Westchester County People Search Records
Westchester County holds a wide range of public records that can help you find people and check their background. The County Clerk's office in White Plains keeps deeds, mortgages, judgments, liens, and business certificates going back centuries. Court records for civil cases date to 1980 and criminal cases go back to 1978. You can visit the clerk's office in person or search some records from home using the county's online tools. A Westchester County people search may also pull results from state-level databases for court cases, sex offenders, and professional licenses held by people who live or work in the area.
Westchester County at a Glance
Westchester County Clerk People Search
The Westchester County Clerk's office is your first stop for a people search in the county. The office is at 110 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd in White Plains, NY 10601. You enter the building through the Richard J. Daronco Courthouse at 111 Dr. MLK Jr. Blvd. Hours run from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday. Passport and licensing services close at 4:00 pm. The main phone line is (914) 995-3080 and the fax is (914) 995-4030. The clerk's office keeps a large set of records that are useful for finding people. Deeds, mortgages, judgments, liens, and business certificates are all on file here.
Copy fees are straightforward. Non-certified copies cost $1.30 for the first two pages and $0.65 for each page after that. A certified deed runs $5 for the first five pages with $1 for each page beyond that. If you send a request by mail, there is an extra $5 search fee on top of the copy costs. The Westchester County government website has more details on forms and filing procedures.
The clerk's office also processes passport applications, business certificates, and notary commissions. These records can sometimes help with a people search when you need to confirm a person's legal name or business ties in Westchester County.
Note: Walk-in visitors can use free public viewing terminals at the clerk's office to look up land documents without paying any fees.
Westchester County Land Records Search
The Land Records Division is a key part of any people search in Westchester County. You can reach them at (914) 995-3094 or by email at CC-Land@WestchesterGov.com. This division handles all the recorded documents tied to real property in the county. That includes deeds, mortgages, assignments, satisfactions, and UCC filings. When you search by name, you can see every property transaction a person has been part of in Westchester.
The county government portal provides access to some of these records online. The screenshot below shows the type of government resources available for Westchester County record searches.
County government sites like this one list departments, services, and contact details that help you figure out which office holds the records you need for your search.
Westchester Records Online gives you access to thousands of recorded documents. Some go all the way back to the 18th century. You can search deeds, mortgages, and other land records from your computer. Property records tie a real name to a real address, which makes them one of the strongest tools for a people search. If someone owns or once owned property in Westchester County, there is a good chance their name shows up in these files.
Search Westchester County Court Records
Court records are a major source for any Westchester County people search. Civil case records go back to 1980. Criminal records start from 1978. The New York State Courts system runs the eCourts portal where you can look up cases by name, index number, or case type. It covers Supreme Court, County Court, and other trial-level courts across the state.
The clerk's office page below shows how county clerk websites organize court filing information, forms, and search tools for public use.
Clerk office sites list hours, phone numbers, and links to online case search tools that can help you track down records tied to a person in the county.
A name search on the court system can show lawsuits, judgments, liens, and other civil matters tied to a person. Criminal case lookups show charges, court dates, and dispositions. The Criminal History Record Search through the state court system costs $95 per search but gives a deeper look than the free tools. It pulls records from courts across all of New York, not just Westchester. That can help if the person you are looking for has a case in another county too.
Family Court records in Westchester are restricted. Custody, support, and juvenile cases are sealed from public view. Only parties to the case or their lawyers can access those files.
Vital Records for Westchester People Search
Vital records can confirm a person's full name, date of birth, and family connections. The New York State Department of Health handles birth, death, marriage, and divorce certificates for events that happened outside of New York City. Since Westchester County is not part of the city, the state office is where you go for these records.
The Westchester County Archives also hold historical vital records. The archives are at 2199 Saw Mill River Rd in Elmsford, NY 10523. You can call them at (914) 231-1500. They keep historical deeds, maps, vital records, and court records from the colonial era. The Reading Room is open by appointment only, so call ahead before you visit. Naturalization records are stored at the archives as well, with an online index you can search from home.
These older records are useful for genealogy searches and for tracing a person's family history in Westchester County. The archive collection spans hundreds of years, which means you can sometimes find records for ancestors going back to before the American Revolution.
Westchester People Search Using State Databases
Several state-run databases let you search for people who live or work in Westchester County. The New York State Sex Offender Registry is free. You can search by name, zip code, or county. Level 2 and Level 3 offenders show up online with photos, addresses, and conviction details. For Level 1 offenders, you need to call 800-262-3257 with the person's name plus an exact address, date of birth, or Social Security number.
The Office of the Professions through the New York State Education Department lets you verify professional licenses. Doctors, nurses, engineers, accountants, and over 50 other professions are covered. You can look up a person by name to see their license number, status, issue date, and any disciplinary actions. This is a useful tool if you want to check whether someone in Westchester actually holds the credentials they claim to have.
Land record searches through the county's online system can also confirm property ties in the area. The screenshot below shows the kind of land records portal that helps connect names to property transactions.
Online land record tools let you search by name or property address to find deeds, mortgages, and liens filed in the county.
- Court records through eCourts (civil from 1980, criminal from 1978)
- Property records through the County Clerk's land records system
- Sex offender registry by name, zip, or county
- Professional license lookup through NYSED
- Vital records through NYS Department of Health
- Historical records at the Westchester County Archives
How to Get Westchester County Records
You have three ways to get records from the Westchester County Clerk. In person is the fastest. Walk into the courthouse at 111 Dr. MLK Jr. Blvd in White Plains during business hours. Use the free public terminals to search land records and find what you need. Then pay at the counter for copies. The staff can help you locate specific files if you are not sure where to look.
Mail requests work too but take longer. Send a written request to the County Clerk at 110 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, White Plains, NY 10601. Include the $5 search fee plus the copy fees. Make checks payable to the Westchester County Clerk. Be as specific as you can about the records you want. Include full names, dates, and any reference numbers you have. Vague requests may get sent back or delayed.
Online access is growing. The county has been putting more records into digital formats over the years. Thousands of documents are now searchable from home. The archives division has also been digitizing older records and building online indexes. These efforts make a Westchester County people search much easier than it was even a few years ago.
Note: Passport and licensing windows close at 4:00 pm, thirty minutes before the rest of the clerk's office shuts down for the day.
Cities in Westchester County
Westchester County has several cities and towns with their own local resources. These city pages cover courthouse details, legal aid, and people search tools specific to each area.
Nearby Counties
If your people search extends beyond Westchester, check these neighboring county pages for records held in other parts of the region.