Not a government site. We do not sell records or host personal data. About us

County Records Guide
Menu

Rhode Island court records

Who holds it: Unified, state-run Rhode Island Judiciary: Supreme, Superior, Family, District and Workers' Compensation Courts and the Traffic Tribunal (no county-run courts). Probate courts are municipal.1

Last checked against official sources on .

On this page
  1. Fees
  2. What is public and what is sealed
  3. More details
  4. Related records in Rhode Island
  5. How Rhode Island handles it
  6. Court records in Rhode Island towns with a full guide
  7. Official copies vs look-alike sites
  8. Sources

Statewide case search

Rhode Island Judiciary Public Portal (publicportal.courts.ri.gov/PublicPortal): free remote docket/register-of-actions search; documents viewable only at courthouse terminals1

Free search

Fees

Fees
Superior Court civil entry fee $160 by statute (§ 9-29-18); the Superior Court FAQ states a total filing fee of $180.75 for a TRO or a restitution case; writ of execution $50; citation $25. Family Court $120 per petition/complaint (§ 9-29-19).2

What is public and what is sealed

What is public
All public electronic case information at courthouse terminals; sealed cases and confidential case types excluded1
Sealed and confidential records
Expungement (R.I. Gen. Laws ch. 12-1.3) seals a first-offender conviction record; no court fee for expungement3

More details

Records center
Older case files are at the Judicial Records Center, Pawtucket (archival records 1671-1900 and naturalizations); current files stay with each court clerk4
Criminal history checks: state repository
Office of the Attorney General, Bureau of Criminal Identification (BCI), Customer Service Center, 4 Howard Avenue, Cranston5
Criminal history checks: fee
$5 state background check5
Criminal history checks: who may order
Your own record; third parties only with your signed, notarized release5
Divorce records: who holds it
Rhode Island Family Court, Domestic Relations Clerk's Office6
Probate: who holds it
Municipal probate court of each city/town (records requested from the city or town clerk); appeals go to Superior Court7

How Rhode Island handles it

  • Cities and towns, not counties. No county government records offices: land records, vital records copies, probate and property tax are handled by the 39 cities and towns; courts and corrections are state-run.8
  • Municipal probate courts. Probate courts are municipal (one per city/town); probate records come from the city/town clerk; appeals to Superior Court.7
  • Trade names centralized at the Department of State. Trade names (DBAs) moved from city/town clerks to the RI Department of State before January 1, 2026.9

Court records in Rhode Island towns with a full guide

The local office, its official online search and its own fee, for each town with a full guide. Local fees can differ from the statewide figures above.

TownOfficeSearch onlineFee
Coventry—Rhode Island Superior Court, Kent County10
Rhode Island Family Court (Noel Judicial Complex, Warwick) - divorce and domestic relations10
Rhode Island District Court, 3rd Division10		—
Cranston—Rhode Island Superior Court, Providence/Bristol County11
Rhode Island District Court, Third Division11
Rhode Island Family Court, Providence/Bristol County11		—
Cumberland—Rhode Island Superior Court, Providence/Bristol County12
Rhode Island Family Court (Garrahy Judicial Complex, Providence) - divorce and domestic relations12
Rhode Island District Court, 6th Division12		—
East Providence—Superior Court (Providence/Bristol County), Licht Judicial Complex, 250 Benefit Street, Providence, RI 0290313—
Johnston—Rhode Island Superior Court, Providence/Bristol County14—
North Providence—Rhode Island Superior Court - Providence/Bristol County15
Rhode Island District Court - Third Division15
Rhode Island Family Court - Providence/Bristol County15		—
Pawtucket—Superior Court (Providence/Bristol County), Licht Judicial Complex, 250 Benefit Street, Providence, RI 0290316—
Providence—Rhode Island Superior Court, Providence/Bristol County17
Rhode Island District Court17
Rhode Island Family Court17		—
Providence County—Superior Court, Providence/Bristol County18
Family Court; District Court18		—
South Kingstown—Rhode Island Superior Court - Washington County19
Rhode Island District Court - Fourth Division19
Rhode Island Family Court - McGrath Judicial Complex19		—
Warwick—Kent County Superior Court, Philip W. Noel Judicial Complex, 222 Quaker Lane, Warwick, RI 0288620—
Washington County—Rhode Island Superior Court - Washington County21
Rhode Island District Court - 4th Division21
Rhode Island Family Court - McGrath Judicial Complex21		—
West Warwick—Rhode Island Superior Court - Kent County22
Rhode Island District Court - Third Division22
Rhode Island Family Court - Noel Judicial Complex22		—
Woonsocket—Rhode Island Superior Court, Providence/Bristol County23
Rhode Island Family Court (Garrahy Judicial Complex, Providence) - divorce and domestic relations23
Rhode Island District Court, 6th Division23		—

For any other town, see the town list on the Rhode Island guide.

Official copies vs look-alike sites

A certified copy comes only from the office that holds the record; reports and "research copies" sold by commercial sites are not issued by any Rhode Island office. How to tell an official record source from a paid look-alike.

Rules in other states: court records in every state. Everything else in Rhode Island: Rhode Island public records guide.

Sources

Every fact above links to the official page it comes from; all 23 sources were checked on November 4, 2026. Fees and rules change, so check the office's own page before you pay or travel.

  1. Access to Case InformationRhode Island Judiciary
  2. R.I. Gen. Laws § 9-29-18 Superior court feesRhode Island General Assembly (State of Rhode Island General Laws)
  3. Superior Court Frequently Asked QuestionsRhode Island Judiciary
  4. Judicial Records CenterRhode Island Judiciary
  5. Get a Background CheckRhode Island Office of the Attorney General
  6. About the Family CourtRhode Island Judiciary
  7. Judicial Records Center - List of RecordsRhode Island Judiciary
  8. Recorder of DeedsCity of Providence
  9. Trade Names - Municipal Transfer DatesRhode Island Department of State
  10. Case Information (public access to electronic case information)Rhode Island Judiciary
  11. Access to Case InformationRhode Island Judiciary
  12. Case Information (public access to electronic case information)Rhode Island Judiciary
  13. Case Information (Public Access to Electronic Case Information)Rhode Island Judiciary
  14. Case InformationRhode Island Judiciary
  15. Access to Case InformationRhode Island Judiciary
  16. Case Information (Public Access to Electronic Case Information)Rhode Island Judiciary
  17. Access to Case InformationRhode Island Judiciary
  18. Case InformationRhode Island Judiciary
  19. Access to Case InformationRhode Island Judiciary
  20. Case Information (Public Access to Electronic Case Information)Rhode Island Judiciary
  21. Access to Case InformationRhode Island Judiciary
  22. Access to Case InformationRhode Island Judiciary
  23. Case Information (public access to electronic case information)Rhode Island Judiciary