Nyc Criminal Records Search: Cases & Public Records

The quickest correct route

Where to Search NYC Criminal Records

New York City criminal records are not all available through a single public name-search screen. The state court system, New York State DCJS, NYPD and corrections agencies each maintain different types of information.

Free online court search

How to Use NYC WebCriminal to Look Up Criminal Cases

New York’s electronic court system calls this tool WebCriminal, though many people still search for “WebCrims.” It provides case information and upcoming appearances for selected New York criminal courts.

On the official welcome screen, there are three major search methods: Case Identifier, Defendant Name and Court Calendar.

1. Open WebCriminal

   Follow the official link above. Read any notice about delayed updates or temporary system problems.

2. Select Defendant Name or Case Identifier

   If you know the court’s case number or summons number, the Case Identifier option is usually more precise. Otherwise choose Defendant Name.

3. Enter the search details

   For a name search, provide the first and last name in the requested fields. For a case-number search, use the full identifier shown on court paperwork where possible.

4. Select the proper court

   Choose New York City Criminal Court or the applicable Supreme Criminal Court when offered. A felony case may proceed from Criminal Court arraignment to a Supreme Court Criminal Term.

5. Open the result

   Inspect the defendant’s name, case identifier, court part, next scheduled date and other available public information.

6. Check for changes before traveling

   Hearing dates can change. The WebCriminal welcome page acknowledges occasional delays in updating some cases, so check the latest status or call the court when timing is important.

7. Use the courthouse for old or completed cases

   If there is no future hearing, WebCriminal may return nothing. Contact the relevant clerk for completed-case records and Certificates of Disposition.

What the Court Calendar option is for

The Court Calendar search can help identify proceedings scheduled in a court part, or by a judge for courts that support judge searches. It is a calendar tool, not an official certificate proving conviction or dismissal.

NYC-specific court locations

NYC Criminal Record Lookup by Borough

New York City has five boroughs, but courts and case-number references often use county names. Knowing the county designation can help you select the right clerk and avoid an unsuccessful search.

Completed criminal cases

How to Obtain an NYC Certificate of Disposition

A Certificate of Disposition is a court-issued document bearing the court seal that confirms the outcome or current disposition of a specific criminal case.

It is commonly requested for legal matters, licensing, employment-related documentation and immigration proceedings. It is not the same as a statewide OCA name-based report or a fingerprint-based DCJS rap sheet.

1. Identify the court that handled the case

   Check whether the final proceedings took place in NYC Criminal Court or the relevant borough’s Supreme Court Criminal Term.

2. Gather identifying case information

   Prepare the docket or indictment number if available, full legal name, date of birth and approximate arrest or case date.

3. Check the correct clerk’s procedure

   Different criminal court offices may provide in-person, mail or other procedures. Call the relevant court to confirm current requirements.

4. Prepare identification and payment

   NYC 311 publishes a $10 fee and requires identification. Courts may have specific payment rules or fee-waiver procedures.

5. Request the certificate

   Use the court’s stated method. If the case is sealed, additional identity or written authorization requirements apply.

6. Verify the completed certificate

   Make sure the court, case number, defendant’s identifying details and disposition are correct before relying on the document.

A concrete Manhattan example

New York County Supreme Court Criminal Term provides Certificate of Disposition instructions for cases at 100 Centre Street. The published directions identify its Central Clerk’s Office in Room 1000 and list a $10 certificate fee.

The court also provides a mailing procedure through its CAP Unit. These instructions concern that court’s criminal cases; do not use them automatically for a Brooklyn or Queens case.

Statewide public court-history records

New York OCA Criminal History Record Search (CHRS)

The New York State Office of Court Administration provides a statewide Criminal History Record Search, known as CHRS.

CHRS searches public information relating to qualifying open, pending and conviction records from criminal courts across New York’s 62 counties. The search requires an exact match of the person’s name and date of birth.

How to order an OCA report

1. Read the official CHRS limitations

   Understand that the report is based on court data—not fingerprints—and excludes sealed records and several other categories.

2. Choose online or mail submission

   OCA offers Direct Access online searches and a mail-in application. Its CHRS unit does not provide in-person service at 25 Beaver Street.

3. Create a Direct Access public account

   The public account supports online payment by debit or credit card and a limit of five searches per request.

4. Enter the full name and date of birth

   The online search depends on an exact name and DOB match. Alternate spellings, aliases and different birth dates may count as additional searches.

5. Review and pay the fee

   Confirm the $95 search price plus any applicable convenience fee before submitting payment.

6. Receive the result

   Online “No Results Found” requests may return in real time; searches with possible records undergo review during business hours.

7. Request a certificate separately if needed

   CHRS is not certified and does not replace a Certificate of Disposition from the court of original jurisdiction.

Your own official New York criminal history

How to Request Your Own NYS DCJS Rap Sheet

The New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services maintains official fingerprint-based criminal-history records. This system is different from the publicly available OCA court-history search.

You cannot order another person’s DCJS rap sheet merely by knowing their name. DCJS record-review requests are for the person whose fingerprints are submitted, or through an otherwise legally authorized process.

Suppressed versus unsuppressed records

Record-review steps for New York residents

1. Visit the official DCJS page

   Read the eligibility and record-review instructions rather than using an unofficial third-party people-search service.

2. Select suppressed or unsuppressed

   Choose the service code for the type of report you need. Separate requests are required if you need both versions.

3. Schedule fingerprinting with IdentoGO

   Use the official enrollment link on the DCJS page or call 877-472-6915. Check the identification requirements.

4. Attend your appointment

   Bring the required identity document and payment for the fingerprint service.

5. Receive the result by mail

   DCJS states that the response is generally mailed approximately three to four weeks after the agency receives the completed request.

6. Challenge incorrect information if necessary

   The response includes instructions for disputing errors in your official criminal-history record.

Know the actual cost before paying

NYC Criminal Record Lookup Fees

The following fees are based on the published New York court and DCJS instructions reviewed in October 2026.

The DCJS fees shown were published effective February 2, 2026. Check the official enrollment page before paying, especially if you reside outside New York or must submit fingerprint cards rather than attending a local appointment.

Current NYC jail information

NYC Inmate and Person-in-Custody Lookup

If your main question is whether someone is being held in an NYC jail, use the New York City Department of Correction Person in Custody Lookup.

The city explains that this tool provides current location and certain basic case information for individuals in NYC DOC custody.

How to check a custody record

1. Open the NYC DOC lookup page

   Select the official Person in Custody Lookup link.

2. Enter the requested search information

   Use the available name or identifying fields offered by the service.

3. Verify the correct individual

   Check identifying details, booking information and other available fields.

4. Review current custody and case information

   The city notes that available results may include the holding location, case number, charges, court location, release information or bail/bond details.

5. Use WebCriminal or the court for the case outcome

   A custody record is not a final judgment or certified disposition.

NYC court docket borough codes

NYC 311 explains that certain criminal docket numbers contain borough identifiers. These can help you identify the correct court location when reviewing custody information.

State prison and parole records

New York State Prison and Parole Lookup

Someone who is serving a state prison sentence may appear in New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision records rather than NYC DOC jail records.

The official state lookup supports identifiers such as the Department Identification Number (DIN), New York State Identification Number (NYSID), or a name with a birth year.

Use the incarceration search for available state facility information and the parolee search for state community-supervision information. Neither tool replaces the originating court’s criminal file.

Police records versus court records

How to Request NYPD Arrest or Police Reports

An NYPD incident or arrest-related report is not the same record as a criminal court case or DCJS rap sheet.

The NYPD Criminal Records Unit handles certain police complaint and incident verifications. Other arrest-related documents may require a Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) request, subject to lawful restrictions.

For a verification of a complaint report

1. Read the NYPD Record Requests page

   Choose the specific verification service rather than assuming a full police report is automatically available.

2. Complete the appropriate request form

   Provide details of the reported incident, including complaint number or date where known.

3. Submit online or by the permitted mail procedure

   The NYPD explains that eligible verification reports are free and may be requested through its listed methods.

4. Use FOIL for other records where appropriate

   Describe the arrest or incident sufficiently for the agency to identify records, including report number, precinct, date and involved identifying information when appropriate.

Public registry information

New York Sex Offender Registry Lookup

New York State DCJS also maintains the Sex Offender Registry, separate from its restricted official rap-sheet records.

The state offers public searches using names and geographic information. Public internet availability depends on offender classification: the state describes its searchable Level 2 and Level 3 registry records and separate public-access restrictions for Level 1 information.

A registry search is not a complete NYC criminal record lookup and should not be used to conclude that a person has no criminal convictions of other types.

Important 2026 legal update

NYC Criminal Record Sealing and the Clean Slate Act

New York’s Clean Slate Act took effect on November 16, 2024, with the court system given until November 16, 2027, to implement the required automatic sealing processes for eligible convictions.

This means a person should not assume that every eligible conviction is already automatically sealed in October 2026. The actual status must be verified through the official courts or record-review process.

Other New York sealing laws may already apply independently of Clean Slate, including provisions involving favorable terminations, certain violation-level cases, youthful-offender records, eligible marijuana records and court-ordered sealing.

Troubleshoot your search

Why an NYC Criminal Record May Not Appear Online

Federal criminal proceedings

Federal Criminal Records in New York City

Federal cases are not stored in the NYC Criminal Court system. The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York includes Manhattan and the Bronx, while the Eastern District of New York includes Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island.

Use PACER Case Locator if the federal court is unknown. PACER has its own access rules and usage fees, distinct from New York State’s $95 OCA search.

Accuracy and fair use

NYC Criminal Record Searches and Employment Screening

New York City has additional criminal-history protections beyond general federal background-check rules. The city’s Fair Chance Act generally restricts when covered employers can inquire into or investigate an applicant’s criminal history during hiring.

Under the city’s guidance, most employers cannot investigate an applicant’s criminal history until after a conditional job offer, subject to legal exceptions. Public internet criminal-record searches conducted for a hiring decision can fall within these rules.

Official government references

NYC Criminal Record Lookup: Official Sources