Guide
New York Expungement Research Resources
Use the resources below to identify the agencies, courts, records, and related research tools that often matter when you are exploring expungement, sealing, or other record relief options in New York.
- New York Public Records Hub Start with the broader New York public record directory before narrowing to expungement or sealing research.
- New York Criminal Records Review related criminal record research resources that often intersect with expungement and sealing questions in New York.
- New York Court Records Look for court-level case information, docket access, or filing context connected to expungement matters in New York.
- New York Police Records Browse police-record and law enforcement resources that may help identify originating agencies in New York.
- New York Background Checks Compare how records may appear in background check workflows related to New York.
- New York Inmate Search Use inmate search and corrections links when expungement research overlaps with custody or supervision history in New York.
This directory is for informational and research use only. Expungement eligibility, waiting periods, filing fees, notice rules, and the effect on background checks can differ significantly depending on the state, offense level, case outcome, and later law changes.
Guide
Sealing a divorce or civil file in New York
New York needs no sealing motion for a divorce, because the statute does the work. Domestic Relations Law 235(1) provides that an officer of the court with whom the proceedings in a matrimonial action are filed shall not permit a copy of any of the pleadings, affidavits, findings of fact, conclusions of law, judgment of dissolution, written agreement of separation or memorandum thereof, or testimony, or any examination or perusal thereof, to be taken by any other person than a party or the attorney of a party, except by order of the court. Subdivision 2 lets the court exclude the public from the courtroom and order the evidence sealed. Subdivision 3 creates the certificate of disposition that confirms a judgment without revealing it, and subdivision 4 requires marriage license clerks to accept it as proof of the dissolution. Subdivision 5 ends the confidentiality 100 years after the date of filing, when the records become public records available to public inspection.
For civil records outside matrimonial actions, 22 NYCRR 216.1(a) governs: a court shall not enter an order sealing court records except upon a written finding of good cause, which shall specify the grounds, considering the interests of the public as well as the parties. The statute is at nysenate.gov and the rule at nycourts.gov.
Guide
Research Notes
- Start with the court and the originating agency. Expungement or sealing requests are often handled through the court that heard the case, sometimes with supporting records from police, prosecutors, or corrections agencies.
- Terminology differs by state. Some jurisdictions use terms such as sealing, set-aside, vacatur, dismissal relief, or nondisclosure instead of expungement.
- Verify current law. Eligibility rules can change through legislation or court decisions, so always confirm the current process before relying on older instructions or third-party summaries.
- Understand downstream effects. Even after record relief, treatment of court, police, private-background check, and federal records may differ depending on the system involved.
By state