Local Rule 10.1: Pseudonym Litigant
D.N.H. — Civil rule
10.1 Pseudonym Litigant
(a) Notice. If a party seeks to proceed under a pseudonym, at the time of filing the initial pleading, the party must file under seal a Notice of Intention to Proceed by Pseudonym ("Notice") and disclose the party's true name. The Notice shall not be filed electronically but may be filed conventionally or via email pursuant to AP 3.5. This notice will be maintained under seal.
(b) Motion. Contemporaneously with the Notice, the party must file a motion to proceed under the pseudonym, setting forth the justification under applicable law. To the extent the motion requires disclosure of information that would reasonably identify the party seeking to proceed under a pseudonym, that identifying information may be redacted by following the procedure provided for in LR 83.12.
(c) Service. The party seeking to proceed under a pseudonym must serve the Notice and motion on each opposing party with the complaint.
(d) Objection. Any objection to the motion must be filed by the opposing party contemporaneously with its first appearance, pleading, petition, motion, response or other request addressed to the court. The objection shall not disclose in a public filing information that would reasonably identify the party seeking to proceed under a pseudonym. To the extent that disclosure of such identifying information is necessary for the opposing party to object, that identifying information may be redacted by following the procedure provided for in LR 83.12.
(e) Denial of the Motion. If the motion is denied, the party who sought to proceed under a pseudonym has fourteen (14) days to file an amended complaint naming the party.
(f) Removal Cases. In a removal case, if the plaintiff proceeded by pseudonym in state court, the Notice pursuant to §(a) and the motion pursuant to §(b) shall be due twenty-one (21) days after the filing of the notice of removal. Any objection to the motion must be filed fourteen (14) days after the filing of the motion. The clerk's office may also contact the party proceeding by pseudonym for the party's true name prior to the filing of the Notice for conflict checking purposes but will provisionally seal the identity of the party proceeding by pseudonym until the judge rules on the motion.
(Added 12/1/23; § (f) added 12/1/25)