Queens County Court Records

Queens County court records in New York are maintained by the clerks of the respective courts and are accessible through official court portals, offices, and online tools. QueensCourt.us will help you find publicly available information about court cases in the county. Additionally, you can use the portals of the Unified Court System of New York State, the Queens County Clerk's office, and other government resources to obtain copies of documents and verify case materials.

Queens Court System Overview

Queens County — one of the five boroughs of New York City — is part of the 11th Judicial District of the Unified Court System of New York State. This district exclusively covers Queens County. The courts in the county include the Supreme Court (court of general jurisdiction), Criminal Court, Civil Court, Family Court, and Surrogate's Court. The administrative judge of the district is appointed by the chief judge of the state and coordinates the work of all courts within the borough.

Queens County Supreme Court

Courts Serving Queens

Residents of Queens are served by several courts of different jurisdictions. Below are the main courts with addresses and phone numbers.

Queens is also served by the federal court of the Eastern District of New York, which handles federal civil and criminal cases, as well as bankruptcy cases.

What Types of Cases Queens Courts Hear

The courts in Queens handle a wide range of cases. Here are the main categories:

• Criminal cases: felonies, misdemeanors, violations
• Civil cases: claims of any amount, small claims
• Family law: divorce, custody, child support, protective orders
• Probate cases: wills, estate administration, guardianship
• Juvenile matters: juvenile delinquency, child protective proceedings, adoptions
• Traffic violations: fines, traffic offenses, driving while intoxicated (DWI)

Each type of case is heard in the appropriate court — details are provided in the following sections.

District Court Cases in Queens

Queens County Supreme Court is a court of general jurisdiction that handles serious criminal cases (felonies) after indictment by a grand jury, as well as civil claims without monetary limits. Cases are transferred here from Criminal Court, appeals from lower courts, and post-trial motions. Supreme Court judges are appointed through elections, and each case is assigned through the Individual Assignment System (IAS) — one judge handles the case from start to finish. Divorce records, in particular, are also kept at the Queens County Clerk's Office at the Supreme Court.

Magistrate Court Cases in Queens

In New York City, the function similar to a magistrate court is performed by the city's Criminal Court and Civil Court. Queens Criminal Court handles misdemeanors, violations, and conducts preliminary hearings in felony cases before they are transferred to the Supreme Court. Arraignment hearings, including DWI cases, also take place here.

Queens Civil Court has jurisdiction over civil claims up to $50,000. The Small Claims Part handles claims up to $10,000 for individuals. Traffic violations in New York City are handled by a separate body — the Traffic Violations Bureau at the DMV, not the court. If the violation is criminal (e.g., DWI), the case goes to Criminal Court.

Family Law, Probate, and Juvenile Matters in Queens

Family Law. Queens Family Court handles cases involving child custody, child support, orders of protection, paternity establishment, and termination of parental rights. Divorces, however, are processed through the Supreme Court — that's where the lawsuit is filed and the decision is made.

Probate Cases. Surrogate's Court in Queens is responsible for probate of wills, appointment of estate administrators, guardianship of individuals unable to make decisions on their own, and related trust matters.

Juvenile Matters. Family Court also handles juvenile delinquency cases and child protective proceedings. Juvenile case records are confidential under New York State law.

How Cases Move Through the Queens Court System

1. Case Initiation: a criminal case begins with a complaint or arrest; a civil case with the filing of a complaint; a family case with a petition.
2. Judge Assignment: in the Supreme Court, the IAS system is in effect — a judge is assigned immediately and handles the case completely. In Criminal Court and Civil Court, cases are assigned to parts.
3. Initial Hearings: in criminal cases — arraignment (announcement of charges and determination of bail); in civil cases — preliminary conference.
4. Pre-Trial Phase: filing of motions, discovery, plea negotiations in criminal cases, or mediation in civil cases.
5. Trial or Resolution: a jury or judge delivers a verdict; parties may reach a settlement or plea agreement.
6. Post-Judgment: sentencing, filing of appeals to the Appellate Division (Second Department), enforcement of the court's decision. The New York City Sheriff is responsible for enforcing court judgments and processes.

Court Administration, Local Rules, and Public Access in Queens

The courts in Queens are administered by the administrative judge of the 11th Judicial District under the general supervision of the Office of Court Administration (OCA) of New York State. Local court rules for each judge and division are published on the New York State Unified Court System website (nycourts.gov).

According to New York State Judiciary Law, court records are generally public, except for sealed cases, juvenile cases, and materials protected by court order. To obtain copies of state-level criminal records, you should contact the Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS).

Hearings in Queens courts are open to the public unless the judge decides otherwise. Some hearings are conducted remotely via Microsoft Teams — information about the format of a specific hearing can be clarified at the office of the respective court.

Information about arrest warrants can be obtained through the Criminal Court line or NYC311.

Court Records and Related Court Resources in Queens

• Court Case Search: the WebCivil Supreme (eCourts) portal allows searching for Supreme Court civil cases by party name or case number. WebCrims is used for criminal cases.
• Property Records: the ACRIS system allows searching for property documents, mortgages, and liens for Queens. Property assessments can be checked through Property Assessments or NYC Finance property search.
• Property Taxes: information is available on the Property Taxes page of the NYC Department of Finance. State tax warrants can be checked through the New York State Tax Warrants Search.
• Zoning and Land Use: the ZoLa map shows zoning for any parcel in Queens; NYCityMap provides additional information about buildings and parcels.
• Inmate Lookup (NYC): Person in Custody Lookup allows finding individuals in the custody of the NYC Department of Corrections.
• Inmate Lookup (State): the Incarcerated Lookup of the New York State Department of Corrections contains data on individuals in state facilities. For individuals on parole — Parolee Lookup.
• Incarcerated Individual Locators: the Commission of Correction provides links to search for individuals in local jails, NYC facilities, and state prisons.
• Criminal History: the NY Division of Criminal Justice Services maintains the official registry of state criminal records, including the sex offender registry.
• Divorce Records: copies of divorce decrees for Queens can be obtained at the Queens County Clerk's Office at the Supreme Court located at 88-11 Sutphin Blvd, Jamaica, NY 11435.