Cheshire County Court Records

The Cheshire County court records in New Hampshire are an assortment of papers and exhibits maintained within the local court system regarding criminal and civil proceedings. These records include motions, complaints, affidavits, judgments, orders, summonses, case dockets, and calendars.

Within the justice system, court records foster public accountability and transparency. They make it easier for members of society to monitor cases that matter to them or in which they are personally involved. Court records also provide historical context for past judicial decisions, serving to facilitate the research of legal precedents that can be used to fortify legal arguments or decide future cases.

Are Court Records Public in Cheshire County?

Yes, court records are considered part of the Cheshire County public records. Nonetheless, the public's right of access is not granted under the New Hampshire Right-To-Know Law (RSA 91-A), as is the case with many official records produced by public agencies. The Right-To-Know Law does not affect the Judicial Branch. Instead, access is governed by Part I, Article 8 of the New Hampshire Constitution.

However, this right is not absolute. Specific court records are prohibited from being released by law, court order, court rule, or privilege to secure privacy rights and the administration of justice. To this end, the New Hampshire Court System sets out its own policies for providing general review in its Guidelines for Public Access to Court Records. Examples of exempt Cheshire court records include:

• Annulled or sealed court records
• Juvenile court records
• Grand jury records
• Pending or denied applications for arrest or search warrants
• Wiretap applications and orders

Cheshire County Court Records Search

Members of the public can seek a review of the Cheshire County court records in different ways. One of the more popular methods, particularly available to those living in the county or neighboring regions, involves visiting the courthouse where a legal matter was filed or heard to inspect or duplicate records. In addition, a mail-in, electronic, or third-party inquiry may be available to interested parties, depending on factors like the type of record sought, the extent of information required, and the dollar amount one is willing to pay for record retrieval.

Cheshire County Courts

Cheshire County has several courts that preside over legal conflicts or matters in the locality. These primarily include the Cheshire County Superior Court and the Cheshire County Circuit Court (which comprises the Probate, Family, and District divisions). The exact subject-matter jurisdictions of these courts can be reviewed on the New Hampshire Judiciary's How NH Courts Work page. However, these are the courts' addresses and contact numbers:

Superior Courts in Cheshire County

Cheshire County Superior Court
33 Winter Street
Suite 2
Keene, NH 03431

Circuit Court District Divisions in Cheshire County

Cheshire County 8th Circuit District Division - Jaffrey
84 Peterborough Street
Jaffrey, NH 03452-0039

Cheshire County 8th Circuit District Division - Keene
33 Winter Street
Suite 1
Keene, NH 03431

Circuit Court Probate Divisions in Cheshire County

Cheshire County 8th Circuit Probate Division - Keene
33 Winter Street
Suite 1
Keene, NH 03431

Circuit Court Family Divisions in Cheshire County

Cheshire County 8th Circuit Family Division - Keene
33 Winter Street
Suite 1
Keene, NH 03431

Cheshire County 8th Circuit Family Division - Jaffrey
84 Peterborough Street
Jaffrey, NH 03452

All Cheshire County courts can be contacted at (855) 212-1234 (for calls from the US or Canada) or (603) 415-0162 (for calls from outside the US or Canada).

Cheshire County Criminal Records

In reality, no central database is available to the public for retrieving a person's Cheshire County criminal records. An inquiry (containing sufficient information about a record) can be made to an arresting police agency in Cheshire to obtain records of arrests executed by its officers, including arrests where no fingerprint impressions were collected. A small fee may be required to obtain Cheshire arrest records, and certain information may not be disclosable due to statutory exemptions. It is recommended that the specific custodian of records be contacted to determine the request procedures.

Those looking into the Cheshire criminal records may also query the New Hampshire Division of State Police, the state repository of criminal history record information (CHRI). The records maintained by the State Police are based on fingerprint impressions taken of arrestees and criminal complaints and dispositions from the courts.

Public criminal record requests can be made via the agency's online portal, in person at the public counter at 33 Hazen Drive, Room 106A, Concord, or by mail. In New Hampshire, criminal conviction history information is publicly available to anyone who provides the name and date of birth of a person (whether theirs or someone else's) and pays the prescribed $25 fee.

Subjects of records can also request their confidential criminal records from the State Police using the Criminal Record Release Authorization Form. Notarization is required if the request is submitted by mail, and a government-issued ID is required if the request is submitted at the public counter. The same $25 fee applies to obtain confidential CHRI, but certain volunteers for a public or private not-for-profit entity may qualify for a reduced fee ($10).

More information about criminal history record requests in New Hampshire is available on the State Police's website or by approaching the Criminal Records Unit.

Get Cheshire County Civil Court Records

Civil court records in Cheshire County are created when one party (individual, business, or organization) sues another for injury, harm, or damage. In Cheshire, these records are maintained by the civil courts that heard the associated cases. That is to say, a person should query the court that adjudicated a civil matter, such as breach of contract, wrongful death, landlord/tenant, mass tort, and worker's compensation.

A request for a Cheshire County civil court record can be made in person at the respective courthouse (public kiosks are available for non-assisted searches) or in writing to the clerk's office of the presiding court. If court staff are to look for a court record on a person's behalf, the requester will need to include sufficient information about the case that will assist the staff in promptly processing the request, such as a case number. Typically, the court charges for any copies produced to fulfill a request. The relevant copy fees for the circuit and superior courts in Cheshire are available on the New Hampshire Judiciary's Forms and Fees page.

Besides an in-person or mail inquiry, members of the public can also find Cheshire County civil court records online. One database where such case queries may be conducted is the New Hampshire Judicial Branch Case Access Portal, which is accessible to registered users at no charge. Anyone can register on the portal, and a system query can be performed with a case party's name or case number. However, information obtained through this portal is not the court's official record, which can be sought directly from the presiding courthouse if case information is needed for official purposes (for example, background checks).

Cheshire County Marriage Records

In many US jurisdictions, a central county office is responsible for disseminating marriage records to requesters as permitted by law. This is not the case in New Hampshire, as that responsibility falls to the city and town clerk who issued the marriage license.

Therefore, to obtain Cheshire County marriage records (certificates), one may visit the respective town/city clerk's office. These government offices utilize different request procedures, but one generally needs to:

• Complete the prescribed application process, which usually entails completing a form or preparing a letter bearing the names of the two spouses, the marriage date, the requester's relationship to the certificate subject, and the requester's contact details and signature.
• Prove their eligibility to obtain such Cheshire County vital records, including presenting a valid photo ID or other supporting legal documentation.
• Pay the accompanying search and copy fee.

The initial marriage certificate fee is $15, plus any additional expenses incurred to order another copy at the same time (typically $10), pay via credit card (if permitted), or receive copies by mail.

Alternatively, a person can obtain a Cheshire County marriage certificate from the New Hampshire Division of Vital Records Administration (DVRA). The Administration charges $15 for the first certificate and $10 for each additional certificate ordered for the same record at the same time.

Applicants should keep in mind that New Hampshire is a closed record state. For that reason, the Cheshire County vital records (birth, death, divorce, marriage, and civil union certificates) are releasable to qualified parties that can demonstrate a "direct and tangible" interest. Per RSA 5-C:9, these parties include the subject of a vital record, their immediate family members, their legal guardians, or respective legal representatives (an attorney, funeral director, physician, or other authorized agent acting on behalf of a subject or their family).

Nevertheless, certain earlier vital records are excluded from these accessibility restrictions. Marriage records older than 50 years old, for instance, are viewed as part of the Cheshire County public records (RSA 5-C:105).

Cheshire County Divorce Records

Divorce records are, first and foremost, court documents generated from actions or proceedings to terminate marital relationships. As a result, the courthouse can be a person's initial point of contact for Cheshire County divorce records, particularly the Circuit Court Family Divisions in Keane and Jaffery and the Cheshire Superior Court. These courts hold jurisdiction over the county's divorce matters.

There are fees associated with obtaining divorce documents from the Family Division or Superior courts, which are outlined on the New Hampshire Judiciary's Forms and Fees page. Parties can also use the New Hampshire Judicial Branch Case Access Portal to look up divorce cases without a direct inquiry to a court.

Outside of a court inquiry, members of the public can submit a divorce records request to the city or town clerk's office where a divorce occurred or the New Hampshire Division of Vital Records Administration. In this case, the document issued to the inquirer is called a divorce certificate, a vital record confirming a divorce. It is not the actual decree that can be obtained from the presiding court alongside other divorce case-related documents. Regardless of the vital office a person queries, it costs $15 for the first copy of a Cheshire divorce certificate and $10 for each extra copy of the same record ordered simultaneously.

It should be noted that divorce certificates are confidential in New Hampshire for 50 years to parties with a direct and tangible interest. After this period lapses, the documents are considered public records.

Cheshire County Birth and Death Records

Recording birth and death events in Cheshire County not only ensures the preservation of essential demographic and health statistics but also enables the creation of legal documents that can be used to verify identity, parental lineage, and citizenship, among other purposes.

As mentioned, birth and death records are part of the Cheshire County vital records. Thus, they are obtainable from the city and town clerk's office where a birth or death event took place or from the DVRA at 9 Ratification Way, Concord, NH 03301.

One's preferred vital records custodian may be contacted for office hours, application forms, ID verification requirements, and relevant fees. For example, the DVRA can be reached at (603) 271-4650 or vitalrecords@sos.nh.gov for vital records inquiries. Nonetheless, a request can typically be made in person or via mail. An agency may also provide an online request channel through a private service.

A Cheshire County birth certificate costs $15 for the first copy and $10 for each other copy of the same document ordered simultaneously. These fees are the same as those assessed for ordering a Cheshire County death certificate. Additional fees may apply, depending on the order or payment method.

Per New Hampshire's Vital Records Administration law (Title 1, Chapter 5-C of the NH Revised Statutes), Cheshire County birth records are confidential for 100 years, and death records are confidential for 50 years. Within these timeframes, the records can only be furnished to parties with a direct and tangible interest, as earlier defined.

Cheshire County Probate Court Records

The Cheshire County 8th Circuit Probate Division in Keene presides over wills and estates, termination of parental rights, trusts, adoptions, guardianships/conservatorships, name changes, equity matters, and involuntary commitments in Cheshire County.

People seeking records maintained by this court can navigate to the New Hampshire Judicial Branch Case Access Portal to perform a name or case number search. They can also visit the courthouse at 33 Winter Street, Keene, to use public access terminals for their case research or request copies of probate court records from the circuit clerk's office for a fee.

Individuals seeking other records access channels may contact the probate court division at (855) 212-1234 (US or Canada) or (603) 415-0162 (others) for assistance.

Cheshire County Property Records

The Cheshire County Registry of Deeds acts as the official recorder and custodian of property records in Cheshire, which include deeds, plats, mortgages, surveys, and other recorded real estate documents.

Individuals looking up property records in Cheshire County can visit the Registry office at the address below during regular business hours or view documents through the official portal.

Cheshire County Registry of Deeds
33 West Street
Keene, NH 03431
Phone: (603) 352-0403

Additionally, individuals can contact or visit a town or city assessor's office in the region where a property lies to obtain comprehensive property information, including ownership histories, land use/zoning restrictions, assessment values, and building information and photographs. Some offices, like the Keene Assessing Department, also provide online property search tools for public convenience.

Cheshire County Court Records Online

Finding Cheshire County court records on the internet usually entails searching a remote-access database provided by a government or private entity. While court-owned or operated repositories are the go-to resources for official records, third-party websites like Newhampshirecourtrecords.us still have their merits.

One primary advantage of leveraging a third-party website for a Cheshire court record search is inclusiveness. A site user has access to other local public records, such as a person's Cheshire County arrest records. Moreover, users can retrieve public information from various US regions—and they do not need to leave their homes or offices.

Another feature inherent to third-party websites is that the user navigation is simplified, allowing for searches with general parameters such as a person's first and last name.

Notwithstanding, a fee or subscription may be needed to access detailed records on a third-party site, and information completeness or reliability may vary.