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About Rhode Island public records
Information from Rhode Island free public records online to conduct a check for divorces, lawsuits and criminal records. Find assets such as property records, personal and business assets, bankruptcies, liens and judgments. Request death, birth and marriage certificates. Access state of Rhode Island department of business regulation for your company. Verify the states licensing of professionals. Obtain a certified copy of a birth, death or marriage record and other vital information with forms and instructions from the department of health. Fictitious business name filings. Link to the state's judicial system for federal cases, free criminal information search, family court, juvenile and other civil matters from official county and local district documents.
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Court records and filings
Access Rhode Island Courts directly. Search court records; from Rhode Island county courts to Supreme courts. Find criminal filings, Rhode Island dissolution of marriage or divorce records from official state websites. File small claims lawsuits. Bankruptcy courts by jurisdiction or by districts. Rhode Island state courts contact information such as telephone numbers and more.
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Court search routes
Criminal, civil and divorce records in Rhode Island can be held by more than one court, so search each court that may hold the case. The official court site below lists the Rhode Island courts and how to reach each one.
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Criminal records and background checks
Rhode Island criminal records are accessible through the Rhode Island Judiciary Public Portal for court case information. The Rhode Island courts provide access to criminal, civil, family, and traffic case records online. Background checks are available through local law enforcement and state police.
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Vital records
Certified copies of Rhode Island birth and death certificates are issued by the Rhode Island Department of Health. Marriage records are also kept by the local office that issued the license, and divorce records by the court that granted the divorce.
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Property and asset records
Deeds and mortgages in Rhode Island are recorded in the land evidence records of each city or town clerk, and property taxes are handled by each city or town. Business and UCC filings are kept by the state, bankruptcy cases are federal court records, and the state runs a free search for unclaimed property.
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Government records and agencies
RI.gov links to the state's government, and the Rhode Island General Laws are online from the General Assembly.
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Driving and vehicle records
The Rhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles keeps certified driving records and issues vehicle titles.
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Expungements and record clearing
Rhode Island General Laws Title 12, chapter 1.3 lets a first offender move to expunge a felony or misdemeanor conviction after a waiting period; anyone convicted or placed on probation more than once is not eligible. A separate law, section 12-1-12, lets people who were acquitted or exonerated ask to seal or destroy their records.
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Genealogy and historical research
For family history, start with the Rhode Island State Archives and the Rhode Island State Library.
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Missing children resources
The Rhode Island State Police post information on missing children in Rhode Island.
- Rhode Island missing childrenRhode Island State Police
- NamUsU.S. Justice Department database of missing and unidentified people
Need a different Rhode Island record?
Browse county pages, search vital records, look up court filings, or run a background check from the main hub.