New Hampshire Small Claims Demand Letter: How to Write One

Do You Legally Need a Demand Letter in New Hampshire?

There is no general statutory requirement to send a demand letter before filing a small claims case in New Hampshire. You can go straight to TurboCourt and file your complaint.

That said, skipping it is usually a mistake. A demand letter serves three purposes. It gives the other side a chance to pay without court involvement. It creates written evidence that you tried to resolve the dispute. And it establishes a clear timeline for your claim — useful when the judge asks what happened before you filed.

There is one law-based timing issue. Under RSA 540-A:7, the landlord has 30 days from termination of the tenancy to return the deposit; if making deductions, the landlord must provide a written, itemized list. That deadline is not a demand-letter requirement.

What to Include

A demand letter does not need legal formatting. It needs to be clear, factual, and specific:

Identify both parties. State your full name and the recipient's full legal name. If you are writing to a business, use the registered entity name from the NH Secretary of State's QuickStart database, not a trade name.

State what happened. Describe the transaction or event that gave rise to the debt. Keep it to the facts: dates, amounts, what was agreed, and what the other side did or failed to do.

Specify the amount owed. Break it down if there are multiple components — the original amount, any contractual interest, and costs you have already incurred.

Set a deadline. Give the recipient 10 to 14 days to respond. This is a reasonable window that shows you are serious without being unreasonably short.

State the consequence. Say that if the amount is not paid by the deadline, you intend to file a small claims case in the New Hampshire Circuit Court, District Division.

Send It by Certified Mail

Certified mail with return receipt requested is the standard. It creates a USPS record showing the date you mailed it and whether the recipient signed for it. That receipt becomes evidence at the hearing.

You can also send a copy by regular first-class mail as a backup, since some people refuse certified mail. Keep a copy of the letter and the mailing receipts.

Email and text messages are not a substitute for a mailed demand. While the judge can consider them as supplemental evidence (formal rules of evidence do not apply in New Hampshire small claims), certified mail carries more weight as proof of pre-suit notice.

What a Demand Letter Does Not Do

Sending a demand letter does not pause or extend the statute of limitations. The clock keeps running. If your three-year limitations period under RSA 508:4 is about to expire, file the case first and send the demand in parallel — or just file.

A demand letter also cannot force anyone to do anything. It is a formality. If the other side ignores it, you have done your due diligence and the judge will note that at the hearing.

After the Deadline Passes

If you do not get a response — or get a response that does not resolve the claim — file your small claims complaint through TurboCourt. Reference the demand letter in your factual statement. Upload a copy as a supporting document.

Our New Hampshire filing guide includes a Demand Letter Tracker worksheet that helps you log the mailing date, the delivery confirmation, and the response deadline, so you have everything documented before you file.

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