Queens County People Search

Queens County is the largest borough in New York City by land area and one of the most diverse places in the world. A people search here pulls from court case files, property records, and vital records held by the Queens County Clerk and other city and state offices. You can look up names through free online tools or go in person to the clerk's office in Jamaica. The county holds millions of filed documents that date back decades. This page walks you through each source so you know where to start your search and what to expect at each step.

Queens County Clerk Records

The Queens County Clerk is the main office for court and property filings in the borough. Audrey I. Pheffer serves as the current clerk. The office sits at 88-11 Sutphin Blvd., Jamaica, NY 11435. Hours run Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM and then 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM. The main phone line is (718) 298-0600. For the Records Search Department, call (718) 298-0609. You can also reach them by email at queenscountyclerk@nycourts.gov.

The clerk handles Supreme Court case filings and a range of civil records. You can search for cases by index number, party name, attorney, justice, or through a document search. Most Supreme Court matters get filed through NYSCEF, the state's electronic filing system. That means you can view many case documents online without a trip to the courthouse. Just go to the New York State Courts site and use the guest search to pull up filings. This works well for a quick Queens County people search when you know a name or case number.

Copy fees are 65 cents per page with a $1.50 minimum charge. A search fee costs $10 for a two-year search period. All detailed search requests must be made in writing. Walk-in visits go to Room 106 at the Sutphin Blvd. location. The office does not process certified criminal records as of June 8, 2021, so you will need to use other channels for that type of search.

People Search Through Queens Court Records

Queens has several courts that each keep their own set of case files. These are all public records and anyone can look them up.

Queens Criminal Court is at 125-01 Queens Blvd, Kew Gardens, NY 11415. The phone number is (718) 298-0888. This court handles misdemeanors and lesser offenses that take place in the borough. You can get to it by taking the E or F train to the Union Turnpike station. The WebCrims portal lets you search criminal case info and court calendars online. It shows case status, charges, next court date, and other basic details. This is a free tool and you do not need an account to use it.

Queens Family Court sits at 151-20 Jamaica Ave, Jamaica, NY 11432. It handles custody cases, child support, paternity, and other family law matters. Family Court records have some access limits due to privacy rules. You can still search for basic case info if you have a case number or the names of the parties. Some files may need a court order before the clerk will release them.

For civil cases in Queens Supreme Court, the NYSCEF system holds most of the filed documents. You can search these records from any computer. The system covers new filings as well as older cases that have been scanned in. A people search through these court records can turn up lawsuits, judgments, liens, and other legal actions tied to a person's name.

The New York State Sex Offender Registry is a free public tool that lets you search by name, county, or zip code. Queens residents can use it to check if a registered offender lives near them.

Queens Property Records People Search

ACRIS is one of the best tools for a Queens County people search through property records. It stands for Automated City Register Information System. The database covers Queens property filings from 1966 to the present day. You can use it for free.

Go to the ACRIS portal to search by name, address, or block and lot number. The system shows deeds, mortgages, liens, satisfactions, and other documents tied to real property in Queens. Each record lists the parties involved, the date of filing, and the document type. You can view and print most documents right from the site. This makes it a strong tool for finding out if someone owns property in Queens or has been part of a real estate deal here.

The screenshot above shows the ACRIS search portal where you can look up Queens property records by owner name, address, or parcel info.

For older records not in ACRIS, you may need to visit the Queens County Clerk's office. Staff can help you pull documents from the archives. Bring as much detail as you can about the property or person you are looking for.

Vital Records for Queens People Search

Queens is part of New York City, so vital records work a bit differently here than in the rest of the state. The NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene handles birth and death certificates for all five boroughs. The state office does not cover NYC for these records.

Birth certificates cost $15 plus processing fees from the city. You can order them online, by mail, or at the office at 125 Worth Street in Manhattan. Death certificates follow the same process and price. Marriage records from 1950 onward are held by the NYC City Clerk's office. For older marriage records or for records from before 1949, you can check the NYC Municipal Archives at 31 Chambers Street. The archives also hold historical birth and death records that go back to 1760 in some cases.

The New York State Department of Health handles vital records for areas outside New York City. If someone was born or died upstate, you would go through the state office in Menands instead. Processing takes 8 to 10 weeks by mail from the state office.

The NYS Department of Health Vital Records portal is used for records outside New York City. Queens residents use the NYC Department of Health for local vital records instead.

Note: Birth records in New York are restricted and only available to the person named, a parent, or someone with a court order.

Other Queens County Search Tools

Several state databases can help with a people search in Queens County beyond court and property records.

The New York State Education Department runs a license verification tool. You can check if someone holds a professional license in fields like medicine, nursing, engineering, or real estate. The search is free. Just type in a name and pick the profession type. It shows license status, issue date, and any disciplinary actions. This is a good way to verify credentials for someone in Queens who claims to hold a state license.

Voter registration records are also public in New York. The New York State voter portal lets you check your own registration status. For broader voter file searches, you would need to contact the Queens County Board of Elections. They can provide voter roll data for valid purposes. The board keeps name, address, party affiliation, and voting history on file for each registered voter in the borough.

• eCourts portal for case lookups across all New York courts
• ACRIS for Queens property records from 1966 to now
• WebCrims for criminal court calendars and case status
• NYSCEF for Supreme Court electronic filings
• NYS Sex Offender Registry for offender searches by county

Each of these tools is free to use. None of them need a paid account. You can run a basic Queens County people search from home using just these resources.

In-Person Queens People Search

Sometimes an online search is not enough. You may need to visit the clerk's office in person to get certain records or to search for older files that have not been scanned into a database yet.

The Queens County Clerk's office at 88-11 Sutphin Blvd. in Jamaica is the main place for in-person record searches. Go to Room 106 for general inquiries and record lookups. The staff can help you search by name or case number. Bring a valid ID and be ready to fill out a written request form. The office charges 65 cents per page for copies. A two-year search costs $10. The office closes from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM for lunch, so plan your visit for the morning or the later afternoon slot. The closest subway stop is Sutphin Blvd on the E, J, or Z lines.

For criminal court records, head to 125-01 Queens Blvd in Kew Gardens. The clerk's window there can help with case lookups and document requests. Family Court is at 151-20 Jamaica Ave. Call ahead to make sure the records you need are available for pickup or viewing that day.

Note: Detailed search requests must be submitted in writing to the Queens County Clerk's Records Search Department.

Queens County Record Fees

Fees at the Queens County Clerk's office are set by state law. Most are standard across all New York counties.

A basic copy costs 65 cents per page. The minimum charge for any copy job is $1.50. Certified copies of court documents run $5 for the first four pages and $1.25 for each page after that. The two-year search fee is $10. If you need a longer search window, costs go up from there. The clerk's office takes cash, money orders, and credit cards. Personal checks are not always accepted so call ahead if that is your only option.

• Copy fee: 65 cents per page, $1.50 minimum
• Search fee: $10 for a two-year search
• Certified copy: $5 for the first four pages
• ACRIS property search: free online

Processing times vary. Walk-in requests for simple copies can be done the same day. Mail requests take longer, sometimes a few weeks depending on the volume of requests the office has. NYSCEF and ACRIS searches are instant since they are online tools.

Cities and Nearby Counties

Queens is one of the five boroughs of New York City. If you are searching for someone who may have ties to multiple boroughs, you can check records in the neighboring counties as well. Each borough in NYC is also its own county.

City in Queens County

Nearby Counties

Kings County covers Brooklyn, which borders Queens to the west. Nassau County sits to the east on Long Island. New York County is Manhattan, just across the East River. The Bronx is the northernmost borough. A people search in one of these areas may turn up records that connect to someone in Queens, especially for property deals or court cases that cross county lines.