Making the Most of New York Public Records

Conduct a New York public records search

Making the most of New York public records will require you to have a guide or referral. You can conduct Internet searches of many government agencies for free but you will spend a lot of time looking at irrelevant links and websites if you have no idea where to start.

You will first need to obtain some basic information on the individual or property you are seeking NY public records on. For example, if you are seeking information on an individual, it will be helpful to know some addresses where that person has previously lived.

There are three general types of public records in New York:

1. New York criminal records that include files on registered sex offenders, past convictions or current information on current inmates in a particular prison. These records can help you investigate individuals such as prospective employees.

2. New York vital records such as census records, consumer protection information or legislation minutes. You may find these records helpful when researching a product or political candidate.

3. Real estate records like property appraisals, ownership and taxes. These types of records can be useful when buying or selling a home.

Find New York court records from local government agencies

City and county clerks in New York can frequently provide a great deal of current information on an individual when you know their name and address.

Learn more about the laws regarding New York public records

The records that are publicly available vary widely by state. You will want to have at least a general idea of what information you can expect to find before conducting your search.

Perform searches of specific databases of New York public records

Many cities and counties in New York maintain a variety of records on individuals and property that are freely available to the general public.
Monroe County allows you to obtain birth and death records in addition to other genealogical records. The Oswego County Clerk maintains a variety of public records and provides instructions for accessing them.

• Sites that charge a fee may only provide information you could obtain elsewhere at no charge, so be sure to exhaust your search for free public records. New York libraries frequently subscribe to services that you would normally need to pay a fee to access. You should also bear in mind that many public records are simply not available online.

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