How Do I Look Up Warrants in New York?

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    You can use NewYorkCourts.us to locate a warrant in New York, as it compiles publicly available information reported by New York's courts and law enforcement agencies into a single search. When available, a search reveals the warrant type, issuing court, case number, alleged offense, and bail or bond amount, among other details depending on the record type and issuing county.

    New York's court system is the largest and most complex in the nation. Sixty-two counties are spread across 13 judicial districts, served by a patchwork of Supreme Courts, County Courts, City Courts, District Courts (in Nassau and Suffolk Counties), Town and Village Justice Courts, and the New York City Criminal Court. The state's Office of Court Administration runs the Criminal History Record Search (CHRS) — a statewide conviction and open-case lookup — but it costs $95 per name, returns results only on an exact match of name and date of birth, and does not function as a warrant index. The free WebCrims tool covers criminal cases with future court dates, though only in selected courts, and includes no filter for warrant status. Neither system gives a member of the public a straightforward way to check whether an active warrant exists against a specific individual.

    With nearly 1,300 Town and Village Justice Courts alone — many of which still operate with limited electronic reporting — the gap between what is theoretically on the record and what is practically discoverable online is wider in New York than in almost any other state. A consolidated search eliminates the otherwise daunting task of contacting dozens of independent courts and agencies.

    Are Warrants Public Information in New York?

    Arrest warrants in New York become part of the court record once issued. CPL § 120.20 authorizes a local criminal court to issue a warrant of arrest when a criminal action has been commenced by the filing of an accusatory instrument and the defendant has not been arraigned. Bench warrants, governed by CPL § 530.70, are issued when a defendant released on recognizance or bail fails to appear as required. Both types are entered on the court docket and are accessible to the public at the issuing court's clerk office — they are not sealed by default.

    Search warrants and their supporting affidavits follow a more restrictive path. Under CPL Article 690, search warrant applications require sworn factual allegations of probable cause, and the warrant, inventory, and return must be filed with the issuing court. However, a court may seal search warrant materials to protect an ongoing investigation, and they frequently remain inaccessible until a criminal case reaches the discovery or trial stage.

    New York's Freedom of Information Law (FOIL), codified at Public Officers Law §§ 84–90, establishes a broad right to inspect agency records. Under § 89(3)(a), an agency must grant access, deny the request in writing, or acknowledge receipt within five business days. If acknowledgement is given instead of an immediate response, the agency must provide an approximate date — generally within twenty business days — by which the request will be resolved. FOIL does contain exemptions for records compiled for law enforcement purposes where disclosure could interfere with an investigation or deprive a person of a fair trial (Public Officers Law § 87(2)(e)), and agencies regularly invoke this exemption for active warrant files.

    The practical barrier is structural rather than legal. Town and Village Justice Courts process roughly two million cases annually, yet many still submit disposition data to OCA with significant lag times. A warrant issued by a justice court in a rural Adirondack town may never appear in any online portal, even though it is a public record available for inspection at the court itself.

    How to Search for a Warrant in New York

    1. Use NewYorkCourts.us. Our Instant Warrant Lookup presents you with warrant record data compiled from available public resources in one convenient search. When available, you can find warrant type, issuing court, case number, alleged offense, and bail/bond amount, among other details, depending on the record type and issuing county.
    2. Search the New York State Unified Court System's online tools. The WebCrims portal provides case information for criminal matters with upcoming court appearances in selected courts, but it is limited to cases with future dates and does not cover all jurisdictions. For conviction and open-case data across all 62 counties, the OCA Criminal History Record Search costs $95 per name and requires an exact match of full legal name and date of birth — and even then, it excludes violations, infractions, sealed records, and Town and Village Court dispositions from certain years.
    3. Contact the county sheriff's office or clerk of court. Have the individual's full legal name, date of birth, and the county where the case may have originated. In New York City, criminal warrants are handled by the NYPD and the NYC Criminal Court rather than the Sheriff's Office, which primarily handles civil enforcement. Outside the city, county sheriffs' offices can confirm the existence of outstanding warrants entered in the state's eJusticeNY Integrated Justice Portal, though that system is restricted to law enforcement.
    4. Visit in person. Any person may inspect court records at the clerk's office of the court that issued the warrant. Be aware that appearing at a courthouse or law enforcement office to inquire about a warrant in your own name carries the risk of immediate arrest if an active warrant is found.
    5. Retain an attorney. An attorney can make discreet inquiries through law enforcement channels and the court system on a client's behalf, without exposing the individual to the risk of arrest during the inquiry.

    How Long Is a Warrant Active in New York?

    Arrest warrants and bench warrants in New York do not expire. They remain in force until the defendant is apprehended, the issuing court recalls or vacates the warrant, or the underlying case is otherwise resolved. Search warrants are subject to a strict statutory clock: CPL § 690.30(1) requires that a search warrant be executed not more than ten days after the date of issuance and returned to the court without unnecessary delay. Execution is further confined to the hours of 6:00 AM to 9:00 PM unless the court has specifically authorized nighttime execution under CPL § 690.45(6).

    One structural feature distinguishes New York from most states. Because Town and Village Justice Courts number close to 1,300 and many are part-time courts presided over by non-attorney judges, bench warrants issued by these courts can remain active for years without systematic review. The warrant persists in NYSPIN (the New York State Police Information Network) and NCIC regardless of whether the issuing court is in session, meaning a routine traffic stop anywhere in the state — or the country — can surface a decades-old bench warrant from a court that sits only one evening per week.

    New York Warrant Records by County

    New York has 62 counties, each with its own court system and, in most cases, an elected county sheriff. The five counties within New York City — Bronx, Kings (Brooklyn), New York (Manhattan), Queens, and Richmond (Staten Island) — are served by the NYC Sheriff's Office, a single citywide agency under the Department of Finance that handles civil enforcement. Criminal law enforcement in the city is the province of the NYPD, and criminal warrants are processed through the NYC Criminal Court. Outside the city, the 57 county sheriffs maintain law enforcement divisions that serve warrants and process arrests.

    No centralized public warrant database exists in New York. NYSPIN connects law enforcement agencies statewide, but it is not accessible to the public. The OCA's CHRS covers criminal case data from all 62 counties but is designed as a conviction and open-case report — not a warrant search tool. A member of the public seeking to confirm a specific warrant must contact the court or sheriff's office in the county where the warrant was issued.

    The table below lists every county sheriff's office in New York State. For the five New York City counties, the local office of the NYC Sheriff is listed; for criminal warrant inquiries in those boroughs, contact the NYC Criminal Court or the NYPD directly.

    County

    Organization

    Address

    Phone Number

    Albany

    Albany County Sheriff's Office

    16 Eagle Street, Room 79, Albany, NY 12207

    (518) 487-5440

    Allegany

    Allegany County Sheriff's Office

    4884 State Route 19, Belmont, NY 14813

    (585) 268-9200

    Bronx

    NYC Sheriff's Office – Bronx

    3030 3rd Avenue, 2nd Floor, Bronx, NY 10455

    (718) 993-3882

    Broome

    Broome County Sheriff's Office

    155 Lt. Van Winkle Drive, Binghamton, NY 13905

    (607) 778-1911

    Cattaraugus

    Cattaraugus County Sheriff's Office

    301 Court Street, Little Valley, NY 14755

    (716) 938-9191

    Cayuga

    Cayuga County Sheriff's Office

    7445 County House Road, Auburn, NY 13021

    (315) 253-1222

    Chautauqua

    Chautauqua County Sheriff's Office

    15 East Chautauqua Street, Mayville, NY 14757

    (716) 753-4900

    Chemung

    Chemung County Sheriff's Office

    203 William Street, Elmira, NY 14901

    (607) 737-2987

    Chenango

    Chenango County Sheriff's Office

    279 County Road 46, Norwich, NY 13815

    (607) 334-2000

    Clinton

    Clinton County Sheriff's Office

    25 McCarthy Drive, Plattsburgh, NY 12901

    (518) 565-4300

    Columbia

    Columbia County Sheriff's Office

    85 Industrial Tract, Hudson, NY 12534

    (518) 828-0601

    Cortland

    Cortland County Sheriff's Office

    54 Greenbush Street, Cortland, NY 13045

    (607) 753-3311

    Delaware

    Delaware County Sheriff's Office

    280 Phoebe Lane, Suite 1, Delhi, NY 13753

    (607) 746-2336

    Dutchess

    Dutchess County Sheriff's Office

    150 North Hamilton Street, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601

    (845) 486-3800

    Erie

    Erie County Sheriff's Office

    10 Delaware Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14202

    (716) 858-7608

    Essex

    Essex County Sheriff's Office

    7802 Stowersville Road, Lewis, NY 12950

    (518) 873-6902

    Franklin

    Franklin County Sheriff's Office

    45 Barehill Road, Malone, NY 12953

    (518) 483-3304

    Fulton

    Fulton County Sheriff's Office

    2712 State Highway 29, Johnstown, NY 12095

    (518) 736-2100

    Genesee

    Genesee County Sheriff's Office

    165 Park Road, Batavia, NY 14020

    (585) 345-3000

    Greene

    Greene County Sheriff's Office

    80 Bridge Street, Catskill, NY 12414

    (518) 943-3302

    Hamilton

    Hamilton County Sheriff's Office

    102 Country View Drive, Lake Pleasant, NY 12108

    (518) 548-3113

    Herkimer

    Herkimer County Sheriff's Office

    320 North Main Street, Suite 2900, Herkimer, NY 13350

    (315) 867-1167

    Jefferson

    Jefferson County Sheriff's Office

    753 Waterman Drive, Watertown, NY 13601

    (315) 786-2660

    Kings

    NYC Sheriff's Office – Kings

    210 Joralemon Street, Room 909, Brooklyn, NY 11201

    (718) 802-3543

    Lewis

    Lewis County Sheriff's Office

    5252 Outer Stowe Street, Lowville, NY 13367

    (315) 376-3511

    Livingston

    Livingston County Sheriff's Office

    4 Court Street, Geneseo, NY 14454

    (585) 243-7100

    Madison

    Madison County Sheriff's Office

    138 North Court Street, Wampsville, NY 13163

    (315) 366-2318

    Monroe

    Monroe County Sheriff's Office

    130 Plymouth Avenue South, Rochester, NY 14614

    (585) 753-4522

    Montgomery

    Montgomery County Sheriff's Office

    200 Clark Drive, Fultonville, NY 12072

    (518) 853-5500

    Nassau

    Nassau County Sheriff's Office

    100 Carman Avenue, East Meadow, NY 11554

    (516) 572-4100

    New York

    NYC Sheriff's Office – New York

    66 John Street, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10038

    (212) 788-8732

    Niagara

    Niagara County Sheriff's Office

    5526 Niagara Street Extension, Lockport, NY 14095

    (716) 438-3370

    Oneida

    Oneida County Sheriff's Office

    6065 Judd Road, Oriskany, NY 13424

    (315) 765-2200

    Onondaga

    Onondaga County Sheriff's Office

    407 South State Street, Syracuse, NY 13202

    (315) 435-3044

    Ontario

    Ontario County Sheriff's Office

    74 Ontario Street, Canandaigua, NY 14424

    (585) 394-4560

    Orange

    Orange County Sheriff's Office

    110 Wells Farm Road, Goshen, NY 10924

    (845) 291-4033

    Orleans

    Orleans County Sheriff's Office

    13925 State Route 31, Suite 400, Albion, NY 14411

    (585) 590-4137

    Oswego

    Oswego County Sheriff's Office

    39 Churchill Road, Oswego, NY 13126

    (315) 349-3307

    Otsego

    Otsego County Sheriff's Office

    172 County Highway 33W, Cooperstown, NY 13326

    (607) 547-4271

    Putnam

    Putnam County Sheriff's Office

    3 County Center, Carmel, NY 10512

    (845) 225-4300

    Queens

    NYC Sheriff's Office – Queens

    30-10 Starr Avenue, Long Island City, NY 11101

    (718) 610-0454

    Rensselaer

    Rensselaer County Sheriff's Office

    Main Street, Troy, NY 12180

    (518) 270-5448

    Richmond

    NYC Sheriff's Office – Richmond

    350 Saint Marks Place, Suite 409, Staten Island, NY 10301

    (718) 815-8407

    Rockland

    Rockland County Sheriff's Office

    55 New Hempstead Road, New City, NY 10956

    (845) 638-5400

    St. Lawrence

    St. Lawrence County Sheriff's Office

    48 Court Street, Canton, NY 13617

    (315) 379-2365

    Saratoga

    Saratoga County Sheriff's Office

    6010 County Farm Road, Ballston Spa, NY 12020

    (518) 885-2450

    Schenectady

    Schenectady County Sheriff's Office

    320 Veeder Avenue, Schenectady, NY 12307

    (518) 388-4300

    Schoharie

    Schoharie County Sheriff's Office

    157 Depot Lane, Schoharie, NY 12157

    (518) 295-7066

    Schuyler

    Schuyler County Sheriff's Office

    106 Tenth Street, Watkins Glen, NY 14891

    (607) 535-8222

    Seneca

    Seneca County Sheriff's Office

    6150 State Route 96, Romulus, NY 14541

    (315) 220-3200

    Steuben

    Steuben County Sheriff's Office

    7007 Rumsey Street Extension, Bath, NY 14810

    (607) 776-7009

    Suffolk

    Suffolk County Sheriff's Office

    100 Center Drive, Riverhead, NY 11901

    (631) 852-2200

    Sullivan

    Sullivan County Sheriff's Office

    8 Bushnell Avenue, Monticello, NY 12701

    (845) 794-7100

    Tioga

    Tioga County Sheriff's Office

    103 Corporate Drive, Owego, NY 13827

    (607) 687-1010

    Tompkins

    Tompkins County Sheriff's Office

    779 Warren Road, Ithaca, NY 14850

    (607) 257-1345

    Ulster

    Ulster County Sheriff's Office

    380 Boulevard, Kingston, NY 12401

    (845) 340-3802

    Warren

    Warren County Sheriff's Office

    1400 State Route 9, Lake George, NY 12845

    (518) 743-2500

    Washington

    Washington County Sheriff's Office

    399 Broadway, Fort Edward, NY 12828

    (518) 746-2475

    Wayne

    Wayne County Sheriff's Office

    7368 Route 31, Lyons, NY 14489

    (315) 946-9711

    Westchester

    Westchester County Sheriff's Office

    110 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, White Plains, NY 10601

    (914) 995-3053

    Wyoming

    Wyoming County Sheriff's Office

    151 North Main Street, Warsaw, NY 14569

    (585) 786-8989

    Yates

    Yates County Sheriff's Office

    227 Main Street, Penn Yan, NY 14527

    (315) 536-5172