Reviewed and updated October 9, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. The arrest counts are the ones each agency reported to the FBI, as the FBI held them on October 8, 2026. Every office link was opened and checked against the office's own site between September 24, 2026 and September 30, 2026.
Dover, New Hampshire, in Strafford County, has about 34,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). Its court cases are filed in the Strafford County Superior Court and the Circuit Court, and the file of each case, kept by the clerk of each court, is the public record of it. This guide says which court hears what, where to look a case up and who keeps the files.
This guide covers the courts, the records page, criminal cases, kinds of files and common questions.
Related guides: Dover public records, Strafford County court records, Dover arrest records, Dover warrants, Dover inmate search, Dover criminal records, New Hampshire arrest records and New Hampshire inmate search.
The Courts That Hear Cases from Dover
Court cases from Dover are filed in the Strafford County Superior Court, which hears felonies, civil cases tried to a jury, and appeals.
The Circuit Court takes misdemeanors, traffic cases and small claims in the District Division; divorces and family matters in the Family Division; estates in the Probate Division.
Divorces go to the Circuit Court's Family Division, and the file stays with the Family Division clerk.
The clerk of each court keeps the files, and a copy of anything in a file comes from that office, under the court's own rules rather than the New Hampshire Right-to-Know Law.
Looking Up a Case from Dover
For Strafford County, SearchSystems opened and checked the court records page for the county at courts.nh.gov/your-visit/find-court/strafford-superior-court (page title: Strafford Superior Court | New Hampshire Judicial Branch), phone 855-212-1234, 259 County Farm Road, Suite 301 Dover, NH 03820, Monday - Friday, 8:00am to 4:00pm, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 30, 2026.
New Hampshire has no single public index of every trial court case; each court's records are looked up through that court.
The New Hampshire court page SearchSystems verified is at courts.nh.gov/self-help/record-checks.
What Reaches the Court from Dover
Together, the 14 agencies in Strafford County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 3,280 arrests to the FBI that year; the County Attorney decides which of those arrests become cases in the Strafford County Superior Court or the Circuit Court.
The County Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at co.strafford.nh.us/department/attorney-s-office (page title: Attorney's Office), phone (603) 749-2808, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 24, 2026.
The Kinds of Court Files
Criminal cases, divorces, traffic tickets and evictions all end up as files of these courts, and the file is what the public sees of each.
The other Dover guides take the kinds of file one at a time: Dover criminal records, Dover divorce records, Dover traffic tickets, Dover DUI and Dover property records.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I look up a court case in Dover?
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at courts.nh.gov, phone 855-212-1234.
Which court hears felonies in Dover?
The Strafford County Superior Court, which hears felonies, civil cases tried to a jury, and appeals. The Circuit Court takes misdemeanors, traffic cases and small claims in the District Division; divorces and family matters in the Family Division; estates in the Probate Division.
Who keeps the court records in Dover?
The clerk of each court. Copies come from that office under the court's own rules.
Is there a statewide court case search in New Hampshire?
No. Each court's records are looked up through that court.
Is this the official Dover website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official city, county, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.