Access New York County Residents Directory
New York County covers the Borough of Manhattan, the most densely populated county in the United States, with about 1.6 million residents. The New York County residents directory brings together public records from the County Clerk at 60 Centre Street, the Manhattan City Register, the NYC Department of Health, and various state databases. Manhattan's role as the center of New York City means its records systems are some of the busiest in the country. This page explains where each type of record is kept, how to search for it, and what fees or rules apply across the New York County residents directory.
New York County Overview
New York County Clerk's Office
The New York County Clerk's Office sits at 60 Centre Street, New York, NY 10007. The clerk serves as the Clerk of the Supreme Court for the 1st Judicial District. The office maintains indices of all civil cases filed in Supreme Court, along with the physical and electronic case files. Business certificates for DBA filings are processed here. Notary public registrations also go through this office, though renewals have shifted to the NYS Secretary of State per Executive Law Section 131(2).
One thing to know right away: deeds, mortgages, UCCs, and federal tax liens are NOT handled by the New York County Clerk. Those filings go to the Manhattan City Register, which operates under the NYC Department of Finance. Call the City Register at 212-361-7550 for property-related filings. The County Clerk handles court records and a few other categories, but real property is not one of them. This trips up a lot of people who assume the county clerk does everything.
| Office | New York County Clerk's Office |
|---|---|
| Address | 60 Centre Street New York, NY 10007 |
| City Register | 66 John Street, 13th Floor New York, NY 10038 |
| City Register Hours | Mon-Fri, 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM |
Naturalization records at the New York County Clerk go back to the 19th century. If you are doing genealogy research or need proof of a historical naturalization, this office has some of the oldest records in the state. Judgment dockets and lien records for Supreme Court and Civil Court matters are maintained here as well. All Supreme Court civil filings now go through NYSCEF, the electronic filing system.
Residents Directory Property Records
The Manhattan City Register Office is at 66 John Street, 13th Floor, New York, NY 10038. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. This is where you go for deeds, mortgages, and other property filings in New York County. The office also has a Tax Map Office on the 2nd floor of the Manhattan Business Center for map-related inquiries.
Online searches go through ACRIS, which covers Manhattan property records from 1966 to the present. You can search by address, party name, document type, or Borough-Block-Lot number. Records before 1966 require an in-person visit. Certified copies cost $4 per page through ACRIS. Copies at the office run $1 per page. Anything you view and print from home through ACRIS costs nothing. The system is available around the clock and does not need an account to search, though you do need one to order certified copies online.
UCC Financing Statements for Manhattan co-ops are filed through ACRIS. Payments go to "NYC Department of Finance" by check, or you can pay by credit card. Real Property Transfer Tax forms (RP-5217) must accompany certain filings. The Tax Map Office can help with lot line questions and parcel identification.
Vital Records in the New York County Residents Directory
Birth and death certificates for Manhattan residents are issued by the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene at 125 Worth Street, New York, NY 10007. Call 212-788-4500. Birth records start from 1910. Death records go back to 1949. You can order by mail, online, or in person. Each method has its own fee schedule and turnaround time.
Marriage licenses come from the NYC City Clerk, not the County Clerk or the Health Department. The City Clerk can be reached at 212-669-8898. Under Domestic Relations Law Section 13, there is a 24-hour waiting period after a marriage license is issued before the ceremony can take place. A judge can waive this in certain cases. The Health Department also manages the Adoption Information Registry, which provides non-identifying details about birth parents to eligible adoptees. For vital records tied to events outside New York City, the NYS Department of Health is the right office.
How to Search the New York County Residents Directory
Court records for New York County are accessible through a few channels. The eCourts system lets you search Supreme Court civil cases by party name or index number online. Criminal cases appear through WebCriminal. Not all filings show up in the online system. For sealed records, full case files, or certified copies, contact the New York County Clerk's Office at 60 Centre Street. NYSCEF holds all electronically filed Supreme Court documents and is open to public searches.
FOIL requests for Manhattan agencies go through the NYC OpenRecords portal. The system handles requests to Manhattan Community Boards (CB1 through CB12), local NYPD precincts, city departments, and more. Under Public Officers Law Sections 84 through 90, agencies must respond within five business days. Electronic records are free. Paper copies run $0.25 per page. The state FOIL page explains the law in plain language if you want to understand your rights before submitting.
The NYC Department of Records and Information Services, known as DORIS, maintains the Municipal Archives. These archives hold records dating to 1645, covering the Dutch colonial period forward. If you are looking for historical records tied to Manhattan, the Municipal Archives may have documents that do not exist anywhere else. Collections include early court records, maps, photographs, and city government files from centuries past.
State Resources for the Residents Directory
The Sex Offender Registry from the Division of Criminal Justice Services is searchable by name, county, or zip code. Level 2 and Level 3 offenders are listed publicly. Level 1 offenders can be checked by calling 800-262-3257 with a name and one piece of identifying info. NY-ALERT sends notifications if a listed offender moves into or out of your area.
The voter registration lookup from the State Board of Elections lets New York County residents verify their registration and find their polling place. Election Law Section 3-103(5) restricts voter data to election-related use. The Open Data portal provides datasets on health, education, transportation, and public safety. Many include Manhattan-specific breakdowns. The New York State Archives preserves historical documents from the colonial era through the present. Military service records, census materials, and government correspondence can all be found there.
Correction Law Section 9 governs the Department of Corrections database. Records for certain non-violent offenders are removed five years after they complete their sentences. The inmate lookup tool covers all 44 state facilities and can be accessed online at no cost.
Business Records in the New York County Residents Directory
Business certificates, commonly called DBA filings, are filed with the New York County Clerk. If you are doing business under an assumed name in Manhattan, you must file a certificate of assumed name. The clerk keeps these on record and they are searchable by the public. General Business Law Section 130 requires this filing for individuals and partnerships operating under a name other than their own.
For LLCs and corporations, formation documents go through the NYS Department of State, Division of Corporations. The county clerk does not handle those. However, if an LLC or corporation also uses a DBA, the county clerk filing is still required. Searches for state-level business filings can be done through the Department of State's online entity search tool. These records are part of the broader New York County residents directory for anyone researching businesses operating in Manhattan.
Cities in New York County
New York County and the Borough of Manhattan are one and the same. There are no separate municipalities within the county. All records for Manhattan residents flow through the offices described above. For information covering all five boroughs, see the New York City page.
Nearby Counties
These counties border New York County or sit close by in the metro area. Each has a different clerk and a different set of offices handling public records.