Search New York City Booking Reports

New York City booking reports come from arrests across all five boroughs. The NYC Department of Correction runs the jail system where booking records are stored. The NYPD makes the arrests, and the DOC handles intake and holding. You can search for booking reports through the city's online inmate lookup tool, by filing a FOIL request with the NYPD, or by calling the DOC Information Center at (718) 546-1500. NYC has its own system separate from the rest of New York State because the city operates its own jails on Rikers Island and at borough facilities. Finding a booking report starts with knowing which borough the arrest happened in.

NYC Booking Reports and Inmate Lookup

The NYC Department of Correction provides an Incarcerated Person Lookup Service online. The tool is at https://a073-ils-web.nyc.gov/inmatelookup/pages/home/home.jsf and runs 24 hours a day. Search by first and last name, NYSID number, or book and case number. Results show the current location of the person, basic case info, charges, scheduled release date, and court details.

There is a 72-hour rule. If someone was arrested within the last 72 hours, they may still be in police custody and will not show up in the DOC lookup. The DOC system only covers people who have been transferred from police holding to the city jail system. It does not include people in state custody, federal custody, or anyone released more than 30 days ago.

Each borough has a court code in the system. Manhattan is NY. Brooklyn is KN. Queens is QN. The Bronx is BX. Staten Island is RI. Common charge abbreviations include POSS for possession, SUBST for substance, CCW for court warrant, and OJCW for other jurisdiction warrant. VTL codes cover traffic violations. Knowing these codes helps when you are reading through booking report details in the lookup tool.

New York City Booking Reports Through FOIL

The NYPD handles FOIL requests for arrest records and booking reports. Send your request to FOIL@NYPD.ORG or use the NYC OpenRecords portal. The NYPD has records going back to 1930. To request arrest records, you need the complete arrest number, the person's name, date of birth, NYSID, and the date and precinct of arrest. For incident reports, provide the report type, identifying number, date, precinct, and location.

The NYPD must acknowledge your FOIL request within five business days under Public Officers Law Sections 84 through 90. Complex requests take longer. If denied, you can appeal in writing within 30 days to the Records Access Appeals Officer. Body-worn camera footage is handled separately through the Legal Bureau's Document Production Unit. The Committee on Open Government provides guidance on FOIL rights across all city agencies.

Standard copy fees are $0.25 per page. You can inspect records in person at no charge. Some records may be redacted or withheld if they would interfere with an investigation, reveal confidential sources, or endanger someone. Sealed records under CPL 160.50 and juvenile data are not released. The Personal Privacy Protection Law also limits what can be disclosed if it would cause an unwarranted invasion of privacy.

Booking Reports Across NYC Boroughs

New York City spans five boroughs, each with its own county. Manhattan is New York County. Brooklyn is Kings County. Queens is Queens County. The Bronx is Bronx County. Staten Island is Richmond County. All five share the same DOC jail system and NYPD police force. When someone gets arrested in any borough, the booking report goes into the city system rather than a county sheriff's office.

This is different from the rest of New York State. Outside of NYC, each county runs its own jail through the Sheriff's Office. Inside the city, the DOC manages all detention facilities. The NYPD is the arresting agency across all boroughs. Court records are handled by the NYC court system, with each borough having its own criminal court. The Unified Court System connects all of them. WebCrims data for NYC boroughs goes back to 1986.

NYC Booking Reports and State Resources

The OCA Criminal History Record Search covers all five NYC boroughs along with the other 57 New York counties. It costs $95 per name. Results include open cases and convictions from all court levels. Sealed records do not appear. The DOCCS Incarcerated Lookup covers state prisons only. If someone from NYC got sentenced to state time, they will show up in that database.

The VINELink system is free and works 24 hours a day. You can search for inmates across all NYC facilities and the rest of the state. Register for alerts when an inmate's status changes. The Sex Offender Registry is separate. Level 2 and 3 offenders are listed online. Call 800-262-3257 for Level 1 offender checks.

DCJS criminal history records are fingerprint-based and not public. NYC residents who want their own rap sheet can contact DCJS at 518-457-9847 or email RecordReview@dcjs.ny.gov. New York's Clean Slate Act took effect November 16, 2024, and will automatically seal certain conviction records over the next three years. Sex crimes and non-drug Class A felonies are excluded.

NYC Booking Reports Resources

The NYC Inmate Lookup System lets you search for anyone currently held in the city's jail facilities across all five boroughs by name or case number.

This online tool runs 24 hours a day and shows current location, charges, and scheduled release dates for people in DOC custody.

The DOCCS Incarcerated Lookup is a statewide tool that covers people who have moved from the NYC jail system to state prison after sentencing.

Search by last name or birth year to find anyone in the state prison system dating back to the early 1970s.

NYC Booking Reports by Borough

New York City covers five counties. Each borough has its own court system, but they all share the DOC jail system and NYPD.

Nearby Cities With Booking Reports

Cities just outside NYC with their own booking report systems.