Cheshire County
Cheshire County is the sixth largest county by land in New Hampshire, having a land area of 707 square miles. Named for Cheshire in northwestern England, the county was one of the five original counties established in New Hampshire in 1769. As of 2022, more than 76,000 persons reside in the county, while the City of Keene serves as the government seat.
Cheshire County has two trial courts: the Superior and Circuit Courts. The Superior Court is the county's general jurisdiction court tasked with handling all legal matters outside the scope of other courts in Cheshire. Felony-related crimes such as drug trafficking and capital murder are exclusive to the Superior Court. Civil cases heard at the apex court include requests for injunction cases, land title disputes, medical malpractices, and monetary claims for more than $25,000. The Superior Court in Cheshire County also hears appeals from the Circuit Court Divisions. Also known as New Hampshire's 8th Circuit Court, Cheshire Circuit Court has three divisions: District Divisions, Probate Divisions, and Family Divisions. The District Divisions handles misdemeanors, traffic offenses, and civil lawsuits under $25,000. Probate cases are resolved at the Probate Divisions, while the Circuit Court Family Divisions address juvenile delinquencies, divorces, adoption cases, child abuse, and parental rights termination.
Cheshire County public court records are official documents created during court proceedings in the county's Superior and Circuit Courts. These records contain motions, petitions, parties involved, case filings, case numbers, dockets, complaints, judgments, and trial transcripts. Per New Hampshire's Right-to-Know Law, public court records in Cheshire County foster transparency and accountability. Examples of public court documents include the following:
- Criminal court records
- Traffic records
- Land records
- Civil records
- Domestic relations records
- Probate records
The state law prohibits public access to adoption, juvenile, medical, paternity, and other confidential court records. Only record owners, their attorneys, legal guardians, and other persons granted special court permissions can access confidential records in Cheshire County. Record searchers can obtain copies of public court records by calling or sending written requests in person to the Superior Court Clerk at:
Cheshire County Superior Court
33 Winter Street, Suite 2
Keene, NH 03431
Phone: (855) 212-1234
Interested persons can also view Cheshire County court records online via the New Hampshire Case Access Portal. To use the portal, requesters must register with valid emails and search using case numbers or parties' names.
