Start with the right New York criminal-record source
New York criminal records are spread across the Unified Court System, local criminal courts, the Office of Court Administration, the Division of Criminal Justice Services, county jails, the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, and the federal courts. The best search depends on whether you need a current court case, a statewide public search, your own fingerprint-based RAP sheet, a certified disposition, incarceration information, or a federal criminal docket.
Which New York criminal record are you trying to find?
Statewide public criminal history
Name-and-date-of-birth search of public open/pending and conviction information reported to the New York State Unified Court System.
Current criminal case
Useful for supported courts when you need upcoming appearances, criminal calendars or an active case by defendant or docket number.
Specific court case
Best for the actual court file, disposition, judgment, sentence and certified documentation.
Your own RAP sheet
Fingerprint-based personal review of your New York State criminal-history information, including options for suppressed or unsuppressed responses.
State prison / supervision record
Search individuals under New York State correctional or parole supervision.
Federal criminal case
Federal prosecutions are searched through PACER rather than the New York State court system.
New York State Criminal History Record Search (CHRS)
The New York State Office of Court Administration provides a statewide Criminal History Record Search covering public criminal court information reported from courts throughout all 62 counties.
The current fee is $95 for each search.
The search is based on an exact match of full name and date of birth. Name or DOB variations are not automatically returned.
Open New York CHRSHow to run a statewide New York criminal-record search
Gather the exact legal name
OCA requires the person’s complete first and last name. Each different alias can require a separate search.
Confirm the date of birth
CHRS performs a strict name-and-DOB match, so a wrong date or spelling can result in no match.
Use Direct Access or the mail application
Online Direct Access is available 24/7. OCA also accepts mailed CHRS applications.
Pay the $95 search fee
Online payment can include a separate convenience fee. Mail requests use the payment methods listed on the current CHRS application.
Review the result carefully
Compare name, DOB, court, docket information and disposition before assuming a record belongs to the person searched.
What CHRS does not show
- sealed criminal records
- expunged marijuana records
- a nationwide FBI criminal history
- every possible Town or Village Court historical disposition
- automatic spelling or DOB variations
- a certified disposition for a particular case
Which New York courts feed the statewide CHRS search?
Felony-level courts
Public criminal records from Supreme and County Courts can be included when reported to OCA.
City criminal cases
Public criminal cases from City Courts are part of the statewide court-data system.
Justice Courts
Town and Village criminal data can be included, but historical completeness varies and OCA publishes specific reporting information for these courts.
Search current criminal cases with WebCrims
WebCrims is useful when you need current criminal court information or future court dates from courts supported by the service.
New York Courts states that WebCrims currently includes criminal case information from New York City, Nassau and Suffolk Counties, County Courts in the Ninth Judicial District, Erie County Court, Buffalo City Court, and other supported courts as the system evolves.
Open WebCrimsDefendant search
WebCrims supports defendant-name searches in participating courts.
Docket number
A complete docket or case number is usually more precise than a common-name search.
Get criminal records directly from the court
When you need a specific case file, contact the Clerk of the Court or County Clerk that maintains the original criminal record.
Depending on the court, the record can include:
- docket or case number
- criminal complaint
- indictment or information
- plea
- judgment
- sentence
- dismissal
- court orders
- Certificate of Disposition
Request a Certificate of Disposition
A Certificate of Disposition is an official court document carrying the court seal and showing what happened in a criminal case.
It can identify:
- the original charge
- the disposition
- conviction information, if applicable
- conviction date
- sentence
New York Courts generally lists a fee of approximately $5 to $10 per certificate, depending on the court.
Identify the court that sentenced or disposed of the case
Certificates come from the court of original jurisdiction, not the statewide CHRS office.
Provide the docket number if possible
Courts may also request name, DOB or arrest date when the docket number is unavailable.
Bring photo identification
Additional identification or authorization can be required for sealed cases.
Confirm the local fee and payment method
Court procedures differ, so contact the clerk before mailing payment.
Get your own New York State RAP sheet through DCJS
The New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services maintains the state’s official criminal-history record, commonly called a RAP sheet or “Record of Arrest and Prosecution.”
Unlike OCA CHRS, a DCJS Personal Record Review is fingerprint based and is available to the person whose record is being reviewed.
Fuller personal review
An unsuppressed response can include information that is sealed or suppressed from ordinary public searches, including certain youthful-offender and sealed information as allowed for the subject’s own review.
Public-facing style view
A suppressed response omits categories of sealed or suppressed information identified by DCJS rules.
DCJS Record Review Unit:
Phone:
518-457-9847 or
518-485-7675
Email:
RecordReview@dcjs.ny.gov
How New York DCJS Personal Record Review works
Choose suppressed or unsuppressed review
Select the version that matches what you want to inspect.
Complete the DCJS Record Review process
Current instructions use fingerprint submission through the state’s approved fingerprinting process.
Provide required identification
Follow the current fingerprint vendor and DCJS identity-document requirements.
Review the mailed DCJS response
The response can contain your criminal-history information or indicate that DCJS has no criminal history on file.
Use the challenge form if something is wrong
DCJS includes information explaining how to challenge inaccurate or incomplete information.
How to correct an inaccurate New York criminal record
Start by identifying which government record is wrong.
Contact the court
If the docket or disposition is wrong, obtain the correct court documentation from the clerk.
Record Review challenge
Submit documentation through the DCJS record-challenge process.
Confirm the court order
Obtain the sealing or disposition order and use it to resolve inconsistent state or court records.
New York police and sheriff arrest records
A court docket and a DCJS criminal-history record are not the same as the original police report.
To request an arrest or incident report, begin with the law-enforcement agency that created it:
- city police department
- county sheriff
- New York State Police
- other investigating agency
New York State prison and incarcerated-person records
Use the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision for people in state correctional custody.
DOCCS provides an online incarcerated-person lookup and identifies individuals using information such as name and Department Identification Number (DIN).
New York DOCCS Incarcerated LookupSearch New York parole supervision records
DOCCS also maintains a public Parolee Lookup for people currently or formerly under parole supervision.
Searches can use:
- NYSID
- DIN
- full or last name
- name plus birth year
County jail and local custody records
New York does not have one single public county-jail search replacing every local sheriff or correction department.
Identify the county of detention
Start with the county where the arrest or pending case occurred.
Find the county sheriff or corrections department
Use the official county-government website rather than a scraped booking site.
Search jail custody or contact the facility
Local public-access systems vary widely across New York counties.
Return to the court for the case outcome
Jail custody does not tell you whether a charge was later dismissed or resulted in conviction.
New York criminal appeals
New York criminal appeals can move through the Appellate Term or Appellate Division, depending on the trial court and geographic department.
The state’s four Appellate Division departments are:
Manhattan & Bronx
Reviews qualifying appeals from courts in New York and Bronx Counties.
Downstate / Long Island
Includes Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, Nassau, Suffolk and other counties in its jurisdiction.
Capital Region & northeastern counties
Handles qualifying appeals from counties assigned to the Third Judicial Department.
Western New York
Handles qualifying appeals from counties assigned to the Fourth Judicial Department.
Federal criminal cases in New York State
Federal prosecutions are separate from New York State criminal-court records. New York has four federal judicial districts:
- Northern District of New York
- Southern District of New York
- Eastern District of New York
- Western District of New York
Use PACER for federal criminal dockets, case summaries and available filed documents.
Search Federal Criminal RecordsSealed New York criminal records
New York law allows or requires sealing in several circumstances. Sealed cases generally do not appear in ordinary CHRS or public WebCrims searches.
Examples include:
- certain cases terminated in favor of the accused
- eligible violation convictions
- certain drug-related sealing
- some convictions eligible after statutory waiting periods
- youthful-offender matters
- Clean Slate eligible convictions
New York Clean Slate Act: current status
New York’s Clean Slate Act took effect on November 16, 2024. The Unified Court System has through November 16, 2027 to fully implement the systems needed to automatically seal eligible convictions.
3-year period
Qualifying misdemeanor convictions can become eligible after three years from sentencing or release from incarceration, whichever is later, when the statutory conditions are met.
8-year period
Qualifying felony convictions can become eligible after eight years from sentencing or release from incarceration, whichever is later, subject to the statute.
A person generally must not have a pending misdemeanor or felony and must not be on probation, parole or post-release supervision when sealing is applied.
Town and Village Court criminal records
New York has many local Justice Courts operated by towns and villages. Their historical electronic reporting is not uniform.
OCA publishes information identifying which Town and Village Courts report criminal-disposition data into the statewide CHRS system.
New York criminal-record search tips that save time
Use exact DOB in CHRS
CHRS performs an exact name-and-date-of-birth match; spelling variations are not automatically searched.
Each alias can mean another search
If a person used multiple legal names, OCA can treat each name variation as a separate CHRS search.
WebCrims is not a historical archive
It does not show finished, sealed or warrant cases in ordinary public search.
Need official proof? Use the court
CHRS is not certified. A Certificate of Disposition is better when official case proof is required.
Need your own fuller history? Use DCJS
A fingerprint-based Personal Record Review can show information unavailable in the public CHRS product.
Town court data can be incomplete
For older Town or Village Court matters, contact the local clerk directly.
State prison is not county jail
DOCCS covers state corrections. Local pretrial detention requires a county or city custody search.
Clean Slate is still being implemented
Eligible convictions are being processed through a statewide implementation that must be completed by November 16, 2027.
Federal cases belong in PACER
Federal prosecutions will not appear as ordinary New York State trial-court criminal cases.
Using New York criminal records for employment or tenant screening
Public CHRS results, court dockets and personal DCJS records are different from a consumer background report prepared for employment, housing, credit or another regulated eligibility purpose.
New York State criminal records: frequently asked questions
1. Where can I search New York criminal records statewide?
Use the New York State Office of Court Administration Criminal History Record Search, commonly called CHRS.
2. How much does a New York CHRS search cost?
OCA currently charges $95 for each statewide name-and-date-of-birth search.
3. Does CHRS search all New York counties?
Yes. OCA describes CHRS as a statewide search covering public criminal records reported from County/Supreme, City, Town and Village courts in all 62 counties, although historical Town and Village Court reporting can be limited.
4. Is a New York CHRS report certified?
No. If you need certified proof of one case’s outcome, request a Certificate of Disposition from the court that handled the case.
5. What does WebCrims show?
WebCrims provides public information for current criminal cases and future appearances in participating New York courts. It does not show warrants, finished cases or sealed cases.
6. How do I get my own New York RAP sheet?
Use the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services Personal Record Review process. It is fingerprint based and available to the person whose criminal-history record is being reviewed.
7. Where can I find someone in New York State prison?
Use the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision incarcerated-person lookup.
8. Do sealed New York cases appear in CHRS?
No. OCA states that sealed criminal records are not disclosed in CHRS results.
9. When will New York Clean Slate implementation be complete?
The Unified Court System must complete implementation and sealing of eligible convictions by November 16, 2027.
10. Where can I search federal criminal cases in New York?
Use PACER. New York has Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western federal judicial districts, and federal criminal cases are separate from New York State court records.
Official sources used for this guide
- New York State Criminal History Record Search
- OCA CHRS Online Direct Access
- CHRS Frequently Asked Questions
- New York Courts Criminal Records Basics
- WebCrims
- Getting Court Records & Case Information
- Certificate of Disposition
- Statewide Certificate of Disposition Form
- NYS Division of Criminal Justice Services Record Review
- NYS DOCCS Incarcerated Person Lookup
- NYS DOCCS Parolee Lookup
- New York Clean Slate Act
- PACER Federal Court Records