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
The Rhode Island Judiciary Public Portal provides online case information, land evidence records are kept by each city and town clerk, and vital records are ordered from the Center for Vital Records in Cranston or any city or town clerk.
Pay Any Required Fees
A Rhode Island birth, death or marriage certificate costs $22 in person or $25 by mail, with $18 for each additional copy; public records copies are 15 cents a page.
Verify Identity if Required
Open records need no ID. Vital records are issued only to the person named or an immediate family member who shows identification, until births and marriages open after 100 years and deaths after 50.
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 Rhode Island
Back to Rhode Island Public Records
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Straight answers
Rhode Island County Public Records, questions
Are county records public information?
Yes. Rhode Island's Access to Public Records Act, R.I. Gen. Laws 38-2, requires a response within 10 business days, extendable by 20 more for good reason. Court records and land evidence records are open, though Rhode Island records deeds by city and town rather than county. Birth and marriage records become public after 100 years and death records after 50 years, when they move to the State Archives; newer certificates go only to the person named and immediate family. Juvenile and sealed court files are closed.
How much do certified copies cost?
A certified Rhode Island birth, death or marriage certificate costs $22 in person or $25 by mail, with $18 for each additional copy of the same record, from the Center for Vital Records in Cranston or any city or town clerk; a divorce record from the court is $25 and a marriage license $24. Under the Access to Public Records Act agencies charge 15 cents a page, with the first 20 pages free at some departments, plus search and retrieval costs.
Can I search county records online?
The Rhode Island Judiciary Public Portal is the online point of entry for case information from the courts' database, including the adult criminal record history search. Land evidence records are kept by each city and town clerk, Providence's Recorder of Deeds for example, and most municipalities offer online search. Vital records are not searchable online; order them from the Center for Vital Records or the city or town clerk.
What identification do I need?
Open records need no ID. Rhode Island vital records are not open to the public and are issued only to the person named or an immediate family member, meaning a parent, sibling, child, grandparent or spouse, who must show identification such as a driver's license and state the relationship; mailed requests must include the same details and a stamped return envelope.
How long does it take to receive records?
The Center for Vital Records takes 4 to 6 weeks to process mailed requests, so a city or town clerk, where certificates are usually issued while you wait, is faster for most records. Public Portal case searches are immediate.