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Johnston, Rhode Island town records

In Johnston, deeds are recorded by the Town Clerk's Department; property values come from the Tax Assessor; court files are kept by the Johnston Probate Court.

Last checked against official sources on .

On this page
  1. Where to get each record
  2. Deeds and land records
  3. Property values, owners and tax bills
  4. Court records: which clerk keeps which case
  5. Marriage records
  6. Divorce records
  7. Birth certificates
  8. Death certificates
  9. Probate records and wills
  10. Business names (DBA)
  11. Voter records
  12. Historical records
  13. Good to know about Johnston records
  14. Office addresses, phones and hours
  15. Records that are not online: public records requests
  16. Questions people ask
  17. Official copies vs look-alike sites
  18. Sources

Where to get each record

RecordOfficeSearch onlineFee
Deeds and land recordsTown Clerk's Department4Search deeds12Free search, fee for copies$1.50 per page at the recording office (state statute); online portal copies $4.00 per page3
Property values and ownersTax Assessor5Property search6Free search—
Property tax billsTax Collection7Tax bill search8—
Court casesJohnston Probate Court9Rhode Island Superior Court, Providence/Bristol County10—
Marriage recordsStatewide: City/town clerk (local registrar) where the license was issued11——
Divorce recordsRhode Island Family Court, Domestic Relations Clerk's Office (Providence/Bristol County), (401) 458-320012——
Birth certificatesJohnston Town Clerk: any RI birth 1960-present; pre-1960 only if born in Johnston or parents lived there13—Walk-in: $22 first copy, $18 each additional copy13
Death certificatesJohnston Town Clerk: any RI death 2022-present13—Walk-in: $22 first copy, $18 each additional copy13
Probate and willsJohnston Probate Court9——
Business names (DBA)Trade names (DBAs) are kept by the RI Department of State since the 2025 municipal transfer14——

Deeds and land records

Deeds, mortgages and other land documents for property in Johnston are recorded by the Town Clerk's Department (land evidence records, probate records, vital records).4

Online search
i2l.uslandrecords.com/…1Free search, fee for copies
Cost
Free search and watermarked preview; $4.00 per page to print/download/email documents (non-subscribers); search results print $1.50 per page2
Who runs it
Avenu Insights & Analytics (20/20 Perfect Vision Land Records I2, uslandrecords.com)2
Years online
Index January 1876-present; document images January 1955-present2
Copy fee
$1.50 per page at the recording office (state statute); online portal copies $4.00 per page3
Certified copy fee
$3.00 to certify plus $1.50 per page (state statute)3
Recording fee
Statewide statutory fees, e.g. warranty or quitclaim deed $80; mortgage $60; plus $1 per additional page15
How to order
Search and print online (fee per page) or visit the Town Clerk's Department at Town Hall1

How deeds work in Rhode Island

Property values, owners and tax bills

The Tax Assessor sets property values5; Tax Collection (Tax Collector) bills and collects the tax7.

Property search
MapGeo GIS with Property Report Cards: johnstonri.mapgeo.io (free)6
Tax bill search
Online Tax Rolls (Quality Data Service): tax.riegov.com/…; search by owner name, account number, property location, plat/lot or DBA8
Parcel map (GIS)
johnstonri.mapgeo.io (MapGeo/Sanborn); assessor plat map PDFs AP 01-AP 65 at johnstonri.gov/1205/Plat-Maps16
Appealing a value
File the town's 'Application for Appeal of Property Tax' with the Tax Assessor (form on the Tax Assessor page); state law: within 90 days of the first tax payment due date5
Exemptions
Homestead certification, 65+/widowed 62+ exemption and veteran exemption forms on the Tax Assessor page5

How property tax works in Rhode Island

Court records: which clerk keeps which case

CourtCasesRecords kept byCase search
Rhode Island Superior Court, Providence/Bristol County (Licht Judicial Complex, 250 Benefit Street, Providence)Felonies; civil actions over $10,000 (concurrent with District Court for $5,000-$10,000); probate appeals17—publicportal.courts.ri.gov/PublicPortal Rhode Island Judiciary Public Portal (public remote access to the docket/register of actions; no fee stated on the Judiciary page)10
Rhode Island District Court, Third Division (Kent Judicial Complex, Warwick)Misdemeanors, small claims, civil up to $5,000 (to $10,000 concurrent), all evictions17— Same statewide Judiciary Public Portal18
Rhode Island Family Court (Providence/Bristol County, Garrahy Judicial Complex, 1 Dorrance Plaza, Providence)Divorce, custody, child support, juvenile— Same statewide Judiciary Public Portal12
Johnston Municipal Court (1600 Atwood Avenue)Certain state moving traffic violations and local ordinance offenses (parking, zoning, housing code, animal control)——
Johnston Probate Court (municipal)Wills, estates, guardianshipsJohnston Probate Court (records at the Town Clerk's Department)—
Fees
Superior Court civil entry fee $160 by statute (statewide)19

Criminal records and background checks

Summary
No town-level criminal records; court dockets via the RI Judiciary Public Portal; criminal background checks via the RI Attorney General BCI10

How Rhode Island courts keep their files

Marriage records

Where Rhode Island keeps it: City/town clerk (local registrar) where the license was issued.11

Marriage license
Marriage licenses issued by the Johnston Town Clerk (page /1252/Marriage-Licenses)4
Certified copy
Town Clerk: walk-in $22 first copy, $18 each additional; for marriages in Johnston before 2022, or any RI marriage 2022-present13

Rhode Island marriage records, statewide

Divorce records

Rhode Island Family Court, Domestic Relations Clerk's Office (Providence/Bristol County), (401) 458-320012

Birth certificates

Johnston Town Clerk: any RI birth 1960-present; pre-1960 only if born in Johnston or parents lived there13

Fee
Walk-in: $22 first copy, $18 each additional copy13
Eligibility
Restricted to qualified persons (registrant, issue, parent/guardian, spouse, grandparent, sibling, attorneys, title examiners, genealogical society members, court order)13
ID required
Valid, non-expired government-issued photo ID13
Online
Online ordering through the town's Permitium portal: johnstonrivitals.permitium.com/rod (pickup or mail)13

Ordering a Rhode Island birth certificate

Death certificates

Johnston Town Clerk: any RI death 2022-present; pre-2022 only if the death occurred in Johnston or the decedent lived there13

Fee
Walk-in: $22 first copy, $18 each additional copy13

Ordering a Rhode Island death certificate

Probate records and wills

Johnston Probate Court; files, filings and scheduling at the Town Clerk's Department, Town Hall; hearings at 1600 Atwood Avenue9

Sessions
8:15 a.m., second and fourth Tuesday of each month9
Forms
Statewide probate forms from the RI Department of State, linked by the town20

Business names (DBA)

Trade names (DBAs) are kept by the RI Department of State since the 2025 municipal transfer; the Town Clerk still issues business licenses (liquor, entertainment, car dealers, etc.)14

Voter records

Johnston Board of Canvassers, Town Hall, 401-553-8856; statewide voter lookup at the RI Secretary of State Voter Information Center21

Historical records

Town Clerk keeps the land-records index back to 1876; older vital records 100+ years (births/marriages) and 50+ years (deaths) at the RI State Archives2

Good to know about Johnston records

  • Johnston's online land-records index reaches back to January 1876, with document images from January 19552
  • Probate Court files are handled at Town Hall, but hearings are held at the Municipal Court building on Atwood Avenue; mail sent to the courtroom address is delayed9
  • Although Johnston is in Providence County, its District Court cases go to the Third Division (Kent County, Warwick)18
  • Johnston Municipal Court was created by local ordinance in 196422

Office addresses, phones and hours

Town Clerk's Department (land evidence records, probate records, vital records)

Address
Johnston Town Hall, 1385 Hartford Avenue, Johnston, RI 029192
Phone
401-351-6618, option 54
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., excluding holidays (as stated on the land-records portal)2

Town Clerk's Department (Vital Records)

Address
Johnston Town Hall, 1385 Hartford Avenue, Johnston, RI 029192
Phone
401-351-6618, option 54
Hours
Town Hall: Monday-Thursday 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; Friday 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.; closed Saturday-Sunday5

Tax Assessor

Address
Johnston Town Hall, 1385 Hartford Avenue, Johnston, RI 029195
Phone
401-553-8825 (Tax Assessor); 401-351-6618 ext. 4 (department line in the town directory)5
Hours
Town Hall: Monday-Thursday 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; Friday 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.; closed Saturday-Sunday5

Tax Collection (Tax Collector)

Address
Johnston Town Hall, 1385 Hartford Avenue, Johnston, RI 029197
Phone
401-351-6618 ext. 27
Hours
Town Hall: Monday-Thursday 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; Friday 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.; closed Saturday-Sunday5

Johnston Probate Court (records at the Town Clerk's Department)

Address
Records and filings: Johnston Town Hall, 1385 Hartford Avenue, Johnston, RI 02919. Hearings: Johnston Municipal Court, 1600 Atwood Avenue, Johnston, RI 029199
Mail
Mail documents to Johnston Town Hall, 1385 Hartford Avenue (not the courtroom address)9
Phone
401-553-8833 (Probate Administrator)9
Hours
Town Hall: Monday-Thursday 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; Friday 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.; closed Saturday-Sunday5

Board of Canvassers

Address
Johnston Town Hall, 1385 Hartford Avenue, Johnston, RI 0291921
Hours
Town Hall: Monday-Thursday 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; Friday 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.; closed Saturday-Sunday5

GIS Assessor Maps (MapGeo) and Plat Maps

Records that are not online: public records requests

Where to send it
Town Clerk (designated public records officer), 1385 Hartford Avenue; 401-351-6618 option 56
Fees
$0.15 per page; $15 per hour search/retrieval after the first hour6

How to write a public records request

Questions people ask

How do I get a copy of a deed in Johnston?

The Town Clerk's Department (land evidence records, probate records, vital records) keeps deed records. To order copies: Search and print online (fee per page) or visit the Town Clerk's Department at Town Hall. Plain copies: $1.50 per page at the recording office (state statute); online portal copies $4.00 per page. Certified copies: $3.00 to certify plus $1.50 per page (state statute).413

Can I search Johnston land records online for free?

Yes, searching is free; copies cost extra. Free search and watermarked preview; $4.00 per page to print/download/email documents (non-subscribers); search results print $1.50 per page. The official search: i2l.uslandrecords.com/…21

Where do I get a divorce decree in Johnston?

Rhode Island Family Court, Domestic Relations Clerk's Office (Providence/Bristol County), (401) 458-3200.12

How do I look up who owns a property in Johnston?

Use the property search of the Tax Assessor: johnstonri.mapgeo.io6

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 Johnston office. How to tell an official record source from a paid look-alike.

Other towns and cities in Rhode Island with a full guide: Coventry, Cranston, Cumberland, East Providence, North Providence, Pawtucket, Providence, South Kingstown, Warwick, West Warwick, Woonsocket. Every town and city in the state: Rhode Island town and city list.

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. Land Evidence RecordsTown of Johnston
  2. Johnston RI Town Clerk Recorded Land Records SearchAvenu Insights & Analytics for Town of Johnston
  3. R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-13-9Rhode Island General Assembly
  4. Town ClerkTown of Johnston
  5. Tax AssessorTown of Johnston
  6. Access to Public Records (APRA)Town of Johnston
  7. Staff/Department DirectoryTown of Johnston
  8. Online Tax Rolls - Johnston, RIQuality Data Service for Town of Johnston
  9. Probate Court (Town Clerk section)Town of Johnston
  10. Case InformationRhode Island Judiciary
  11. Birth, Death & Marriage Records (Vital Records)Rhode Island Department of Health, Center for Vital Records
  12. Contact the CourtRhode Island Judiciary
  13. Vital Records- Birth, Marriage and Death CertificatesTown of Johnston
  14. Trade names: municipal transfer datesRhode Island Department of State
  15. R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-13-7Rhode Island General Assembly
  16. Town of Johnston MapGeo (GIS Assessor Maps)MapGeo/Sanborn for Town of Johnston
  17. District Court - aboutRhode Island Judiciary
  18. R.I. Gen. Laws § 8-8-2 District court divisionsRhode Island General Assembly
  19. R.I. Gen. Laws § 9-29-18Rhode Island General Assembly
  20. Probate Court (department page)Town of Johnston
  21. Board of CanvassersTown of Johnston
  22. Municipal CourtTown of Johnston
  23. County population totals: Vintage 2025 (July 1, 2025)US Census Bureau