NH · Find someone in custody

How do I find someone in jail or prison in New Hampshire?

Take a breath. You can find where your person is being held in New Hampshire using official sources — here is exactly where to look and what to have ready.

State locator: New Hampshire Department of Corrections
VINELink: Covers New Hampshire
Last verified: 2026-07-23
Jurisdiction: New Hampshire

Which system is holding them in New Hampshire?

There is no single search that covers everyone. Match the situation to the right official locator — most families start with the first one.

If the arrest was recent

Start with the county jail

Someone just arrested in New Hampshire is held at a county jail — called a house of correction/department of corrections — run by the county, not in state prison.

There is no statewide county-jail search: each of New Hampshire's counties runs its own facility and posts (or does not post) its own information, so you generally have to identify the right county and contact that facility.

New Hampshire participates in VINE (VINELink) for custody status and release notifications, but NH's VINE coverage is limited and varies by facility, so a recent county-jail booking may not appear.

If a person is not shown, call the county house of correction's booking/records line directly.

New Hampshire county jails (houses of correction) are run county-by-county (for example Hillsborough, Rockingham, Merrimack, Strafford). Coverage on VINE is limited and there is no consolidated statewide county-jail roster — identify the county of arrest and call that facility to confirm a booking.

Search VINELink (choose New Hampshire)

If they were sentenced to prison

Use the state prison locator

Official statewide search for people sentenced to and held in New Hampshire state prison (NH Department of Corrections).

Search by offender name or booking/ID number; results show location, sentencing and status.

This covers state-prison inmates — NOT someone just arrested and held in a county house of correction/jail.

Open the New Hampshire inmate locator

If the charge is federal

Search the Federal Bureau of Prisons

A federal charge means the person is in the federal system, not a New Hampshire state or county facility. Search the Federal Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator by name or register number — it is separate from every state and county tool.

Search the Federal BOP locator

Finding your person in New Hampshire, step by step

Work through these in order. Each step points to an official source — you do the searching there, on the government site.

Step 1

Figure out where they most likely are

Arrested in the last hours or days → the county house of correction/jail for the county of arrest. Already sentenced to state time → New Hampshire state prison (use the NH DOC Inmate Locator). Held on a federal charge → U.S. federal custody (use the Federal Bureau of Prisons locator).
Step 2

Identify the county and contact its house of correction for a recent arrest

Because there is no statewide county-jail search, find the county where the arrest happened and contact that county's house of correction/jail booking or records line to confirm the person is in custody.
Official source
Step 3

Check VINE for custody status and notifications

New Hampshire participates in VINE (VINELink). You can check custody status and register for release/transfer notifications, but NH coverage is limited and may not show every county-jail booking — confirm with the facility.
Official source
Step 4

Search New Hampshire state prison if the person was sentenced

Use the NH DOC Inmate Locator by name or booking/ID number to confirm a state-prison location and status.
Official source
Step 5

Check federal custody if it is a federal charge

Use the Federal Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator, which covers people in federal custody from 1982 to the present.
Official source

What you’ll need to search

You can start with just a name, but these make a match faster and surer.

The person's full legal name, plus any aliases, nicknames, or maiden name
Date of birth — helps confirm identity when the name is common
A booking number or NH DOC ID if you already have one
The county where the arrest happened, so you know which house of correction to call

Use official, free sources — and a few things to watch for

Use only official sources: the county house of correction, the NH DOC Inmate Locator, VINELink, or the Federal BOP locator. Records can lag right after a booking.
New Hampshire's VINE coverage is limited — do not assume a missing VINE result means the person is not in custody; call the county facility to confirm.
Avoid paid 'inmate search' and 'mugshot' sites — they charge fees, often show stale or expunged information, and are not authoritative.
Appearing on a jail roster is not a finding of guilt; do not repost a person's booking photo or details.

If you need to bail them out in New Hampshire

Finding the person comes first. Once you know where they are, this is how getting them out works in New Hampshire.

Commercial bail available

In New Hampshire, commercial bail exists. If a judge sets money bail, it can be posted in cash directly with the court or through a licensed bail bond agent for a fee. A judge may also release the person on their own recognizance or on set conditions, so ask the court or the jail what applies before paying anyone.

New Hampshire allows commercial bail bonds, but in practice most releases are on personal recognizance or cash bail rather than through a bondsman.

Under New Hampshire's bail statute (RSA chapter 597), a court or a bail commissioner sets bail, and there is a general presumption favoring release on personal recognizance or an unsecured appearance bond; a person may be held on cash or secured bail where the court finds it necessary.

Bail is set by a judge or by a bail commissioner (a court-appointed official who can fix and receive bail and charges a fixed statutory fee), and cash bail is deposited with the court clerk.

Commercial surety bonds through a licensed bail agent are permitted but are less commonly used than personal recognizance and cash bail.

Most criminal, traffic, and violation matters begin in the Circuit Court (District Division); felonies are handled in the Superior Court.

Where a commercial surety bail bond is used, the bail agent charges a non-refundable premium, commonly around 10 percent of the face amount of the bond, though the exact figure can vary. Many New Hampshire releases instead involve no bondsman at all: personal recognizance (a written promise to appear, with no money up front) or cash bail deposited directly with the court, which is refundable at the end of the case if bail conditions are met. A bail commissioner who sets bail outside court hours charges a fixed statutory fee.

The person’s rights. The person in custody has the right to talk to a lawyer about their case, and if they cannot afford one, the court can appoint a public defender.

Other official New Hampshire contacts

County jails are run by the sheriff where the arrest happened — call that jail’s booking or records line for a very recent booking or the bail amount. These statewide sources can also help.

If there is also a warrant to deal with

Two companion guides pick up where this one leaves off — checking for a warrant, and resolving it on your own terms.

Check for a warrant in New Hampshire Worried the person has an open warrant too? Check first, state by state. Resolve a warrant in New Hampshire If they need to resolve a warrant, this walks through turning yourself in calmly.

Common questions about finding someone in New Hampshire

How do I find someone who was just arrested in New Hampshire?

Someone just arrested in New Hampshire is held at a county jail — called a house of correction/department of corrections — run by the county, not in state prison. There is no statewide county-jail search: each of New Hampshire's counties runs its own facility and posts (or does not post) its own information, so you generally have to identify the right county and contact that facility. New Hampshire participates in VINE (VINELink) for custody status and release notifications, but NH's VINE coverage is limited and varies by facility, so a recent county-jail booking may not appear. If a person is not shown, call the county house of correction's booking/records line directly.

How do I find someone in state prison in New Hampshire?

Official statewide search for people sentenced to and held in New Hampshire state prison (NH Department of Corrections). Search by offender name or booking/ID number; results show location, sentencing and status. This covers state-prison inmates — NOT someone just arrested and held in a county house of correction/jail.

Is there a free way to check if someone is in custody in New Hampshire?

Yes. VINELink (the free national custody service) covers New Hampshire. Search by name for custody status and register for free alerts. County jail rosters and the state locator are also free and official.

What do I need to look someone up in New Hampshire?

The person's full legal name, plus any aliases, nicknames, or maiden name Date of birth — helps confirm identity when the name is common A booking number or NH DOC ID if you already have one The county where the arrest happened, so you know which house of correction to call

Does New Hampshire have commercial bail bondsmen?

Yes. Commercial bail exists in New Hampshire: if a judge sets money bail, it can be posted in cash with the court or through a licensed bail bond agent for a fee, and a judge may also grant own-recognizance or conditional release.

Sources & last verified

Everything here links out to official government or public-safety sources. We don’t store, search, or republish records.

Last verified 2026-07-23 · 7 sources