You can search the New Hampshire Superior Court docket for free at the Judicial Branch’s Case Access Portal, odypa.nhecourt.us/portal.1New Hampshire Judicial Branch. Case Access Portal is Here! The docket is the official chronological record of every filing, hearing, and order in a case, and the portal lets you look it up by party name or case number once you’ve created an account.
How to Run a Search on the Case Access Portal
Create a free account on the portal and sign in. Nothing searches without a login. Once you’re in, click Smart Search at the bottom left, open “advance filtering options” to expand the general options section, then choose Superior Court under the filter-by-location menu so your results don’t pull in Circuit or Family Division cases.2New Hampshire Judicial Branch. Using the Online Portal
You can search by party name, case number, or both. If you’re going by name, put the last name first; it produces cleaner results. Knowing the filing year helps a lot when the name is common. Getting nothing back doesn’t always mean the case doesn’t exist. Try a spelling variant or widen the date range first.
Reading a Superior Court Case Number
If you already have the case number, use it. It’s faster and returns a single result. Superior Court numbers follow a pattern like 216-2025-CR-00045. The opening digits are the numeric code for the specific courthouse.3New Hampshire Judicial Branch. Circuit and Superior Court Codes The four-digit year is the filing year. The two letters are the case type: CR for criminal, CV for civil.4New Hampshire Judicial Branch. Court Case Type Abbreviations List The final digits are the sequential filing number for that case type that year.
Each of the ten counties has its own Superior Court, and Hillsborough County has two locations, for 11 courthouses total. The docket lives with whichever location has the case, so if you’re searching by name rather than number, filtering to the right court speeds things up.
What the Docket Shows You
Click into a case and you’ll land on the Register of Actions, a chronological log of everything filed and every action taken from the day the case opened through the most recent entry. Each line gives a short description of the event and the date the clerk processed it. You’ll see motions, orders, hearing dates, and rulings, along with the presiding judge and the attorneys of record.
This is enough to track a case’s progress without calling the clerk. You can see whether a motion to dismiss was granted, when discovery closes, or whether sentencing has happened. Checking back every few weeks is usually all it takes to stay current.
What the Portal Won’t Give You
The portal is an index. It tells you a document was filed; it doesn’t always let you read it. For many case types, the actual motions, briefs, and signed orders aren’t downloadable, and you’ll need to go to the courthouse or make a formal request to see them. The Judicial Branch notes that the online case summary is not the official record and is provided for informational purposes only.5New Hampshire Judicial Branch. Record Checks
Confidential cases don’t appear on the portal at all.5New Hampshire Judicial Branch. Record Checks A blank result can mean the case is sealed or classified as confidential rather than nonexistent. Worth remembering before you conclude nothing was ever filed.
Getting Copies From the Clerk’s Office
When you need the documents themselves, contact the clerk’s office at the Superior Court location handling the case. You can request copies at the counter or mail in a completed Request for Certificate or Copy form (NHJB-2420-DFP).6New Hampshire Judicial Branch. Request for Certificate or Copy
Under the fee schedule effective July 1, 2025:7New Hampshire Judicial Branch. Superior Court Fee Schedule
- Standard copies: $0.50 per page
- Kiosk printouts: $0.25 per page
- Certified copies: $10.00 per document
- Certificate of judgment: $10.00
- Exemplification of judgment: $40.00
A certified copy carries the clerk’s seal confirming it’s a true copy of the record, which you’ll need if you’re filing it in another proceeding or using it as evidence. An exemplified copy adds authentication of the clerk’s authority and is generally what an out-of-state court will want when you send them a New Hampshire record.
Older Cases That Aren’t Online
Cases filed before the court moved to electronic systems may not appear in the portal. For those, contact the clerk’s office in the county where the case was filed. Bring a government-issued photo ID; the clerk will verify who you are before pulling physical files.
Some older files are stored off-site, so retrieval takes time. Call ahead before you drive out. Retention periods vary by case type, and courts don’t keep physical records forever. Confirm the file still exists and ask how long it will take to pull.
Sealed and Confidential Records
Certain records are confidential by law or sealed by court order. Supreme Court Rule 12 governs confidentiality of case records, and Superior Court Rule 13B addresses confidential documents and information within filings.8New Hampshire Judicial Branch. Rule 12 – Requests for Confidentiality of Case Records Cases or individual documents covered by these rules won’t show up on the portal and can’t be viewed at the counter without a court order.
If you have a legitimate reason to see a sealed record, you can file a motion or petition asking the court for access. The judge weighs your interest against the reasons the record was sealed in the first place. It’s not automatic. Be ready to explain exactly why access serves a valid legal purpose, and consider working with an attorney if the record matters enough to fight for.