Overview
Process Server in New Hampshire: How Service of Process Works
New Hampshire routes civil service through the sheriff. Under RSA 509:3 a civil writ is directed to the sheriff of any county or a deputy, and a sheriff may appoint a special deputy to serve and return a particular process under RSA 104:4. Service is made by giving the defendant an attested copy or leaving it at their abode, and the two methods are equally valid. The person serving records the time, place and manner of service on the writ.
Who serves process
Who Can Serve Legal Documents in New Hampshire
In New Hampshire, civil process is served by the county sheriff or a deputy, or by a special deputy the sheriff appoints for that process under RSA 104:4. New Hampshire doesn't license private process servers, and its statutes don't provide for independent private service of initial civil process.
Under RSA 510:2-a, the officer records the time, place and manner of service on the writ or process served.
Typical documents include writs of summons, complaints, landlord-tenant papers, subpoenas and family division papers.
Proof you receive: a sworn affidavit of service
The sheriff's office records the time, place and manner of service on the writ and returns it for filing.
Sheriff service coordination
Preparing and tracking service through the right New Hampshire sheriff's office.
Out-of-state defendants
Service on nonresidents through the Secretary of State where allowed, or locally where they live.
Manchester, Nashua and statewide
Coordination in Hillsborough, Rockingham, Merrimack and all New Hampshire counties.
The rules
New Hampshire Service of Process Rules
The New Hampshire rules that matter most for service:
| Rule | What it covers |
|---|---|
| RSA 509:3 | Writs directed to the sheriff or a deputy |
| RSA 104:4 | Sheriff may appoint a special deputy |
| RSA 510:2 | Manner: in hand or at the abode |
| RSA 510:2-a | Return recorded on the writ |
| RSA 510:4 | Service on nonresidents via the Secretary of State |
Treaties
New Hampshire and the Hague Conventions: Treaty Status
The Hague Service Convention lets member countries send documents to each other's Central Authorities for service. New Hampshire has not joined it, so that route isn't available, and the Convention's Article 10 rules on postal and private service don't apply. Whether those methods are acceptable depends on New Hampshire's law and on what your court allows.
New Hampshire is not a party to the Hague Evidence Convention, so requests for witness testimony or documents go through letters rogatory.
