New York Public Records

Why do a public records search of New York Public Records

There are many good reasons to familiarize yourself with public records searches. If you’re in New York, or have lived in the state and have had a child, owned property such as a house or car, you’ll need to know how to search New York public records.

Similarly, if you want more information about a resident who resides in New York state, you will totally benefit from the online records providers at present. A background check will indicate any criminal history, such as drug possession charges, instances of violence, or sexual assault. Learning about these can disqualify a potential candidate for employment or housing, if one is working with vulnerable people such as children (if you’re looking for a babysitter), or the elderly (such as in a home healthcare scenario). If you’re renting to someone, it would be great to know if they’re a registered sex offender, so that you don’t break any laws in your state pursuant to their legally allowed proximity to children.

New York Public Records Laws
In general, records are available, with the exception of those that violate the privacy or risk the safety of others, or interfere with commercial interests of an organization or individual. Any record of a municipal governing body, commission, committee, bureau, agency, or public corporation. This is due to New York’s Freedom of Information Law. Any public record available here should be available online, although you may have to formally request them or pay a small fee, if they’re not online.

NY Public Records

Online Services that Search Public Records
One great public records search site is Free Public Records Search Directory. This should give you a basic head start in finding public records. IIf you are searching for a person and you do not know what to do just come by the office of the Central Records Repository. New York, like any state, has specific rules regarding public records searching, so be prepared to navigate different sets of rules.

Two sites that use online profiles as an aggregating people-search are Pipl and 123People. You can put someones name and the state (in this case New York). These sites comb the web for matching social graphs and information collected by data brokers. They sometimes carry inaccurate information however, so be careful. Neither should be taken as a definitive source, but they are a good start in a public records search of New York public records.

Vital Records
If you’ve lost a copy of your birth certificate or a car title, you have to request a copy of these documents using a public records search of New York public records. These are called Vital Records. There’s a different procedure involved and these records most don’t fall under government open records laws.

Vital records can also include a marriage license or divorce decree. Check with the specific county one is filed in for rules as to how to obtain them.