Unified Court System case lookups — Supreme, County, Family, Surrogate's, Civil, Criminal, City and Town/Village courts across all 62 counties.
How New York Court Records Work
New York's court system has a quirk that confuses most newcomers: the Supreme Court is the trial court of general jurisdiction, not the highest court. The state's highest court is the Court of Appeals. Trial-level civil and felony criminal cases in each of New York's 62 counties are heard in the Supreme Court (and the County Court for most felonies upstate), while the New York City Civil and Criminal Courts handle lower-stakes matters within the five boroughs [nycourts.gov]. Public case lookup runs through two statewide portals: NYSCEF Case Search for e-filed civil matters and CourtPass for broader searchable case data.
Trial court of general jurisdiction
Supreme Court (NOT "Superior Court")
Highest court
Court of Appeals
Statewide civil e-file search
NYSCEF Case Search
Statewide broader search
CourtPass Public Search
Federal courts
SDNY, EDNY, NDNY, WDNY (via PACER)
Number of counties
62
How New York Court Records Work — Deep Dive
The structure of the New York Unified Court System
At the top sits the Court of Appeals (the highest court), followed by the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court (four departments) and the Appellate Term in some districts. Below those, the trial courts include the Supreme Court (unlimited civil and felony jurisdiction in all 62 counties), County Court (felonies and limited civil outside NYC), Surrogate's Court (probate and estates), Family Court, and the Court of Claims (suits against the State). In New York City the structure narrows: Civil Court handles civil claims up to $25,000 and Criminal Court handles misdemeanors and arraignments. Outside NYC, City, Town and Village Justice Courts hear local matters [nycourts.gov] [ww2.nycourts.gov].
Online case search portals
NYSCEF Case Search covers cases filed through the Unified Court System's e-filing platform across the Supreme Court, Court of Claims and Surrogate's Court [iapps.courts.state.ny.us]. CourtPass Public Search exposes a wider set of state-court records [courtpass.nycourts.gov]. The state Department of State also publishes a public-friendly overview of the judicial system [video.dos.ny.gov].
Federal cases in New York
Cases in the federal district courts (Southern, Eastern, Northern and Western Districts of New York) are searched through PACER. The Southern District of New York publishes guidance on PACER access [nysd.uscourts.gov]. State and federal records are not cross-indexed — search both separately if you need a complete picture.
Frequently Asked Questions: New York Court Records
What's the trial court in New York?▼
The Supreme Court is the trial court of unlimited civil and felony jurisdiction in each of New York's 62 counties — confusingly, despite the name. The Court of Appeals is the state's highest court [nycourts.gov].
How do I search New York court records online?▼
Use NYSCEF Case Search for civil e-filed cases and CourtPass for broader case-history queries — both are official Unified Court System portals.
Does New York have "Superior Courts"?▼
No. New York does not use the name "Superior Court." The trial courts of general jurisdiction are the Supreme Court (statewide) and the County Court (outside NYC). The term "Superior Court" is used in California, Arizona, Connecticut, Georgia, Maine and several other states — not New York.
Where do I find federal cases filed in New York?▼
Federal district courts (SDNY, EDNY, NDNY, WDNY) make case dockets available through PACER. The Southern District publishes a PACER access primer [nysd.uscourts.gov].
Where do criminal cases go in NYC?▼
Misdemeanors and arraignments are heard in the New York City Criminal Court; felonies are transferred to the Supreme Court after grand-jury indictment [ww2.nycourts.gov].
Using our free case information services you can find future appearance dates for cases in Criminal and Family Courts . You may also view information on both active and disposed cases in Civil Supreme and Local Civil Courts, and by signing up for our eTrack case tracking service you can receive ...
WebCriminal provides information on criminal cases with future appearance dates for selected New York State Courts of criminal jurisdiction . Case Identifier Allows you to search by the Case Number or Summons Number. Defendant Name Allows you to search by the Defendant's First and Last Name, ...
The Delaware County NY Genealogy and History Site is an attempt to gather in one place many of the public domain records for genealogical research in Delaware County, New York.
Local Civil Courts ONLY Enter at least the index number and year to find results, or select case type and court type for an exact match · Case Number and Year Separated If you don't know the format, enter the case number and year separately (year is optional)
the Supreme Court and, upon reargument, adhered to its prior decision. Informational statement - Clvll · FILED: NASSAU COUNTY CLERK 09/07/2023 03:24 PM · INDEX NO. 617709/2022 · NYSCEF DOC. NO. 493 · RECEIVED NYSCEF: 09/07/2023 · 4 of 13 · Issues: Specify the Issues proposed to be raised on the appeal, proceeding, or application for CPLII 5704 review, the grounds ·
Case Files and Case Indexes The Archives holds over 700 cubic feet of Supreme Court Case Files (Series 297), Special Proceeding Case Files (Series 349), Money and Equity Judgments (Series 345), and County Court Case Files (Series 348).
Westchester Records Online has ... Land, Legal, Maps and Trades searches from one location. If you already have a User ID and Password for the Public Viewer, we encourage you to use your Public Viewer User ID and Password to login to Westchester Records Online and start searching. Copyright 2009. Westchester County...
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This system provides past, present and future case information for New York State Local Civil Courts Only · Index Search Find New York State Local Civil Court cases by index number. Party Search Find New York State Local Civil Court cases by party name. Attorney/Firm Search Find New York State ...
This system provides case information for New York State Family Courts and Integrated Domestic Violence (IDV) Courts . Only those cases with future appearances are included · File/Docket Searches can be initiated by supplying File Number or Case Docket Number.
This system provides past, present and future case information for New York State Civil Supreme Courts Only · Index Search Find New York State Civil Supreme Court cases by index number. Party Search Find New York State Civil Supreme Court cases by party name.
