TurboCourt New Hampshire Small Claims: E-Filing Step by Step

Why TurboCourt Is the Only Option

New Hampshire requires electronic filing for every small claims case. Paper complaints submitted at the courthouse window are rejected unless a judge has granted an exemption for extraordinary circumstances — and those exemptions are rarely approved.

Self-represented filers must use TurboCourt. It is a web-based portal that generates your complaint through a guided interview. Licensed attorneys use a separate system called File & Serve. If you accidentally start on the attorney portal, your submission will be blocked.

Setting Up Your TurboCourt Account

Go to turbocourt.com and create an account with your name and a valid email address. The email matters — court notices about your case will be sent to it, and you will receive filing confirmations there.

You do not need to know your case number or court location before you start. The interview asks for your details and determines the correct District Division court based on the addresses you provide.

Walking Through the Complaint Interview

TurboCourt's interview populates the court-generated Small Claim Complaint form. You cannot upload your own custom complaint document. The system asks for:

Party information: Full legal names, residential addresses, mailing addresses, dates of birth, and email addresses for every plaintiff and defendant. If you are suing a business, enter the exact legal name from the NH Secretary of State's QuickStart database — not a trade name or nickname.

Factual basis: A concise description of the dispute. Explain the relationship between you and the defendant, what the defendant did or failed to do, and how much you are owed. Stick to facts, not legal arguments.

Itemized damages: Break down the total amount you are claiming — principal owed, any contractual interest, and pre-filing costs. The system adds these up and calculates your filing fee.

Military service statement: You must certify whether the defendant is on active military duty under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act. If you cannot determine their status, say so. Without this statement, the court cannot issue a default judgment if the defendant fails to respond.

Redaction: Strip sensitive data before uploading. Show only the last four digits of Social Security numbers, bank account numbers, and driver's license numbers.

Uploading Supporting Documents

TurboCourt lets you attach documents to your filing — contracts, invoices, photographs, demand letters. Upload them during the interview when prompted, or add them after submission through the case management screen.

If you are a business entity (LLC, corporation, partnership, or trust), you must also upload:

• Form NHJB-2936-De (Authorization for Representation under RSA 503:11)
• A Rule 1.3D Statement
• A corporate resolution, partnership authorization, or LLC manager authorization

Missing any of these leads to immediate clerk rejection.

Paying the Fee

After the interview, TurboCourt presents the fee based on your claim amount ($125 for claims at $5,000 or less, $180 for $5,001–$10,000). Pay by credit or debit card online. There is a non-refundable card processing surcharge.

Once paid, TurboCourt submits the complaint to the court. You will receive an email confirmation with a case number.

Common Mistakes That Delay Filing

Wrong defendant name: Entering "Bob's Heating" instead of "Robert Smith d/b/a Bob's Heating" or the registered LLC name. An incorrect name can make service invalid and any judgment unenforceable.

Skipping the military service statement: The court cannot proceed to default judgment without it. If you leave it blank, you create a procedural obstacle that slows your case.

Using File & Serve instead of TurboCourt: File & Serve is for attorneys only. Self-represented filers who try it hit access errors and waste time.

Forgetting business authorization forms: If you are filing on behalf of an LLC or corporation without a lawyer, the complaint is rejected on the spot without Form NHJB-2936-De and the Rule 1.3D Statement.

After You File

The court clerk mails your complaint and a hearing notice to the defendant by first-class mail. You do not need to arrange your own process server — the court handles initial service. Track the case status through your TurboCourt account.

Our New Hampshire small claims filing guide walks you through every screen of the TurboCourt interview with a pre-filing checklist, entity verification steps, and a Party and Entity Verification Worksheet so nothing gets rejected.

See more New Hampshire guides →