Rhode Island Court Records Search

Rhode Island Court Records & Case Lookup

In 2023, the Rhode Island judicial system effectively managed over 160,900 new cases. This figure includes more than 40,000 civil cases, 30,000 criminal cases, and 3,000 juvenile cases. In addition, an estimated 72,258 traffic cases were handled by the courts within the state.

Rhode Island courts keep detailed records of every case processed to uphold their commitment to accountability and transparency, Several options are available for accessing these court documents, making it easy for researchers, attorneys, and parties involved in a case to inspect and copy necessary information.

Unless exempt from public disclosure, court records are considered public and available upon request. Citizens can access Rhode Island court records online via the Rhode Island Judiciary Public Portal or in person at the courthouse where the case was filed. At the courthouse, requesters may view paper or electronic records.

Each court in Rhode Island has computer terminals for anyone who wishes to view electronic documents filed on the Rhode Island judiciary's case management system.

State of Rhode Island Court System

Rhode Island has a robust court system comprising the Supreme Court as the apex court for civil and criminal matters, Superior Courts, Family Courts, District Courts, Workers' Compensation Courts, and the Rhode Island Traffic Tribunals.

The Rhode Island Supreme Court has absolute appellate jurisdiction over questions of law and equity. It also oversees the state courts and performs a general advisory role to the state's legislative and executive branches of government. The Supreme Court consists of a Chief justice and four justices.

Typically, most cases begin and end at the trial courts in Rhode Island. However, in some situations, judgments at the trial courts can be appealed at the Supreme Court.

Rhode Island Trial Courts

Rhode Island operates a two-level trial court structure. This structure consists of one state general jurisdiction court, four state limited jurisdiction courts, and one county limited jurisdiction court. They include:

Superior Courts in Rhode Island

The Superior Courts in Rhode Island are the state trial courts of general jurisdiction. These courts are the forum for jury and non-jury trials of both civil and criminal matters in the state. They have original jurisdiction in all felony proceedings, in civil proceedings where the amount in dispute exceeds $10,000, and in equity matters. Rhode Island Superior Courts hear appeals from District Courts. They consist of 22 judges and five magistrates.

Family Courts in Rhode Island

The Family Courts in Rhode Island are courts of limited jurisdiction that handle domestic relations cases such as divorce, child support, child custody, and domestic abuse. They also process certain adult criminal complaints for a limited number of offenses such as failure of a parent to send a child to school or failure to pay child support.

Rhode Island family courts also handle non-emergency juvenile petitions filed in the state. The court consists of the family and women's service unit, the office of the court-appointed special advocate, the juvenile services department, the child support/reciprocal office, the domestic relations clerk office, and court recorders.

District Courts in Rhode Island

The District Courts in Rhode Island are courts of limited jurisdiction that handle civil matters in which the amount in controversy is less than $5,000. They also have concurrent jurisdiction with the Superior Court in civil matters where the damage claim is between $5,000 to $10,000.

District Courts in Rhode Island have original jurisdiction over all eviction actions and they handle administrative appeals for Traffic Tribunals, the Division of Motor Vehicles, and the Division of Taxation.

Workers Compensation Courts in Rhode Island

The Workers' Compensation Courts in Rhode Island have original jurisdiction over disputes between an injured employee and employer relating to workers' compensation. They conduct a pretrial conference within 21 days after someone files a petition. The pretrial is conducted to find a common ground between the parties. However, if the matter can not be resolved, the judge will issue a pretrial order that details what relief is being requested. If the parties are dissatisfied, the case will proceed to trial.

Traffic Tribunals in Rhode Island

The Traffic Tribunals in Rhode Island have original jurisdiction over civil traffic offenses in the state. They also handle certain Department of Environmental Management offenses.

Municipal Courts in Rhode Island

The Municipal Courts in Rhode Island have judicial authority over cases relating to violations of town ordinances. They also have jurisdiction over minor traffic offenses and cases involving zoning ordinances or local housing violations.

What are Specialty Courts in Rhode Island?

As part of its commitment to integrate support and treatment plans into the judicial process, Rhode Island has several Specialty Courts that offer specialized court services to certain persons. They generally serve as an alternative to incarceration in criminal matters through various specialty court programs. Specialty Courts in Rhode Island include:

• Veterans Treatment Courts
• Family Treatment Drug Courts
• Rhode Island Mental Health Treatment Courts

Rhode Island Court Records vs. Federal Court Records

Court records are official documents that contain information about legal proceedings. They generally include case filings, motions, rulings, judgments, and certain information about the parties involved. Both state and federal courts in Rhode Island keep records of the legal proceedings they handle. The major difference between Rhode Island court records and federal court records is the source of the record. While Rhode Island court records are created by the various courts under the state's judicial system, federal court records are created by the United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island.

Another difference between Rhode Island's court records and federal court records is the type of cases from which they are generated. While Rhode Island state court records are generated from most criminal cases, contract cases, probate matters, domestic relations matters, and tort cases, federal court records are generated from cases involving disputes between two or more states, bankruptcy, constitutionality of United States laws, and suits involving federal laws.

Rhode Island's state court records can be accessed from the court clerk's office in person, by mail, or online using the statewide public portal. Federal court records are available on the Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER). This database provides access to millions of cases from all federal districts, bankruptcy courts, and appellate courts in the country. Interested persons must first register on the database for free to access federal court records,

What Are Public and Non-Public Court Records in Rhode Island?

In Rhode Island, court records are generally open records. This means anyone can inspect and copy court records, provided the information in the record is not confidential or sealed. Certain Rhode Island court records are required by state law to be made confidential and exempt from public access. Some of these court records include but are not limited to juvenile records, child custody records, paternity case files, mental health records, and termination of parental rights records. Listed below are public court records by case type and their corresponding non-public court records:

How To Seal or Expunge Rhode Island Court Records

G.L. 1956 § 12-1-12 of Rhode Island's Rule of Criminal Procedure outlines the standard procedure for sealing a court record in the state.

According to the rule, Rhode Island court records can be sealed by a court if a case was dismissed according to the district court rule of criminal procedure 48(a).

In most cases, an individual must file a motion to seal a court record in the state. When a court record is sealed, it becomes exempt from public disclosure. However, expungement is a process that permanently removes entries from an adult's criminal history in the state.

While some offenses that resulted in conviction or regular community supervision may be eligible for sealing in Rhode Island, any individual who has ever been convicted of the following offenses does not qualify for a nondisclosure order:

• Capital murder
• Aggravated kidnapping
• Trafficking of persons
• Stalking
• Murder

How To Seal Court Records in Rhode Island

The sealing process in Rhode Island typically involves submitting a motion to seal form to the court that handled the case. Once the motion is submitted, the court will set a hearing date.

By law, the individual is required to notify the Department of the Attorney General and the police department that originally brought the charge against them about the hearing date at least 10 days before the hearing.

If the court, after hearing the relevant testimonies, grants the individual's request, an order to seal the records will be issued. The court clerk is expected to place the records under seal within 45 days after the motion has been granted.

How To Expunge Court Records in Rhode Island

Expungement is when an individual asks the court to delete a criminal record. The process involves filing a motion for expungement in the specific court where a conviction took place.

The forms for filing a motion for expungement with the Superior and District Court are available on the Rhode Island Judicial Branch website.

After filing the motion, the court will decide and communicate a hearing date to the individual. The individual is expected to inform the Department of the Attorney General and the police department involved in the case about the hearing date at least 10 days before the hearing.

Once the motion is granted, the individual can pay the applicable fees to complete the expungement process. If all conditions are met, the court will prepare three certified copies of the order granting expungement of the records.

How Do You Access State of Rhode Island Court Records

Most of Rhode Island's court records are available to the public except where exempted. Rhode Island Courts grant access to various court records, including information about legal proceedings and judgments. These courts maintain records of cases filed within their jurisdiction, which may be accessed online or in person.

Online Access to Rhode Island Court Records

The Rhode Island judicial branch maintains a statewide database for online access to case information. This database helps facilitate Rhode Island's online court records searches. Rhode Island's public portal allows users to view online court records either at the courthouse or remotely. The database displays records as docket sheets or registers of actions. The docket sheets in the portal list parties, case events, document filings, or other activities in a case in chronological order.

In-Person Access to State of Rhode Island Court Records

Most court records in Rhode Island allow in-person access to court records, especially for records that are not available online. To access court records in person, requesters must visit the office of the clerk of the specific court where the case was filed.

Each state court clerk's office has computer terminals allowing requesters to search electronic records in person. In addition, requesters can also search, inspect, and copy paper records at the clerk's office.

Generally, requesters are expected to have adequate information about the case to help facilitate the search.

How To Request Judicial Administrative Records

Rhode Island's administrative records are considered public records per the state's Access to Public Records Act. Certain judicial administrative records are generally available on the state's Judicial Branch website. However, interested persons can submit a request for specific judicial administrative records to Rhode Island's Supreme Court.

Interested persons must download, complete, and send a request to inspect/copy records form to the Judicial Branch via email or by mail to:

The time it takes to fulfill a request will vary based on its volume and complexity.

How To Access Older and Achieved Court Records in Rhode Island

Old and archived court records in Rhode Island are available at the Justice Records Center. Interested persons can view these records by visiting the center. While an appointment is not necessary before the visit, requesters are advised to confirm whether the record they wish to view is currently at the facility.

If the files have been transferred back to the courts, the researcher will be referred to the appropriate court. The Justice Records Center requires 24 hours' notice to order records that are not in the facility.

Requesters must provide the Justice Records Center staff with case numbers to facilitate the record search. Case numbers are available from the court in which the case was filed.