from the public record automatically within a month of the case closing.
New Hampshire Annulment Under RSA 651:5
New Hampshire's record-clearing mechanism is called annulment, not expungement. Under RSA 651:5, when a court grants an annulment, the records of the arrest, conviction, and sentence are treated by courts, the State Police, and other criminal justice agencies as though the underlying event never occurred. However, records are not physically destroyed -- law enforcement retains access for future criminal proceedings and other authorized purposes.
For non-conviction cases -- dismissed charges, acquittals, cases not prosecuted -- the law was updated in 2019 to provide automatic annulment 30 days after disposition. No petition is required and no fee is charged for these automatic annulments.
For conviction cases, the person must petition the sentencing court. The court evaluates whether annulment will assist in rehabilitation and is consistent with the public welfare. These are the two statutory criteria under RSA 651:5 and judges have discretion to deny even technically eligible petitions. The process involves three sets of fees: a $100 court filing fee, a $100 Department of Corrections Parole and Probation report fee, and a $100 State Police administrative fee to remove the annulled record from the state and FBI databases. Fee waivers are available for indigent petitioners and for non-conviction petitions. If a petition is denied, no further petition can be filed for at least three years.
Waiting periods for conviction annulment under RSA 651:5 are measured from the completion of every term of the sentence:
Violation or Class B misdemeanor: 1 year.
Class A misdemeanor: 3 years.
Class B felony: 5 years.
Class A felony, DWI, and domestic violence offenses: 10 years.
Certain offenses can never be annulled under RSA 651:5: violent crimes (murder, manslaughter, first-degree assault, aggravated felonious sexual assault, kidnapping, robbery, Class A felony arson, incest, and child sexual abuse images), felony obstruction of justice crimes, and offenses for which an extended term of imprisonment was imposed.
New Hampshire also has RSA 651:5-b allowing annulment of marijuana possession arrests and convictions (3/4 ounce or less before September 2017 when marijuana was still criminalized).
InmateAid's guides on record clearing cover New Hampshire's annulment framework in more detail. Mugshot removal from third-party sites after annulment is addressed in InmateAid's resources on that topic.
Frequently asked questions
Are New Hampshire arrest records public?
Conviction records are public under the Right-to-Know Law (RSA 91-A) and the Criminal History Record Information Act (RSA 106-B:14). However, non-conviction data is confidential -- the public receives only conviction information, not records of arrests that did not result in a conviction. Annulled records, juvenile records, and active investigation materials are also exempt from public access.
How do I search New Hampshire arrest records?
The NH State Police Criminal Records Unit provides name-based conviction searches online through the NH Criminal Conviction Check Portal, and in person or by mail at 33 Hazen Drive, Concord, NH 03305, phone 603-223-3867 (Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 4:15 PM). The fee is approximately $25 per subject. For court case records, use the NH Courts Case Access Portal (registration required). For recent arrests, check the relevant county sheriff's website. For multi-source results, TruthFinder aggregates public record data. For custody notifications, VINELink at vinelink.com provides free service. For state prison inmates, use the NHDOC locator at nh.gov/nhdoc.
What does a New Hampshire criminal history contain?
A public New Hampshire criminal history record from the State Police Criminal Records Unit includes personal identifying information, arrest details for conviction cases, case dispositions, sentencing information, and incarceration history. Non-conviction arrest data is not included in public releases -- that information is confidential and available only to law enforcement and authorized criminal justice agencies.
Is an arrest the same as a conviction in New Hampshire?
No. An arrest documents that someone was taken into custody. A conviction reflects a court's finding of guilt. In New Hampshire, non-conviction arrest information is specifically protected from public release. Since 2019, dismissed charges and acquittals are also automatically annulled 30 days after disposition with no action required from the individual.
How do I find someone in a New Hampshire county jail?
Check the county sheriff's or house of corrections website where the arrest occurred. New Hampshire's 10 counties each operate their own facility and most publish online inmate rosters. VINELink at vinelink.com connects to many facilities and provides free notification registration. For someone in state prison, use the NHDOC inmate locator at nh.gov/nhdoc.
Can I search federal arrest records in New Hampshire?
Federal court records are available through PACER at pacer.gov. For someone serving a federal sentence, the BOP Inmate Locator at bop.gov/inmateloc is the free official tool. Federal arrests and convictions are not part of the NH State Police criminal history system.
How long does a record stay on file in New Hampshire?
Conviction records remain in the CHRI system and are publicly accessible until annulled under RSA 651:5. Non-conviction records have been automatically annulled 30 days after disposition since 2019. Conviction waiting periods range from 1 year for violations and Class B misdemeanors to 10 years for Class A felonies, DWI, and domestic violence offenses.
What is New Hampshire's annulment law?
New Hampshire calls its record-clearing process annulment, governed by RSA 651:5. When granted, the arrest, conviction, and sentence are treated as though the underlying event never occurred, and the record is removed from the State Police CHRI system and from FBI records. Records are not physically destroyed -- law enforcement retains access. Total costs for a conviction annulment petition are approximately $300 ($100 each for court filing, DOC report, and State Police administrative removal). Non-conviction annulments are automatic since 2019 with no fee.
Are dismissed charges automatically annulled in NH?
Yes, since 2019. Dismissed charges, acquittals, and cases not prosecuted are automatically annulled 30 days after disposition. No petition is required, no fee is charged, and the individual does not need to take any action. This means most non-conviction outcomes in New Hampshire should leave no lasting public record once the 30-day period passes.
Why does my record show an arrest but no conviction?
New Hampshire's public criminal history is limited to conviction records -- non-conviction arrest data is confidential. If a non-conviction arrest is showing up on a background check, it may be sourced from a local police department booking log, a third-party data aggregator that captured the record before automatic annulment, or a court filing. If the case was dismissed or resulted in acquittal after 2019, automatic annulment should have removed it from the official CHRI within 30 days. If the arrest predates 2019, a petition for annulment under RSA 651:5 is the path to removal. ---
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