Rockingham County Clerk of Court

The Rockingham Superior Court Clerk

The primary clerk for Rockingham County's general-jurisdiction court is the Clerk of the Superior Court. The Rockingham Superior Court jury notice identifies the office as the Office of the Clerk of Superior Court, Rockingham County. The Clerk of Court is Patrice D. Touma, Esq. The Deputy Clerk is Megan M. Ryan, Esq., and the Administrative Clerk is Elizabeth J. Chase. The court's physical address is 10 Route 125, Brentwood, NH 03833, with mail to Rockingham County Courthouse, P.O. Box 1258, Kingston, NH 03848-1258.

The clerk's office handles the Superior Court case files for felonies, jury trials, larger civil matters, and equity. The statewide Judicial Branch Information Center at 1-855-212-1234 routes calls to the right court division. Rockingham Superior Court uses court code 218, which appears at the start of its case numbers.

New Hampshire's Unified Court Clerk Structure

New Hampshire does not use a Texas-style split between a county clerk and a district clerk for court cases. Court records are maintained by Judicial Branch clerks for the relevant court and division. The Superior Court has its own clerk. Each Circuit Court division, District, Family, and Probate, has clerk staff for its files. This is a centralized model, where statewide systems and the Case Access Portal replace independent county-elected court clerks.

The county-level office that most resembles a county clerk for non-court records is the Register of Deeds, which maintains land records. The Register of Deeds is not the clerk of any court and does not issue court dockets. For deeds, mortgages, and liens, see the Register of Deeds page. For court case files, the clerk and the Case Access Portal are the right sources.

The county department contact table lists addresses and phone numbers for each office. The official county contact page is shown here:

Use the contact table to confirm which Rockingham County office holds the record you need before calling or visiting.

Circuit Court Clerks in the 10th Circuit

Rockingham County is the 10th Circuit. Its District and Family Division locations have their own clerk staff. Published NHJB address material lists clerks at several locations. These clerks handle the lower-court files, including misdemeanors, small claims, landlord-tenant, contested traffic, and family matters.

Confirm the exact division and location before mailing a filing, since the 10th Circuit spreads across several seacoast and western Rockingham towns.

Record Search Requests Through the Clerk

Some records only come through the clerk. Older paper files, certified copies, and sealed material need a written or in-person request. The Judicial Branch publishes a record search request form, NHJB-2798-Dfs, that lets clerks run searches across criminal, civil, or both. Judicial Branch Service Center materials cite a $20 per-name search fee. The fee is due whether or not a record is found, so confirm the current amount before mailing.

How to Request a Certified Copy

A certified copy carries the court seal and is accepted for legal use, a job, or an out-of-state filing. A portal printout is not certified. To get a certified judgment, decree, probate letter, or criminal disposition, work through the clerk who holds the file. The steps below cover a typical request.

1. Identify the court and case number; use the Case Access Portal to confirm.
2. Contact the clerk for that court division, or call 1-855-212-1234 for routing.
3. Complete the record search or copy request form and name the exact documents.
4. Pay the search and certification fees by check or money order to the specific court.
5. Allow added time for older paper records or sealed-material review.

For card payments, NHJB fee material says to attach a note with a phone number so the court can call to process the payment. Fees may be paid by cash, credit card, or check depending on the court.

Case Access Portal Registration

For document access beyond a public case summary, the clerk's process runs through the Case Access Portal account system. A self-represented party registers, activates the account by email, logs in, selects the Self-Represented Parties and other Non-Attorneys role, and enters an address and associated case number. The E-Filing Center reviews the elevated-access request, which the guide says may take up to one business day.

If access is granted, the user can view and download public documents in their own case. A user who has not appeared on a case gets general public access, which is case-summary only. Confidential filings stay restricted no matter the role. The Superior Court E-Filing Center email in the guide is SuperiorEFC@courts.state.nh.us.

Clerk Copy and Certification Fees

Court fees come from the Judicial Branch, not from the county. They are separate from vital-record fees and land-record recording fees. The table below shows the fees most often quoted for record searches and federal access. Filing fees, certificate fees, and copy fees for specific Circuit Court divisions appear in the Judicial Branch fee schedule, so confirm the live amount with the clerk before paying.

Checks and money orders are payable to the specific court. The fee for a record search is due whether or not the clerk finds a matching record.

Clerk of Court vs Register of Deeds

These two offices are easy to confuse, but they hold different records. The Clerk of Court keeps court case files: criminal, civil, family, and probate. The Register of Deeds keeps land records: deeds, mortgages, plans, and liens. A divorce decree is a court record from the clerk. A property deed is a land record from the Register of Deeds. Asking the wrong office is a common reason for a wasted trip on the Brentwood campus.

If you need a court judgment, a sentencing order, or a probate appointment, the clerk is the office. If you need a recorded deed or a lien release, the Register of Deeds at 102 North Road is the office. Vital records like marriage and divorce certificates come from a town clerk or the state, not from either of these offices.

Clerk of Court Contact Information

The Superior Court clerk's office is the main contact for Rockingham County court files. Use the address card below, and confirm the building before a visit, since the courthouse and county offices are split between Route 125 and North Road in Brentwood.

Related Rockingham County Records

The clerk handles many record types. For case files and search steps, see court records and court dockets. For the trial court itself, see Rockingham Superior Court. For land records held outside the courts, see Register of Deeds. For estate filings, see probate records.