New Hampshire Small Claims Court Forms for Defendants

New Hampshire small claims court has specific forms for every step of the process, and using the wrong one can delay your case or get your filing rejected entirely. The most common mistake defendants make is filing a general civil answer form instead of the small claims response form. Here is every form you may need as a defendant, what each one does, and where to find it.

NHJB-2830-De — Response to Small Claim (Your Main Form)

This is the mandatory response form for defendants in New Hampshire small claims. It is generated through TurboCourt when you file your electronic response, and it is the only form the court accepts for answering a small claims complaint.

On the form, you select your response option:

• Dispute the claim in full and request a hearing
• Admit the claim in full (confess judgment)
• Admit part of the claim and dispute the rest
• File a counterclaim against the plaintiff
• Request a jury trial (for claims over $1,500)
• File a notice of bankruptcy

You also provide your address, phone number, and complete the Confidential Information Sheet for date-of-birth verification. The entire process happens inside TurboCourt — the form is not available as a standalone PDF to download and mail.

NHJB-2689-Se — The Wrong Form

This is the general civil Answer form used in Superior Court proceedings. It looks similar to the small claims response form, and defendants frequently file it by mistake after finding it in a web search for "New Hampshire court answer form."

Filing NHJB-2689-Se instead of NHJB-2830-De can result in the clerk rejecting your response, leaving you without a valid filing as your deadline approaches. Always use TurboCourt to generate your response — it automatically produces the correct form.

NHJB-2370-De — Small Claim Complaint

This is the form the plaintiff filed to sue you. You received a copy as part of your service paperwork, along with the Notice of Small Claim. The complaint names the parties, states the amount claimed, and describes the basis of the claim.

The return date is printed on page 2 of Form NHJB-2370-De; the accompanying Notice of Small Claim provides your response instructions and the mailing date used to calculate your deadline. Check both documents.

NHJB-2936-De — Authorization for Representation

Required only if you are a non-attorney responding on behalf of a business entity (LLC, corporation, partnership, or trust). Under District Division Rule 1.3(D), you must file this form along with proof of authority — a board resolution, managing member authorization, general partner authorization, or trustee authorization — alongside your response. Without it, your response may be rejected.

NHJB-2895-DFPe — Request for Exception from Electronic Filing

New Hampshire requires all small claims filings through TurboCourt. Paper filings are not accepted unless you receive a granted exception on this form. The request must show extraordinary circumstances. Public libraries and courthouse computer terminals provide free internet access for e-filing.

Where to Access These Forms

All small claims forms are generated through the TurboCourt portal at the New Hampshire Judicial Branch website. You cannot download blank small claims forms as PDFs and mail them — the system generates the forms as part of the electronic filing process. The exception is NHJB-2895-DFPe (the e-filing exception request) and NHJB-2936-De (business authorization), which may be available as standalone documents on the court's forms page.

If you have questions about which form to use, the Circuit Court Information Center (1-855-212-1234) can help with form identification and TurboCourt navigation — though they cannot provide legal advice about how to fill in your answers.

The Responding to a Small Claims Case in New Hampshire guide walks through every form with a TurboCourt e-filing checklist, so you know exactly what to prepare before you start the submission process.

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