Viewing Files and Requesting Certified or Authenticated Copies of Documents

Q. How much do copies of documents cost and how do I obtain copies?

A. Certified copies of documents are $5 minimum plus $1.25 for all pages over four up to a maximum of $40 per document. To obtain certified copies, you must mail in or drop off a written request, payment (check or money order payable to the Suffolk County Clerk) and a post-paid return envelope to Suffolk County Clerk, Attn: Court Actions, 310 Center Drive, Riverhead, NY 11901. If you do not know the number of pages, you can leave the amount of the check blank and write int the memo section “not to exceed X” with X being a sizeable overestimate. County Clerk staff will write in the amount once we determine the number of pages. If the request is for a certified copy of an order which is being filed in another department of the County Clerk’s Office, there is no fee for the certified copy. The post-paid envelope must contain sufficient postage to enable the document to be delivered by the carrier chosen. If unsure, purchase extra postage to ensure delivery. You may also go in-person to the Court Actions Department at 300 Center Drive, Riverhead, New York 11901 to pick up a certified copy.

Requests for copies of entire files will not be granted. You must view files in-person and make copies for yourself at the self-service copiers or with your own hand-held scanning device or smartphone.  If you are unable to come to the Riverhead location, many attorney and court services frequent the County Clerk’s Office on a daily basis and can make copies as necessary.

Q. How do I obtain an authentication of a Birth, Death or Marriage Certificate for an Apostille?

A. The raised seal certificate from the Town or Village issuing the certificate must be provided to the Suffolk County Clerk to certify that the Town or Village Clerk or Registrar was authorized to do so at the time of the issuance of the certificate. The cost is $5 per authentication payable by check or money order to the Suffolk County Clerk and it must be submitted to the Court Actions Department. Mail the original document, a post-paid return envelope and the fee to the Suffolk County Clerk at Attn: Court Actions, 310 Center Drive, Riverhead, New York 11901. You may also bring the certificate to the County Clerk’s Office in-person at 300 Center Drive, Riverhead, New York.  PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT THE BIRTH, DEATH OR MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE ISSUED BY THE LOCAL REGISTRAR IS NOT TO BE NOTARIZED.  THIS REQUIREMENT ON THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE WEBSITE IS ERRONEOUS.

Any authentication of a notarization by a Notary Public qualified in Suffolk County must be submitted to the Business Certificates/Notary Department and the cost is $3 per authentication payable by separate check or money order to the Suffolk County Clerk. Mail the original document, a post-paid return envelope and fee to the Suffolk County Clerk at Attn: Notary, 310 Center Drive, Riverhead, New York 11901. It may also be done in-person.

Once authenticated by the County Clerk’s staff, you must then submit the authenticated documents to the New York State Department of State to obtain the apostille. Please see the following website for more information here.

Q. How long is the turnaround time on my requested documents?

A. When submitted by regular mail, the turnaround time for a document request is usually 1 week. Please take into consideration that the year of the case, requests for archived records and where you live could add time onto your request. For example, sending in state and sending from another state takes time. If it has been more than 4 weeks since you sent your request, please e-mail courtactions@suffolkcountyny.gov to obtain a status. If you need the documents more quickly, please send via expedited delivery by the carrier of your choosing with tracking so that you may track the documents and provide a post-paid envelope intended for expedited delivery with tracking.

Q. How do I see what documents have been filed in my case?

A. You may search the Suffolk County Clerk’s minutes index online to determine what documents have been filed and when they were filed with the County Clerk for cases filed since April, 1984. The search tool can be accessed via the webpage here. (Make sure you allow pop-ups) After agreeing to the Terms of Use, scroll down to the “Court Minutes Index No.” field and check the box. The index number must be input with the two-digit year followed by a space and then a five or six-digit index number “YY ######” (leading zeroes are necessary if there are less than the minimum five digits in the index number) when searching the Court Minutes. An example would be “20 00123”. You can also search by party name. If searching by name, you must search using a last name, first name format.  Using the “%”, the wild card character, to expand the search if the full name is unknown or the spelling is uncertain.

Unfortunately, you would be unable to view or print the documents from the minutes. If the case was filed electronically or was converted to electronic filing, you MUST search the NYSCEF system to see all of the documents filed electronically. Viewing each document, filed in PDF format, requires that you have an application on your computer to allow the viewing of electronic documents in that format. You may search and print documents via the NYSCEF system through the webpage here. The index number format in NYSCEF is NNNNNN/YYYY. For example "123456/2020" or “001234/2020”.

Q. What if my case was filed prior to April 1984?

A. Cases filed before April, 1984 require that you come to the County Clerk’s Office in Riverhead to search the index books. If you do not know the index number and live outside of Suffolk County or are unable to go to the County Clerk’s office, a $5 search fee for every two-year period or part thereof must be paid for the County Clerk staff to locate your case. That fee must be paid in advance of any search being performed. A written request must include the names of the party’s, which party was the Plaintiff and the period of time the case was believed to have been started. The request and the fee (check or money order payable to the Suffolk County Clerk) and a post-paid return envelope are to be sent to Suffolk County Clerk at Attn: Court Actions, 310 Center Drive, Riverhead, NY 11901.

If you have any additional questions, please email the County Clerk at courtactions@suffolkcountyny.gov.