Kings County Court Records

Kings County court records are files, recordings, transcripts, and all official documents created by the county's court system during legal proceedings. These records are primarily maintained by the Kings County Supreme Court and other county courts for reference, research, and transparency purposes. Interested persons may request access to court records, like vital records, federal case files, and arrest information in the county. However, the availability of records may differ based on public records laws.

Are Kings County Court Records Public?

Yes. Public access to Kings County court records is governed by the New York Freedom of Information Law and New York Consolidated Laws, Chapter 30, Article 8, Section 255-B, which regulate the creation and retention of county court records. Under these laws, most court records are available to the public for inspection and copying.

Nonetheless, certain court records are exempt from public access for privacy protection and public safety reasons. Such records include adoption records, juvenile records, medical records, financial information, case files containing sensitive information, and other records sealed by court order or law.

It is important to note that while certain case files and information may be sealed, basic case information like party names, case number, filing date, and case status may usually be publicly available. However, access to detailed case information may require legal authorization.

What Information is Available in Kings County Court Records?

Kings County court records contain a variety of information depending on the type of court record and the legal proceeding for which it was created. In general, the following information is available in court records maintained by the Kings County Clerk of Court:

• Case information such as party names, filing date, and case number
• Court docket information
• Name of the presiding judge(s)
• Court name, location, and other details
• Witness testimonies, sworn statements, and oaths/affidavits
• The case status and disposition
• Judgements, verdicts, and sentencing entered by the judge
• Information about the attorneys or legal professionals involved in the case
• Pleadings, motions, and subpoenas
• Exhibits and evidence tendered in court
• Court calendar and schedules
• Arrest and booking information
• Court transcripts and recordings
• Court costs and filing fee information
• Probate information and Wills

Kings County Court Records Search

The Kings County Supreme Court which is the primary trial level court in the County provides the following methods for court records search:

Online Access

There are two online portals available for accessing court records in Kings County:

• Kings County Clerk's Office Case Search - This portal allows public access to basic case files, liens, and business records filed with the County Clerk's office. Users are required to create an account and log in for access to more detailed case information. One can conduct a court record search by index number, party role/ name, filing date, and attorney name.
• New York State Unified Court System (eCourts) -provides free access to statewide civil, criminal, family, and supreme case categories. One may search by name, index number, attorney, or judge.

In-person Access

The Supreme Courthouse in Kings County provides public terminals for public access to court records. Interested persons may visit the courthouse during business hours to search these terminals for free. The Clerk's office may also be queried for access to public court records. Reviewing court records at the courthouse usually has no charges attached, but requesting printouts or certified copies requires fees.

Mail and Phone requests

Mail requests may be sent in a self-addressed, stamped envelope to the Kings County Clerk's office. These requests must include adequate descriptions of the requested record including case number and party names. Payments for mail requests are to be made by bank/postal money orders, certified checks, or NYS attorney checks. Phone requests are restricted to procedural inquiries and are not available for public record searches.

Fees for Court Records in Kings County

The fees for accessing court records in Kings County depend on the record type and the method of request. In general, there is a $0.65 charge per page(with a minimum fee of $1.30) for copying court records and a certification fee of $8 per copy. Exemplified copies of Court records are issued at $25 per page. Certified copies of Divorce decrees are provided by mail at $8 per certified copy including the $0.65 charge per page. Exemplified copies of Divorce decrees cost an additional $25 per copy.

Kings County Courthouse Locations

The courts in Kings County and the case types they handle are:

• Kings County Supreme Court - trial-level court with general jurisdiction over all criminal and civil cases. Handles cases above the jurisdiction of the other courts
• Kings County Family Court - hears all domestic relations matters and some juvenile cases
• Kings County Surrogate Court - presides over matters of probate and estate administration
• New York City's Civil Courts in Kings County - decide civil cases and small claims
• New York City's Criminal Courts in Kings County - have jurisdiction over misdemeanors, infractions, and non-felony criminal cases

The addresses and contact information of the various courthouses located in Kings County are outlined below:

Kings County Supreme Courts

Kings County Family Court

Kings County Surrogate Courts

Criminal Courts of the City of New York in Kings County

Criminal Records Access in Kings County

Official state-level criminal history checks are not performed by the County Clerk or courts in Kings County. The New York Division of Criminal Justice Services( DCJS) manages statewide fingerprint-based criminal background checks for Kings County.

Only record subjects and authorized personnel are allowed to request a certified criminal history record. To do this, the requester is required to schedule an appointment for fingerprinting at any of the approved locations. A processing fee of $14.25, payable by checks, money orders, and credit cards, must then be made to the DCJS. Processed requests are usually sent to the requestors via US mail within three to four weeks.

The New York State Office of Court Administration (OCA) provides unofficial copies of New York Statewide criminal history record search (CHRS) to members of the public at $95 per copy. Anyone may perform a CHRS using a name or birthdate. For local criminal case records, interested persons may query the county clerk's office, the County courts, or the New York City Police Department (NYPD) in person. Online access to criminal case records is also available via the County Clerk's Office Case Search or eCourts.

Kings County Probate Records

Probate records are case files and court documents of judicial proceedings related to a decedent's estate administration, wills, guardianship, conservatorship, trusts, and asset inventories. The Kings County Surrogate Court creates and manages probate records. Kings County Probate records are generally considered public records; however certain restrictions may apply to their public access. For instance, guardianship and conservatorship records related to juveniles may not be publicly available.

Online access to recent probate records and filings in Kings County is available for free on the Websurrogate website. Interested persons may search the site by name, index book pages, file, old index, or will. Only publicly available records are featured on the website; access to restricted records may only be available by in-person visits to the courthouse.

Kings County Family Court Records

Kings County family court records comprise case files of spousal support, divorce, adoption, legal separation, child custody/support, and domestic violence cases. While the majority of these records are available for public inspection, certain case details and sensitive information are typically redacted from public files.

The Supreme and Family courts in Kings County hear family law matters and maintain their records. Requesters may visit the courthouse in person during business hours to search for these records. These records are also available online via the New York State Unified Court System's WebFamily portal. Here, interested persons may search family records by file/docket, attorney, or calendar.

To obtain certified copies of family court records, interested persons may submit mail or in-person requests to the County Clerk's office or the clerk of the family court. For in-person requests, certified copies are provided at $0.25 per page plus an $8 fee for certification. Mail requests must be enclosed in a self-addressed stamped envelope and should contain adequate information about the requested record. Certified copies sent by mail cost $0.65 per page plus a certification fee of $8 per copy. Exemplified copies of family court records require an additional $25 per page.

Federal Court Records in Kings County

Federal court records include case files of bankruptcy, constitutional/civil rights and federal criminal prosecutions. Federal cases in Kings County are handled by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York. The Federal District Court for Kings County is located at:

Federal court records are obtainable online via the PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records) search portal. This portal requires users to be registered and pay per-page fees to access federal court case information. One may also visit the clerk's office in the District court or call (718) 613-2600 for further inquiries.