Providence County Court Records

Providence County court records are files and documents that contain information about court cases. These records include case numbers, case types, party names, complaints, motions, exhibits, witness statements, transcripts, docket entries, judgments, sentences, and fines. The public’s access to court records in the county helps uphold the judiciary's integrity and brings transparency to the judicial process.

Court records in Providence County can be used for legal, academic, and genealogical research. They can also be used for background checks and media investigations.

Providence County court records can be categorized into the following:

• Criminal records: Felonies, misdemeanors, and traffic violations records
• Civil records: Records of cases involving professional malpractices, trade secrets, product liabilities, real property, slander, employment disputes, breaches of contracts, personal injury cases, product liabilities, libel, mortgage foreclosures, automobile negligence, business torts, and tort
• Probate records: Records of probate cases, including wills, trusts, estates, guardianship, and conservatorship
• Family Law records: These are court records of divorce, child support, alimony, emancipation, adoption, and paternity cases
• Juvenile records: These include records of cases relating to juvenile delinquency, truancy, and minor dependency

Are Court Records Public in Providence County?

Providence County court records are generally accessible to the public. The Rhode Island Access to Public Records Act gives individuals the right to examine and obtain records of court cases in the county, provided those records are not exempt from public disclosure by law or court orders. Court records typically excluded from public access in Providence County include:

• Records protected by state or federal laws
• Medical and Mental Health Records
• Records of victims of sexual or domestic violence
• Juvenile Delinquency Records
• Personally identifiable information, including social security number, vehicle plate number, driver’s license number, and active financial account number
• Adoption Records
• Grand jury proceedings

Providence County Court Records Search

The general public can access Providence County public court records via the Smart Search on the Rhode Island Judiciary Public Portal. The portal displays a chronological list of actions in a case, such as case filings, parties involved, and other activities. Persons interested in obtaining detailed records must visit the clerk’s office to access computer terminals within the court premises. They can also request copies of non-confidential court records at the clerk’s office. In addition, anyone can use reliable third-party websites to access public court records from the county.

Providence County Court Records Search by Name

Searching for court records by name is one of the most common ways of locating court records in Providence County. A name-based court record search in the county entails using a record owner's name as the search criterion on the Rhode Island Judiciary Public Portal.

Providence County Courts

Providence County court system comprises superior, district, probate, family, and municipal courts. The Providence/Bristol County Superior Court, located in Providence City, is the principal court within the county with general jurisdiction over criminal and civil cases. It typically hears felonies but can hear misdemeanors where the right to jury trial is invoked. It has exclusive jurisdiction over most equity cases and civil cases with claims over $10,000, but can also hear civil cases with claims over $5,000. The District Court in Providence County handles municipal ordinance violations and misdemeanors without jury trials. It also hears landlord-tenant disputes and civil cases with under $10,000 claims.

Domestic relations and juvenile matters, such as divorce, annulment, juvenile delinquency, emancipation, paternity, child support, and alimony, are handled by the Providence/Bristol County Family Court located within the county. Probate courts handle probate matters, including admission of wills, appointment of guardianships and conservatorships, and administering estates. Municipal courts in the county hear traffic offenses and municipal ordinance violations.

Below are the various courts in Providence County and their contact information:

Superior Court in Providence County

Providence/Bristol County Superior Court
Frank J. Licht Judicial Complex
250 Benefit Street
Providence, RI 02903
Phone: (401) 222-3250
Fax: (401) 222-2701

District Courts in Providence County

Sixth Division District Court
Garrahy Judicial Complex
1 Dorrance Plaza
Providence, RI 02903
Phone: (401) 458-5400
Fax: (401) 458-3190

Family Court in Providence County

Providence/Bristol County Family Court
Garrahy Judicial Complex
1 Dorrance Plaza
Providence, RI 02903
Phone: (401) 458-5262

Probate Courts in Providence County

Burrillville Probate Court
105 Harrisville Main Street
Harrisville, RI 02830
Phone: (401) 568-4300

Central Falls Probate Court
580 Broad Street
Central Falls, RI 02863
Phone: (401) 727-7400
Fax: (401) 727-7406

Cranston Probate Court
869 Park Avenue
Cranston, RI 02910
Phone: (401) 780-3197
Fax: (401) 780-3165

Cumberland Probate Court
45 Broad Street
Cumberland, RI 02864
Phone: (401) 728-2400 ext. 154

East Providence Probate Court
145 Taunton Avenue
East Providence, RI 02914
Phone: (401) 435-7500 ext. 11036

Foster Probate Court
181 Howard Hill Road
Foster, RI 02825
Phone: (401) 392-9202
Fax: (401) 702-5010

Glocester Probate Court
Glocester Town Hall
1145 Putnam Pike
Chepachet, RI 02814
Phone: (401) 568-6206 ext. 0
Fax: (401) 568-5850

Johnson Probate Court
1385 Hartford Avenue
Johnston, RI 02919
Phone: (401) 351-6618
Fax: (401) 553-8835

Lincoln Probate Court
100 Old River Road
Lincoln, RI 02865
Phone: (401) 333-1100 ext. 8005

North Providence Probate Court
North Providence Town Hall
2000 Smith Street
North Providence, RI 02911
Phone: (401) 232-0900 ext. 205

Pawtucket Probate Court
137 Roosevelt Avenue
Pawtucket, RI 02860
Phone: (401) 728-0500 ext. 259
Fax: (401) 728-8932

Providence Probate Court
5th floor, 25 Dorrance Street
Providence, RI 02903
Phone: (401) 680-5307
Fax: (401) 861-6208

Scituate Probate Court
195 Danielson Pike
North Scituate, RI 02857
Phone: (401) 647-2822
Fax: (401) 647-7220

Smithfield Probate Court
64 Farnum Pike
Smithfield, RI 02917
Phone: (401) 233-1000
Fax: (401) 233-7244

Woonsocket Probate Court
169 Main Street
Woonsocket, RI 02895
Phone: (401) 767-9249
Fax: (401) 765-0022

There are 12 municipal courts in Providence County

Providence County Superior Court Case Search

Court cases from the Providence Superior Court can be searched on the Rhode Island Judiciary Public Portal. The superior court hears civil and criminal cases, most of which are available on the portal. The portal does not allow filtering specifically for Providence County Superior Court, but record seekers can get records for all Rhode Island Superior court cases and then manually filter out those of the county. However, record seekers can use the Advanced Filtering Option on the page to filter for search types. Search parameters include party name, attorney name, business name, case number, attorney bar number, citation number, warrant number, and judicial officer.

To obtain more detailed superior court records, interested persons can visit the Superior Court clerk’s offices to use computer terminals within their premises or manually search for relevant court records from their storage.

Providence County District Court Records

Public court records from the Providence County Sixth District Court are also available on the Rhode Island Judiciary Public Portal. The Advanced Filter Option on the portal allows users to select District Court search, but the search cannot be limited to the district court in the county. Record seekers can search for criminal and civil cases from all district courts in the state and then manually sort for records specific to the Sixth District Court. They can also use computer terminals at the District Court premises to search for public court records specific to the Sixth District Court.

Providence County Criminal Records

Providence County criminal records include Providence county arrest records, arrest warrants, mugshots, prison sentences, and other pretrial records. These records are generated by law enforcement agencies such as the Rhode Island State Police and the Rhode Island Sheriff’s Department. The Rhode Island Bureau of Criminal Identification under the Office of the Rhode Island Attorney General maintains these records and makes them available to the public. Interested persons can visit their office to make requests. They must register for the service by submitting themselves to fingerprint scans and paying the required fees. Their contact address is:

Customer Service Center
4 Howard Avenue
Cranston, RI 02920
Phone: (401) 274-4400

Providence County Criminal Court Case Lookup

Providence County criminal records are generated in the superior, district, and municipal courts. Interested persons can look up criminal court cases in Providence County via the Rhode Island Judiciary Public Portal. They can search under superior and district courts to get cases heard within the county. The search can be done by name, date, date of birth, or case number.

Get Providence County Civil Court Records

Providence County civil court records include case filings, civil complaints, motions, writs, settlement agreements, depositions, fines, and court orders from civil proceedings within the county. They comprise documents generated from cases such as:

• Probate and Estate
• Torts
• Contract Disputes
• Personal Injury Lawsuits
• Property Disputes
• Labor disputes
• Libel and slander
• Employment Discrimination
• Consumer Protection
• Professional malpractice cases
• Family law

The Superior and District Courts in Providence County handle most general civil cases, while the Family Court handles domestic relations matters. Probate courts in the county deal with all probate matters. Court clerks maintain civil court records for their respective courts and make them available to the public upon request. Most civil court records from the county are public and can be accessed by anyone. Interested individuals can use the Rhode Island Judiciary Public Portal to access civil court records from the county courts. They can also visit courts in the county to use their public computer terminals to access civil court records of interest to them.

Providence County Family Court Records

Family court records are records of court proceedings and judgments involving cases such as divorces, annulments, emancipation, paternity, termination of parental rights, child support, child custody, juvenile delinquency, and spousal support. Most Providence County family court records are open to the public, except juvenile matters and any other records sealed by court orders. The Providence/Bristol County Family Court handles all family law cases in the county, and the court clerk maintains the records. Anyone can use the computer terminals in the clerk’s office to access public family court records from the court. They can also see some family court records on the Rhode Island Judiciary Public Portal.

Providence County Dissolution of Marriage Records

Dissolution of marriage records is open to the general public unless they are sealed by court orders. The Family Court Clerk’s office is responsible for maintaining marriage dissolution records. Anyone can request marriage dissolution records from the clerk’s office.

Providence County Marriage and Divorce Records

In Providence County, marriage records are official documents that contain information about the union of two persons, while divorce records are official documents of the termination of a couple’s marriage. Providence County’s marriage records under 100 years are closed to the public, while most divorce records are open unless sealed by court orders. The Clerk of Providence/Bristol Family Court maintains these records. Anyone can visit the court to view and request public divorce records. However, marriage records are kept by the Rhode Island Center of Vital Records under the Department of Health. Open marriage records can be accessed via the Rhode Island Vital Records Portal. In addition, eligible persons can request closed marriage records by contacting the Rhode Island Center of Vital Records at:

Department of Health
Center of Vital Records
6 Harrington Road
Cranston, RI 02920
Phone: (401) 222-2811

Providence County Birth and Death Records

Birth records are official documents that provide information about an individual's birth, identity, citizenship, and family history, while death records are essential documents that provide information about death in the county. Typically, birth and death records are confidential in Providence County. Only close relatives of individuals named on the records can access birth and death records in the county. However, birth records over 100 years and death records over 50 years are open to the public. The Rhode Island State Vital Records office maintains birth and death records. Anyone can search for open birth and death records between 1853 and 1973 via the Rhode Island Vital Records Portal. Eligible persons can request closed birth and death records from the Rhode Island Department of Health

Providence County Probate Court Records

The various Probate Courts in Providence County handle and generate probate court records in the county. The clerks of the courts maintain their court records. Persons interested in obtaining probate court records from Providence County can visit the clerks of courts.

Providence County Property Records

Property records in Providence County are documents and files that contain information about properties domiciled in the county. These records include deeds, titles, transfer documents, value assessment, debts, encumbrances, payment history and tax liens, mortgages, zoning, plats, surveys, and geographic information system (GIS) data.

Providence County property records can be used for the following purposes:

• Title searches and verification
• Property research and valuation
• Real estate transactions and sales
• Tax assessment and payment
• Zoning and land-use planning
• Homeownership and mortgage applications
• Genealogical research
• Environmental assessments

Each municipality clerk maintains, stores, and preserves property records within their jurisdictions. Persons interested in accessing Providence County property records can visit the specific town/city clerk in the custody of the records to view or request them. They can also access most of the county’s property records online.

Providence County Court Records Online

Anyone seeking to access Providence County court records may use third-party online resources like rhodeislandcourtrecords.us for quicker and more convenient access. However, these third-party resources are typically more expensive to use and may not have the most current records.