Divorce records in New Hampshire are partially public. Basic case information—party names, the filing court, and the final decree date—is generally accessible, but financial affidavits are automatically confidential under N.H. RSA § 458:15-b. Certified divorce certificates cost a $15 search fee and are restricted to those with a direct and tangible interest. Records enter the public domain 50 years after the divorce.
Key Facts: New Hampshire Divorce Records
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Filing Fee | $280 (no minor children); higher tier with minor children — verify with clerk |
| Certificate Search Fee | $15 (payable whether or not a record is found); $10 each additional copy |
| Public Domain Threshold | 50 years after the divorce (RSA § 5-C:105) |
| Financial Affidavit Status | Confidential by statute (RSA § 458:15-b) |
| Access Standard (recent records) | Direct and tangible interest required |
| Governing Statutes | RSA 458 (divorce), RSA 5-C (vital records), RSA 91-A (Right-to-Know) |
Are Divorce Records Public in New Hampshire?
Divorce records in New Hampshire are public in part but not in whole. The New Hampshire Judicial Branch operates under a policy favoring open court records, so basic case data—the parties' names, the Circuit Court Family Division that heard the case, and the date of the final judgment—is generally available to the public. However, sensitive components such as financial affidavits, minor-child information, and Social Security numbers are shielded by statute. This creates a dual-tier system where the existence of a divorce is public while its private details are not.
The question "are divorce records public New Hampshire" has a nuanced answer because New Hampshire treats two distinct document types differently. Court case files (the litigation record) fall under RSA § 91-A, the Right-to-Know Law, and the Judicial Branch's public-access guidelines. Vital records (certified certificates and decrees) fall under RSA § 5-C, which restricts access to individuals with a direct and tangible interest. Understanding which document you need determines which access rules apply and whether you can obtain it at all.
What Divorce Information Is Public in New Hampshire?
Publicly accessible divorce information in New Hampshire is limited to basic case identifiers: the names of both spouses, the county Circuit Court Family Division where the petition was filed, the case number, and the date the divorce was finalized. This baseline data is available because the Judicial Branch's express policy allows public access to court records to effectuate constitutional access rights under the New Hampshire Constitution and RSA § 91-A.
The practical value of public divorce filings is confirmation that a divorce occurred and when. A member of the public researching whether two people are legally divorced can typically verify that fact through the court index or a divorce certificate. What the public cannot obtain without authorization are the substantive terms: the property division settlement, alimony amounts, child support figures, custody and parenting arrangements, and the detailed financial disclosures each spouse filed. These outcome details live inside the case file and financial affidavits, which carry statutory confidentiality protections that override the general presumption of openness.
Which Divorce Records Are Confidential in New Hampshire?
Financial affidavits are the most strictly protected divorce records in New Hampshire, made confidential by RSA § 458:15-b. This statute states that all financial affidavits filed under Chapter 458 are confidential and accessible only to the parties, their attorneys, the guardian ad litem, Department of Health and Human Services child-support staff, and specified state and federal officials carrying out official functions. Knowingly disclosing a financial affidavit to an unauthorized person is a misdemeanor.
Beyond financial affidavits, RSA § 458:15-b directs that certain sensitive identifiers be redacted from any publicly accessible version of a record, including Social Security numbers, financial account details, and information about minor children. This protects children and prevents identity theft or financial exploitation. The confidentiality is not absolute: the statute allows a court to grant access to a financial affidavit upon a showing by clear and convincing evidence that the public interest served by release outweighs the private interest in maintaining the affidavit's privacy. That is a demanding standard, and courts rarely release financial affidavits to non-parties. For most third parties, the financial substance of a New Hampshire divorce remains permanently out of reach absent a court order.
The Three Types of New Hampshire Divorce Documents
New Hampshire produces three distinct divorce documents, each with different content and access rules. The divorce certificate is a one-page vital record that verifies a divorce occurred, showing party names and the date—but not property, support, or custody terms. The divorce decree is the court's final judgment and includes the substantive rulings on alimony, child support, and property division. The full divorce record (case file) is the complete litigation file: petitions, motions, evidence, orders, and correspondence.
Access differs by document. The table below summarizes where each is obtained and how public it is.
| Document | Contains | Where to Obtain | Public Access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Divorce Certificate | Names, divorce date | DVRA, town/city clerk (via NHVRIN) | Direct and tangible interest; public after 50 years |
| Divorce Decree | Alimony, support, property terms | Circuit Court Family Division (certified copy) | Parties, attorneys, court-authorized persons |
| Full Case File | All filings, motions, orders, evidence | Circuit Court Family Division clerk | Restricted; financial affidavits confidential |
Knowing which document you need saves time and money. If you only need proof a divorce happened, the certificate suffices. If you need the enforceable terms, request a certified decree from the court that issued it.
How to Get a Divorce Certificate in New Hampshire
A certified New Hampshire divorce certificate costs a $15 search fee, payable whether or not the record is found, with additional certified copies of the same record at $10 each. Certificates are issued by the Division of Vital Records Administration (DVRA), any of New Hampshire's 234 city and town clerks, or the Circuit Court Family Division, and every request requires positive photo identification under RSA § 5-C:102.
Because all New Hampshire municipalities participate in the New Hampshire Vital Records Information Network (NHVRIN), you can use any town clerk—not just the one where the divorce occurred—to produce a certificate for any divorce recorded in the statewide database from 1979 to the present, subject to a six-month time lag. If your divorce was finalized less than six months ago, contact the issuing court directly for a copy of the certificate. For expedited service, third-party vendors VitalChek and EB2Gov process requests using major credit cards, adding processing and shipping fees on top of the $15 search fee. As of December 2025, the $15 search fee and $10 additional-copy fee reflect the current DVRA schedule. Verify with the DVRA or your town clerk, because fees can change.
Who Can Access Recent Divorce Records in New Hampshire?
Access to recent New Hampshire divorce records is restricted to individuals with a direct and tangible interest. For vital records under RSA § 5-C, that generally means the divorced individuals themselves and immediate family members—parents, stepparents, spouse, siblings, grandparents, and aunts or uncles. Clerks cannot issue certified copies to cousins, in-laws, or unrelated parties without documented proof of a tangible interest, such as a legal or financial connection to the record.
For court case files, only the divorced individuals, their attorneys, and court-authorized persons may access the complete file, and financial affidavits are limited to the narrow class listed in RSA § 458:15-b. A person who is not a party can still obtain restricted records, but only through a court order issued by a New Hampshire court. To obtain that order, the requester typically must demonstrate that their interest in the information outweighs the parties' privacy interest—for financial affidavits, by clear and convincing evidence. This makes casual public inspection of a recent New Hampshire divorce's substantive contents effectively impossible without either a family relationship, a legal role in the case, or a judge's authorization.
When Do New Hampshire Divorce Records Become Public?
New Hampshire divorce records enter the public domain 50 years after the divorce, under RSA § 5-C:105. The statute provides that death, marriage, and divorce records more than 50 years old are considered part of the public domain, while birth records become public after 100 years. Until that 50-year threshold passes, vital divorce records remain restricted to individuals with a direct and tangible interest.
This 50-year rule is a firm statutory line and applies specifically to vital records (certificates) held by the DVRA and the vital-records system. Once a divorce record crosses the 50-year mark, any member of the public may request it without demonstrating a personal connection, making it a valuable resource for genealogists and historical researchers conducting a divorce records search. Note that court case files follow the Judicial Branch's public-access framework rather than the 50-year vital-records rule, and confidential components such as financial affidavits may carry their own protections. For most contemporary divorces, the substantive record stays private for the parties' lifetimes, and the 50-year rule governs when the certified vital record itself becomes freely searchable.
Can You Seal or Restrict Divorce Records in New Hampshire?
You can seal New Hampshire divorce records, but sealing requires a petition and court approval and does not guarantee complete confidentiality. To seal records, the parties must file a petition with valid justification for removing the documents from public access, and the court weighs that request against the presumption of open court records under RSA § 91-A and the New Hampshire Constitution. Sealing is granted selectively, typically where compelling privacy, safety, or child-welfare interests exist.
Even when a court seals divorce records, the protection is partial. Sealed records remain accessible to the parties, their attorneys, and court personnel, and the court index generally still reflects that a case exists—so the fact of the divorce may remain discoverable even if the details are hidden. Parties seeking to seal divorce records for privacy should understand that many sensitive elements are already protected by default: financial affidavits are confidential under RSA § 458:15-b, and Social Security numbers, account numbers, and minor-child information are redacted from public versions. Because sealing standards and procedures are fact-specific, parties concerned about divorce records privacy should consult a New Hampshire family-law attorney and review the Judicial Branch's public-access guidelines before filing a motion to seal.
How to Search New Hampshire Divorce Records Online
New Hampshire does not operate a single statewide public portal for searching all divorce records online, so a divorce records search usually combines court and vital-records channels. The Judicial Branch has launched a Case Access Portal that lets parties view their own electronically filed cases from home or office, and many county courthouses provide public computer terminals where records may be accessed in person. For public divorce filings, the court index at the relevant Circuit Court Family Division is the primary in-person resource.
For certificates, the NHVRIN statewide database—accessed through any town clerk or the DVRA—covers divorces from 1979 forward with a six-month lag, and third-party vendors VitalChek and EB2Gov offer online-ordering for a fee. Records over 50 years old that have entered the public domain under RSA § 5-C:105 are the most broadly searchable, and are frequently used by genealogists. When conducting any divorce records search in New Hampshire, requesters should remember that recent records require a direct and tangible interest and photo ID, while the substantive terms inside the case file remain protected regardless of the search method used. Third-party records-aggregator websites exist but are not official government sources; always verify results against the DVRA or the issuing court.
New Hampshire Filing Fees and Residency Context
Understanding how a divorce record is created helps explain its access rules. A New Hampshire divorce begins with a petition filed at the Circuit Court Family Division in the county where either spouse resides, with a filing fee of $280 for divorce matters without minor children and a higher tier for matters involving minor children. As of December 2025, these figures reflect the Judicial Branch fee schedule; card payments add a surcharge. Verify with your local clerk, because fees change.
Residency is governed by RSA § 458:5, which provides three jurisdictional pathways: both spouses domiciled in New Hampshire at filing (no waiting period); the filing spouse domiciled in New Hampshire with in-state personal service on the other spouse (no waiting period); or the filing spouse domiciled in New Hampshire for one year before filing. New Hampshire imposes no mandatory separation or waiting period before finalization. Every petition, motion, order, and financial affidavit generated during this process becomes part of the case file—which is precisely why New Hampshire layers confidentiality protections over the financial and child-related components while keeping the basic fact of the divorce publicly verifiable.