NYC Inmate Lookup, NYPD Arrest Data and Criminal Court Search
Find out whether someone is still in NYPD custody, has moved into the NYC jail system, has a pending borough criminal case or needs an official arrest record. This guide routes you to the correct police, Correction, court, bail, visitation and legal-help service without treating a citywide dataset as a personal background check.
NYC Arrest Search Quick Answers
Call 311 or 212-639-9675 to ask whether the person remains in police custody.
Use the DOC Person in Custody Lookup.
Use WebCrims through New York Courts e-Courts.
Submit a detailed NYPD FOIL request.
Use NYC Open Data, not DOC inmate lookup.
OCA CHRS currently costs $95 and uses exact name and date of birth.
Check DOC lookup, then confirm the in-person payment route.
Register with NYC VINE at 888-846-3469.
The person may still be at an NYPD precinct or Central Booking and may not yet appear in the DOC lookup. Call 311 or 212-639-9675. NYC311 says police will tell you whether the person is in custody and where the arraignment will occur.
What NYC Arrest or Court Task Are You Trying to Complete?
Choose the task that matches your situation. This helper runs locally and does not collect a name, date of birth, NYSID, Book and Case number or docket number.
What Happens Between an NYPD Arrest and a DOC Inmate Record?
NYC does not use one public database for every stage. A person can move from an arresting precinct to Central Booking, then to arraignment and either be released or transferred into Department of Correction custody.
Call 311 or 212-639-9675. The DOC inmate search is not designed for people who remain in police custody.
Use the Person in Custody Lookup to see the holding location, Book and Case number, charges, court details, release information and bail when available.
Which NYC Arrest, Police or Court Database Should You Use?
Your question | Correct source | Information to prepare | What to do after opening |
|---|---|---|---|
Is someone still in police custody? | NYC311 by telephone | Full name, arrest date, location or precinct if known | Call 311 or 212-639-9675 and ask where arraignment will occur |
Is someone currently in a NYC jail? | NYC DOC Person in Custody Lookup | Name, NYSID or Book and Case number | Open the correct person and record facility, case and bail details |
When is the next criminal court date? | WebCrims through e-Courts | Name or full docket number | Check future appearances and court part |
What happened in a completed case? | Borough Criminal Court clerk | Docket number, name and date of birth or arrest date | Request a Certificate of Disposition where appropriate |
How many arrests occurred by borough or offense? | NYPD Arrest Data on NYC Open Data | Year, quarter, borough, precinct or offense category | Filter, chart or export incident-level data |
Can I obtain an individual NYPD arrest document? | NYPD FOIL request | Arrest number or identifying and arrest details | Submit a specific written request through NYC OpenRecords |
Do I need a statewide name-based court-history report? | NYS Office of Court Administration CHRS | Exact name and date of birth | Submit online or by mail and pay the current $95 fee |
Was the person transferred to state prison? | NYS DOCCS incarcerated-person lookup | Name, DIN or NYSID | Check state facility and custody information |
Could the person be in federal custody? | Federal Bureau of Prisons locator | Name or federal register number | Search the federal system separately |
How to Use NYPD Arrest Data on NYC Open Data
NYPD Arrest Data is useful for researching enforcement activity by date, borough, precinct, offense and demographic fields. The current-year dataset is manually extracted and published by quarter. It is not the same as an individual DOC lookup, police-custody locator or certified criminal history.
Use the dataset for patterns and counts
Typical fields include arrest date, offense descriptions, borough, precinct, age group and other incident-level details. Use another official route when your task concerns one named person.
How to Use the NYC DOC Person in Custody Lookup
Use the DOC lookup only after the person has entered Department of Correction custody. The official page specifically says it is not for people still in police custody, state prison or federal custody.
Use this identifier for bail, money deposits, mail and many DOC service questions.
A New York State identification number that can distinguish records more reliably than a name.
Confirm the facility before mailing, visiting or calling about a facility-specific matter.
How to Search NYC Criminal Court Records with WebCrims
WebCrims is useful for pending cases with future appearance dates. It does not display warrants, sealed cases or every completed case. For a final certified outcome, contact the borough court where the case was filed.
Borough | Criminal Court address | General information | Published arraignment and clerk guidance |
|---|---|---|---|
Bronx | 215 East 161st Street, Bronx, NY 10451 | Arraignments daily 9 a.m.–1 a.m.; other clerk parts Monday–Friday 9 a.m.–5 p.m. | |
Brooklyn / Kings | 120 Schermerhorn Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201 | Arraignments daily 9 a.m.–1 a.m.; clerk offices Monday–Friday 9 a.m.–5 p.m. | |
Manhattan / New York | 100 Centre Street, New York, NY 10013 | Arraignments daily 9 a.m.–1 a.m.; clerk offices Monday–Friday 9 a.m.–5 p.m. | |
Queens | 125-01 Queens Boulevard, Kew Gardens, NY 11415 | Arraignments daily 9 a.m.–11 p.m.; clerk office Monday–Friday 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m. | |
Staten Island / Richmond | 26 Central Avenue, Staten Island, NY 10301 | Weekday arraignments 9 a.m.–5 p.m.; weekends 9:30 a.m.–1 p.m.; clerk offices weekdays 9 a.m.–5 p.m. |
How to obtain a Certificate of Disposition
How to Check and Post Bail in New York City
NYC DOC’s current bail page says online bail payment is unavailable. Bail must be paid in person and the full amount must be provided. Confirm the exact amount and any other hold through the DOC lookup before travelling.
Location | Address or room | Published hours | Before travelling |
|---|---|---|---|
Rikers Island Central Cashier | Rikers Island | Open 24/7 | Confirm transportation and current access instructions |
Manhattan Detention Complex | 125 White Street, New York, NY 10013 | Open 24/7 | Call DOC before arrival because facility operations can change |
Bronx Criminal Court | Lower Level, Room M-05C | Mon–Tue 9 a.m.–5 p.m.; Wed–Fri 9 a.m.–8 p.m.; closed weekends | Confirm court access and holiday changes |
Queens Courts | 126-01 Queens Boulevard, ground floor | Monday–Friday 9 a.m.–5 p.m. | Confirm the exact building entrance |
Brooklyn Courts | 120 Schermerhorn Street, Room 101C, first floor | Seven days a week, 8:30 a.m.–1 a.m. | Recheck weekend and holiday availability |
Verify the custody record and bail amount directly through DOC. Do not use gift cards, cryptocurrency or a private payment account because someone claims to be a court employee.
NYC Finance generally receives a court refund order after the case ends and sends payment to the surety. The Cash Bail Unit can be reached at 212-908-7619, Monday–Friday 9 a.m.–4 p.m.
How to Get an Appointed Lawyer or Find a Private NYC Criminal Attorney
New York Courts says an arrested person has the right to a lawyer at arraignment and throughout the case. A person who cannot afford private counsel can have a lawyer appointed by the court.
The judge and arraignment staff handle assigned counsel. NYC’s publicly funded providers include the Legal Aid Society, Brooklyn Defender Services, Bronx Defenders, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem, New York County Defender Services and Article 18-B attorneys.
Review NYC public-defense providersThe New York City Bar Legal Referral Service can connect callers with screened private attorneys.
English: 212-626-7373
Spanish: 212-626-7374
NYC DOC In-Person Visits and Friday Televisits
In-person Rikers visits currently operate on a walk-in basis. Pre-registration is not available for ordinary in-person visits. Eligibility also depends on the person’s last-name group shown on the live visit schedule.
Use DOC lookup to confirm custody and facility.
Match the last-name group to the current visit calendar.
Visitors age 16 and older need valid photo-and-signature identification.
Outside registration hours, the visit will not be processed.
Follow dress, property and screening rules.
Visit type | Current days | Registration or visit window | Practical action |
|---|---|---|---|
Rikers in-person visit | Wednesday and Thursday | Registration 1 p.m.–6 p.m. | Arrive during registration and check surname eligibility |
Rikers in-person visit | Saturday and Sunday | Registration 7 a.m.–12 p.m. | Expect transport and security processing time |
Family televisit | Friday | 8 a.m.–1:30 p.m. | Submit the request form and wait for a confirmation email |
Bellevue hospital ward | Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday | Use the current hospital-ward schedule | Check the specific hospital guidance before travelling |
How to Send Money, Receive Calls and Write to Someone in NYC DOC Custody
DOC allows deposits by phone, internet, walk-in provider, mail or in person. You need the person’s first and last name and Book and Case number.
Open official money instructionsFamily and friends cannot call directly into the jail to speak with a person in custody. People in custody make outgoing calls at designated times.
Read NYC311 contact guidanceUse the full custodial name, Book and Case number and exact facility address shown in the DOC lookup.
Open official mail guidanceMoney-deposit steps
DOC currently lists City Code NYCITYDOC and State Code NY. Confirm the live instructions before sending money.
DOC states that people in custody cannot possess cash and that visitors who provide cash can be arrested.
How to address a letter
BOOK AND CASE NUMBER
FULL FACILITY NAME
FACILITY MAILING ADDRESS
Use the current DOC lookup and facility-address page before mailing. A transfer can make an old facility address incorrect.
NYPD FOIL Requests, Court Dispositions and Statewide CHRS Searches
These routes are not interchangeable. FOIL requests target agency records; a Certificate of Disposition comes from the court; CHRS is a statewide name-and-date-of-birth search of qualifying court history.
Record needed | Official source | Required information | Important limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
NYPD arrest paperwork | NYPD FOIL through NYC OpenRecords | Arrest number or name, DOB, NYSID, arrest date and precinct | Disclosure can be limited by exemptions, privacy or sealing |
Final borough court disposition | Criminal Court central clerk | Docket, name and DOB or arrest date, ID and current fee | Sealed cases have additional authorization requirements |
Statewide public court-history search | OCA CHRS | Exact legal name and date of birth | Not nationwide, not FBI, and sealed records are excluded |
Personal official rap sheet | New York State DCJS | Follow the fingerprint-based personal-record process | Different from the public OCA CHRS product |
Citywide arrest trends | NYC Open Data | Year, quarter, borough, precinct or offense | Not an individual record request |
How to request an NYPD arrest record through FOIL
When OCA CHRS is useful
OCA uses the exact submitted name and date of birth. Variations are not automatically returned.
The statewide search currently costs $95 for each exact name and date-of-birth combination.
CHRS includes qualifying open, pending and conviction information from New York courts but excludes sealed matters and is not a nationwide search.
Where to Search When a Person Disappears from the NYC DOC Lookup
Situation | Next source | What to prepare |
|---|---|---|
Arrest occurred very recently | NYC311 by phone | Name, location, date and possible precinct |
Possible state-prison transfer | Name, DIN or NYSID | |
Possible federal transfer | Legal name or federal register number | |
Possible release | DOC lookup, VINE and WebCrims | Book and Case number or docket number |
Hospital custody | DOC lookup and current hospital-ward guidance | Name, NYSID and facility information |
NYC VINE Release and Custody Notifications
NYC VINE is a free 24-hour custody-information and notification service for people held in New York City DOC or New York State correctional systems.
VINE: 888-846-3469
TDD: 866-847-1298
Search participating custody records and select the available notification options.
Open New York VINELinkNYC Arrest, Correction and Criminal Court Contact Guide
75-20 Astoria Boulevard
East Elmhurst, NY 11370
718-546-1500
Monday–Friday 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
Citywide borough court routing
646-386-4900
18-31 Hazen Street
East Elmhurst, NY 11370
Serves Rikers Island visitors
Submit through NYC OpenRecords and select NYPD. Include arrest number or identifying and arrest details.
General inquiries: 212-428-2943
Language assistance: 212-428-2810
English: 212-626-7373
Spanish: 212-626-7374
Public transportation is generally recommended because parking is limited. Check the visit schedule and the person’s DOC status before travelling.
Open directionsUse the borough and court location shown on the case record. A Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens or Staten Island case is handled by its own borough court.
Open directionsInformation to Have Ready
What to Do in Common New York City Arrest-Record Situations
Call 311 or 212-639-9675. The person may not yet be in DOC custody.
Check police custody, spelling, release status, state custody and federal custody.
The case may be completed, sealed, newly filed or outside the displayed pending-case scope. Call the borough clerk.
File a specific FOIL request with the arrest number or detailed identifying and arrest information.
Use the dataset for trends and incident analysis, not to identify a named person or prove a conviction.
Confirm payment, paperwork and additional holds with DOC.
The court can appoint counsel at arraignment for an eligible defendant.
Request a Certificate of Disposition from the borough criminal court clerk.
Use the New York DOCCS lookup with the name, DIN or NYSID.
Official NYC Arrest, Police, Jail and Court Resources
Use NYC311 guidance when the person may still be in police custody.
Open NYC311 guidanceFind current city jail location, Book and Case number, court and bail information.
Open DOC lookupResearch current-year incident-level NYPD arrest activity.
Open current datasetReview incident-level arrest information for prior completed years.
Open historic datasetReview the identifying information needed for an arrest-record request.
Open NYPD FOIL guidanceSubmit a written FOIL request to a New York City agency.
Open request portalOpen WebCrims and other official court-search applications.
Open e-CourtsFind borough addresses, clerk hours, phones and arraignment schedules.
Open court locationsReview current in-person bail locations, hours and payment types.
Open DOC bail guidanceCheck in-person registration hours and live visit eligibility.
Open visit guidanceReview approved deposit methods and required custody identifiers.
Open money instructionsVerify the name, Book and Case number and facility address format.
Open mail instructionsRequest a statewide exact-name-and-date-of-birth court-history search.
Open CHRS guidanceSearch custody information and register for available notifications.
Open VINELinkContinue to the broader New York arrest, county jail and state-prison guide.
Read the New York arrest records guideNYC Arrest Records FAQs
How do I find someone arrested by the NYPD today?
Call 311 or 212-639-9675 when the arrest may have occurred within the past 24 to 48 hours and the person has not yet been arraigned. NYC311 says police-custody information is available only by phone, and the Police Department can tell you whether the person is in custody and where the arraignment will occur.
How do I search for someone currently in a New York City jail?
Use the NYC Department of Correction Person in Custody Lookup. Search by NYSID or Book and Case number when available, or use the person’s first and last name. The result may include the holding location, charges, court date, mailing address, release information and bail or bond amount.
Can I search NYPD arrest records by a person’s name on NYC Open Data?
NYC Open Data publishes incident-level arrest data for statistical analysis by date, borough, precinct, offense and related fields. It is not the official person-in-custody lookup or a substitute for an individual NYPD FOIL request, court search or criminal-history report.
How do I find an NYC criminal court date?
Open New York Courts e-Courts and select WebCriminal. Search by defendant name, docket number or court calendar. WebCrims mainly shows pending criminal cases with future appearance dates and does not display warrants, finished cases or sealed cases.
How do I request an individual NYPD arrest record?
Submit a written FOIL request through NYC OpenRecords and select the New York City Police Department. Include the complete arrest number when known, or provide the arrested person’s name, date of birth, NYSID, arrest date and precinct so the agency can conduct a focused search.
Can I pay NYC bail online?
No. NYC DOC’s current bail page states that online bail payment is unavailable and bail must be paid in person. Bring personal identification and the person’s NYSID or Book and Case number, and confirm the amount and payment location before travelling.
How do I visit someone on Rikers Island?
Check the DOC lookup and current visit schedule first. In-person visits currently operate on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays on a walk-in basis. Visitors must arrive during the published registration hours and check whether the person’s surname group is eligible that day.
How do I send money to someone in NYC DOC custody?
Confirm the person’s complete custodial name and Book and Case number, then use the approved DOC cashier or money-transfer routes listed on the official Send Money page. Third-party agents charge fees, while DOC states that direct deposits at a cashier’s window do not have a transfer fee.
How do I get a criminal lawyer after an NYC arrest?
A person has the right to counsel at arraignment. The court can appoint a lawyer when the defendant cannot afford private counsel. For a private referral, call the New York City Bar Legal Referral Service at 212-626-7373 or 212-626-7374 for Spanish.
How do I obtain a statewide New York criminal history search?
Use the New York State Office of Court Administration Criminal History Record Search. CHRS currently costs $95 and is based on an exact match of legal name and date of birth. It excludes sealed records and is not a nationwide or FBI background check.
Official-resource review completed August 1, 2026
This independent guide is not affiliated with the New York City Police Department, New York City Department of Correction, New York State Unified Court System, Office of Court Administration, NYC Finance, VINE, NYS DOCCS, Federal Bureau of Prisons or a public-defense provider.
Custody status, court schedules, bail-window access, visit calendars, provider arrangements, fees, addresses and agency procedures can change. Recheck the official source before paying bail, travelling, visiting, mailing property or relying on time-sensitive information.
Responsible-use notice: an arrest is not a conviction. Do not use arrest, custody or court information to harass a person or for employment, housing, credit, insurance or another regulated decision that requires a legally compliant consumer report.