Reviewed and updated October 9, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. Every office link was opened and checked against the office's own site on September 24, 2026.
Bristol County, Rhode Island, has about 50,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). The divorce record of a couple from Bristol County is a file of the Family Court, kept by the Family Court clerk, not a vital record. This guide says where the file is, how a certified copy of the decree is had and what the state issues.
This guide covers the court, copies, related records, directory links and common questions.
Related guides: Bristol County public records, Bristol County arrest records, Bristol County warrants, Bristol County inmate search, Bristol County criminal records, Rhode Island arrest records and Rhode Island inmate search.
Where a Divorce from Bristol County Is Filed and Kept
Divorce records are not vital records in Rhode Island. The decree and the file of a divorce from Bristol County are court records of the Family Court, and certified copies come from the Family Court clerk.
For Bristol County the court records page SearchSystems verified is at courts.ri.gov/Public-Resources/Pages/case-information.aspx (page title: Public Resources), which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 24, 2026. Most of a divorce file is open to the public; the papers the law keeps confidential and anything the court has sealed are not.
Statewide, Rhode Island Judiciary Public Portal is the courts' free statewide case search.
Copies of a Divorce Decree from Bristol County
A certified copy of the decree comes from the Family Court clerk, the office that keeps the file.
More Official Court Pages for Bristol County
The SearchSystems directory, online since 1997, lists the official pages for Bristol County and Rhode Island. These court pages from its Bristol County listing were opened again on October 2, 2026 and each one still answers:
- Superior Court (courts.ri.gov)
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a copy of a divorce decree from Bristol County?
From the Family Court, through the Family Court clerk (courts.ri.gov). The town clerk does not hold divorce records.
Are divorce records public in Rhode Island?
Mostly. The court file is open except for the papers the law makes confidential and anything the court seals.
Which court hears divorces from Bristol County?
The Family Court. The file is kept by the Family Court clerk.
Is this the official Bristol County website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official county, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.