Public Record Update Newsletter © June 2010

New York Increases Fee for Criminal Record History

Most users of criminal records know New York sells the most expensive statewide criminal history record in the U.S. Effective July 1, 2010 the New York State Office of Court Administration (OCA) increased the fee from $55.00 to $65.00 per record. The OCA provides this electronic search for criminal history information from a database of criminal case records from all boroughs and all counties, including Supreme Courts, County Courts, and City Courts. The OCA states that all Town, City, and Village Courts submit ALL misdemeanors to this database since 2007, but this point has been questioned by record retrievers and employment screening companies. See www.nycourts.gov/apps/chrs/.

By the way, the next highest fee in the U.S. for a single statewide criminal history name search is $50.00 from the Department of Public Safety in Connecticut.

Driving Record Fee Increases in Three States

Oklahoma

Effective July 1, 2010, Oklahoma will officially have the distinction of the highest price in the nation for a driving record. SB 1556 

Hawaii

Effective July, 2010, the fee for a driving record (called a Traffic Abstract) in Hawaii will increase by $13.00. The fee for a record processed electronically will increase from $10.00 to $23.00.  The fee for a manually ordered record via the mail or in-person will increase from $7.00 to $20.00.

Not affected by the price increase is a CDL-only record. This fee remains at $9.00; the record can only be ordered by mail or in-person.