Reviewed and updated October 9, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. The arrest and crime 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 October 2, 2026.
Portsmouth, New Hampshire, in Rockingham County, has about 23,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Portsmouth depends on where the incident happened. This guide names each agency, where its records page is and what the New Hampshire Right-to-Know Law requires of it.
This guide covers which agency, the city's records page, the sheriff's reports, what the law requires and common questions.
Related guides: Portsmouth public records, Rockingham County police reports, Portsmouth arrest records, Portsmouth warrants, Portsmouth inmate search, Portsmouth criminal records, New Hampshire arrest records and New Hampshire inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Portsmouth
A crime, incident or collision report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, and that agency releases it, not the court, the jail or the prosecutor.
Inside Portsmouth that is the agency that reports to the FBI for the city (filed by the FBI as Portsmouth Police Department); outside it, the Rockingham County Sheriff's Office.
The FBI's list also places the Rockingham County State Police in Rockingham County; a report taken on a state highway by it comes from that agency's own records office.
Reports from the Portsmouth Police
For Portsmouth, SearchSystems opened and checked the Portsmouth police records page at portsmouthnh.gov/police/records-unit (page title: Records Unit | City of Portsmouth), phone 603-610-7446, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 26, 2026.
The agency that reports for Portsmouth had 47 violent and 264 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 578 arrests for 2025.
Reports from the Rockingham County Sheriff's Office
The Rockingham County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it had 25 violent and 2 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 374 arrests for 2025.
Its reports come from its records unit. The office's page SearchSystems verified is its jail page, at rockso.org (page title: Rockingham County Sheriff's Office), which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 24, 2026.
What the New Hampshire Right-to-Know Law Requires
The New Hampshire Right-to-Know Law sets the rules: an answer within 5 business days, at a charge of the actual cost of copying, from the agency that holds the report.
A defendant who has been charged gets the report through the case: the County Attorney, 603-642-4249, handles discovery for pending cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in Portsmouth?
From the agency that took it. The Portsmouth police records page is at portsmouthnh.gov/police/records-unit, phone 603-610-7446; the sheriff's reports come from the Rockingham County Sheriff's Office.
How long does an agency in Portsmouth have to answer?
Under the New Hampshire Right-to-Know Law, within 5 business days. It may charge the actual cost of copying.
Who has a crash report from a state highway in Portsmouth?
The state agency whose officer took it; the FBI lists the Rockingham County State Police in Rockingham County.
How do I get a report from the Rockingham County Sheriff's Office?
From its records unit. Under the New Hampshire Right-to-Know Law the answer is due within 5 business days.
Is this the official Portsmouth 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.