Find Criminal Records in Albany
Criminal records in Albany are held by multiple courts and offices in the 3rd Judicial District. As both the county seat and state capital, Albany gives you access to local and state resources in one area. The Albany City Court Criminal Part at 1 Morton Avenue handles misdemeanors. Albany County Court at the Judicial Center on Lodge Street takes felony cases. The County Clerk at 16 Eagle Street stores long-term court records. State databases also pull from Albany courts, so you can search online too.
Albany Criminal Records Overview
Albany County Court System
Albany sits in Albany County and serves as the county seat. The Albany County Clerk at 16 Eagle Street, Room 128, Albany, NY 12207 is the main place for criminal records tied to County Court and Supreme Court cases. The clerk files and stores case documents for felony matters. Visit in person and inspect public records at no charge under Judiciary Law 255. The phone number is (518) 487-5100. The County Clerk is Hon. Bruce A. Hidley.
The Albany City Court Criminal Part at 1 Morton Avenue, Albany, NY 12202 handles misdemeanor criminal records, violations, and some preliminary felony hearings. Call 518-453-5520 for case inquiries. Email AlbanyCriminalCourt@nycourts.gov. The Chief Clerk is Anthony Mancino.
Albany County Court sits at the Albany County Judicial Center, 6 Lodge Street, Room 113, Albany, NY 12207. This is where felony trials happen. Call 518-285-8777. The Chief Clerk is David Cardona. Criminal records from this court include indictments, pleas, trial verdicts, and sentencing data.
Albany Police and Local Records
The Albany Police Department at 165 Henry Johnson Boulevard, Albany, NY 12210 holds arrest records and incident reports. The main number is (518) 438-4000. To get police records, submit a FOIL request to the Records Access Officer. Include the date, time, location, names, and report number if you have it. Allow up to 5 business days for acknowledgment.
Albany runs Drug Treatment Court, Mental Health Court, and Veterans Court as special programs. These courts handle certain criminal cases differently, and the records from them may show different outcomes than a standard case. The Albany County District Attorney and Public Defender offices both play roles in how cases move through the system.
Standard copy fees at the County Clerk are $0.25 per page. Certified copies run $5.00 to $10.00 per document. Police report fees depend on the type and length of the report. Contact the Albany PD directly for their current fee schedule.
How to Search Albany Criminal Records
WebCrims is the fastest free tool. It shows active and pending criminal cases by name or case number. It covers the 3rd Judicial District, which includes Albany. Sealed cases and old closed matters will not appear.
The eCourts portal pulls results from multiple Albany County courts. Search by name, case number, or attorney. It is free to use. Not all record types show up, and some older records may not be in the system yet.
The Criminal History Record Search costs $95 per name and date of birth. It pulls from every court level in all 62 counties. Results come back the next business day. The search is name-based, not fingerprint-based. Town and village court data from before 2007 may be incomplete.
For an official rap sheet, use the DCJS Record Review. Submit fingerprints through an approved vendor. The DCJS office is at 1220 Washington Avenue right in Albany. Call 518-457-9847 for questions. You can ask for a suppressed version that hides sealed records, or an unsuppressed version that shows everything.
Sealing Laws in Albany
When a case ends in dismissal or acquittal, the records seal automatically under CPL 160.50. No motion is needed. The person can legally say they were never arrested for that charge.
CPL 160.59 lets you apply to seal up to two convictions after waiting 10 years. Only one can be a felony. Sex offenses, Class A felonies, and violent felonies are excluded. Albany County Court handles these motions for local felony cases. Youthful offender adjudications stay confidential under CPL 720.35.
The Clean Slate Act took effect November 16, 2024. Misdemeanor convictions seal 3 years after sentencing or release. Felonies seal after 8 years. Sex offenses, Class A felonies, violent felonies, and homicides are excluded. DCJS runs this process for all counties including Albany.
Albany Records Resources
- NYS Criminal History Record Search for statewide court records at $95
- WebCrims for free active case lookups
- eCourts Portal for broader court record searches
- DCJS Record Review for fingerprint-based history
- Sex Offender Registry for offender searches
- DOCCS Inmate Lookup for state prison records
- Committee on Open Government for FOIL help
Most criminal court records in Albany are public. New York's Freedom of Information Law, in Public Officers Law Article 6, gives a broad right to see government records. You do not need to be a party to the case. Sealed cases under CPL 160.50 and CPL 160.59 are off limits. Family Court and juvenile records are also confidential. If a records request gets denied, the Committee on Open Government can help.
The City of Albany provides criminal records access through Albany City Court and Albany County offices.
Nearby Cities
Other cities near Albany with their own criminal records pages.