State Court

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The New York State Court System hears cases on a variety of legal matters.

Court	Case Types
Civil Court	Disputes between private individuals or corporations when the amount of the claim is up to $25,000
Criminal Court	Criminal cases and summonses, arraignments, felonies, and misdemeanor charges
Family Court	Custody, visitation, and guardianship of children and Orders of Protection
Housing Court	Disputes between landlords and tenants, including eviction
Small Claims Court	Disputes between private individuals or corporations when the amount of the claim is up to $10,000
Surrogate Court	Wills, estates, the property of people who have died, adoptions, and guardianship

Other services provided by State Court include:

Estate Administration for estates of people who die without a will
Divorce and Separation proceedings

Please note that:

The City of New York’s Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings (OATH) is not in the State’s court system. It is a separate administrative legal court that hears cases on City-Issued Summonses for quality of life laws, health codes, or other rules.
The federal government has its own court system, including Bankruptcy Court.

You can get help with questions about the State's court system in general and court-related matters.

Online

Get court information.

Learn more about different courts.

By Phone

Agency: New York Courts
Phone Number: (800) 268-7869
Business Hours: Monday - Friday: 9 AM - 5 PM
Automated assistance is also available in Cantonese, Mandarin, and Spanish.

You can file a complaint about State Court employees and the maintenance of court facilities. For complaints about judges, visit the Judge Complaint page instead.

You can also submit suggestions and comments.

Online

Make a complaint or give feedback.

By Phone

Agency: New York Courts
Phone Number: (800) 268-7869
Business Hours: Monday - Friday: 9 AM - 5 PM
Automated assistance is also available in Cantonese, Mandarin, and Spanish.

Snow or Ice on Sidewalks

You can report snow or ice on a sidewalk in front of a courthouse.

If there is an emergency or a condition that needs immediate attention, you can speak to the chief clerk or the court officer of that court.

If the situation is not an emergency, you can file a complaint on the NY Courts website.

Judges are either appointed or elected. The Association of the Bar of the City of New York provides information on becoming a judge.

Visit the New York City Bar's website.

Courts are closed on the following holidays in 2025:

Date	Holiday
Wednesday, January 1	New Year's Day
Monday, January 20	Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Wednesday, February 12	Lincoln's Birthday
Monday, February 17	Presidents Day
Monday, May 26	Memorial Day
Thursday, June 19	Juneteenth
Friday, July 4	Independence Day
Monday, September 1	Labor Day
Monday, October 13	Italian Heritage Day/Indigenous Peoples' Day
Tuesday, November 4	Election Day
Tuesday, November 11	Veterans Day
Thursday, November 27	Thanksgiving Day
Thursday, December 25	Christmas Day

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