Orange County Court Records
How To Find Court Records in Orange County in 2026
Members of the public seeking court records in Orange County, New York, may access publicly available case information through several official channels. OrangeNYRecords.us provides access to publicly available information related to court records maintained by Orange County courts and affiliated agencies. Court records in Orange County may include documentation from civil, criminal, family, probate, traffic, and small claims proceedings. The types of records that may be located through official sources include:
- Criminal case filings, dispositions, and sentencing entries
- Civil complaints, answers, motions, and judgments
- Family court orders, custody determinations, and support rulings
- Probate filings, estate inventories, and surrogate court orders
- Traffic violations, infractions, and related adjudications
- Small claims filings and judgments
- Landlord-tenant proceedings and summary eviction records
Court records may be searched through the following five methods:
1. Clerk of Court or Court Records Office The Orange County Clerk's Office maintains official court records for Supreme Court and County Court proceedings. Members of the public may submit in-person requests at the clerk's office, providing the case number, party name, or filing date to assist staff in locating the record. The clerk's office processes requests during regular business hours and may assess fees for copies or certified documents.
Orange County Clerk's Office
255 Main Street
Goshen, NY 10924
Phone: (845) 291-2690
Orange County Clerk
2. Courthouse Public Access Terminals Public access terminals are available at the Orange County Courthouse and allow members of the public to search case indexes and view docket entries without charge. Terminal access is limited to records that are not sealed, restricted, or otherwise withheld under applicable law.
3. Online Court Search The New York State Unified Court System operates the eCourts case search portal, which provides online access to civil Supreme Court case information statewide, including Orange County. Criminal case information may be available through the WebCriminal search tool for participating courts.
4. State-Level Judicial Search Tools The New York State Courts Electronic Filing system (NYSCEF) allows registered users to search and retrieve electronically filed documents in eligible cases. Not all case types or courts participate in NYSCEF at present.
5. Written or Mail Requests Members of the public who are unable to appear in person may submit written requests to the Orange County Clerk's Office or the relevant court clerk. Requests should include the case number or party names, the type of record sought, and any applicable fee payment. Processing times vary based on the volume of requests and the age of the records.
Are Court Records Public in Orange County
Court records in Orange County are public under current New York State law, subject to specific statutory and judicial exceptions. Under New York Civil Rights Law § 50-a and the New York Freedom of Information Law (Public Officers Law § 84 et seq.), government records, including court filings, are presumptively open to public inspection unless a specific exemption applies.
Records that are public include:
- Case dockets and indexes
- Party names and case numbers
- Filed pleadings, motions, and orders
- Hearing dates and adjournment entries
- Final judgments and dispositions
- Sentencing entries in criminal matters
Records that may be confidential, sealed, redacted, or restricted include:
- Juvenile delinquency and person-in-need-of-supervision (PINS) proceedings
- Adoption records, which are sealed by statute under New York Domestic Relations Law
- Mental hygiene proceedings and involuntary commitment records
- Records sealed pursuant to Criminal Procedure Law § 160.50 following acquittal or dismissal
- Records involving protected personal identifiers such as Social Security numbers, financial account numbers, and dates of birth
- Matters sealed by court order upon a showing of good cause
There is a distinction between courthouse inspection and online access. While a record may be available for in-person inspection at the clerk's office, the same record may not be accessible through an online portal if the court has not yet digitized older files or if the case type is excluded from electronic access under court rules.
What Are Court Records in Orange County?
Court records are the official documents, filings, and entries created and maintained by a court in connection with a legal proceeding. In Orange County, court records are generated from the moment a case is initiated through filing and continue to be updated through each stage of litigation, including hearings, motions, orders, and final disposition. If a case is appealed, the appellate record becomes a separate set of documents maintained by the appellate court.
The distinction between a docket and a full case file is significant. A docket is a chronological index of all filings and events in a case, while the full case file contains the actual documents associated with those entries. Civil court records arise from disputes between private parties or between a party and a government entity, while criminal court records document proceedings initiated by the state against an individual accused of a crime. Filed pleadings are the initial documents that establish the claims and defenses in a case, whereas final judgments represent the court's ultimate resolution of those claims.
Public filings are those that have been submitted to the court and are not subject to any sealing or restriction order. Sealed or restricted filings have been withheld from public access by statute or court order. Trial court records are maintained by the clerk of the trial court, while appellate records are maintained by the Appellate Division of the New York Supreme Court. The Orange County Clerk's Office serves as the official custodian of Supreme Court and County Court records within the county. Town and village justice courts maintain their own records at the local level.
What's Included in an Orange County Court Record?
A court record in Orange County may contain a range of documents and data entries depending on the case type, the stage of proceedings, and applicable public-access rules. The following information may appear within a court record:
- Case number assigned at the time of filing
- Court name and division, such as Supreme Court, County Court, Family Court, or Surrogate's Court
- Filing date and subsequent amendment dates
- Party names, including plaintiffs, defendants, petitioners, respondents, and third parties
- Case type and current status, such as active, disposed, or on appeal
- Docket entries listing each filing and court event in chronological order
- Scheduled and past hearing dates, including adjournments and continuances
- Motions, complaints, petitions, answers, replies, orders, judgments, notices, minute entries, decrees, and similar filed documents
- Outcome information, including dismissals, default judgments, consent orders, guilty pleas, convictions, sentencing entries, custody rulings, probate orders, and appellate decisions
- Administrative and financial information, such as filing fees, assessed costs, fines, restitution amounts, and bond information where publicly displayed
Records commonly excluded or restricted from public access include sealed filings, expunged matters, juvenile case files, adoption records, protected personal data such as Social Security numbers and financial account information, and certain exhibits that contain sensitive or proprietary material. The presence of a docket entry does not guarantee that the underlying document is available for public inspection.
Types of Courts in Orange County
Orange County is served by multiple levels of the New York State Unified Court System. The New York State Unified Court System administers all state courts, and the structure applicable to Orange County includes the following:
- New York Supreme Court (Orange County) — The court of general jurisdiction for civil matters involving amounts exceeding the jurisdictional limits of lower courts, and for felony criminal proceedings. The Orange County Clerk's Office maintains Supreme Court records.
- Orange County Court — Hears felony criminal cases and certain civil appeals from lower courts.
- Orange County Family Court — Handles matters involving child custody, visitation, support, adoption, juvenile delinquency, and family offense proceedings.
- Orange County Surrogate's Court — Administers probate proceedings, estate matters, and guardianship appointments.
- Orange County Court of Claims — Hears claims against New York State.
- Town and Village Justice Courts — Limited-jurisdiction courts that handle misdemeanors, traffic infractions, small claims, and landlord-tenant proceedings at the local level. The Justice Court of the Town of Chester handles traffic tickets, small claims, civil cases, summary proceedings, and criminal cases arising within that town. The Justice Court of the Town of New Windsor serves as the first level trial court for matters arising within New Windsor.
Orange County Supreme and County Court
285 Main Street
Goshen, NY 10924
Phone: (845) 476-3500
Orange County Courts
Orange County Family Court
285 Main Street
Goshen, NY 10924
Phone: (845) 476-3500
Orange County Family Court
Orange County Surrogate's Court
30 Park Place
Goshen, NY 10924
Phone: (845) 476-3500
Orange County Surrogate's Court
How to Search Orange County Court Records for Free?
Several methods for searching Orange County court records are available at no cost. In-person inspection at the Orange County Clerk's Office or at courthouse public access terminals does not require a fee. The New York State Unified Court System's online portals, including eCourts and WebCriminal, provide free case index searches for eligible case types.
The following table summarizes common access methods and associated costs:
| Access Method | Cost |
|---|---|
| In-person docket inspection | Free |
| Courthouse public access terminal | Free |
| eCourts / WebCriminal online search | Free |
| Uncertified paper copy (per page) | $0.65 per page (standard clerk fee) |
| Certified copy of court document | $1.25 per page plus $5.00 certification fee |
| Exemplified copy | Additional fee applies |
Fee schedules for the Orange County Clerk's Office are established under New York County Law and the Uniform Civil Rules for the Supreme Court. Members of the public seeking copies of documents should confirm current fees directly with the clerk's office, as fee schedules are subject to legislative revision.
How Long Does Orange County Keep Court Records?
The retention period for court records in Orange County varies by case type and is governed by the New York State Archives and Records Administration (SARA) and the Office of Court Administration's records retention schedules. Under the New York Judiciary Law and applicable court rules, the following general retention periods apply:
- Felony criminal records: Retained permanently in most instances, particularly where a conviction resulted in incarceration.
- Misdemeanor and violation records: Retained for a minimum of ten years following disposition in many jurisdictions.
- Civil Supreme Court records: Retained for varying periods depending on the nature of the judgment; records involving real property or permanent injunctions may be retained indefinitely.
- Family Court records: Subject to specialized retention rules; certain juvenile records are sealed and retained separately.
- Surrogate's Court records: Probate records and estate files are retained permanently as they affect title to real property.
- Traffic and small claims records: Retained for shorter periods, with docket books often retained longer than individual case files.
Older records may exist in paper files, microfilm, or county archives rather than in electronic systems. The destruction of a paper file after imaging or archival transfer does not constitute expungement or sealing. Expungement is a separate legal process that results in the removal or destruction of a record pursuant to court order, distinct from routine archival retention or the physical destruction of superseded paper copies.
How To Find a Court Docket in Orange County
A court docket is a chronological index of all filings, orders, and events in a specific case. It differs from the full case file in that it lists entries and dates without necessarily containing the full text of each document. Dockets serve as the official record of case activity and are maintained by the clerk of the court in which the case is pending.
Members of the public may locate Orange County court dockets through the following methods:
- eCourts Civil Search: The New York State eCourts portal allows users to search Supreme Court civil dockets by party name, index number, or attorney name. Search results display docket entries, hearing dates, and case status.
- WebCriminal: The WebCriminal search tool provides docket information for criminal cases in participating courts, including Orange County Court.
- Courthouse Public Terminals: Terminals located at the Orange County Courthouse provide access to docket indexes for cases not available through online portals.
- In-Person Clerk Request: Members of the public may request a printed docket sheet from the Orange County Clerk's Office by providing the case number or party name.
A docket entry records the date, the nature of the filing or event, and the party or attorney responsible. Dockets include hearing dates, continuances, motion filings, orders, and status updates. Dockets do not include the full text of sealed entries, confidential exhibits, or documents withheld under court order. Hearing calendars and motion calendars for Orange County courts are published by the New York State Unified Court System and may be accessed through the court's official website or by contacting the clerk's office directly. As noted by the New York State Unified Court System, "the public has a right to access court records," subject to the limitations established by statute and court rule.