New York Courthouse Records

It is of critical importance that the court records and vital statistics are maintained properly in New York. The state court and authorities maintain all public records, from records of births, deaths, marriages and divorces, police records, criminal records, financial records and records of all driving offenses.

Not only are the records being properly maintained, but the authorities also recognize the fact that you may need to access them for various reasons. They are thus willing to share the record with you. Most of these records are in the public domain and can be released to you when you place your request.

You might have to provide the reason why you need to access the record and inform them about your relation with the person in the records. Other than this, there is nothing more that is required. There is no need to seek the permission of anyone to access the New York courthouse records.

Finding and Accessing Court Records in New York

The New York Supreme Court maintains different kinds of personal records of the people in the state, including information on births, deaths, marriage and divorce. If you wish to gain access to any of these official records, you need to apply to the concerned county clerk’s office.

Surrogate's Courts, Supreme Courts and Family Courts can be found all across the various counties and they oversee similar cases. When it comes to the criminal cases in the State of New York, you will find greater jurisdiction in the Supreme Courts. Outside the state, it is the County Courts where you will find most of the criminal cases. County Courts are meant to serve the various counties except for that of New York City where you will find Criminal Courts and Civil Courts.

In the New York City’s Criminal Courts and Civil Courts, and also in City Courts, there is jurisdiction over the same types of cases. In Long Island you will find the District Courts and the City Courts. Village Courts, Justice Courts and Town Courts have the same jurisdiction, but lesser territorial jurisdiction when you compare them with the other courts. The Court of Claims is one special case because all civil claims are handled there against New York State.

How to Find Courthouse Records in New York

According to the constitution, you can access records where the offender was charged, tried and finally convicted. Legislation such as CORI, or Criminal Offender Record Information, enable a balance between how much information you can access and the right to privacy. However, with the Internet, this becomes difficult to achieve. There are laws that define how the information obtained from such criminal records are to be treated and used.

You can start by finding out the full name of the person, or by finding out the location of the court. If you want to know about the case which was decided and later appealed, it is necessary that you visit an appellate court.

Conducting Your Own Background Check

You will first need to know where a person is from when you are researching them. Perhaps the person you are researching is from Michigan; in this case, then it is probable that the record is maintained not in New York, but in Michigan. So, you need to begin with as much information as possible.

Once you have tried researching an individual through the courts in person and the results have been negative, you should then opt for background checking on the Web. It is affordable and possible for you to access hearings of the trial from the court records as well as the court dockets quickly.

You must always ask for permission when checking the complete background of a person and not just the criminal background. Once you have detailed information, you will be able to make a call on whether the person is worthy of your trust.