Criminal Record Requests | Annulments | Uniform Crime Reporting
Contact Information | Frequently Asked Questions

33 Hazen Drive, Concord, NH 03305
PUBLIC COUNTER (for in-person requests)
MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY
8:15 a.m. - 4:15 p.m.
Room 106A

Welcome to New Hampshire State Police Criminal Records

The mission of the Criminal Records Unit is to obtain, store, and disseminate Criminal History Record Information (CHRI) on all criminal arrests and dispositions of individuals charged with a criminal offense in New Hampshire. In support of that mission the Criminal Records Unit maintains the Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS), which receives and processes criminal and applicant fingerprint information for the Central Repository and the FBI criminal record database. CHRI is stored in the Unit’s Central Repository and is the only source for an individual’s complete criminal history for all of New Hampshire.

CHRI is received at the Criminal Records Unit by way of fingerprint impressions taken of arrestees and/or criminal complaints and dispositions from the circuit and superior courts. All criminal fingerprint impressions are sent to the FBI for inclusion to their CHRI database. New Hampshire CHRI has no expiration date and only is removed by way of a Petition to Annul granted by the court of jurisdiction, and all related fees are satisfied.

CHRI in the Central Repository is disseminated for either criminal justice or non-criminal justice purposes. Criminal justice is typically for law enforcement and judicial functions, and both conviction and non-conviction data is provided. For non-criminal justice purposes, such as employment, housing, licensing, etc., only conviction CHRI is provided.

Public criminal conviction history maintained in the central repository can be disseminated upon request to anyone for a fee. Confidential Criminal History Information, including non-conviction data, can be disseminated only to Law enforcement personnel, or a person requesting his or her own record. There are a few circumstances where either a New Hampshire, or both a New Hampshire and FBI CHRI are statutorily required. Examples would be for employment, professional licensing, and healthcare.

RSA 106-B:14, I-a (d) Criminal conviction records received from the division shall be the official source of certified criminal conviction history records for employment and licensing purposes.

New Hampshire Criminal History Record Information Requests

To obtain criminal history record information you may do any of the following:

• Apply in person: walk-in service is provided at the public counter at 33 Hazen Drive, Concord, Room 106A
• Mail in an application (Notarization is not required)
• A release to a third party (Notarization is not required.
• Request your OWN "Confidential" (Full) record.
  • When mailing in this request - Notary Public or Justice of the Peace Signature, Date and Seal are required.
  • When requesting at the public counter - Valid photo ID is required
  Download the Criminal Record Release Authorization Form

Criminal history record information results:

Effective immediately, results provided for a Criminal History Record request will be provided in the form of a “revised” New Hampshire State Police Criminal History Record Dissemination Document. The revision allows for consistency when disseminating records to applicants, and replaces our old process of stamping the release forms with “NO RECORD” or “RECORD ATTACHED”. The release forms will no longer be returned with the results of your requests.

If your request included fingerprints, FBI results will continue to be in the form of a red stamp indicating “FBI NO RECORD” or a letter indicating an FBI record. The red stamp will be located at the end of the NH result form.

This document is the first of multiple steps to automating our dissemination process. We are currently finalizing the details necessary to implement our online Portal. This Portal will allow applicants the ability to schedule appointments, request records, and make payments.

Payment

Cash, check, money order, MasterCard, Visa or Discover, in the exact amount of $25.00, payable to the State of NH - Criminal Records must accompany each NH request. **Credit cards are only accepted at the public counter, not with mailed in requests.

REDUCED FEE FORM POLICY AND PROCEDURE

New Hampshire Administrative Rule Saf-C 5703.07 (c) authorizes volunteers for a public or private not-for-profit entity to be entitled to a reduced fee for a CHRI. The entity must meet ALL of the following criteria:

Administrative Rule Saf-C 5703:07 Fee Exemption allows a reduced fee of $10.00 per CHRI request if the requesting entity is a non-profit organization, the individual for whom the request is made is a volunteer, and that individual will be working with the elderly, the disabled, or children. All qualifying criteria must be met in order to grant the requesting entity reduced fee status for each volunteer. Both forms must be completed for each volunteer. The name of the volunteer must be noted, and which vulnerable category the volunteer will be working. The form must be signed by an individual authorized to attest the entity has met all required criteria for reduced fee status.

Download the Reduced Fee Request Form

Payment

Cash, check, money order, MasterCard, Visa or Discover, in the exact amount of $10.00, payable to the State of NH - Criminal Records must accompany each NH request. **Credit cards are only accepted at the public counter, not with mailed in requests.

New Hampshire Required FBI Criminal History Record for Non-Criminal Justice Purposes

New Hampshire has several state laws that require both a NH and FBI CHRI record check.  For a comprehensive list of those laws, please review Laws Regulating the Release of Criminal Records.  In accordance with these laws the FBI requires the applicant to submit their fingerprint impressions. Fingerprint images are captured by one of two methods: 1. by applying ink to the fingers and the impressions placed on a fingerprint card; or, 2. by digital capture via a LiveScan device. Capturing fingerprint impressions by LiveScan is the preferred method as it is the most accurate way to capture fingerprint impressions. The LiveScan will capture both fingerprint images and demographic information, and electronically transmit that data to the Criminal Records Unit for further processing.

All applicants requiring a NH/FBI CHRI will initiate the criminal background check process through their government agency (employer, school district, licensing board, etc.)

• At their state agency, applicants will complete a NH CHRI request form, render the fee of $48.25 ($21.25 if volunteer), payable to NH State Police – Criminal Records, and receive either a fingerprint card or instructions on being fingerprinted by a LiveScan.

• The applicant will make arrangements to be fingerprinted, and return either the inked fingerprint card, or the LiveScan form received from the LiveScan operator, to their state agency.
  
  NOTE: Applicants required to submit fingerprints for a search of the FBI database NO LONGER need to have the state form notarized.

• The state agency will submit, as one package, the NH CHRI form, the fee payment, and either the inked fingerprint card or LiveScan form to the State Police Criminal Records Unit.

• The Criminal Records Unit will process both the NH and FBI CHRI and return the results to the applicant’s state agency.

Scheduling an appointment is encouraged, as this is the best and most efficient way to process an applicant requiring fingerprints. To schedule an appointment for fingerprinting, please call: (603) 223-3867.

Scheduling an appointment has its benefits over walk-ins. If you call to schedule a LiveScan fingerprinting appointment, the operator will explain the fingerprinting process, the required paperwork you are to bring with you, and the fee you will be charged.  Appointments are also more convenient for the applicant, knowing the exact time they will be served and allowing the flexibility of planning the remainder of their day.  Please call (603) 223-3867 and ask to be scheduled for applicant (or licensee) fingerprinting. Please arrive 10 minutes prior to your scheduled time and expect the process to take approximately 15 minutes. A 24-hour notice is requested for all cancellations.

The established protocol is for the applicant to schedule an appointment to be fingerprinted. The walk-in option is for the rare occasion when the hiring or licensing agency needs that applicant fingerprinted with good reason beyond the normal employing/licensing process. Scheduled appointments take priority, and a walk-in may be delayed up to an hour or more until a time slot is available.   The walk-in option is NOT for applicants that do not wish to wait to be scheduled for an appointment; or waited too long during their agency’s process to schedule a fingerprinting appointment in a timely manner.

LiveScan (Fingerprinting) Site Locations

The Division of State Police maintains seven applicant LiveScan sites. *Appointments are required, no walk-ins will be accepted.

The locations and addresses are:

• Concord - Department of Safety Building, 33 Hazen Drive - First Floor, Room 106A

• Hours of Operation:
• Fingerprinting: Monday – Friday 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
• Public Counter: Monday - Friday 8:15 a.m. to 4:15 p.m.  

• Manchester - DMV Substation, 377 South Willow Street
  
• Twin Mountain - State Police Barracks Troop F, 549 Route 302
• Dover Point - DMV Substation 50 Boston Harbor Road (off Route 4)

• Hours of Operation:
• Monday – Friday 8:30 a.m. to 3:45 p.m.

• Keene - State Police Barracks Troop C, 15 Ash Brook Court
• Tamworth - State Police Barracks Troop E, 1864 Route 16
• Salem - DMV Substation, 154 Main Street

• Hours of Operation:
• Monday – Wednesday, Friday 8:45 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
• Thursday 8:45 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Required Documents: Valid photo identification (driver’s license; non-driver’s license; passport)

Whether the applicant fingerprints are captured by ink or LiveScan, it is imperative that the correct New Hampshire statutory cite (RSA) is noted that authorizes access to the FBI record database for that applicant.

The below state agencies require both a NH and FBI CHRI check:

Banking Department

• Credit Unions

• Loans, Debts, Sales

• Banking Department Employees

Department of Health and Human Services

• License Exempt Child Care

• TANF Child Care

• Adoptive Parents

• Child Day Care & Institutions

• New Foster Parents

• Therapeutic Cannabis Program

• NH Medicaid Program

Office of Professional Licensure and Certification

• Board of Nursing

• Board of Medicine

• Alcohol and Drug Use Professionals

• Real Estate Appraisers

• Medical Technicians

• Nursing Home Administrators

• Psychologists

• Allied Health Professionals

              Athletic Trainers

              Genetic Counselors

              Occupational Therapists

              Physical Therapists

              Recreational Therapists

              Respiratory Care Specialists

              Speech-Language Therapists

• Board of Dental Examiners

• Naturopathic Health Care

• Board of Mental Health

• IRS Publication 1075

Lottery Commission and Charitable Gaming Commission

• Licensing of Game Operators

• Games of Chance Facility License

New Hampshire Department of Revenue

Department of Safety

• Driver’s Education Instructors – Department of Motor Vehicles

• Employees – Division/Bureau specific

• Emergency Medical Service Provider Licensing – Bureau of Emergency Medical Services

Municipal Employees/Volunteers – Forms and Instructions Provided by the Specific Municipality

Hawker & Peddlers License – Forms and Instructions Provided by the Specific Municipality

County Employees – Forms and Instructions Provided by Specific County

Serve America Act Volunteers – Forms and Instructions Provided by Specific Employer

Consumer reporting Agencies -  Forms and Instructions Provided by Specific Employer

Annulments

New Hampshire RSA 651:5 enables certain criminal arrests and convictions to be removed from the state and FBI criminal history record. The process begins by filing a Petition to Annul with the court of jurisdiction. There are required fees to the annulment process, specifically, a court filing fee of $100.00, a Department of Corrections Parole and Probation report fee of $100.00, and a state police administrative fee of $100.00 to remove the annulled CHRI from both the state and FBI criminal history. For questions regarding annulments, please call (603) 223-3867 and select option # 3.

Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR)/National Incident Based Reporting System (NIBRS):

Statistical data is collected and compiled from 150+ state, county and local law enforcement agencies in New Hampshire for juvenile and adult offense and arrests.  

• Final data is sent to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and added to a national UCR report.
• The contact number for statistical requests is (603) 223-3869.

The New Hampshire UCR program is a state and national criminal justice data collection program administered by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  The primary objective of UCR is to collect a reliable set of crime statistics to use in the administration, operation and management of law enforcement agencies.  To meet this objective NH collects crime data from 154 state, county, and local law enforcement agencies using the FBI NIBRS data collection guidelines.  Included in the NIBRS data collection are Group “A” offenses, reported as complete incidents including data on victims, offenders, arrestees, circumstances, property, etc.; and Group “B” offenses collect data on arrestees only. Please read additional information on offenses.  

NEW NIBRS WEBSITE
The State Police Uniform Crime Report Unit (UCR) has partnered with Beyond 20/20 to make the state’s crime statistics available to the public on a new website.  The reports on the website use a variety of measures, i.e. number of incidents, offenses, victims, offenders, etc.) taken from the NIBRS Group A and Group B data submitted by our state, county and local law enforcement agencies.   By clicking on Help – Tutorials you will bring up instructions on creating your own reports.

The public website is now available.  Please keep in mind that reports on this website are currently based on a “snapshot” of our database and will not reflect the updates and changes to incident-based records we continue to receive from the contributing agencies.

Caution against Ranking
Every year various state agencies; the media, the public, and other groups, rush to use the reported crime statistics to compile city or county rankings.  These rankings do not reflect accurate comparisons as they do not take into account the following variables:

• Population density and degree of urbanization in each jurisdiction and surrounding area
• Variations in the composition of the population, particularly youth concentration
• Population increase due to daily commuters, transients, tourists, shoppers, etc.
• Modes of transportation and highway systems
• Cultural conditions
• Family conditions with respect to divorce and family cohesiveness
• Climate
• Effective strength of law enforcement agencies
• Administrative and investigative emphases of law enforcement

Until data users examine all variables that affect crime in a town, city, or county no meaningful comparisons can be made.  For these reasons the FBI has a long standing policy against ranking cities, counties, states, and universities/colleges on the sole basis of NIBRS crime data.

CUSTOMER SERVICE

If you have any questions regarding Criminal Record Requests, please call (603) 223-3867:

• Press #1 to schedule a fingerprinting appointment at one of our 7 LiveScan locations.
• Press #2 after contacting your licensing board or hiring agency to check the status of your criminal record request
• Press #3 for Annulments.
• Press #4 for instructions on how to request a criminal record.
• Press #5 for all other questions.

Please take a few minutes to complete a customer survey reflecting the service you received.

Contact Us

New Hampshire Department of Safety
Division of State Police
Susie Vachon, Supervisor
Central Repository for Criminal Records
33 Hazen Drive
Concord, NH 03305
Phone: (603) 223-3867