Duration of Registration.
RSA 651-B:6
in effect651-B:6. Duration of Registration.
I. All tier II or tier III offenders shall be registered for life.
II. All tier I offenders shall be registered for a 10-year period from the date of release, provided that any such registration period shall not run concurrently with any registration period resulting from a subsequent violation or attempted violation of an offense for which the person is required to register.
III. (a)(1) Except as provided in paragraph V, all tier III offenders shall remain on the public list contained in RSA 651-B:7 for life.
(2) A tier II offender may petition the superior court to have his or her name and information removed from the public list. The petition shall not be filed prior to the completion of all the terms and conditions of the sentence and in no case earlier than 15 years after the date of release. The petition shall be accompanied by a risk assessment prepared by a qualified psychiatrist or psychologist at the offender's expense. The court may grant the petition if the offender has not been convicted of any felony, class A misdemeanor, sex offense, or offense against a child, has successfully completed any periods of supervised release, probation, or parole, and has successfully completed an appropriate sex offender treatment program as determined by the court. If the court denies the petition, the offender shall not file another petition for 5 years from the date of denial.
(3) A tier I offender may petition the superior court to have his or her name and other information removed from the public list. The petition shall not be filed prior to the completion of all the terms and conditions of the sentence and in no case earlier than 5 years after the date of release. The petition shall be accompanied by a risk assessment prepared by a qualified psychiatrist or psychologist at the offender's expense. The court may grant the petition if the offender has not been convicted of any felony, class A misdemeanor, sexual offense, or offense against a child, has successfully completed any periods of supervised release, probation, or parole, and has successfully completed an appropriate sex offender treatment program as determined by the court.
(b) Prior to granting any petition to remove an offender from the public list, the court shall provide notice to the county attorney who prosecuted the case, the victim advocate, and the victim or victim's family, and permit those parties to be heard on the petition. Prior to any decision granting the application, the court shall provide the victim with the opportunity to address the court. The victim may appear personally, or by counsel, or may provide a written statement to reasonably express his or her views concerning the offense, the person responsible, and the need for maintaining the registration requirement. The judge shall consider the statements of the victim pursuant to this section when making a decision regarding the application. The judge shall grant the application, after a hearing, only where, in the opinion of the court, removal from the registration requirements will assist the individual in the individual's rehabilitation and will be consistent with the public welfare.
IV. Registration of any juvenile required to register pursuant to RSA 651-B:1, XI(a)(3) or (4) shall end when the juvenile turns 18 years of age unless the court which adjudicated the juvenile as a delinquent retains jurisdiction over the juvenile pursuant to RSA 169-B:4, V, in which case registration of the juvenile shall end when the court terminates jurisdiction over the juvenile's case. When the registration of a juvenile terminates, the department shall remove information relating to the juvenile from the SOR system and records of the juvenile's registration shall be handled in accordance with RSA 169-B:35 and RSA 169-B:36.
V. (a) Any tier II or tier III offender who was convicted prior to the establishment of the sex offender registry may petition the court to be relieved from the registration requirements under this chapter. The petition shall include the petitioner's current address and information about each conviction for which he or she is required to register, including the nature of the offense, the sentence imposed, and the court and the jurisdiction in which the petitioner was convicted. The petition shall be accompanied by a certified copy of the petitioner's criminal history record from each jurisdiction in which he or she is required to register. The petition shall not be filed prior to the completion of all the terms and conditions of the sentence, including any period of supervised release. The petition shall also be accompanied by a risk assessment prepared by a qualified psychiatrist or psychologist at the offender's expense, which indicates that the petitioner is not a danger to the public and no longer poses a risk sufficient to justify continued registration. The petition shall be filed in the county where the most recent predicate conviction occurred, except if the most recent predicate conviction occurred in another state or jurisdiction, the petition shall be filed in the county where the petitioner resides. Such petition shall not be filed as or addressed as part of a criminal case.
(b) Prior to granting any petition to relieve an offender from the registration requirements under this chapter, the court shall hold a hearing on the petition. The court shall provide notice of the hearing at least 60 days prior to the hearing to the county attorney, the department of safety sex offender unit, and the department of corrections. The county attorney shall use reasonable efforts to notify the victim or victim's family. The court shall permit those parties to be heard on the petition. The victim may appear personally, or through a representative, or may provide a written statement expressing his or her views concerning the offense, the person responsible, and the need for maintaining the registration requirement. The judge shall consider the statements of the victim when making a decision regarding the petition.
(c) The court may grant the petition if the offender has not been convicted of any subsequent offense requiring registration, has successfully completed any period of supervised release, probation, or parole, has successfully completed an appropriate sex offender treatment program as determined by the court, and has demonstrated that he or she is no longer a danger to the public and no longer poses a risk sufficient to justify continued registration. If the court denies the petition, the offender shall not file another petition for 5 years from the date of denial.
Source. 1996, 293:1. 1999, 177:4, 5; 321:3. 2002, 241:2. 2003, 316:9. 2005, 214:6. 2006, 162:3; 327:9, 10. 2008, 334:4, eff. Jan. 1, 2009. 2016, 197:1, 2, eff. June 6, 2016. 2024, 42:5, eff. July 30, 2024.
Source: New Hampshire General Court (gc.nh.gov)URL: https://gc.nh.gov/rsa/html/LXII/651-B/651-B-6.htmFetched: 10/20/2026