New Hampshire Genealogy Search

New Hampshire family history reaches back to the 1620s coastal settlements, and its towns have kept vital records from their founding. The state began collecting copies in 1866 and required registration in 1901, and the New Hampshire Division of Vital Records Administration in Concord holds a statewide index that reaches back into the colonial period through the towns' returns. The New Hampshire State Archives in Concord holds the provincial and state records, probate files from the 1600s and the county court records.

New Hampshire took no state censuses, so the town records, the provincial and state tax lists and the federal censuses from 1790 carry the family.

Official sources on this page were checked on September 25, 2026.

New Hampshire statewide genealogy links

• New Hampshire Archives and Records ManagementState Archives
• New Hampshire Town History Guide
• New Hampshire State LibraryState Library Resources
• New Hampshire Vital RecordsVital Records Research
• New Hampshire Genealogy and Hereditary SocietiesGenealogical Societies
• New Hampshire Census Records Online

New Hampshire towns recorded births, marriages and deaths from their settlement, the state collected copies from 1866 and required registration from 1901, and the Division of Vital Records Administration holds the statewide index and records, with town clerks holding the originals. Births are restricted for 100 years and deaths, marriages and divorces for 50, after which they are public, and the Division's public research room lets researchers search the older index. The New Hampshire vital records through the 1930s are also indexed on FamilySearch and Ancestry. Divorce records since 1880 are with the Division and the superior courts.

• New Hampshire Division of Vital Records AdministrationStatewide index and records from the colonial period, checked September 25, 2026
• New Hampshire State ArchivesProvincial and state records, probate and court files, checked September 25, 2026
• New Hampshire Vital Records guideHow to order certificates and what is public

The State Archives holds the provincial probate files from 1635 to 1771, the Masonian and provincial land grants, the state's Revolutionary War, War of 1812 and Civil War records, county court records from the 1600s, the New Hampshire State Prison registers and the town charters. The New Hampshire Historical Society in Concord holds manuscripts, family papers and the Society's genealogy library, and the New Hampshire State Library holds newspapers and town histories. The National Archives at Boston holds New Hampshire's federal court, customs and naturalization records, and the Portsmouth Athenaeum holds seacoast collections.

• New Hampshire Historical SocietyManuscripts, family papers and genealogy library, checked September 25, 2026
• National Archives at BostonFederal court, customs and naturalization records for New Hampshire, checked September 25, 2026
• FamilySearch New Hampshire research guideFree indexed New Hampshire records and images, checked September 25, 2026

New Hampshire's ten county registries of deeds hold land records from each county's founding in 1769 and later, with the earlier provincial deeds at the State Archives, and most registries post free online indexes and images. The circuit court probate divisions hold wills, estates and guardianships, with older files at the State Archives, and the superior courts hold civil and divorce cases. Town clerks hold the vital records and town meeting records, and the State Archives has microfilmed most town books.

• New Hampshire County Public RecordsRegistries of deeds, probate divisions and town clerks for all 10 counties
• New Hampshire Court RecordsSuperior and circuit court case information

These federal and national sources complement New Hampshire's state-level records. They are the authoritative sources you should cross-check when New Hampshire state records are incomplete or out-of-state activity matters.

NARA, National Archives The federal government's primary archive. Holds the U.S. census (1790, 1950), ship passenger lists, naturalization records, military service files, and land entry files.

FamilySearch Free online genealogy platform operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Digitized microfilm copies of many county and state records worldwide.

Library of Congress, Local History & Genealogy The LoC's research guides, city directories, newspapers, and Civil War records, most accessible free online through loc.gov.