Criminal Certificate of Disposition Request: Form UCS-CODR, Fees, and Filing

To get a certificate of disposition in New York, fill out court form UCS-CODR, pay $10 if the case was heard in New York City or $5 if it was heard elsewhere in the state, and submit the form with your ID in person, or with a notarized signature by mail, to the clerk at the court that handled the case. The certificate is a one-page document with the court’s raised seal showing exactly how the case ended, and employers, licensing boards, and USCIS routinely require it.

What to Gather Before You Request One

You need the docket number (sometimes called the case number) assigned at arraignment. Without it, the clerk may not be able to pull your file. You also need the defendant’s full legal name as it appeared in the case, date of birth, and the approximate date of arrest.

If you plan to pick the certificate up in person, bring a government-issued photo ID.¹ If you want someone else to pick it up for you, they need a notarized letter of authorization from you.²

If You Don’t Know Your Docket Number

The New York State Unified Court System runs an online tool called WebCrims that lists criminal cases with future court dates for selected courts, and you can search by defendant name or case number.³ WebCrims only covers cases with upcoming appearances, so older, fully resolved cases often won’t show up.

For a closed case, call the clerk’s office at the court that handled it and ask them to look up the docket number in their records. The court locator at nycourts.gov will give you the right phone number.¹

Filling Out Form UCS-CODR

Download the fillable PDF from the Unified Court System website.⁴ Some individual courts publish their own version, but the fields are the same.

Enter the defendant’s name, date of birth, and the docket number for each case. Each docket number produces its own certificate, so if you need dispositions for multiple cases, list each one separately and pay a separate fee for each. The form also asks whether you want the certificate mailed to you or held for pickup.

If the Case Was Sealed or Dismissed

If the case was sealed or dismissed under New York Criminal Procedure Law 160.50 or a related provision, check the box on the form asking that sealed information be included. Only the defendant or the defendant’s authorized agent can get sealed records; the court won’t confirm a sealed case even exists to anyone else.⁵

Fees and How to Pay

Courts in New York City’s five boroughs charge $10 per certificate. Courts elsewhere in the state charge $5.⁴ The fee is per disposition, so three docket numbers means three fees.

Confirm payment methods with the specific court before mailing anything. Most courts accept money orders and certified checks but not personal checks. The NYC Criminal Court accepts exact change in cash at the window for in-person requests, but never put cash in the mail.⁶ Make non-cash payments payable to the specific court, such as “NYC Criminal Court” or the relevant city or county court.²

If you can’t afford the fee, you may be able to request a fee waiver through poor person’s relief. There is no single statewide form; you file a motion with an affidavit explaining your finances, and the clerk’s office at the specific court can tell you what the judge expects. Receiving public benefits like Medicaid or SNAP generally makes you eligible.⁷

Submitting the Request in Person

Going to the clerk’s office is the fastest route. Bring the completed form, photo ID, and the fee. Many courts process in-person requests the same day, and you leave with the certified document in hand. The clerk stamps or embosses it with the court’s seal, which is what gives the certificate legal weight; a printout without the seal is just paper.⁵

Use the court locator at nycourts.gov for the address and hours. Going to the wrong courthouse is a common wasted trip. The certificate must come from the court that actually heard the case.

Submitting the Request by Mail

Mail works but takes longer, and there is one requirement that catches many people off guard: your signature on the form has to be notarized before you send it in. The notarization is how the court verifies your identity when you aren’t at the window.⁵ Banks, UPS stores, and public libraries often provide notary services for a small fee.

Put the following in the envelope:

The completed request form with your notarized signature.
A money order or certified check in the correct amount, payable to the court.
A self-addressed stamped envelope with enough postage for the return mail.

Send it to the clerk’s office at the court that handled your case. Turnaround varies; expect at least a couple of weeks once you account for mail transit and the clerk’s processing queue. If you have an immigration or licensing deadline, give yourself plenty of lead time or go in person.

Having Someone Else Request It for You

The form allows a “defendant’s agent” to submit the request, but the agent must bring a notarized letter from you granting permission to request or pick up the certificate.² This is common when an attorney or immigration representative is gathering documents for a client. Submit the authorization letter together with the request form so the clerk can process both at once.

If the Certificate Has Errors

If the certificate shows wrong charges, incorrect sentencing information, or a disposition that doesn’t match what happened in court, go back to the court that issued it. Contact the clerk, explain the discrepancy, and ask for a corrected certificate with a fresh seal.

To update your statewide criminal history record once you have the corrected certificate, mail the certified copy with the raised seal to the Division of Criminal Justice Services Records Correspondence Unit at 80 South Swan Street, Albany, NY 12210. The unit can also be reached at 518-457-9847 or RecordReview@dcjs.ny.gov.⁸

Why USCIS and Other Agencies Ask for It

USCIS requires certified court dispositions for every arrest on your record when you apply for naturalization, a green card, or certain other immigration benefits, and uses them to evaluate the good moral character requirement.⁹ Even a decades-old dismissed charge may need one. If your fingerprints reveal any arrest, USCIS expects the original or court-certified disposition for each one, regardless of outcome.¹⁰ A missing disposition can stall an otherwise straightforward application, so order these early.

When You Actually Need a Statewide Rap Sheet Instead

A certificate of disposition covers one case in one court. If you need a complete picture of every criminal record across New York State, that’s a different document: a fingerprint-based criminal history search from the Division of Criminal Justice Services, submitted through an IdentoGo enrollment center. DCJS records are not public, and the agency will not release yours to employers or landlords.⁸ If an agency has asked for one specific case, the certificate of disposition is what you want.

1
New York Courts. Certificate of Disposition
2
Ask a Law Librarian. How Do I Get a Certificate of Disposition?
3
New York State Unified Court System. WebCriminal
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New York State Unified Court System. Criminal Certificate of Disposition Request Form
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New York State Unified Court System. Certificate of Disposition Request Form – 9th Judicial District
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NYC311. Certificate of Disposition
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New York Courts. Fee Waivers (Poor Person’s Relief)
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New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services. Request Your Criminal History
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Policy Manual – Volume 12 – Part F – Chapter 3
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Policy Manual Volume 7 Part A Chapter 4 – Documentation