What is a New York Background Check?
You have probably heard of a background check in the past, but you might not know exactly what a New York background check actually entails. This type of background check is essentially a look at an individual’s history through various public records. There are many different reasons why a background check might be done, ranging from being approved for adoption to being investigated by a potential business partner, but these checks are generally done to ensure that public face presented by the individual being investigated matches what’s on his or her record.
You’d be surprised by how often background checks are done. Most landlords have checks done on their renters, for example, as do most business owners when they hire new employees. Some people even use background check services to check up on potential babysitters or even dates, with different information appearing on searches depending on the type of search that’s being done.
What is a New York Public Records?
When dealing with background checks in New York, the documents searched will be contained in the New York public records. Everyone who lives or works in the state of New York generates paperwork, and this paperwork can tell a story about an individual’s history or personality. The documents range from birth certificates to legal filings, and they can be either public or private.
New York Official Background Check and New York Public Record State Resources.
Court Records: Ecourts provides access to 5 portals webcivil local (local civil courts), webcivil supreme (civil supreme court records), webcriminal (pending criminal cases in select jurisdictions), webfamily (family courts cases in all 62 counties), etrack (sends automatic alerts on cases of choice). See https://iapps.courts.state.ny.us/webcivil/ecourtsMain.
Recorder’s Office Records: Many counties offer recorded document information for free direct. To see tax warrant info statewide visit https://www.dos.ny.gov/corps/tax_warrant_search.html, for real estate recorded records visit https://a836-acris.nyc.gov/CP, for financial property assessment rolls visit https://a836-pts-access.nyc.gov/care/forms/htmlframe.aspx?mode=content/home.htm, for localized property tax records visit https://www.taxlookup.net/.
Criminal Records: New York State Office of Court Administration (OCA) provides a New York Statewide criminal history record search (CHRS) for a fee of $95.00. See http://ww2.nycourts.gov/apps/chrs/index.shtml.
Driving Records: New York provides a portal for indivuals to search their own records at https://dmv.ny.gov/dmv-records/get-my-own-driving-record-abstract with a cost of $7. For others see https://dmv.ny.gov/records/dial-search-accounts.
Business Lookup: Search the Corporation & Business Entity Database at https://www.dos.ny.gov/corps/bus_entity_search.html
Incarceration Records: Prison inmate population information search at http://nysdoccslookup.doccs.ny.gov/kinqw00
Sexual Offender Registry: Search public registry of sex offenders at https://www.criminaljustice.ny.gov/SomsSUBDirectory/search_index.jsp
Official Resources for Top Counties in New York.
Kings County: Top City New York City
Court Records: https://www.nycourts.gov/courthelp/GoingToCourt/records.shtml
Recorder’s Office Records: https://a836-acris.nyc.gov/CP/
Arrest / Inmate Mugshots Records: http://a073-ils-web.nyc.gov/inmatelookup/pages/common/find.jsf
Property Records: http://maps.nyc.gov/doitt/nycitymap/
Queens County: Top City New York City
Court Records: https://iapps.courts.state.ny.us/qcco/jcaptcha Queens County Clerk’s Office (QCCO) is provided as a FREE public service by the New York State Unified Court System.
Arrest / Inmate Mugshots Records: http://a073-ils-web.nyc.gov/inmatelookup/pages/common/find.jsf
Property Records GIS: http://maps.nyc.gov/doitt/nycitymap/
New York County: Top City New York City
Arrest / Mugshots Records: http://a073-ils-web.nyc.gov/inmatelookup/pages/common/find.jsf
Suffolk County: Top City Riverhead
Public Records: https://kiosk.suffolkcountyny.gov/KioskWeb/Notifications.aspx
Property Records: http://gis3.suffolkcountyny.gov/gisviewer/
Bronx County: Top City New York City
Court Records: https://iapps.courts.state.ny.us/ctclrk/indexSearch
Nassau County: Top City Mineola
Recorder’s Office Records: https://i2f.uslandrecords.com/NY/Nassau/D/Default.aspx?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1
Property Records: https://lrv.nassaucountyny.gov/ and GIS https://lrv.nassaucountyny.gov/map/
Westchester County: Top City White Plains
Public and Court Records: https://wro.westchesterclerk.com/Login/Login.aspx?
Arrest / Inmate Mugshots Records: https://correction.westchestergov.com/westchester-inmate-search
Property Records: https://wro.westchesterclerk.com/mapsearch.aspx
Erie County: Top City Buffalo
Court Records: http://www2.erie.gov/clerk/index.php?q=court-recordsfiling
Arrest / Mugshots Records: http://www2.erie.gov/sheriff/sites/www2.erie.gov.sheriff/files/uploads/data/InmateList.pdf
Property Records: http://www2.erie.gov/ecrpts/index.php?q=real-property-parcel-search
Monroe County: Top City Rochester
Court Records: https://countyfusion9.kofiletech.us/countyweb/login.do?countyname=MonroeNY
Arrest / Mugshots Records: https://www2.monroecounty.gov/sheriff-inmate
Property Records: https://www.monroecounty.gov/etc/rp/
Richmond County: Top City New York City
Property Records: http://hosted.uslandrecords.com/cgibin/homepage?County=8007
Onondaga County: Top City Syracuse
Court Records: https://cotthosting.com/NYOnondagaExternal/User/Login.aspx
Arrest / Mugshots Records: https://sheriff.ongov.net/lookup/
Property Records: https://ocfintax.ongov.net/Imate/disclaimer.aspx
Orange County: Top City Goshen
Public Records: https://searchiqs.com/nyora/
Property Records: http://propertydata.orangecountygov.com/search.aspx
Rockland County: Top City New City
Court Records: https://cotthosting.com/NYRocklandExternal/User/Login.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2fNYRocklandExternal
Albany County: Top City Albany
Public Records: https://www.searchiqs.com/nyalb/Login.aspx
Dutchess County: Top City Poughkeepsie
Public Records: https://www.co.dutchess.ny.us/CountyClerkDocumentSearch/Search.aspx
Property Records: https://gis.dutchessny.gov/parcelaccess/
Oneida County: Top City Utica
Public Records: https://www.searchiqs.com/nyone/Login.aspx
Arrest / Mugshots Records: http://oneidacountysheriff.us/inmate/inmatelist.aspx
Saratoga County: Top City Ballston Spa
Public Records: https://www.searchiqs.com/NYSAR/Login.aspx
Property Records: https://saratoga.sdgnys.com/disclaimer.aspx
Niagara County: Top City Lockport
Public Records: https://www.searchiqs.com/NYNIA/Login.aspx
Property Records: http://gis2.erie.gov/HTML5/NiagaraCountyNY/PublicLaunchPage.aspx
Broome County: Top City Binghamton
Public Records: https://www.searchiqs.com/nybro/Login.aspx
Property Records GIS: http://bcgis.com/Website/GISWeb/Portal.htm
Ulster County: Top City Kingston
Public Records: https://www.searchiqs.com/NYULS/Login.aspx
Court Records: https://ulstercountyny.gov/countyclerk/courtrecords.html
Active Warrants: https://ulstercountyny.gov/sheriff/active-warrants
Property Records: https://ulstercountyny.gov/maps/parcel-viewer/
Rensselaer County: Top City Troy
Public Records: https://www.searchiqs.com/nyren/
Schenectady County: Top City Schenectady
Property Records: http://landrecords.schenectadycounty.com/
Chautauqua County: Top City Mayville
Public Records: https://www.searchiqs.com/NYCHA/Login.aspx
Arrest / Mugshots Records: https://www.sheriff.us/prisoners
Property Records: https://maps.chautauquacounty.com/public/phd/
Oswego County: Top City Oswego
Public Records: https://www.searchiqs.com/NYOSW/Login.aspx
Property Records: https://rptsweb.oswegocounty.com/index.aspx
Jefferson County: Top City Watertown
Public Records: https://www.searchiqs.com/NYJEF/Login.aspx
Property Records: http://www.jeffcountymaps.com/
St. Lawrence County: Top City Canton
Public Records: https://www.searchiqs.com/NYSTL/Login.aspx
Ontario County: Top City Canandaigua
Court Records: https://countyfusion1.kofiletech.us/countyweb/login.do?countyname=Ontario
Tompkins County: Top City Ithaca
Court and Land Records: https://countyfusion3.kofiletech.us/countyweb/login.do?countyname=Tompkins
Difference between a New York state and nationwide background check?
Note that background checks are also only limited by their search area. If someone undertakes a New York State background check, they will only get back information from the state of New York. Since they’ll only be accessing New York public records, they’ll get back their information much more quickly than if they’d tried a nationwide background search. In exchange for processing speed, though, conducting a state-specific search will mean that certain information isn’t uncovered.
How long does a New York background check take?
Speed can matter quite a bit, though. Unless you’re doing a check online, you’ll generally have to wait for records to be processed through the court system. As a rule, older records tend to take longer to process. Fortunately, most state agencies have digitized the bulk of their records and the speed of processing has risen considerably in recent years.
How far back does a New York background check go?
There does tend to a limit on how far back a check can go, though. Unless a background check is looking for a criminal record, they’ll generally hit certain mandated roadblocks. If you file for bankruptcy, for example, the information will only be reported for ten years.
How do I find free New York public records online?
Despite the fact that there are many legitimate paid record search companies, you can search for some records yourself. You can go to your county’s website and search for some kind of public records, though it should be noted that you probably won’t be able to search for everything in one place. Some records, like criminal records or property ownership, are relatively easy to find while others do require a bit more legwork.
How can I do a free New York background check?
While it might seem slower to use the public records system, the truth is that these records are the same used by private investigators and even by most background check companies. If you are willing to put in the time to search through the archives, you’ll be able to assemble a clear picture of the person you are researching by assembling his or her public records. This is the best way to perform a New York background check without spending any money, and a fantastic method for gathering information from some of the most reliable sources in the state.
Neighboring States.
Connecticut Background Check, Massachusetts Background Check, New Jersey Background Check, Pennsylvania Background Check, Rhode Island Background Check, Vermont Background Check.