Search New York City Felony Records

Felony records in New York City are handled across five boroughs, each with its own county court system. The city spans New York County (Manhattan), Kings County (Brooklyn), Queens County, Bronx County, and Richmond County (Staten Island). Because of this structure, searching for felony records in NYC can involve multiple courts, clerks, and databases. The NYPD and each borough's District Attorney also keep records tied to felony arrests and cases filed in the city. Several state and city tools let you look up case data, check court dates, and find out about past convictions.

Which Courts Handle NYC Felony Records

Felony cases in New York City are tried in the Supreme Court, Criminal Term, within each borough. Each borough acts as its own county for court purposes. That means a felony arrest in Brooklyn goes through Kings County, while one in Manhattan goes through New York County. The Queens County court handles cases from Queens, the Bronx County court covers the Bronx, and Richmond County covers Staten Island.

Each county Supreme Court maintains its own felony case files. The County Clerk in each borough stores conviction records, indictments, and sentencing data. If you need a specific case file, you must know which borough the arrest took place in. That tells you which clerk to contact.

Grand juries in each borough review felony charges and issue indictments. Once a case moves past the Criminal Court arraignment stage, it gets transferred to Supreme Court for trial. All five boroughs follow this same path, but each has its own judges, clerks, and court staff handling the work.

How to Search Felony Records in New York City

Several free and paid tools exist for looking up felony records tied to New York City. The state runs most of these systems, while the city runs a few on its own. Here is what you can use.

WebCrims is a free tool from the NYS Unified Court System. It shows pending criminal cases with future court dates. You can search by name or case number. It covers all five NYC boroughs. But it does not show old cases that are done. Only active ones with a next court date will come up.

The OCA Criminal History Record Search costs $95 per name and date of birth. It pulls conviction data from all 62 counties in the state, not just NYC. Results come back by the next business day for online requests. This is a name-based search, not fingerprint-based, so it is not the same as a rap sheet from DCJS.

The DOCCS Incarcerated Lookup is free and shows people who are in state prison now or were in the past. You can search by name or by the Department Identification Number. It shows the facility, conviction, and release dates. Under Correction Law § 9, records for some non-violent offenders are removed three years after they finish their sentence and supervision.

For NYC-specific jail data, the NYC DOC Inmate Lookup shows who is in city jail right now. This covers Rikers Island and other city facilities. It does not show state prison inmates or people who have been released.

NYPD Criminal Records and FOIL Requests

The NYPD maintains its own set of records tied to felony arrests. The Criminal Records Unit at One Police Plaza handles requests. You can call them at (718) 610-8457, Monday through Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM.

If you were the victim of a crime, you can get a free Verification of Incident report. This is a brief summary of the complaint report. It can be requested online or by mail. For a full copy of a complaint report, you need to file a Freedom of Information Law request. FOIL requests go through the NYC OpenRecords portal at records.nyc.gov. The NYPD also accepts FOIL requests by mail at 375 Pearl Street, Suite 4, 16th Floor, New York, NY 10038.

Reports sent by mail cannot be picked up in person. They are returned by mail only. Complex requests may take months to process, especially if they involve large numbers of documents or ongoing investigations. Under Public Officers Law §§ 84-90 (FOIL), agencies must acknowledge your request within five business days.

NYC Borough Court Contact Details

Each borough has a criminal court for arraignments and lower-level cases, plus a Supreme Court for felony trials. Here are the key locations.

Certificates of Disposition, which show the outcome of a case, must be requested from the court where the case was heard. You cannot get them from the statewide OCA search. Each court charges its own fee, usually around $10 per certificate.

Sealed and Expunged Felony Records

New York law allows certain felony records to be sealed. Under CPL § 160.50, if a case ends in a dismissal, acquittal, or other favorable outcome, the records are sealed automatically. You do not need to file anything. The court, police, and prosecutors must all seal their files.

CPL § 160.59 lets people with older convictions ask a judge to seal up to two convictions, as long as no more than one is a felony. There is a waiting period of ten years from the sentence or release date, whichever is later. The judge looks at the nature of the crime, criminal history, and other factors before deciding.

The Clean Slate Act, signed into law in 2024, will automatically seal certain conviction records once enough time has passed. The Office of Court Administration has up to three years to build the systems needed to do this. Convictions for sex crimes and non-drug Class A felonies like murder will not be sealed under this law. Once a record is sealed under CPL § 160.50 or 160.59, it will not show up in the OCA search or WebCrims. But police and prosecutors can still see sealed records in certain situations.

Youthful offender adjudications under CPL § 720.35 are confidential. They appear on unsuppressed DCJS rap sheets but are not disclosed on suppressed records or public court searches.

State-Level Felony Record Resources

Beyond the city tools, the state offers several databases that cover NYC felony records as part of their statewide scope.

The DCJS Record Review lets you request your own official rap sheet. This is fingerprint-based and costs $62 per request. It shows all arrests, indictments, convictions, and sentences reported to the state. You must go to an authorized location to get fingerprinted. Results come by mail in two to four weeks.

The Sex Offender Registry maintained by DCJS shows Level 2 and Level 3 offenders online. For Level 1 offenders, you must call 800-262-3257 with the person's name and one other piece of identifying information.

The NYSCEF e-filing portal allows you to search court filings in participating counties. Most NYC counties participate in the system. This can help you find motions, orders, and other documents tied to felony cases. There is no charge to search or view filed documents through NYSCEF.

For more general guidance, the NYS Courts records page explains the different types of court records and how to get them. It covers criminal, civil, and family court records across the state.

Fees and Processing Times

Costs for felony record searches in NYC vary by source. The OCA statewide search is $95 per name. DCJS rap sheet requests cost $62 each. NYPD Verification of Incident reports are free. FOIL requests to the NYPD are also free, though copy fees may apply at $0.25 per page.

WebCrims and the DOCCS Incarcerated Lookup are free. The NYC DOC Inmate Lookup has no charge. Certificates of Disposition from individual courts run about $10 each.

Processing times range widely. Online OCA results come back the next business day. DCJS rap sheets take two to four weeks. FOIL requests to the NYPD can take weeks or even months depending on what you asked for. If a case is under active investigation or prosecution, the records may be withheld until the matter is resolved.

Nearby Cities

These nearby cities also have felony records pages with local court and records details.