New Hampshire Judgments & Liens Search

In New Hampshire, money judgments come from the Superior Court and the Circuit Court. A judgment is not by itself a lien on land: real estate is reached through an attachment, made by leaving an attested copy of the writ with the register of deeds of the county, and attached property is held for 6 years after judgment. UCC financing statements are filed with the New Hampshire Secretary of State.

Always confirm the official record by ordering a certified copy from the originating office when accuracy matters for closing, refinancing, or litigation.

LUCIE, the New Hampshire Judicial Branch's new case portal, lets the public create an account and search publicly accessible cases. It starts with non-confidential, electronically filed Circuit Court civil, small claims, name change and estate cases and Superior Court civil and criminal cases; documents can be viewed at courthouse kiosks.

• LUCIENew Hampshire Judicial Branch case portal
• About LUCIEWhich cases the portal shows
• New Hampshire court records guideCourts and clerks in New Hampshire on PublicRecordCenter

Real estate is attached by leaving an attested copy of the writ and the officer's return with the register of deeds of the county where the land is (RSA 511:3), and attached property is held until 6 years after the judgment (RSA 511:55). A mechanics lien arises without filing and lasts 120 days after the last services or materials (RSA 447:9); to keep it, the claimant must secure it by an attachment of the property within that time (RSA 447:10).

• RSA 511:3Attachment of real estate at the registry of deeds
• RSA 447:9Mechanics lien lasts 120 days
• RSA 447:10Mechanics lien secured by attachment

UCC financing statements are filed with the New Hampshire Secretary of State, Corporation Division, through its QuickStart online service, which also takes orders for UCC searches.

• New Hampshire UCCSecretary of State UCC and statutory liens
• NH QuickStartFile UCC statements and order searches

Real or personal property attached in a lawsuit is held until 6 years after the judgment on which execution can be taken; an attachment of real estate with no judgment expires 10 years after it was filed with the register of deeds (RSA 511:55). An action of debt on a judgment can be brought within 20 years, and not afterward (RSA 508:5).

• RSA 511:55How long attachments last
• RSA 508:5Twenty year limit on an action on a judgment

New Hampshire's statutory tool is the inquiry into ability to pay under RSA 524:6-a. The court inquires of the defendant as to the defendant's ability to pay the judgment, either when judgment is entered or, upon petition of the plaintiff after judgment, by ordering the defendant to appear in court for such inquiry, and the court may order agencies to investigate the defendant's ability to pay. The statute then supports periodic payment orders.

The court files can inform the inquiry. In a New Hampshire divorce the financial affidavit is confidential under RSA 458:15-b, but the final decree, the uniform support order and the property stipulation are public and show the support figures and who kept which asset. A bankruptcy file in the District of New Hampshire lists deposit accounts by institution and the employer by name. The New Hampshire asset search page covers both.

• RSA 524:6-aCourt inquiry into the debtor's ability to pay

The New Hampshire Judicial Branch posts self-help pages for civil cases and small claims, and its court forms and fees.

• Civil self-helpNew Hampshire Judicial Branch
• Forms and feesNew Hampshire court forms

• PACER, federal court recordsFederal district, bankruptcy and appeals case files
• IRS, federal tax liensWhat a federal tax lien is and how it is released