Town Adopts New Public Hours for Town Offices Effective July 6th, 2026

Exeter, NH - June 17th, 2026: The Select Board approved new public office hours at the Town Offices effective Monday,  July 6th, 2026.

The Assessing Office, Planning & Sustainability Department, Building Department, Economic Development Department, and the Town Manager’s Office will now follow the new schedule:

• Monday: 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
• Tuesday: 8:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
• Wednesday: 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
• Thursday: 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
• Friday: 8:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. 

The Welfare/Human Services Department will also have new hours:

• Monday: 8:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
• Tuesday: 8:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
• Wednesday: 8:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
• Thursday: 8:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
• Friday: 8:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. 

Town Manager Paul Cohen requested board approval for these new office hours at the Select Board’s meeting on June 15th, 2026. He stated that he reviewed neighboring communities–including Hampton, Kingston, Portsmouth, and Stratham–that all offer evening hours at least once per week and maintain early closure schedules on Fridays. The Exeter Town Clerk’s Office and the Tax/Water/Sewer Collections Office have already adopted similar schedules successfully. 

The Town Clerk, Tax Office, and Water/Sewer Collections Office maintains their current schedule:

• Monday: 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
• Tuesday: 8:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
• Wednesday: 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
• Thursday: 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
• Friday: 8:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. 

The hope is that staying open on Tuesday evenings will allow residents greater access to town services that they may have otherwise been unable to access due to their own work schedules. The move will also make the Town of Exeter a more competitive workplace by having more similar hours to nearby communities. 

Departments not listed in the new changes—such as Public Works, Parks and Recreation, Police, and Fire—are maintaining their current hours of operation and public hours. For a full list of Town Department operating hours, please visit each respective department’s webpage on the Town website, exeternh.gov