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Direct answer

Understand New York CHRS Coverage

For New York statewide public criminal-case history, OCA’s Criminal History Record Search (CHRS) covers public open/pending and conviction information from criminal cases reported by courts across the state. For a particular case file or document, use the court or its case-access system. CHRS is not an FBI background check and is not a certified disposition.

Source map

New York criminal-court routes

Need Official source What it returns Limit
Statewide criminal court history NYS OCA CHRS Public open/pending and conviction information in scope Exact Name+DOB; exclusions apply
Specific court record NY Courts / court clerk Case record or document route Court-specific access rules
Federal New York case PACER Federal court case/docket Federal courts only
Interpretation
Search scope matters
Sealed records and other excluded categories are not disclosed through CHRS. Do not interpret a CHRS no-result beyond the product’s stated scope.
Process

A step-by-step route for new york criminal court records

  1. 01
    Use CHRS for statewide court history

    Enter exact identifying information required by OCA.

    OCA charges $95 for a statewide CHRS search. Submit through its online Direct Access program or mail the CHRS application. Each alias and each date of birth counts as an additional search; the result remains uncertified.

  2. 02
    Use the originating court for a disposition/case file

    A certificate of disposition is a court-issued product, not the CHRS report.

    Use NY Courts’ Certificate of Disposition guidance to contact the court that sentenced you. Have photo identification and the docket number for each case, and ask that court for its request method and accepted payment. For another case document, contact the clerk of the court holding the file.

  3. 03
    Use PACER only for federal cases

    Do not use a federal index as a New York state court source.

Context

How to interpret new york criminal court records results

OCA says CHRS is not a nationwide background check and not an FBI background search. It also explains that results are not certified and should not be confused with a Certificate of Disposition.

A specific court file can contain material beyond the statewide electronic CHRS result, subject to access rules.

Prepare

What to have ready for new york criminal court records

  • ✓
    Exact name

    CHRS uses exact name matching.

  • ✓
    Date of birth

    CHRS requires exact Name + DOB matching.

  • ✓
    Court/county if known

    Useful for a specific file.

  • ✓
    Case number

    Best for targeting one case when available.

Related Record Guides

Sources

Authoritative next stops

Official federal judiciary source

PACER - Find a Case

Federal court case search

United States federal courts