If you need court papers served, a prisoner transported or a county jail contacted in New Hampshire, you will end up dealing with a county sheriff's office. The state has ten counties, and each one elects its own sheriff. This page explains how those offices are organised, how they differ between the southern cities and the northern woods, and what to do before you call or visit.

Our directory lists 15 sheriff offices, jails and satellite locations across the state. Several counties appear more than once because the sheriff, the jail and a second courthouse or county complex each have their own address. Keep that in mind as you read the listings, because it can save you a wasted drive.

How Sheriff Offices Are Organised Across New Hampshire's Ten Counties

New Hampshire sheriffs are elected by the voters of their county. The term is two years, and the vote takes place in November of even-numbered years, alongside the state and federal races. The statutes describing the sheriff's powers and the role of deputies are found in RSA chapter 104.

The sheriff does not work alone. Three elected county commissioners manage each county's daily business. A county convention, made up of the state representatives from that county, votes on the annual budget. Money for deputies, cruisers and the jail therefore passes through local legislators rather than through a single state agency.

That structure explains why no two offices look exactly alike. There is no statewide sheriff's department. Each county decides, within the law, how large its office is, what extra services it offers and how it divides work with the county corrections staff. Our listings for Belknap County and Rockingham County pair the sheriff's department with the county jail name, so call ahead to confirm which staff handle which task.

What a Sheriff's Office in New Hampshire Actually Handles

Most residents meet a sheriff's office through the courts rather than through a patrol car. The core duties are similar from county to county:

Fees for serving papers are tied to state law and court rules. The office will quote the charge when you hand over your documents. Ask for the exact amount and the accepted payment methods before you travel, because some counties do not take every form of payment at every desk.

Some counties also offer patrol, dispatch or contract policing to towns that want extra coverage. That is not uniform across the state, so ask your county directly instead of assuming a deputy will answer a local call.

Southern Metro Counties Versus the North Country

Hillsborough, Merrimack and Belknap: Where Listings Cluster

Hillsborough County is the most populous county in the state and has the most listings in our database. The Manchester office is at 300 Chestnut Street, phone 603-627-5610. The Nashua office is at 19 Temple Street, phone 603-882-1456. A Goffstown listing at 329 Mast Road, phone 603-627-0168, completes the picture, and a second listing for the same Mast Road address is filed under Manchester in our data. Superior court sits in both Manchester and Nashua, so the office closest to your court is usually the right place to start.

Merrimack County has two listings. The Merrimack County Sheriff's Office is at 333 Daniel Webster Highway in Boscawen, phone 603-796-6600. A Sheriffs Department listing sits at 163 North Main Street in Concord, phone 603-225-5583. Concord is the state capital and the county's main courthouse city. Because the two numbers differ, check which one your paperwork or court notice names.

Belknap County covers the Lakes Region around Laconia. Both Laconia listings, at 76 County Drive and 42 County Drive, show the same phone number, 603-527-5454, so start there whichever address you find first.

Coos, Grafton, Carroll and Sullivan: Long Distances, Fewer Offices

The Coos County Sheriff's Office at 55 School Street in Lancaster, phone 603-788-5598, covers the northernmost county and the largest in New Hampshire by area. Distances are long, winter weather slows travel and many towns are small. If you need to file papers, call ahead to confirm hours and ask whether documents can be mailed.

Grafton County's office is at 3785 Dartmouth College Highway in Haverhill, phone 603-787-2111. Carroll County's is at 95 Water Village Road in Ossipee, phone 603-539-2284. Sullivan County's is at 14 Main Street in Newport, phone 603-863-4200. Each serves a mix of villages, lakes and mountains, so a single deputy may cover a great deal of ground. Residents in these counties often depend on the sheriff, town police and State Police working together.

Rockingham, Strafford and Cheshire: Seacoast and Monadnock

The Rockingham County sheriff and jail are at 101 North Road in Brentwood, phone 603-679-2225. Strafford County's department is at 259 County Farm Road in Dover, phone 603-742-4960. In the Monadnock region, the Cheshire County Sheriffs Department is at 12 Court Street in Keene, phone 603-355-2000. These offices serve a mix of commuter towns, college towns and rural villages, so call times and waiting times can vary.

What New Hampshire Sheriffs Do Not Handle

Many people call a sheriff for things that belong to another agency. A license to carry a loaded pistol or revolver is issued by the local police chief, the selectmen or the mayor under RSA 159:6, not by the sheriff. Most adults who may legally own a firearm can carry concealed without a license since 2017, but the local license still exists.

Crashes and enforcement on interstates and state highways fall mainly to the New Hampshire State Police, part of the Department of Safety. Municipal police handle most calls inside city and town limits. Emergency calls go through 911, which the state's Division of Emergency Services and Communications runs.

Records are another common confusion. Public records requests to a county office fall under the state's Right-to-Know law, RSA chapter 91-A. Put your request in writing, describe the record clearly and name the county office that holds it.

Practical Steps Before You Contact a New Hampshire Sheriff

Find the county first, then the office. Check the court notice or paperwork you received, because it often names the county. Call the number in our listing, ask for the correct desk and confirm the hours. Write down the name of the person you spoke with. That small habit helps if your paperwork is delayed.

Sheriff offices in New Hampshire are independently elected county agencies responsible for law enforcement, jail operations, and civil process service. Each county in New Hampshire elects its own sheriff, who serves as the chief law enforcement officer for that county's unincorporated areas.

Sheriff locations are available in 13 cities across New Hampshire. They are spread across 10 counties.

Cities with the highest concentration of sheriff office listings include Manchester, Laconia, Nashua, reflecting the population centers where multiple sub-offices or specialty divisions may be located.

New Hampshire residents should note that sheriff offices handle civil law enforcement functions — such as serving eviction notices and foreclosure papers — in addition to criminal law enforcement, so the sheriff office is often the correct point of contact for civil legal matters at the county level.

Sheriff by Counties

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If you are a New Hampshire resident looking to obtain a concealed carry permit, request a background check clearance letter, or serve legal documents through official channels, your county sheriff office is the starting point — contact them directly to confirm required documentation and current processing times.

Browse Sheriff by county across New Hampshire to find the nearest location.

Finding the Right Sheriff's Office in New Hampshire

Choosing the correct office comes down to geography. A sheriff's office serves its own county, so the right one is usually the county where the person lives or works, or where the court case is filed. Papers for a Laconia resident go through the Belknap County office, while papers for someone in Keene go to Cheshire County at 12 Court Street.

Before you go, call. Several offices in our database sit inside county complexes or share space with the jail, so the front desk may not be where civil paperwork is accepted. Ask what hours the civil process desk keeps, what payment is taken and how many copies of each document are required.

Each of the ten counties elects its own sheriff by popular vote. Terms last two years, and the election is held in November of even-numbered years with the general election. The office is political, so the person who holds it can change after any election. Deputies are hired by the sheriff rather than elected. Because the county convention approves the budget, voters can also influence the office through their state representatives. If you want to know who holds the job in your county today, call the number in our listing, such as 603-355-2000 for Cheshire County, or ask the county for its official contact information.

No. In New Hampshire, a license to carry a loaded pistol or revolver is issued by the local police chief, the selectmen or the mayor, depending on the community, under RSA 159:6. Sheriff's offices do not process these applications. Since 2017 most adults who may legally own a firearm can carry concealed without a license, but some people still apply, for example to carry in other states that recognise the New Hampshire license. Start with the police department or town office where you live, bring photo identification and proof of residence, and ask about the fee and the processing time before you go.

Call the sheriff's office in the county where the person lives or works and ask for the civil process desk. Bring the original papers plus a copy for each person being served, the court name and case number, the person's full address and any description or schedule that helps a deputy find them. The office will quote its charge, so confirm accepted payment before you visit. Give the papers to the deputy early enough to meet the deadlines in your court order. In an eviction, a deputy generally delivers the writ of possession. Read your court's instructions or ask the clerk if you are unsure.

Both cities are in Hillsborough County, which is why our database lists several Hillsborough offices. The Manchester location is at 300 Chestnut Street, phone 603-627-5610. The Nashua office is at 19 Temple Street, phone 603-882-1456. A third listing sits at 329 Mast Road in Goffstown, phone 603-627-0168, and another listing at the same Mast Road address uses the Manchester number. Superior court sits in both Manchester and Nashua, so the location of your case often decides which office to use. When you are unsure, call the Manchester number first and ask to be directed.

Dial 911 for any emergency. Dispatchers send the nearest suitable responder, which may be a town officer, a sheriff's deputy or a New Hampshire State Police trooper. Many northern towns are small, and some rely on part-time officers, so help may come from the county or the State Police. For non-emergency business, the Coos County Sheriff's Office is at 55 School Street in Lancaster, 603-788-5598, and the Carroll County Sheriffs Department is at 95 Water Village Road in Ossipee, 603-539-2284. Save the numbers in your phone before winter travel.

Start with the county where the arrest or court case happened. The Belknap County sheriff and jail listings share 603-527-5454. The Rockingham County Sheriffs Department and Jail operates from 101 North Road in Brentwood at 603-679-2225. Staff can explain visiting rules, mail, phone access and how to deposit money, because each county sets its own policies. People serving longer state sentences are held by the New Hampshire Department of Corrections, and the state prison for men is in Concord. If someone has been moved, county staff can often tell you which agency now has custody.