Carroll County Court Records Search
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Carroll County, New Hampshire, occupies the state’s scenic Lakes Region and White Mountains corridor, with Ossipee serving as the county seat. The courts operating within the county generate a substantial volume of records covering criminal prosecutions, civil disputes, family law proceedings, and estate matters. These records document every significant legal action processed by Carroll County’s courts and serve a wide range of practical purposes — from background checks and genealogical research to legal proceedings and property transactions. Understanding which court holds which type of record, and how to access it, is the essential first step for any records request.
Court records in New Hampshire can be located through a combination of official court resources, clerk offices, and the judiciary’s electronic tools. The New Hampshire Judicial Branch maintains court locations, clerk contact information, and case filing information across the state. Publicly available case information for electronically filed matters can be accessed through the New Hampshire Judicial Branch’s Case Access Portal, which allows registered users to view case summaries and docket information from their own computers. For older or paper-filed cases, direct contact with the relevant clerk’s office remains the most reliable approach. NewHampshireCourts.us offers a starting point for understanding the state’s court structure and identifying where to direct a records request.
How to Look Up a Court Case in Carroll County?
Carroll County’s court records are distributed across several courts depending on the nature of the case. The courthouse complex along Route 171 in Ossipee houses most of the county’s judicial offices, while a second Circuit Court location in Conway serves the northern and western towns of the county.
The courts serving Carroll County are organized as follows:
Carroll County Superior Court
Address: 96 Water Village Road, Box 3, Ossipee, NH 03864
Clerk: Abigail Albee
Phone: (855) 212-1234 (outside U.S./Canada: (603) 415-0162)
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
3rd Circuit – District Division – Ossipee
Address: 96 Water Village Road, Box 2, Ossipee, NH 03864
Circuit Clerk: Elaine Lowe | Deputy Clerk: Shannon Davenport
Phone: (855) 212-1234
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
3rd Circuit – District Division – Conway
Address: 35 East Conway Road, Center Conway, NH 03813
Mailing: P.O. Box 129, Center Conway, NH 03813
Circuit Clerk: Elaine Lowe | Deputy Clerk: Joline Gushee
Phone: (855) 212-1234
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
3rd Circuit – Probate Division – Ossipee
Address: 96 Water Village Road, Box 1, Ossipee, NH 03864
Circuit Clerk: Elaine Lowe | Deputy Clerk: Shannon Davenport
Phone: (855) 212-1234
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
3rd Circuit – Family Division – Ossipee
Address: 96 Water Village Road, Box 4, Ossipee, NH 03864
Phone: (855) 212-1234
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
3rd Circuit – Family Division – Conway
Address: 35 East Conway Road, Center Conway, NH 03813
Mailing: P.O. Box 448, Center Conway, NH 03813
Phone: (855) 212-1234
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
To locate a specific case, requestors have three primary options:
- Online: Use the New Hampshire Case Access Portal for electronically filed cases. Registering for an account allows case summary and docket viewing remotely.
- In Person: Visit the clerk’s office at the appropriate court during business hours. Bring as much identifying information as possible — full party names, approximate filing dates, and case numbers when known.
- By Phone or Mail: Contact the relevant clerk’s office by phone or written request. For mail requests, include complete party names, the approximate year of filing, and a return address. Copy fees apply (see fee schedules below).
Are Court Records Public in Carroll County?
New Hampshire’s Right to Know Law (RSA Chapter 91-A), originally enacted in 1976 and updated in 2002, establishes the general principle that government records — including court records — are presumed to be open for public inspection unless a specific statutory exception applies. The New Hampshire courts operate under this framework, meaning most case records filed in Carroll County’s Superior Court and Circuit Courts are accessible to the public.
However, a defined set of case types and record categories are treated as confidential under state statute and court rule:
- Juvenile matters: Cases involving minors — including delinquency proceedings, abuse and neglect petitions, CHINS (Children in Need of Services) cases, and termination of parental rights — are sealed and not publicly accessible.
- Adoption proceedings: Adoption records are confidential and not subject to general public inspection.
- Grand jury materials: Grand jury records are sealed as a matter of law.
- Wiretap applications and orders: Applications for wiretaps, and any court orders related to them, are withheld from public access.
- Denied or pending warrant applications: Files related to applications for arrest or search warrants that have been denied or are still pending are not publicly available.
- Certain mental health proceedings: Records containing sensitive mental health or medical information receive heightened confidentiality protections.
Beyond these categorical restrictions, individual judges retain authority to seal specific records or redact identifying information when the circumstances warrant, such as cases involving minor witnesses, financial account details, or other sensitive personal data. Requestors who are uncertain whether a specific record is publicly available should contact the clerk’s office before making a formal request.
Carroll County Criminal Court Records
Criminal cases in Carroll County follow a two-track structure depending on the severity of the offense. Misdemeanor-level offenses and violation-level charges — including most motor vehicle matters — are handled by the Carroll County District Divisions of the 3rd Circuit Court, located in both Ossipee and Conway. Felony charges, which require grand jury indictment or probable cause determinations followed by jury or bench trial, are prosecuted in the Carroll County Superior Court on the third floor of the courthouse complex in Ossipee.
The Conway District Division serves the towns of Conway, Bartlett, Jackson, Eaton, Chatham, Hart’s Location, Albany, Madison, Glen, and surrounding unincorporated locations. The Ossipee District Division covers Ossipee, Tamworth, Freedom, Effingham, Wakefield, Wolfeboro, Tuftonboro, Moultonborough, Sandwich, and Brookfield, among others.
Searching criminal records online: The Case Access Portal on the New Hampshire Judicial Branch website provides access to electronically filed criminal case information. For Superior Court criminal case summaries specifically, users must register for an account at odypa.nhecourt.us/portal and sign in before viewing case data. This portal covers cases filed electronically and may not include older paper-only records.
Arrest records and Sheriff’s Office reports: The Carroll County Sheriff’s Office maintains arrest and incident reports for matters handled by the Sheriff. Record requests are processed during regular business hours:
Carroll County Sheriff’s Office
Address: 95 Water Village Road, Ossipee, NH 03864
Phone: (603) 539-2284
Hours: Monday–Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Contact the Sheriff’s Office directly to request a specific report. The office also maintains a sex offender registry accessible on its website. The Superior Court charges $6.50 per name for record searches, and photocopies are $0.50 per page, with certified copies at $10.00 each, under the Superior Court Fee Schedule effective July 1, 2025.
Petitions to annul criminal records: A person seeking to have a criminal record annulled may file a Petition to Annul Criminal Record in either the Superior Court or the Circuit Court — District Division. The filing fee is $125.00 per court location where the petition is filed.
Carroll County Civil Court Records
Civil matters in Carroll County are divided between the District Division and the Superior Court based on the amount in controversy. The Circuit Court District Divisions in Ossipee and Conway handle smaller civil claims, small claims matters, and landlord-tenant actions. The Superior Court has jurisdiction over larger civil cases, including significant contract disputes, tort claims, and matters exceeding the District Division’s monetary threshold.
Filing fees for civil matters (effective July 1, 2025) include:
| Case Type | Filing Fee |
|---|---|
| Civil Complaint or Counterclaim (District) | $300.00 |
| Small Claims — $5,000 or less | $125.00 |
| Small Claims — $5,001 to $10,000 | $180.00 |
| Landlord/Tenant Entry (District) | $150.00 |
| Request for Jury Trial / Transfer to Superior Court | $110.00 |
| Original Entry of Civil Action (Superior Court) | $325.00 |
| Landlord/Tenant (Superior Court) | $290.00 |
| Registration of Foreign Judgment | $265.00 |
| Writ of Execution | $40.00 |
Complete fee schedules are published on the New Hampshire Judicial Branch Forms and Fees page.
To request copies of civil case documents, visit the clerk’s office in person at the appropriate court. General copies are $0.50 per page; pages printed from a court kiosk or computer screen are $0.25 per page. Certificates and certified copies carry a $10.00 fee. Certificate of Judgment copies are also $10.00, and exemplifications of judgment are $40.00.
Mail requests for civil case records should be directed to the clerk’s office at the courthouse where the case was filed, with the full names of the parties, the approximate filing year, and any known case number. Payment by check, cash, money order, or credit card (MasterCard, Visa, or Discover) is accepted at the courts.
Carroll County property records, which are distinct from court civil filings, are maintained by the Carroll County Registry of Deeds at 95 Water Village Road (Route 171), Ossipee, NH 03864, Phone: (603) 539-4872 The Registry maintains real estate documents from 1840 to the present and provides free online index searching through the AVA system at ava.fidlar.com/NHCarroll, which allows searching by party name. Document images are available through the paid Tapestry service for those who need copies of specific instruments.
Carroll County Family Court Records
Family law matters in Carroll County are handled exclusively by the Family Divisions of the 3rd Circuit Court. The county has two Family Division locations — Ossipee and Conway — each covering the same geographic jurisdictions as their respective District Division counterparts. Both locations operate Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and share the same statewide phone number: (855) 212-1234.
The Family Division has jurisdiction over divorce and dissolution, parenting plans, child custody, child support, domestic violence civil protection orders, adoption petitions, and minor guardianships. The “one family, one judge” model applies in New Hampshire’s Circuit Courts — meaning that once a family matter is assigned to a judge, subsequent related petitions from the same family are typically directed to the same judicial officer.
Family Division filing fees (effective July 1, 2025) include:
| Case Type | Filing Fee |
|---|---|
| Divorce without minor children | $280.00 |
| Divorce with minor children or parenting matters | $282.00 |
| Petition to Change Court Order (with full agreement) | $135.00 |
| Petition to Change Court Order or Contempt (without full agreement) | $225.00 |
| Family Access Motion/Petition | $225.00 |
| Adoption Petition | $180.00 |
| Petition for Guardianship of Minor | $135.00 |
| Termination of Parental Rights | $190.00 |
| Name Change Petition | $140.00 |
| Divorce Certificate (certified copy of decree) | $40.00 |
Divorce records are maintained by the Superior Court Clerk in Ossipee for any divorces handled at the Superior Court level, and by the Family Division clerk for Circuit Court divorces. Written requests can be submitted in person or by mail to the applicable clerk.
Marriage and vital records: Marriage records, birth certificates, and death certificates for Carroll County events are maintained at two levels. At the local level, the town clerk’s office in the municipality where the event was registered holds the original record; requestors should contact the relevant town clerk directly. At the state level, the New Hampshire Division of Vital Records Administration maintains centralized records and issues certified copies. The current fee is $15.00 per record search, which is collected whether or not a record is found, and additional transaction fees apply for credit card payments. Requestors must complete the Certificate Application Form available on the Secretary of State’s website and submit it — along with a photocopy of a valid government-issued photo ID and the required fee — either in person or by mail to:
New Hampshire Division of Vital Records Administration
9 Ratification Way
Concord, NH 03301-2455
Carroll County Probate Court Records
All probate matters for Carroll County — including estate administration, admission of wills, intestate succession, guardianships of incapacitated adults, conservatorships, and trust proceedings — are handled by the 3rd Circuit – Probate Division – Ossipee, located on the first floor of the Carroll County Courthouse complex at 96 Water Village Road, Box 1, Ossipee, NH 03864. The Probate Division shares the courthouse’s main phone line ((855) 212-1234) and operates Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Probate records that have been electronically filed are searchable through the New Hampshire Case Access Portal. For older estates and paper-filed matters, in-person or written requests to the Probate Division clerk are required.
Probate Division filing fees (effective July 1, 2025) include:
| Proceeding Type | Filing Fee |
|---|---|
| Estate with gross value of $10,000 or less | $150.00 |
| Estate with gross value of $10,001 to $25,000 | $205.00 |
| Estate with gross value over $25,000 | $305.00 |
| Accounting for estates over $25,000 | $105.00 |
| Accounting for estates $25,000 or less | $0.00 |
| Petition for Guardianship of Incapacitated Person and/or Estate | $260.00 |
| Petition for Guardianship of Minor (Estate only or Person & Estate) | $260.00 |
| Motion to Re-Open Estate | $180.00 |
| Motion to Re-Examine Will | $175.00 |
| Petition to Appoint Trustee | $190.00 |
| Name Change Petition | $170.00 |
| Adoption Petition (Probate Division) | $180.00 |
Certain guardianship files and wills submitted to the court for safekeeping are treated as confidential under New Hampshire statutes and are not available for general public inspection. Access to these restricted filings requires a court order or demonstration of a recognized legal interest.
To request certified copies of probate records in person, visit the Probate Division clerk during business hours and provide the decedent’s full name and approximate year of filing. Copies are $0.50 per page, with certificates and certified copies at $10.00 each. An authenticated copy of a will or probate record from another state costs $40.00. For the complete and current schedule of all New Hampshire court fees, the Forms and Fees page on the judicial branch website is the authoritative reference.