Rockland County
Rockland County is situated on the Hudson River's west and shares the southernmost regions of the State of New York with Richmond County. It is the state's third-most populous county, with a population of more than 340,000 people. New City is both its county seat and largest municipality.
The trial court system of Rockland County encompasses several courts, including a supreme court, a county court, a family court, a surrogate's court, and town and village courts. The Rockland County Supreme Court, which has the highest jurisdiction in the county, also has unlimited original authority to hear all civil and criminal cases. Typical Superior Court cases include felonies, misdemeanors, lesser-included crimes, civil claims for amounts in dispute below $25,000, and other civil cases outside lower courts' jurisdictions. The Family Court exercises exclusive jurisdiction over cases relating to families and minors, including juvenile delinquency, child protective matters, adoptions, and child custody.
The Rockland County Surrogate's Court handles probate matters, including wills, trusts, and estate administrations. It also shares concurrent jurisdiction with the Family Court over guardianship and adoption cases. The Town and Village Courts in Rockland County, or Justice Courts, have limited jurisdiction over misdemeanors, landlord-tenant matters, vehicle/traffic infractions, civil claims up to $3,000, and municipal code offenses.
Rockland County court records detail all the activities that occur during civil and criminal case trials, including other case proceedings in the county. These records provide a rich resource for conducting legal research and analysis and generally contain information such as case party names and other personal details, motions and pleadings, notices and summons, and court orders and judgments. Rockland County court records include the following examples:
- Family Law records
- Civil records
- Criminal records
- Probate records
The Rockland County Clerk's Office oversees court records management and administration and processes non-exempt court record requests. Per the State's Freedom of Information Law (FOIL), court records are open to public disclosure. Record seekers can view court records online at no cost or opt to obtain court document copies after paying the applicable fees by visiting the courthouses where their cases were heard. Requesters can also access older court records for cases filed more than six years ago online or at the Rockland County Archives Building situated at:
50 Sanatorium Road
Building S
Pomona, NY 10970
Phone: (845) 364-3670
