What Are New Hampshire Traffic Court Records?

New Hampshire traffic court records are the legal documents and files that constitute the report of the proceedings for adjudicating traffic offenses in New Hampshire.

Are New Hampshire Traffic Court Records Public Records?

Traffic court records are considered public records, which refer to records that members of the public can access in compliance with the public access to information law.

New Hampshire Traffic Ticket Lookup

In New Hampshire, traffic tickets are processed through Circuit Courts – District Division. Case details can be searched via the New Hampshire Judicial Branch case access portal, which provides docket information on traffic cases by party name or case number.

If eligible, tickets may be paid through the state's NH ePay system. Failure to pay fines or appear in court may result in suspension of the driver's license under RSA 263:56-a.

Which Courts in New Hampshire Have Jurisdiction to hear traffic violation matters?

In NH, the District Division of the Circuit Court hears violations and misdemeanor offenses. They were formerly referred to as District Courts.

How Do I Find New Hampshire Traffic Court Records?

If the case number of the required record is known, eligible parties can obtain NH traffic records by submitting a request at the court where the records are located. If the case number of the required record is not known, then a record search may have to be performed. To do this, the requester may need to obtain and complete the record search form for the court where the records are located and submit the form, in person or by mail, to:

NH Judicial Branch Administrative Offices
Attn: Central Processing Center
1 Granite Place,
Suite 400
Concord, NH 03301

A processing fee may be required and should be made payable to NHJB Central Processing Center.

Additionally, publicly available records are accessible from some third-party websites. These websites offer the benefit of not being limited by geographical record availability and can serve as a starting point when researching specific or multiple records. To find a record using the search engines on these sites, interested parties may be required to provide:

• The name of someone involved, provided it is not a juvenile
• The assumed location of the record in question, such as a city, county, or state name

Third-party sites are not government-sponsored websites; record availability may differ from official channels.

What Information Is Required To Obtain New Hampshire Traffic Court Records?

To obtain NH traffic court records, the requester may have to provide valid information about the record, such as the record case number and the full name of the defendant on the record. A record search may be conducted if the requester does not have this information. A valid, state-approved means of identification may be required, and applicable fees may be paid before the records can be released.

Are all Traffic Violations Handled The Same Way in New Hampshire?

In New Hampshire, traffic violations and Infractions are generally handled the same way, but may depend on the circumstances of the complaint. Tickets to be answered by the Department of Safety may be handled differently from tickets to be answered by the Circuit Court. Afterward, the handling of Guilty/No Contest pleas and that for Not Guilty pleas may be the same for either situation, i.e., to say the procedures for handling violations which are to be answered to the Department of Safety may be similar irrespective of the type of violation and the same with tickets which are to be answered to the Circuit Court. In more serious cases, such as Felony Overspeeding in New Hampshire, the matter may be prosecuted under criminal statutes, requiring complete judicial proceedings beyond standard administrative or minor court processes.

Can New Hampshire Traffic Records Be Sealed Or Expunged?

In NH, traffic offenses are typically violations or misdemeanors. Violations are not considered crimes and do not appear on a defendant's record. If convicted. As such, there are no records to expunge. It is possible to expunge criminal records of misdemeanor convictions and some felonies. To be eligible for a misdemeanor expungement, the petitioner may have completed the terms of their sentence, and a prescribed waiting period may have elapsed; two years for Class B misdemeanors and three years for Class A misdemeanors.

How Does One End Up In A New Hampshire Traffic Court?

A person ends up in NH traffic court when a law enforcement officer in the state of NH cites the person for a traffic violation and, as a consequence of the nature of the offense, indicates on the complaint that the defendant may respond to the Circuit Court (not the NH Department of Safety). One can also end up in traffic court if cited for a traffic offense and asked to respond to the Department of Safety, but the defendant wishes to contest the charges and request a trial.

Getting a Traffic Ticket in New Hampshire

In New Hampshire, a traffic ticket or complaint is issued by a law enforcement officer for violations of traffic laws, state statutes, and local ordinances. It is a legal document representing the officer's attestation regarding the incident. The officer may fill in the defendant's full name and list the physical address. The complaint may also contain relevant information about the defendant's driver's license and details about the vehicle involved in the incident.

The officer may indicate that the defendant is accused of violating by checking or writing the traffic offenses and corresponding Road Safety Authority (RSA) code. The officer may also include other information, such as weather and traffic conditions during the incident. If the fine can be paid without a court appearance, it may also be listed on the ticket. If it is not listed, affected parties may need to contact the New Hampshire Department of Safety to obtain the fine amount.

Instructions on responding to the complaint may be listed on the reverse side of the ticket and should be read thoroughly. The officer may append his name and badge ID number and sign and date the complaint before issuing a copy to the defendant. Depending on the severity of the offense being cited for, the officer may check one of 3 options:

• Option 1 indicates that the defendant does not have to appear in court to respond to the complaint but may respond to the Department of Safety.
• Option 2 indicates that the defendant does not have to appear in court but may respond to the court listed in the complaint.
• Option 3 indicates that the defendant may appear in court and include a date and time.

The court with jurisdiction over the case may be listed with its location. The court may hear the case if it moves to trial. New Hampshire differs from most states in that courts in New Hampshire do not generally process traffic violations unless the offense requires a court appearance or the defendant requests a trial.

Traffic ticket fines are paid directly to the New Hampshire Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). The NH court establishes traffic ticket fines for every violation, which are uniform across the state. Convictions for traffic violations may result in demerit points being added to a driver's record and can lead to losing driving privileges. Points remain on a driver's record for 3 years. For drivers aged 21 and above, accumulation of 12 points within a year may result in a 3-month suspension, while accumulation of 24 points in 3 years may result in a 1-year suspension. A driver can also be labeled a "Habitual Offender" if the NH DMV considers the driver a danger to other road users. Accumulating 12 total convictions or three major convictions (DUI, reckless driving) within 5 years may obtain this classification.

Traffic violations are typically divided into moving or non-moving violations. Moving violations are offenses by vehicles in motion, such as speeding or reckless driving. Non-moving violations are offenses related to faulty vehicle equipment or stationary vehicles, such as parking violations or damaged lights. Non-moving violations can also occur in moving vehicles, but these violations may not be reported to the NH DMV and do not constitute demerit points on a driver's record.

What to Do When You Get a Traffic Ticket in New Hampshire?

When a complaint is served in New Hampshire, the options for response may be determined by the ticket. Tickets might direct responses to the Department of Safety or the Circuit Court. For either response, the defendant can plead Guilty, No Contest, or Not Guilty. A response may be made within 30 days of issuance of the ticket, a default status may be placed on the ticket, and administrative fee penalties may be added to the accruable fine. If the ticket indicates the defendant does not need to come to court but may answer to the Department of Safety, the plea may determine the response method.

Guilty Plea/ No Contest Plea: This may be noted as convictions and points may be assessed on the driver's record (which may result in loss of driving privileges). The defendant has 30 days from the issuance of the ticket (to avoid added penalties) to pay the traffic ticket. payment can be made:

• Online
• By telephone- Call 1–800–272–0036. Credit card payments only
• Mail- Mark the Guilty checkbox, sign and date the ticket, and mail it with the total fine amount to:

Department of Safety
DMV Fr/pbm
P.O. Box 472
Concord, NH 03302.

Payment can also be made in person at the:

Division of Motor Vehicles
23 Hazen Drive
Concord, NH 03305

If the ticket indicates that the defendant responds to the court, the defendant may respond or appear at the court listed on the complaint within 30 days of the ticket's issuance. Responses can be made in person or by mail.

Contesting a Traffic Ticket in New Hampshire

If the defendant wishes to plead guilty/no contest, he/she may check the appropriate box and deliver the complaint with the total amount due to the court listed in the complaint. If the defendant chooses to plead Not Guilty, he/she may check the appropriate box and deliver it to the court listed. The court may send a notification with a court date and time.

New Hampshire Driving Record Check

The New Hampshire Division of Motor Vehicles issues certified and non-certified driver records. These include violations, suspensions, accident involvement, and license status.

• Certified driving record: $15.00

Requests may be made:

• By Mail: Using Form DSMV 505 (Release of Motor Vehicle Records) with payment to:

New Hampshire DMV – Driver Records
23 Hazen Drive
Concord, NH 03305

• In Person: At DMV offices statewide.

Obtaining Another Person's Driving Record

Under the DPPA and RSA 260:14, driving records are considered confidential. They may be released only to those with a permissible use, including insurers, employers with consent, or attorneys. Form DSMV 505 is required, and misuse may lead to penalties.

Free DMV Driving Records in New Hampshire

Official driving records require payment. However, limited citation and case status information can be found at no cost through the Judicial Branch case search system.

What to Expect in a New Hampshire Traffic Court

If the defendant chooses to take the case to trial, it is advisable to hire a traffic attorney. Before the trial, meeting with the prosecutor in a pre-trial conference makes it possible to reach a plea agreement to prevent a trial. If this is impossible, a trial date may be set and communicated to the defendant. The judge may hear all sides of the arguments at trial and reach a verdict. If the verdict is guilty, the defendant may have to pay fines and any additional costs that might accrue. Demerit points may be added to the defendant's driver's record, leading to a loss of driving privileges. If the defendant is found not guilty, then charges may be dismissed and the defendant may be freed of fines and demerit points, though court costs might still be applicable. Failure to appear for any of the court dates may result in a default judgment being entered against the defendant.

How to Prepare for Traffic Court in New Hampshire

Preparing for traffic court in New Hampshire requires a thorough understanding of the state's traffic laws, particularly RSA 265:1, which outlines the state's road rules. Unlike other states, New Hampshire traffic court is often held at the district court level. A vital step unique to New Hampshire is the option for a defendant to request a trial by written declaration instead of appearing in person. This allows individuals to contest their ticket through written statements and evidence submitted to the court.