New York, court records
Search New York Supreme Court civil cases in WebCivil Supreme and other courts through the court system's eCourts services. Federal cases are in PACER.
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Court records
Home of the New York State Unified Court System, which hears millions of cases a year in 62 counties, with a court finder and its online eCourts services.
Open official site New York State Unified Court SystemCourt records
Past, present and future case information for New York State Supreme Court civil cases, searched by index number or party name.
Open official site WebCivil Supreme, New York case searchCourt records
Nationwide index of federal district, bankruptcy and appeals court cases, searched by party name or case number. Needs a PACER account; $0.10 per page.
Open official site PACER Case LocatorCourt records
Free case information services: active and disposed cases in Supreme and local civil courts, future appearance dates in criminal and family courts, and eTrack alerts.
Open official site New York eCourtsCourt records
Find the federal district, bankruptcy and appeals courts that serve any location, or look up a federal court by name.
Open official site U.S. Courts, Federal Court FinderGuide
Divorce in New York is heard only by the Supreme Court, and the County Clerk of the county where the action was brought keeps the matrimonial file. Domestic Relations Law 235(1) closes it: the clerk may not permit a copy, examination or perusal of the pleadings, affidavits, findings of fact, conclusions of law, judgment of dissolution, written agreement of separation or testimony by anyone other than a party or the party's attorney, except by order of the court. Section 235(5) lifts the confidentiality 100 years after filing. The Statement of Net Worth required by DRL 236(B)(4), the settlement agreement and the judgment are all inside that closed file.
A non-party can obtain a certificate of disposition from the County Clerk under section 235(3), confirming that a judgment was entered, and nothing more without a court order. The court system's eCourts applications index Supreme Court cases, and the general sealing rule for other civil records, 22 NYCRR 216.1, requires a written finding of good cause. The New York asset search page explains what the federal bankruptcy file offers when the state file is closed.
Record guide
At a glance
The court system's free eCourts services show active and disposed cases in Supreme and local civil courts and future appearance dates in criminal and family courts; eTrack sends case alerts.
More New York records on this site: New York public records, Free Background Checks.
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State court records are usually free to view at the courthouse and often free online, with per-page fees for certified copies. PACER charges $0.10 per page (capped at $3.00 per document), waived under $30 per quarter.
No. A sealed case is hidden from the public docket index by court order. Its existence may still be confirmable by number, but documents are not accessible.
Civil cases involve disputes between parties (contracts, torts, family). Criminal cases are brought by the government. Both are indexed by the same court clerks but tracked in separate sub-dockets.
Not in one search. PACER covers all federal courts. Most states have a statewide judiciary portal that covers their state courts, but a few require per-county lookups. This page links to New York's official portal.
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