Are Divorce Records Public in New York? Search NY Divorces Free

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Background Checks | October 7, 2022

Man standing in between the state of new York and an image of a married couple who have been ripped apart in a picture wonders are divorce records public in New York for anyone to search NY divorce records free?

Are divorce records public in New York? It depends.

Like many states, there are a lot of different laws to consider when trying to obtain divorce records from various state agencies. Yet, besides getting records from official sources, there are also ways to search NY Divorces for free.

When someone needs to learn how to find my divorce date online for free, they can easily use an online tool that searches divorce records across the country swiftly.

This guide outlines the manual process for finding divorce records in New York and explains how to search NY divorces free using court and vital records.

Are Divorce Records Public in NY? (Are Divorce Records Public in New York State?)

Divorce records are somewhat public in NY. The main issue with NY divorce records, as well as divorce records in many states, is what agency is in charge of them. As opposed to criminal records which are usually held by the court that heard the criminal case, divorce records are held in two different places.

Which agency should be contacted to obtain divorce records will depend on who is requesting the records as well as what kind of records are requested, which will depend on what they are being used for.

The first place that NY divorce records are held is in the court that issued the divorce judgment.

Any court record that has not been sealed will be publicly available since a judge must sign a Judgment of divorce for a divorce to be made official, then there should be a record of it with the courts. However, simply requesting these records is not always as easy as it seems.

When a divorce goes through the courts, there are numerous records of the divorce. If there was a divorce litigation there will be records of this, and possibly any agreements made outside of the courtroom with a third-party mediator.

Unfortunately the vast majority of this information will be considered confidential. Unlike criminal proceedings, divorce records in the state of NY are automatically sealed from the public. When this happens only the individuals involved, their lawyers and sometimes their children will be able to request these records.

However there is one exception: The Judgment of Divorce itself.1

Screenshot of a website page of New York County 311 about Divorce Record with yellow arrows pointing to instruction that divorce records can only be obtained by the parties involved.

Many people who wonder, are divorce records public in New York, are simply trying to find out if a divorce took place, and will not need official documents.

The divorce judgment is arguably the most important document during the divorce process as it not only makes the divorce official, it also lays out the exact terms of the divorce such as child support, asset and debt division, and the date the divorce was finalized.

In general, getting a copy of this form will not be possible unless the requester is one of those named in the divorce decree, however the public will be able to see the judgment date and at least know that a divorce took place and what date it was made official.

The other place that divorce records are kept is with the state vital records office. The records kept with the vital records office will be different from court records. Rather than a divorce decree, the vital records office will have a divorce certificate. This will only have information that a divorce took place and name those involved.

Basically divorce vital records are kept for census purposes rather than legal purposes.

Vital records will also have many of the same rules as court divorce records. Generally, the public will not have access to vital records besides their own. The same is true for divorce in which only the individuals named in the divorce and their adult children are allowed to obtain copies of the records.

Where To Find Public Divorce Records NY

Those who ask, are divorce records public, are maybe hoping to request copies of these records. Public divorce records can be found at either the state vital records office or the court where the divorce was filed. Individuals who are seeking a copy of their own divorce records can go to either of these sources, depending on the documents they are looking for.

A simple option to find divorce records is to perform a free background check using an online background check service or by using the search bar at the top of this page. This will return any public information found on an individual in a matter of minutes.

Individuals who are not related to either party of the divorce will not be able to request any of the divorce records without a court order, which will require a legitimate reason and be signed off by a judge.

Screenshot of the website page of NY Courts about Divorce with yellow arrows pointing to the definition of divorce.

As mentioned, individuals who are trying to figure out simply if someone is divorced or not will be able to see the judgment of divorce through court records. This is a fairly easy process and involves going through the state or local court system and making a records request.

To do this, simply access the website of the court where the divorce was filed through the list below.

New York County Divorce RecordsNew York County Divorce Records
Kings County Divorce RecordsKings County New York Divorce Records
Queens County Divorce RecordsQueens County New York Divorce Records
New York County Divorce RecordsNew York County New York Divorce Records
Suffolk County Divorce RecordsSuffolk County New York Divorce Records
Bronx County Divorce RecordsBronx County New York Divorce Records
Nassau County Divorce RecordsNassau County New York Divorce Records
Westchester County Divorce RecordsWestchester County New York Divorce Records
Erie County Divorce RecordsErie County New York Divorce Records
Monroe County Divorce RecordsMonroe County New York Divorce Records
Richmond County Divorce RecordsRichmond County New York Divorce Records

Public Divorce Records Lookup in New York

Are Divorce Records Public in New YorkDivorce Records Search
Are Divorce Records Public in Kings County New YorkKings County New York Divorce Records Search
Are Divorce Records Public in Queens County New YorkQueens County New York Divorce Records Search
Are Divorce Records Public in New York County New YorkNew York County New York Divorce Records Search
Are Divorce Records Public in Suffolk New YorkSuffolk New York Divorce Records Search
Are Divorce Records Public in Bronx New YorkBronx New York Divorce Records Search
Are Divorce Records Public in Nassau New YorkNassau New York Divorce Records Search
Are Divorce Records Public in Westchester County New YorkWestchester County New York Divorce Records Search
Are Divorce Records Public in Erie County New YorkErie County New York Divorce Records Search
Are Divorce Records Public in Monroe County New YorkMonroe County New York Divorce Records Search
Are Divorce Records Public in Richmond County New YorkRichmond County New York Divorce Records Search

Both state and local courts may have these records so it may be necessary to check both. It is usually worthwhile to contact the clerk of courts to learn if the records being sought are held at the state or local level.

New York Superior CourtsNew York Superior Court Search
Kings County Superior CourtKings County Superior Court Search
Queens County Superior CourtQueens County Superior Court Search
New York County Superior CourtNew York County Superior Court Search
Suffolk County Superior CourtSuffolk County Superior Court Search
Bronx County Superior CourtBronx County Superior Court Search
Nassau County Superior CourtNassau County Superior Court Search
Westchester County Superior CourtWestchester County Superior Court Search
Erie County Superior CourtErie County Superior Court Search
Monroe County Superior CourtMonroe County Superior Court Search
Richmond County Superior CourtRichmond County Superior Court Search

Where To Find Public Marriage Records in NY

The same laws that make divorce records hard to obtain generally apply to marriage records. Once again the records will be available in the court system so that at the very least, individuals will be able to figure out if someone is married. Use the list below to search the state and county court systems for marriage records.

New York County Marriage RecordsNew York Marriage License Records
Kings County Marriage RecordsKings County New York Marriage License Records Search
Queens County Marriage RecordsQueens County New York Marriage License Records Search
New York County Marriage RecordsNew York County New York Marriage License Records Search
Suffolk County Marriage RecordsSuffolk County New York Marriage License Records Search
Bronx County Marriage RecordsBronx County New York Marriage License Records Search
Nassau County Marriage RecordsNassau County New York Marriage License Records Search
Westchester County Marriage RecordsWestchester County New York Marriage License Records Search
Erie County Marriage RecordsErie County New York Marriage License Records Search
Monroe County Marriage RecordsMonroe County New York Marriage License Records Search
Richmond County Marriage RecordsRichmond County New York Marriage License Records Search

How To Find Out If Someone Filed for Divorce in New York

Many individuals will likely try to check vital records to see if someone is divorced. However vital records are not considered public information so gaining access to someone’s divorce, marriage or even birth records this way will be almost impossible. Instead, individuals should use the court records which are required to be available to the public by law per the Freedom of Information Act.3

This means that not just divorce and marriage records are available but also criminal, and other public records, which can be searched online using the clerk of courts website.

New York Public RecordsNew York Clerk of Courts Case Search
Kings County Public RecordsKings County New York Clerk of Courts Case Search
Queens County Public RecordsQueens New York Clerk of Courts Case Search
New York County Public RecordsNew York New York Clerk of Courts Case Search
Suffolk County Public RecordsSuffolk New York Clerk of Courts Case Search
Bronx County Public RecordsBronx New York Clerk of Courts Case Search
Nassau County Public RecordsNassau New York Clerk of Courts Case Search
Westchester County Public RecordsWestchester New York Clerk of Courts Case Search
Erie County Public RecordsErie New York Clerk of Courts Case Search
Monroe County Public RecordsMonroe New York Clerk of Courts Case Search
Richmond County Public RecordsRichmond New York Clerk of Courts Case Search

County online records can be found at the clerk’s office as well.

New York County Online RecordsNew York County Online Records Search
Kings County Online RecordsKings County New York Online Records Search
Queens County Online RecordsQueens New York Online Records Search
New York County Online RecordsNew York New York Online Records Search
Suffolk County Online RecordsSuffolk New York Online Records Search
Bronx County Online RecordsBronx New York Online Records Search
Nassau County Online RecordsNassau New York Online Records Search
Westchester County Online RecordsWestchester New York Online Records Search
Erie County Online RecordsErie New York Online Records Search
Monroe County Online RecordsMonroe New York Online Records Search
Richmond CountyOnline RecordsRichmond New York Online Records Search

Criminal records are generally held at the county court where the case was filed and can be found using the list below.

New York County Criminal RecordsNew York County Criminal Records Search
Kings County Criminal RecordsKings County Criminal Records Search
Queens County Criminal RecordsQueens County Criminal Records Search
New York County Criminal RecordsNew York County Criminal Records Search
Suffolk County Criminal RecordsSuffolk County Criminal Records Search
Bronx County Criminal RecordsBronx County Criminal Records Search
Nassau County Criminal RecordsNassau County Criminal Records Search
Westchester County Criminal RecordsWestchester County Criminal Records Search
Erie County Criminal RecordsErie County Criminal Records Search
Monroe County Criminal RecordsMonroe County Criminal Records Search
Richmond County Criminal RecordsRichmond County Criminal Records Search

Performing an online search is likely the fastest option to obtain court records but contacting the county court clerk directly is also a great option to learn more information.

New York County District ClerkNew York County Clerk Website
Kings County District ClerkKings County New York Clerk Website
Queens County District ClerkQueens County New York Clerk Website
New York County District ClerkNew York County New York Clerk Website
Suffolk County District ClerkSuffolk County New York Clerk Website
Bronx County District ClerkBronx County New York Clerk Website
Nassau County District ClerkNassau County New York Clerk Website
Westchester County District ClerkWestchester County New York Clerk Website
Erie County District ClerkErie County New York Clerk Website
Monroe County District ClerkMonroe County New York Clerk Website
Richmond County District ClerkRichmond County New York Clerk Website

Obviously, courts will hear a lot more cases than just criminal cases and divorce proceedings. Unless the case involves an active investigation then it should be publicly available. Information on civil cases and even some family cases will be available for request and can be searched using the links below.

New York County Clerk Online RecordsNew York Clerk of Courts Public Records
Kings County Clerk Online RecordsKings County Clerk of Courts Public Records
Queens County Clerk Online RecordsQueens County Clerk of Courts Public Records
New York County Clerk Online RecordsNew York County Clerk of Courts Public Records
Suffolk County Clerk Online RecordsSuffolk County Clerk of Courts Public Records
Bronx County Clerk Online RecordsBronx County Clerk of Courts Public Records
Nassau County Clerk Online RecordsNassau County Clerk of Courts Public Records
Westchester County Clerk Online RecordsWestchester County Clerk of Courts Public Records
Erie County Clerk Online RecordsErie County Clerk of Courts Public Records
Monroe County Clerk Online RecordsMonroe County Clerk of Courts Public Records
Richmond County Clerk Online RecordsRichmond County Clerk of Courts Public Records

Other Searchable Records In NY (Are Divorce Records Public in New York?)

Besides court records, a few other agencies will house records that are available to the public. Things like property records, deed records as well as lien and tax records are all available online by request.

New York County Deed RecordsNew York County Deed Search
Kings County New York Deed RecordsKings County New York Deed Search
Queens County New York Deed RecordsQueens County New York Deed Search
New York County New York Deed RecordsNew York County New York Deed Search
Suffolk County New York Deed RecordsSuffolk County New York Deed Search
Bronx County New York Deed RecordsBronx County New York Deed Search
Nassau County New York Deed RecordsNassau County New York Deed Search
Westchester County New York Deed RecordsWestchester County New York Deed Search
Erie County New York Deed RecordsErie County New York Deed Search
Monroe County New York Deed RecordsMonroe County New York Deed Search
Richmond County New York Deed RecordsRichmond County New York Deed Search

 

New York County Real Property RecordsNew York County Property Record Search
Kings County New York Real Property RecordsKings County New York Property Record Search
Queens County New York Real Property RecordsQueens County New York Property Record Search
New York County New York Real Property RecordsNew York County New York Property Record Search
Suffolk County New York Real Property RecordsSuffolk County New York Property Record Search
Bronx County New York Real Property RecordsBronx County New York Property Record Search
Nassau County New York Real Property RecordsNassau County New York Property Record Search
Westchester County New York Real Property RecordsWestchester County New York Property Record Search
Erie County New York Real Property RecordsErie County New York Property Record Search
Monroe County New York Real Property RecordsMonroe County New York Property Record Search
Richmond County New York Real Property RecordsRichmond County New York Property Record Search

 

New York County Lien SearchNew York County Lien Online Search
New York Kings County Lien SearchKings County Lien Online Search
New York Queens County Lien SearchQueens County Lien Online Search
New York New York County Lien SearchNew York County Lien Online Search
New York Suffolk County Lien SearchSuffolk County Lien Online Search
New York Bronx County Lien SearchBronx County Lien Online Search
New York Nassau County Lien SearchNassau County Lien Online Search
New York Westchester County Lien SearchWestchester County Lien Online Search
New York Erie County Lien SearchErie County Lien Online Search
New York Monroe County Lien SearchMonroe County Lien Online Search
New York Richmond County Lien SearchRichmond County Lien Online Search

Replacement Birth Certificate NY

Although when it comes to, are divorce records public in New York, the vital records office is not the best option, for other documents the vital records office will be the only option. Perhaps you want to know how to find someone’s birthday birth date? These records are also available if someone knows where to look.

If a replacement birth certificate is needed, there are several possible agencies which may be able to get this document. What agency it is will vary based on the city and county so the first thing to do is to contact the local or state vital records office for more information. The vital records office will be able to either help individuals obtain a replacement birth certificate or at least point them toward the agency that can provide it.

Use the list below to contact the vital records office.

New York County Vital Records LocationsNew York County Vital Records Search
Kings County New York Vital Records LocationsKings County New York Vital Records Search
Queens County New York Vital Records LocationsQueens County New York Vital Records Search
New York County New York Vital Records LocationsNew York County New York Vital Records Search
Suffolk County New York Vital Records LocationsSuffolk County New York Vital Records Search
Bronx County New York Vital Records LocationsBronx County New York Vital Records Search
Nassau County New York Vital Records LocationsNassau County New York Vital Records Search
Westchester County New York Vital Records LocationsWestchester County New York Vital Records Search
Erie County New York Vital Records LocationsErie County New York Vital Records Search
Monroe County New York Vital Records LocationsMonroe County New York Vital Records Search
Richmond County New York Vital Records LocationsRichmond County New York Vital Records Search

Filing for Divorce in New York

Filing for divorce can be an extremely complicated process. Besides contacting an attorney for legal advice regarding the divorce, another early step is to fill out a divorce application with the state of New York. This will be one of the first steps in the long divorce process as the case goes through the state courts.

Screenshot of the website page of NY Courts about Court Help with yellow arrows pointing to the steps in filing divorce.

Use the list below to find the necessary divorce documents that will need to be submitted to the courts. It is always important to consult with a lawyer before filling out the form but getting a look at the form will help individuals know what to expect.

New York County Divorce ApplicationNew York County Divorce Application Form
Kings County New York Divorce ApplicationKings County New York Divorce Application Form
Queens County New York Divorce ApplicationQueens County New York Divorce Application Form
New York County New York Divorce ApplicationNew York County New York Divorce Application Form
Suffolk County New York Divorce ApplicationSuffolk County New York Divorce Application Form
Bronx County New York Divorce ApplicationBronx County New York Divorce Application Form
Nassau County New York Divorce ApplicationNassau County New York Divorce Application Form
Westchester County New York Divorce ApplicationWestchester County New York Divorce Application Form
Erie County New York Divorce ApplicationErie County New York Divorce Application Form
Monroe County New York Divorce ApplicationMonroe County New York Divorce Application Form
Richmond County New York Divorce ApplicationRichmond County New York Divorce Application Form

Divorce in New York Laws

Divorce laws vary from state to state so individuals should familiarize themselves with the local law. One of the laws to be aware of, especially if the couple recently moved to New York, is that one of the spouses needs to have lived in New York for at least one year in order for the case to be tried in the state of New York.

Other information about common questions regarding Are divorce records public in New York can be found on the NY courts website.2

Divorce is stressful and being unable to locate important documents after the divorce is finalized can make things even worse. Luckily, even though the answer to the question “are divorce records public in New York?” can be tricky to navigate, there are ways for those involved to easily get the necessary documents.

Frequently Asked Questions About Are Divorce Records Public in New York?

Can I Learn Where To Find New York Public Records?

Depending on the kind of records needed, New York public records can be found in a few different places. The first is through the state and local courts which will house records on cases that were tried in that specific court. The state archives and NY state official website will also have records such as lien and property records, available to the public.

Are NY Marriage Records Public?

It is possible to find a public record that a marriage took place by using the NY court case search. However the public will not be able to request copies of these records and only the date and names of the individuals will usually be available.

Are New York Divorce Records Public?

Divorce records are not public in New York. Neither the vital record or the court record of a divorce will be public. However it is possible for the public to find the record of the divorce but will not be able to request any of this information, meaning only the date and the names of the individuals are considered public information.

Are Death Records Public in New York?

Like all vital records in New York, death records are not considered public and can only be requested by family members of the deceased.


References

1City of New York. (2022). Divorce Record. NYC 311. Retrieved August 10, 2022, from <https://portal.311.nyc.gov/article/?kanumber=KA-01031>

2New York State Office of Court Administration. (2022). Divorce Information & Frequently Asked Questions. NEW YORK STATE UNIFIED COURT SYSTEM. Retrieved August 10, 2022, from <http://ww2.nycourts.gov/divorce/info_faqs.shtml>

3United States Government. (2022). Home. FOIA. Retrieved August 10, 2022, from <https://www.foia.gov/>

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