New Hampshire small claims
How to file a New Hampshire small claim online
Official form: Small Claim Complaint (court-generated via e-filing) · Walkthrough written against No fixed form — the complaint is generated inside the court's e-filing system (process verified July 2026)
New Hampshire files this through the court's online system
There is no free-standing PDF to download and fill: the initiating document is generated inside the court's own filing system. The walkthrough below covers what that process asks for, and the official link goes to the court's page for it.
The official filing system — on the court's site
Filing here runs through the court's own online system, and the court's page is the authoritative starting point. We link the official source and never stand in between.
Open the court's filing page →Link verified 2026-07-01. If it has moved, the court's forms index and clerk's office will have the current version — verify with the court before filing.
What this form is
New Hampshire handles small claims in the District Division of the Circuit Court, and electronic filing is mandatory for small claims at all court locations — there is no free-standing complaint PDF to download, print, and hand to a clerk. Self-represented filers use the Judicial Branch's TurboCourt-based online system; attorneys use File & Serve. The Small Claim Complaint itself is generated inside the e-filing system at the end of a question-and-answer interview.
The interview collects the information a small claim complaint needs: who the plaintiff and defendant are and their addresses, the amount claimed, and a statement of why the money is owed. New Hampshire small claims covers claims of $10,000 or less, and the interview asks which district division location the claim belongs in — the court's site lists each location and its territory, and the clerk's office can confirm the right one. When the interview is complete, the system submits the complaint and related forms to the court electronically and collects the filing fee.
Because the complaint lives inside the portal, the walkthrough below describes the stages of the online process and the categories of information it asks for, rather than numbered boxes on a paper form. The court posts a sample complaint and step-by-step e-filing instructions on courts.nh.gov.
The form, field by field
What each part of the form asks for, in the form's own order. These are descriptions of the questions — what to answer depends on facts only you know, and the court clerk or the form's own instructions are the authoritative sources.
Getting into the system
Account registration
Filing starts with creating an account in the court's online filing system (TurboCourt for self-represented filers). The account carries the filer's contact information and is where case notifications arrive.
Court location
The system asks where the claim will be filed. The court's site lists each district division location and the territory it covers; the clerk's office can confirm which location a claim belongs in.
The interview — parties and claim
Plaintiff information
The filer's name, address, and contact details — the person or business bringing the claim.
Defendant information
The name and address of the person or business being sued. The address matters because the court's notice to the defendant runs to it.
Claim amount
The amount of money claimed. New Hampshire small claims covers claims of $10,000 or less; the amount entered also determines the filing-fee tier (claims of $5,000 or less versus claims over $5,000).
Statement of the claim
A plain-language description of why the defendant owes the money — the facts the complaint will present to the court and the defendant.
Generating, submitting, and paying
Generated Small Claim Complaint
The system assembles the answers into the Small Claim Complaint and any required companion forms — this generated document is the operative filing; there is no separate paper form to fill out.
Electronic submission and fee payment
The completed complaint is submitted to the court electronically, and the filing fee is paid inside the system. The court's published fee schedule lists the e-filing fees; any card-processing charges are set at payment time, and the fee page is the authoritative source.
Common reasons clerks reject this form
Clerks bounce filings for mechanical, fixable reasons. These are the patterns that come up with this particular form:
- ⚠Mailing or hand-delivering a paper complaint — e-filing is mandatory for small claims at all district division locations, and the complaint is generated inside the system rather than downloaded.
- ⚠Choosing the wrong district division location — the court's site lists each location's territory, and the clerk's office can confirm where a claim belongs before it is submitted.
- ⚠Claiming more than $10,000 — the small claims process cannot hear it; larger claims belong in a different docket or court.
- ⚠An incomplete or outdated defendant address — the court's notice to the defendant depends on it, and the case cannot move forward until the defendant is notified.
- ⚠Stopping before submission — the interview only files the claim once the generated complaint is submitted and the fee is paid inside the system.
What filing costs, and where it happens
New Hampshire's published small claims filing fees are tiered by claim amount — $90 for claims of $5,000 or less and $145 for claims over $5,000 up to $10,000, per the Judicial Branch's circuit court fee schedule — paid electronically at the time of filing, with a card-processing surcharge added by the payment vendors. Fee waivers are available for filers who qualify.
Filing happens entirely through the online system: the interview generates the Small Claim Complaint, submits it to the proper district division location, and collects the fee. The court then notifies the defendant and the case proceeds under the circuit court's small claims rules. Fee amounts and procedures change, so confirming current figures with the circuit court clerk's office (or the fee schedule on courts.nh.gov) before filing is the reliable approach.
Published fees and court locations for your county are in our New Hampshire small claims guide and the court directory. Fees change — verify the current amount with the clerk before filing.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the form? I can't find a PDF to download.
There isn't one. E-filing is mandatory for New Hampshire small claims, and the Small Claim Complaint is generated inside the court's online system (TurboCourt for self-represented filers) from the answers given in its interview. The court posts a sample complaint on courts.nh.gov for reference only.
How much can I sue for in New Hampshire small claims?
Claims of $10,000 or less are handled through the small claims process in the Circuit Court's District Division. Larger claims belong in other dockets.
What does it cost to file?
The published fee is $90 for claims of $5,000 or less and $145 for claims over $5,000, paid electronically when the claim is submitted, plus a card-processing surcharge from the payment vendors. The circuit court clerk or the fee schedule on courts.nh.gov confirms current amounts — verify before filing.
Which court location do I choose?
The e-filing interview asks for the district division location as part of starting the case — the court's site lists each location and its territory, and the clerk's office can confirm the right one.
What happens after I submit the claim?
The court processes the electronic filing, the defendant is notified of the claim, and the case proceeds under the circuit court's small claims rules, with notices arriving through the filer's e-filing account.
Related guides
Form link verified: 2026-07-01. Reviewed against our Editorial Standards.
This is general information to help you understand the form — not legal advice, and not a substitute for advice from a licensed attorney about your specific situation. Courts revise forms, fees, and procedures; the court's own instructions and your court clerk are the authoritative sources. Always verify with the court before filing.