Guide
How to Search County Records
Select Your County
Choose a county from the grid below to access that county's official public records portal, court system, and government offices.
Identify the Record Type
Decide what you need: court records, property deeds, vital records, business filings, or tax assessment records, each is held by a different county office.
Search Online or In Person
NYSCEF and eCourts on nycourts.gov cover court cases statewide, county clerks offer online land records and New York City uses ACRIS, and vital records are ordered from the state Department of Health, NYC Health or the local registrar.
Pay Any Required Fees
A New York State vital record costs $30 per copy outside New York City; NYC Health charges $15 per certificate plus processing fees of $2.75 to $9.30, and FOIL copies are capped at 25 cents a page.
Verify Identity if Required
Open records need no ID. Vital records applications need a copy of valid photo ID and, for anyone other than the person named or a parent, a documented proper purpose; births open after 75 years and deaths after 50 outside the city.
Guide
What Records Are Available
- Court RecordsCivil, criminal, family court, probate, traffic cases
- Property RecordsDeeds, mortgages, tax assessments, liens, transfers
- Vital RecordsBirth, death, marriage, and divorce certificates
- Business RecordsBusiness licenses, DBAs, UCC filings, permits
- Voter RegistrationRegistered voters, party affiliation, districts
- Tax RecordsProperty tax assessments, payment history, exemptions
Guide
Select a County in New York
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Straight answers
New York County Public Records, questions
Are county records public information?
Yes. New York's Freedom of Information Law, Public Officers Law Article 6, requires agencies to acknowledge a request within five business days, and court, county clerk and assessment records are open. Outside New York City the state Department of Health releases birth certificates to the public only after 75 years if the person is deceased and death certificates after 50 years; otherwise they go to the person named, parents, spouses and others with a documented purpose. Juvenile and sealed court files are closed.
How much do certified copies cost?
A certified New York State birth, death, marriage or divorce certificate costs $30 per copy from the Department of Health in Albany, which covers all of the state except New York City. In the five boroughs, NYC Health charges $15 per certificate plus a processing fee of $2.75 in person and $7.50 or $9.30 online depending on the service level, with $21 more for UPS express delivery. Under FOIL agencies may charge no more than 25 cents a page for copies up to 9 by 14 inches.
Can I search county records online?
NYSCEF Case Search covers electronically filed cases statewide, and eCourts on nycourts.gov provides WebCivil, WebCrims and other free case lookups, while the appellate courts use their own public search. Deeds and mortgages are filed with each county clerk, Westchester and Monroe among them, with online land record search in most counties and ACRIS in New York City. Vital records are ordered from the state Department of Health, NYC Health or the local registrar, never searched online.
What identification do I need?
Open records need no ID. New York vital records applications require a copy of valid photo identification and, for anyone other than the person named or a parent, documentation of a judicial or other proper purpose; NYC Health accepts online orders only when your own name is on the record. The town or city clerk that filed a marriage can also issue a certificate of marriage registration.
How long does it take to receive records?
NYC Health processes online orders in about two to three weeks and mailed orders in about 12 weeks, plus up to two more weeks for delivery, with longer waits for long form births, 1910 to 1919 births and 1951 to 1970 deaths. The state Department of Health processes regular mailed requests for the rest of New York in 10 to 12 weeks from the day they arrive, and local registrars often issue certificates faster. NYSCEF and eCourts lookups are immediate.