Search New York County Court Records
New York County court records cover all case filings in Manhattan, from Supreme Court civil actions to Criminal Court arraignments. The County Clerk at 60 Centre Street keeps Supreme Court files and judgment rolls. Manhattan handles one of the highest caseloads in the state. Multiple courts operate in the area, each with its own clerk and records system. You can search many New York County court records online through state portals or visit the courthouse in person to pull case files directly.
New York County Court Records Overview
New York County Clerk and Court Records
The New York County Clerk sits at 60 Centre Street, Room 161, New York, NY 10007. Call (646) 386-5955 for general questions. The Records Room is in Room 103B on the ground floor. This is where you go to look up Supreme Court case files, pull judgments, and get copies of court documents. The office handles civil filings, judgment dockets, and mechanics liens.
Copies cost $0.65 per page, with a $1.50 minimum charge. Certified copies carry an added fee. The clerk also processes e-filed documents through NYSCEF. If you need older records, the archives at 31 Chambers Street on the 7th floor hold historical case files that go back many years. Walk-in access is available during business hours.
New York County is part of the 1st Judicial District. The Supreme Court here handles major civil cases, including commercial disputes through the Commercial Division. This division deals with complex business litigation, contract cases over $500,000, and corporate governance fights. The WebCivil Supreme portal lets you search civil case records by party name or index number at no cost.
Criminal Court Records in New York County
Manhattan Criminal Court operates at 100 Centre Street, New York, NY 10013. This court runs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for arraignments. It handles misdemeanors and violations that occur in Manhattan. Felony cases start here and move up to Supreme Court after indictment.
You can search pending criminal cases with future court dates through WebCriminal. The portal covers all five NYC boroughs. Search by defendant name or case number. Keep in mind that sealed cases will not show up. Under CPL Section 160.50, cases that end in dismissal or acquittal get sealed and drop off public search tools.
Criminal Court also has specialized parts. Drug Court handles cases where substance use is a factor. Mental Health Court works with defendants who have mental health needs. These specialized parts still generate court records, but some treatment-related documents may be restricted.
For a full criminal history search across all 62 counties, the OCA Criminal History Record Search costs $95 per name. Results come back by email the next business day. This is a name-based search, not fingerprint-based, so it may pull records for people with the same name and date of birth.
Civil Court Records in Manhattan
Manhattan Civil Court is at 111 Centre Street, New York, NY 10013. It handles civil cases up to $25,000. Small claims go up to $10,000. Commercial claims can reach $25,000. These are separate from Supreme Court civil cases, which have no upper dollar limit.
Civil Court also runs the Housing Part for housing disputes. If you need to look up a housing case in New York County, that is the court to check. Small claims cases are more informal and often settle without full trials. Records from all these case types are kept at the court clerk's office.
Under Judiciary Law Section 255, court clerks must keep records of all proceedings and make them available for public review. This applies across every court level in New York County. You do not need to be a party to a case to request access. Walk in, ask the clerk, and they will pull the file for you to view.
Family Court Records in New York County
Manhattan Family Court is at 60 Lafayette Street, New York, NY 10013. It handles custody, child support, paternity, juvenile delinquency, and abuse or neglect cases. Family Court records are largely confidential. The public cannot access most files.
Only parties to the case, their attorneys, and certain authorized agencies can view Family Court records. Juvenile delinquency records and PINS (Persons in Need of Supervision) cases are sealed. If you are a party and need copies of your own case file, contact the Family Court clerk directly.
Matrimonial cases (divorces) filed in Supreme Court are also confidential in New York County. Only the spouses and their lawyers can view the file. This is a statewide rule, but it is worth noting since so many divorce cases pass through Manhattan Supreme Court.
How to Search New York County Court Records Online
Several free tools let you search New York County court records from home. Each one covers a different court or case type.
- WebCivil Supreme for civil Supreme Court cases statewide
- WebCriminal for pending criminal cases with future dates
- NYSCEF for e-filed case documents
- OCA CHRS for criminal history searches ($95 fee)
- DOCCS Inmate Lookup for state prison records
For in-person searches, visit the County Clerk at 60 Centre Street, Room 103B. Bring the case index number if you have it. The staff can also search by party name. No appointment is needed. The office is open during regular business hours on weekdays. If you need help with forms, the NYS Court Forms page has blank forms for every court type.
State Criminal History Records
The Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) keeps the state's official rap sheets. These are fingerprint-based records that include arrests, convictions, and sentences from every county. To review your own record, you must get fingerprinted at an IdentoGo location. The fee runs $14.25 for New York residents. Results take 3 to 4 weeks by mail.
DCJS records differ from court records. Court records show case filings, motions, and court orders. DCJS rap sheets show arrest-to-disposition data in a summary format. Both are useful, but they serve different purposes. If you need to challenge something on your rap sheet, DCJS has a record review process you can use.
Court Records Access Rights
Most New York County court records are open to the public. You do not need to give a reason to look at a file. The clerk cannot ask why you want it. That is the general rule under New York law.
Some records are off limits. Sealed criminal cases, youthful offender adjudications, Family Court files, and matrimonial records all have restrictions. If you believe a record was wrongfully withheld, you can file a CPLR Article 78 proceeding in Supreme Court. You have four months from the denial to file. The court will decide if the clerk had a valid reason to block access.
Nearby Counties
New York County borders several other counties. Court records in those areas follow the same state rules but are kept by their own County Clerks.