New York County Criminal Records

This guide explains how to find criminal and court records in New York County, New York, including its county courts, municipal courts, custody information, and statewide record sources. New York County's county seat is Manhattan and the county has about 1,665,000 residents (July 1, 2025 estimate). Offices and online systems change, so confirm details with the agency before relying on a record.

New York County criminal records

New York County Supreme Court, Criminal Term adjudicates felony prosecutions in Manhattan. Its General Information page lists clerk services, file access, and the Central Clerk's Office at 100 Centre Street, Room 1000. NYC Criminal Court handles misdemeanors, lesser offenses, felony arraignments, and preliminary hearings. The e-Courts portal and WebCriminal provide current case-information routes; they do not include every historical, sealed, or completed matter.

Municipal courts and local records

New York City has no separate County Court. Supreme Court Criminal Term is the felony trial court, while NYC Criminal Court handles misdemeanor and preliminary matters. The New York Courts records guide covers e-Courts, clerk requests, and case information. The OCA Criminal History Record Search is a public name-and-date-of-birth court-history search, not a certified Certificate of Disposition or fingerprint-based background check.

New York County jail and custody information

The NYC DOC Person in Custody Lookup provides current location and basic case information for people in city custody. It does not cover police lockups, state prisons, or federal custody. The NY DOCCS locator guidance covers state-prison custody. The NYC Sheriff primarily enforces civil process and court orders and does not operate Manhattan's criminal jail system.

Local police records

For Manhattan police records, use the NYPD Record Requests page. It covers complaint reports, aided reports, certificates of conduct, Criminal Records Unit requests, and fingerprint services. NYPD FOIL requests use NYC OpenRecords; the listed Criminal Records Unit phone is 718-610-8457. Verify current contacts, forms, fees, and submission methods.

New York statewide record sources

New York DCJS Personal Record Review is the authoritative fingerprint-based state criminal-history source and is generally restricted. OCA CHRS is the public court-based search and is distinct from DCJS. Do not present either source as a nationwide FBI search or as a substitute for court filings and dispositions.

City pages and local search areas

Manhattan is the public-facing locality corresponding to New York County. Preserve both terms on the page because court and state sources use New York County while city agencies use Manhattan.

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