Where do I search Richmond County court records online?
Start at the NYS eCourts gateway because Richmond County records are split by court type. Use WebCivil Supreme for Richmond Supreme Court civil and divorce cases, WebCivil Local for Civil Court, Housing, and Small Claims, WebCriminal for pending criminal cases with future dates, WebFamily for limited active Family Court information, and WebSurrogate for probate and estate matters. Use NYSCEF Guest Search for e-filed Supreme Court documents. Land records, liens, and judgments use the separate Richmond County Clerk portal, not eCourts.
Is New York Supreme Court the highest court in the state?
No. New York uses "Supreme Court" as the name of its main trial court of general jurisdiction, not its highest court. The state's highest court is the New York Court of Appeals. In Richmond County, Supreme Court sits at 26 Central Avenue and handles major civil matters, divorce, and felony criminal prosecutions. Appeals from Richmond County Supreme Court go to the Appellate Division, Second Department in Brooklyn. Further review by the Court of Appeals is permitted only when the law allows it. See the Richmond County Supreme Court page for more on how Civil and Criminal Terms work.
Which court handles divorce in Richmond County?
New York Supreme Court handles all divorces in the state. NY CourtHelp states that Supreme Court is the only court that can grant a divorce in New York. In Richmond County, divorce is filed through the County Clerk's Supreme Court process at 26 Central Avenue, not through Family Court or Civil Court. The index number costs $210 and an uncontested divorce costs at least $335 in court filing fees. For the full divorce filing workflow, see marriage and divorce records.
Are divorce records public in Richmond County?
Divorce records are not fully public. New York Domestic Relations Law restricts inspection of matrimonial papers, including pleadings and affidavits. A WebCivil Supreme search may show that a case exists, but the actual documents are not freely accessible online. Parties, their attorneys, and people with a court order may be able to obtain records through the clerk. Do not assume that because a case appears in a search, the entire file is open. The marriage and divorce records page covers what is available and through which process.
Where do I get a marriage license on Staten Island?
Marriage licenses in Richmond County are issued by the NYC City Clerk's Marriage Bureau through the Project Cupid appointment system, not by the Richmond County Clerk or any court. The City Clerk's office does not accept walk-ins; you must book an appointment before visiting. Virtual appointments for marriage licenses remain available. For current appointment instructions and Project Cupid access, visit the marriage and divorce records page, which links to the official City Clerk marriage license and records pages.
Where are Richmond County probate records?
Probate in New York is handled by Surrogate's Court, not a generic "probate court." Richmond County Surrogate's Court is at 18 Richmond Terrace, Staten Island, NY 10301. Phone numbers are: General Clerk 718-675-8500, Help Center 718-675-8508. For online searches, WebSurrogate at websurrogates.nycourts.gov allows free public searches by name, file number, old index, index book pages, or wills filed for safekeeping. The Records Room is in the basement, Room B-3, with hours 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. See the Surrogate's Court page for full details.
How do I find an inmate arrested in Richmond County?
Richmond County is Staten Island, and there is no separate county jail. People arrested in Richmond County who are held in custody are in the New York City Department of Correction system, not a Richmond County facility. Use the NYC DOC Person in Custody Lookup for current city jail custody. If the person was sentenced to state prison, use the NYS DOCCS Incarcerated Individual Lookup. For federal custody, use the Bureau of Prisons inmate locator. For release notifications, register with VINELink. The inmate records page explains each lookup tool and when to use it.
Does Richmond County publish a list of released inmates?
No official Richmond County-only released-inmates list was found. A person leaving NYC DOC current custody may have been released, transferred to DOCCS state custody, transferred to federal custody, hospitalized, moved to another facility, or affected by a data delay. To verify release, search the NYC DOC Person in Custody Lookup, check VINELink for notification or status updates, search DOCCS if a state prison sentence was imposed, and check BOP for federal custody. For victim safety and release notification concerns, VINELink is the official route. See the released inmates page for a full verification guide.
How do I search pending criminal cases in Richmond County?
Use WebCriminal at the NYS eCourts gateway. The Defendant Search requires a first and last name (at least two characters of each) or a corporation name (at least five characters). Choose from the court dropdown: Richmond Criminal Court for misdemeanors and arraignments, Richmond Criminal Court - Summons for summons matters, or Richmond Supreme Criminal Court for indicted felony matters in Supreme Court Criminal Term. Results appear on the page or as a PDF. WebCriminal shows pending cases with future dates only. See criminal court for a full step-by-step walkthrough and search-field table.
Does WebCriminal show a person's full criminal history?
No. WebCriminal covers only pending criminal cases with future appearance dates for the courts it includes. It does not show dismissed cases, sealed records, youthful offender adjudications, fully disposed old cases, or cases from courts outside its coverage. A complete statewide criminal history search requires a Criminal History Record Search, called CHRS, through the court system, which NY CourtHelp lists at $95 per search. Sealed records under CPL 160.50 are not visible in any public search. For a full explanation of what CHRS covers and how to get a certificate of disposition, see arrest records.
How do I get a certified copy of a court record?
Contact the clerk that holds the specific record. For Supreme Court civil records and county records, that is the Richmond County Clerk at 130 Stuyvesant Place, Staten Island, NY 10301. Certified copies of court records cost $8 per document plus $0.25 per page. Certified copies of County Clerk records other than Supreme Court documents cost $10 per document plus $0.25 per page. A plain copy is $0.25 per page. A court records search for two consecutive years is $5. Identify the court name, index or docket number, party names, and the specific document before requesting. More on fees and copy procedures is on the County Clerk page.
Where is Richmond County Civil Court and when is Small Claims held?
Richmond County Civil and Housing Court is at 927 Castleton Avenue, Staten Island, NY 10310. This is separate from Supreme Court at 26 Central Avenue. Standard hours are 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. Evening Small Claims Court is held on the third Thursday of each month, with courtroom hours from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. and calendar call at 6:30 p.m. The Small Claims counter is open 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on those evenings, and the cashier closes at 7:30 p.m. Civil Clerk phone is 718-675-8455 and Small Claims is 718-675-8460. See civil court for full details on the court and WebCivil Local search.
What is the Civil Court money limit in Richmond County?
Richmond County Civil Court handles General Civil cases seeking up to $50,000 and Small Claims up to $10,000. Housing Court handles landlord-tenant matters without a set monetary cap for the housing claim itself. Cases seeking more than $50,000 in a money judgment belong in Richmond County Supreme Court, which has no upper limit on civil claims. A case cannot be upgraded from Civil Court to Supreme Court mid-case simply because the amount in controversy increases, so choosing the right court at filing matters. See the civil court page for a full Civil Court vs Supreme Court comparison.
What if I miss a court date in Richmond County?
Missing a court date can lead to a bench warrant, a default judgment, a dismissal, or another order, depending on the case type and court. For criminal cases, search WebCriminal and contact your attorney or the court immediately. The clerk for Criminal Court matters is at 718-675-8700 and for Supreme Court Criminal Term at 718-675-8760. For civil cases, check WebCivil Local for upcoming dates and docket status. Do not rely on third-party warrant websites. Use the issuing court, official search tools, or an attorney to resolve the matter. See warrant records for how bench warrants work and what to do next.
Are there warrants posted online for Richmond County?
No official Richmond County active warrant list was found. Warrant information sometimes appears in court records or criminal case status, but sealed warrants, investigative warrants, juvenile or family warrants, and some bench-warrant details are not public. WebCriminal is the best official starting point for pending Richmond County criminal cases, but it is not a warrant-clearing service. A person who thinks they may have an outstanding warrant should contact defense counsel or the issuing court rather than appearing without preparation. The warrant records page explains the types of warrants and steps for resolving them.
How do I seal a criminal record in New York?
New York has several paths. CPL 160.50 seals records when a criminal action ends in the accused's favor, such as after dismissal or acquittal, and generally happens automatically. CPL 160.55 applies to certain violation and traffic-infraction outcomes after conviction. CPL 160.59 allows a petition to seal some older convictions after a statutory waiting period, with exclusions for serious offenses and judicial discretion. Clean Slate adds automatic sealing for eligible old convictions; check current official guidance for details and exclusions. A sealed record is not destroyed; law enforcement and licensing bodies may still access it under statutory exceptions. See arrest records for the full sealing framework and how to get started.
What records does the Richmond County Clerk hold?
The Richmond County Clerk maintains Supreme Court civil case files, land documents (deeds, mortgages, blocks, and lots), judgments, transcripts of judgment, federal and non-tax liens, mechanics liens, hospital liens, notices of pendency, powers of attorney, business certificates, and notary records. The Clerk's Land Documents Search portal at richmondcountyclerk.com offers six search modes: Document Number, Party or Company Name, Date Range, Block and Lot, Book and Page, and Book and Page Special. The Clerk is not the right contact for criminal court calendars, family case records, city marriage licenses, or probate files. The County Clerk page has the full fee schedule and a contact card.
Where do felony cases in Richmond County go after arraignment?
Felony arrests in Richmond County begin in NYC Criminal Court for arraignment and bail. The Richmond County District Attorney then screens the charge and, if pursuing a felony, presents it to a grand jury. If the grand jury indicts, the case transfers to Supreme Court Criminal Term at 26 Central Avenue, Room 240, phone 718-675-8760. All felony hearings, the trial, and sentencing occur in Supreme Court. Misdemeanors stay in Criminal Court from start to finish. The criminal court page has a full comparison table and step-by-step case flow diagram.