NYPD records and Richmond County court records are different searches
Staten Island is Richmond County, New York. If you are trying to find a criminal court case, the primary source is normally the New York State Unified Court System, not an NYPD criminal-case database. NYPD maintains police, arrest, complaint and related department records, while Richmond County Criminal Court and Supreme Court maintain filed criminal cases. Knowing which record you actually need prevents a lot of wasted searching.
Start by choosing the record, not the agency name
Searching “NYPD criminal records” can lead to the wrong system because NYPD does not serve as New York City’s criminal-court database. Different agencies keep different pieces of the record.
Pending criminal cases
WebCrims provides information about selected criminal cases with future appearance dates.
Statewide public criminal history
CHRS searches public open/pending and conviction records from qualifying courts across New York.
Police and arrest records
Complaint reports, arrest-related records and other department records are handled through NYPD records procedures.
Official state rap sheet
DCJS maintains New York’s official fingerprint-based arrest and prosecution history.
Current NYC jail custody
The Person In Custody Lookup can show charges, court dates, bail, booking identifiers and current location.
State prison and parole
New York State prison custody and community-supervision information are handled separately from NYC jail records.
Use WebCrims for many open Staten Island criminal cases
The New York State Unified Court System operates WebCrims for selected New York criminal cases with future court appearances.
For Staten Island, the borough/county is Richmond.
Open WebCrimsOpen WebCrims
Use the official New York Courts system rather than an unofficial criminal-record website.
Search the defendant’s name
New York Courts says name searching requires at least the first three letters of the last name and first two letters of the first name.
Confirm Richmond County
Staten Island criminal cases use Richmond County identifiers. Do not confuse Richmond County with other New York counties.
Review the docket and next appearance
Check the court, docket number, upcoming appearance and available case information.
Contact the court when the case should be open but does not appear
WebCrims is useful, but it is not a complete archive of every criminal case ever filed.
WebCrims does not show every criminal record
This is one of the most important New York-specific limitations to understand.
New York Courts states that WebCrims does not display:
- sealed criminal cases
- finished/disposed cases that no longer fit WebCrims coverage
- arrest warrants
- every historical criminal record
- DCJS rap-sheet information
- NYPD complaint or investigative reports
Richmond County Criminal Court handles Staten Island criminal matters
The Staten Island Criminal Court is part of the New York City Criminal Court system.
Richmond County Criminal Court
26 Central AvenueStaten Island, NY 10301
General information: (718) 675-8558
Clerk’s office: Monday–Friday, 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., except holidays.
New York Courts currently lists Staten Island arraignments, excluding Desk Appearance Tickets, Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and weekend arraignment hours from 9:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Desk Appearance Tickets and other ordinary Criminal Court parts follow weekday court schedules.
Felony cases can move to Richmond County Supreme Court
In New York City, felony prosecutions are handled through Supreme Court, Criminal Term. Richmond County Supreme Court states that its Criminal Term has exclusive trial jurisdiction over felony matters and concurrent jurisdiction over misdemeanors.
Richmond County Supreme Court
26 Central AvenueStaten Island, NY 10301
Main phone: (718) 675-8700
Use OCA CHRS for a broader New York public criminal-history search
The New York State Office of Court Administration provides a statewide Criminal History Record Search (CHRS).
The current fee is $95 per name and date-of-birth search.
| Feature | Current CHRS rule |
|---|---|
| Coverage | Public criminal cases from New York County/Supreme, City, Town and Village courts across all 62 counties, subject to database limits. |
| Search method | Exact match of name and date of birth. |
| Fee | $95 per search. |
| Results | Public open/pending criminal cases and convictions. |
| Sealed records | Not disclosed. |
| Certification | CHRS report is not a certified Certificate of Disposition. |
CHRS requests reporting no results can be returned in real time through Direct Access. When one or more names produce a record, OCA reviews the result before release.
A CHRS report is not a certified court disposition
If you need formal proof of how a Staten Island case ended, request a Certificate of Disposition or other certified document from the court that handled the case.
Use NYPD when you need the police record rather than the court case
NYPD’s Criminal Records Unit stores and maintains crime and lost-property reports and provides qualifying information to members of the public and authorized agencies under applicable law and department rules.
NYPD record requests can include different processes depending on the type of record.
Verification of Complaint Report
Victims/complainants and qualifying authorized representatives can request verification. NYPD lists this service as free of charge.
Arrest-related request
A detailed FOIL request should include the arrest number when known, defendant name, DOB, NYSID, arrest date and precinct.
Aided record
NYPD provides qualifying aided-report requests through its Records process and currently lists the service as free.
How to make an NYPD FOIL request for Staten Island records
Requests under New York’s Freedom of Information Law should be submitted through NYC OpenRecords when seeking qualifying NYPD records.
NYC OpenRecordsSelect NYPD as the agency
FOIL only works well when the correct government agency actually possesses the record.
Describe the requested record precisely
Include the type of report, date, location, precinct and report or arrest number when known.
For arrest records, add identifying details
NYPD recommends including the full arrest number or name, date of birth, NYSID, arrest date and precinct.
Review the agency response
Records can be disclosed, redacted, withheld under an exemption, or denied depending on the law and status of the investigation.
NYPD FOIL Unit
New York City Police DepartmentLegal Bureau – FOIL Unit
One Police Plaza, Room 110-A
New York, NY 10038
Phone: (646) 610-5296
NYPD Certificate of Conduct is for your own New York City history
NYPD offers a Certificate of Conduct, formerly called a Good Conduct Certificate, which is a fingerprint-based New York City criminal-history search for the applicant.
This can be useful when a person needs an official NYC police certificate for certain permits, licenses or administrative purposes.
| Requirement | Current NYPD guidance |
|---|---|
| Appointment | Required; walk-ins are not accepted. |
| Location | One Police Plaza, Room 152-A, Lower Manhattan. |
| Fee | $50. |
| Identity process | Applicant is fingerprinted and photographed. |
| Processing | NYPD says processing and mailing normally takes about 10 working days. |
For your own complete New York rap sheet, use DCJS Record Review
The New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services maintains the official state fingerprint-based criminal-history record commonly called a rap sheet.
An ordinary member of the public cannot ask DCJS for another person’s rap sheet. DCJS states that its official criminal-history records are not public records under FOIL.
Personal Record Review
If you want your own record, use the DCJS fingerprint-based Personal Record Review process.
Unsuppressed Record Review
Includes the information DCJS is authorized to provide directly to the subject, including records that may not appear in ordinary public court searches.
Suppressed Record Review
A separate version is available depending on the purpose and the type of history the person needs to review.
DCJS’s current Record Review materials list a fingerprint-processing fee of $59.95. Fee-waiver procedures are available for individuals who cannot afford the processing fee.
DCJS says Record Review responses are generally mailed within 7–10 business days after DCJS receives the fingerprints.
DCJS Record Review InformationUse NYC Department of Correction to find someone currently in city custody
If a person was recently arrested in Staten Island and remains in New York City jail custody, the NYC Department of Correction’s Person In Custody Lookup can be more useful than searching state prison records.
The NYC lookup can currently show:
- charges
- court date and court location
- Book and Case Number
- NYSID number
- current holding location
- release date when available
- bail or bond amount
- jail mailing address
NYC DOC says much custody information is updated within about 15 minutes of entry, although some information may take up to four hours to appear.
State prison records use New York DOCCS, not NYC DOC
NYC Department of Correction runs New York City jails. New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision handles state-prison incarceration and community supervision.
Use DOCCS when a person has been sentenced to New York State prison.
New York DOCCS Incarcerated LookupDOCCS assigns a DIN — Department Identification Number to individuals admitted to state custody. When known, a DIN is often the cleanest way to locate a state-prison record.
New York also provides a separate parolee lookup
DOCCS maintains a Parolee Lookup for people currently or formerly supervised by New York State.
You can search using:
- NYSID
- DIN
- full or last name
- name and birth year
Use the New York State Sex Offender Registry for registration searches
The New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services operates the official Sex Offender Registry Search.
The public online registry currently includes individuals classified as Level 2 or Level 3.
Users can search by:
- last name
- county
- ZIP code
Information about Level 1 registrants and individuals whose risk level has not yet been determined may require a telephone inquiry under DCJS’s published rules.
Sealed cases are intentionally excluded from ordinary public searches
New York treats sealed criminal records differently from ordinary public court records.
OCA states that sealed cases are not disclosed in the statewide CHRS report. WebCrims likewise does not provide sealed cases.
New York’s court system also provides guidance on criminal-record sealing and Clean Slate-related changes. Use current court guidance when determining whether a specific old conviction should still be publicly visible.
New York Criminal Record Sealing GuidanceWhat to do when an old Staten Island criminal case is not online
WebCrims is primarily useful for current criminal matters with future appearances. Older or disposed matters may require another route.
New York Courts states that court records can be requested directly from the Clerk of the Court or County Clerk that maintains them.
What to do when your New York rap sheet contains an error
DCJS’s Personal Record Review response includes information explaining how to challenge inaccurate or incomplete information.
Common problems can include:
- incorrect identity match
- missing final disposition
- incorrect arrest information
- case shown as open after disposition
- sealed matter appearing improperly
- duplicate event
Federal criminal cases are not NYPD or Richmond County cases
Federal criminal prosecutions involving Staten Island are filed in the federal court system, not Richmond County Criminal Court or Supreme Court.
Use the federal judiciary’s PACER service to search federal district and appellate court records.
Search PACERMap of the Staten Island criminal courthouse
Richmond County Criminal Court and Richmond County Supreme Court are both associated with the courthouse complex at 26 Central Avenue, Staten Island, NY 10301.
Staten Island criminal-record search tips that prevent common mistakes
Search “Richmond,” not only “Staten Island”
Court systems and custody records commonly use the county name Richmond.
WebCrims is for active matters
Finished cases may disappear from WebCrims even though they remain part of court history.
RI means Richmond County
NYC DOC says docket numbers using RI correspond to Staten Island/Richmond County.
Felony? Check Supreme Court
Richmond Supreme Court Criminal Term handles felony prosecutions after indictment.
Police report? Use NYPD
Court clerks do not replace NYPD when the actual document sought is a police or complaint report.
Your own record? Use fingerprints
DCJS Record Review is more complete for your own state criminal history than a public name search.
Need proof? Get disposition
CHRS is not certified. The court of original jurisdiction issues the formal Certificate of Disposition.
Recent arrest? Check NYC DOC
The custody lookup can show current charges, court date, bail and location before you know all case details.
No result is not a conclusion
Check sealed-record rules, older court files, federal jurisdiction and name/DOB accuracy before concluding no record exists.
Common questions about Staten Island and NYPD criminal records
1. Can I search NYPD criminal records online by someone’s name?
NYPD does not operate a general public criminal-court name database. Use New York Courts WebCrims for many pending criminal cases or OCA’s statewide CHRS for a broader public name-and-DOB criminal-history search.
2. What county is Staten Island for criminal court searches?
Staten Island is Richmond County. Court and custody systems may therefore identify a Staten Island case as Richmond County rather than using the borough name.
3. Is WebCrims free?
Yes. WebCrims provides free online access to qualifying criminal case information with future appearance dates. It does not show every finished, sealed or historical criminal case.
4. Does WebCrims show warrants?
No. New York Courts specifically states that WebCrims does not show warrants.
5. How much does a New York statewide criminal-history search cost?
The Office of Court Administration currently charges $95 for each CHRS name-and-date-of-birth search.
6. Can I obtain another person’s DCJS rap sheet?
No, not as an ordinary public request. DCJS states that official state criminal-history records are not public records under FOIL. Individuals may request their own record through fingerprint-based Record Review.
7. How do I request an NYPD arrest or police record?
Use the applicable NYPD Records process or submit a written FOIL request through NYC OpenRecords. For arrest records, NYPD recommends providing the arrest number when known, name, DOB, NYSID, arrest date and precinct.
8. How do I find someone arrested in Staten Island who is still in jail?
Use the NYC Department of Correction Person In Custody Lookup. It can display current custody information, charges, court date, bail, Book and Case Number, NYSID and holding location.
9. Where are Staten Island felony cases handled?
Richmond County Supreme Court Criminal Term handles felony prosecutions. The court is located at 26 Central Avenue in Staten Island.
10. How do I get official proof of a Staten Island criminal disposition?
Request a Certificate of Disposition or other certified case record from the court of original jurisdiction. An OCA CHRS report is not a certified court disposition.
Official sources for Staten Island and New York criminal-record searches
- New York Courts — Richmond County Criminal Court
- New York Courts — Richmond County Supreme Court
- New York Courts — WebCrims
- New York Courts — Criminal History Record Search
- New York Courts — Court Records & Case Information
- NYPD — Record Requests
- NYPD — FOIL Requests
- NYC OpenRecords
- New York DCJS — Personal Record Review
- NYC DOC — Person In Custody Lookup
- New York DOCCS — Incarcerated Lookup
- New York DOCCS — Parolee Lookup
- New York DCJS — Sex Offender Registry
- PACER — Federal Court Records