Ulster County, New York Arrest Records

Ulster County arrest records are official paperwork created by law enforcement agencies that contain information about an arrest, the arrestee, and the alleged crime. These documents support the goal of official transparency and accountability, while showing how law enforcement agencies and personnel carry out their duties.

Under New York’s Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) (Article 6 of the New York Public Officers Law), government records, including arrest information, are generally open to the public unless otherwise stated by law.

Aside from the New York Freedom of Information Law, the state has a separate statutory framework governing criminal history record information and “criminal offender record information.” For instance, Article 23-A regulates how criminal records are considered in employment and licensing decisions. Likewise, New York does not handle the Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS)-maintained criminal history records as unrestricted public information; such records are subject to statutory access limitations. The state also limits access to certain criminal records under New York Criminal Procedure Law §§ 160.50 and 160.59.

In Ulster County, arrest records may be maintained at the county level or by city or town police departments. The county’s largest local law enforcement agencies include the Kingston Police Department and the Ulster County Sheriff’s Office.

Are Arrest Records Public Information in Ulster, New York?

By the New York Freedom of Information Law (Article 6 of the New York Public Officers Law), Ulster County arrest records are generally public unless an exemption applies under state or federal law. This law guarantees the public’s right to inspect or copy arrest information unless an exemption applies.

The key provision governing the disclosure of law enforcement records under the New York Freedom of Information Law is § 87(2). It allows the public to submit requests for basic arrest, incident, custody, and charge information unless an exemption applies. However, the provision also allows custodian agencies to deny or redact records that may interfere with an ongoing investigation or breach personal privacy.

Aside from the New York Public Records Law, the state separately protects many sealed criminal records. For instance, New York Criminal Procedure Law § 160.50 seals the records of defendants who were cleared of their criminal charges in court. Certain older convictions may also be eligible for sealing under CPL § 160.59.

In New York, anyone may request to inspect public arrest information without showing identification. However, custodian law enforcement agencies may still expect requesters to make written requests or provide record-identifying information, such as the arrested person’s full name, approximate arrest date, or case or complaint number (if available).

What Do Public Ulster County Arrest Records Contain?

Under New York law, the public-facing elements of an Ulster County arrest record include:

• Arrestee’s full name
• Age
• Gender
• Physical descriptors, including weight, height, eye color, and hair color

It is worth noting that requesters may also access related booking details, such as custody status, custody status date, booking date, jail location, and reporting agency (e.g., Ulster County Sheriff’s Office). Other information includes details of the criminal charges, bail and bond information, and a description of the disposition (if applicable).

However,  Public Officers Law § 87(2) allows agencies to withhold or redact certain categories of information if disclosure would interfere with law enforcement, invade privacy, reveal confidential investigative techniques, or endanger public safety.

Categories of information that custodian agencies may withhold, redact, or seal include:

• Juvenile records
• Records concerning ongoing law enforcement investigations
• Victims' and witnesses’ identifying information.
• Records protected by privacy laws
• Court-sealed or expunged records
• Social Security numbers and other sensitive identifying information

Ulster County,  New York Arrest Search

New York Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) Incarcerated Lookup: This lookup tool is useful for confirming the current or former custody status of someone in a New York state prison. Users may search with a DIN, NYSID, or name and birth year to obtain information about individuals transferred to prison following a criminal case. However, it is worth noting that this is a request process, not a free public lookup.

New York State Unified Court System WebCrims: This search tool provides criminal case information with future appearance dates for select New York criminal courts.  By searching with a defendant’s name or case number, requesters may connect an arrest to pending court activity.  

Fingerprint-based Background Checks: Individuals may request a copy of their own criminal history records (popularly known as a rap sheet) from the state’s criminal history record keeper, the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS).

Criminal History Record Search (CHRS): The New York State Office of Court Administration (OCA) provides a statewide criminal history record search for a fee ($95.00). Requesters may submit a CHRS request through the OCA’s online Direct Access or mail-in services. Searches are based on exact matches of names and dates of birth; a variation in a person’s name or date of birth is not considered a match.  

Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER): In instances where a federal arrest leads to a federal indictment and criminal proceedings in a US District Court, individuals may sign on to PACER to locate federal case records, including case filings and docket information. For federal cases connected to Ulster County, requesters may search for federal court case records in the US District Court for the Northern District of New York (NDNY).

Federal Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator: Individuals may use this search tool to find someone in situations where an arrest, conviction, or incarceration resulted from a federal case. This database contains records of federal inmates from 1982 to the present.

Ulster County Inmate Locator

Requesters seeking inmate custody information at the county level must visit the Ulster County Sheriff’s Office website to access the “Incarcerated Individual Search/VINE” page under the incarceration information section. They may use this search tool to obtain custody information on individuals currently detained in the county jail and connect to the VINE status notifications service.

To search, open the Sheriff’s Incarcerated Individuals Search/VINE page and search by name. Users may also use additional filters to sort results by name (A-Z, or Z-A) or date (ascending or descending date). Searches typically return results such as an inmate’s identifying information (name, ID, height, weight, gender, eye and hair colors), custody details (e.g., custody status, custody status date, booking date, and holding facility), and reporting agency. Other details include the charges filed against the inmate (charge code and description), bond information (bond type and amount), and disposition code and description (if applicable).

For further inquiries, the contact details of the County Sheriff’s Office are as follows:

Ulster County Sheriff’s Office

Boulevard, Kingston, NY 12401

Phone: (845) 338-3640

Email: sheriff@co.ulster.ny.us

Active Warrant Search in Ulster County

An arrest warrant is an official document issued by a court authorizing law enforcement agents to take a particular person into custody. In New York, a judge typically issues a warrant of arrest when there is probable cause to believe that a person committed a crime or when an individual fails to appear in court as required.

In New York, warrants of arrest often include the name of the person (or identifying description) to be arrested, the name of the issuing court, the date of issuance, the name or title of the offense filed against the person, name of the law officer to whom the warrant is addressed, and a directive to the officer to arrest the suspect and bring them before the issuing court.  

In Ulster County, the Sheriff’s Office maintains warrant information and provides the public with an active warrant database. Information seekers may access a comprehensive list of individuals with outstanding warrants by clicking on the “Incarceration Information” section (on the Sheriff’s site) and scrolling down to “warrants.” They may also refine search results by a person’s first or last name or review a certain number of results per page (10, 15, or 20).

Agency/Resource	Purpose	Search/Inquiry Method	Notes
Ulster County Sheriff’s Office	Maintains and serves warrants; manages county wanted-person information	Phone, online, in person	Sheriff’s Office: 380 Boulevard, Kingston, NY 12401; Phone: (845) 338-3640 (ulstersheriffny.gov)
Ulster County Sheriff Warrants Page	Public-facing list of active warrants	Online browse/search	May include photos, charges, and identifying information (www.ulstersheriffny.gov/warrants)
New York State Unified Court System WebCrims	Provides criminal court appearance and case information	Online case lookup	Limited to participating courts and available case data (iapps.courts.state.ny.us/webcrim_attorney/DefendantSearch)

How to Find Arrest Records for Free in Ulster County

Incarcerated Individuals Search/VINE: This is the most direct way to access free arrest records in Ulster County. Users may use this search tool to access basic arrest and custody information on individuals currently housed in the county jail, including an inmate’s full name, custody status, and booking information. However, it is worth noting that this tool is useful for recent arrests; it does not display older arrests connected to people who are no longer in custody.

Ulster County Sheriff’s Office Warrants page: Interested parties may use the Warrants page under the Sheriff’s “Incarcerated Information” section to obtain free active warrant details. Searches typically yield the wanted person’s full name, date of birth, charge statute description, warrant issuance date, and city.

New York Unified Court System WebCrims: Information seekers may use this search tool to look up arrests that resulted in criminal proceedings. They may search by a defendant’s name or case number to access free criminal court appearance information for participating courts.

Note: The official Ulster County pages do not state that requesters must be residents or supply an ID to use the free public tools above.

Ulster County Arrest Report

In Ulster County, information seekers use the terms “arrest record” and “arrest report” interchangeably, but they are not the same.

Arrest Record

An arrest record is a summary-level entry showing that an individual was arrested, booked, or processed in a custodial or case-tracking system. In Ulster County, inquirers may locate this type of record in the Sheriff’s “Incarcerated individuals Search/VINE” section. The Ulster County Sheriff’s Office often maintains booking records for the county and publishes a list of individuals arrested and booked into the county jail. Public-facing arrest records that law enforcement agencies are expected to make public under New York law include the person’s name, booking number, and physical description. Other published information includes the inmate's booking date and time, the inmate’s custody status, the custody status date, the jail facility location, and details about the charge filed against the person.

Arrest Report

On the other hand, an arrest report is the narrative or incident report prepared by the arresting officer or agency after the arrest. This is a detailed account of the events that led to an arrest. It describes what happened, observations, statements, reasons for arrest, and other investigative details. This means the arrest report is a more comprehensive law enforcement account of an arrest, while the arrest record is a shorter booking/custody-style entry.

How to Get an Arrest Record Expunged in Ulster County

Individuals seeking to expunge their arrest records in Ulster County must follow New York's record sealing options, as the county does not have a separate program. Under New York State law, record sealing is the available practical option for hiding eligible records from public access rather than physically erasing them from every government system (expungement).

The main record sealing options are discussed as follows:

Primary record-sealing law: Criminal Procedure Law (CPL) section 160.59

Under the primary record-sealing law, individuals whose misdemeanor or non-violent felony convictions are at least 10 years old may apply to seal their records if they do not have any other convictions within that time frame and no new criminal charges. Once the record is sealed, it is inaccessible to the public through background checks (e.g., employers, landlords, lenders, and other individuals and institutions). However, the record often remains visible to law enforcement and other government officials.  

It is worth noting that individuals who are arrested again for a misdemeanor or felony will have their cases unsealed. If they are not convicted on the new charges, the old convictions will be resealed.

Human Trafficking Victims

Individuals who were convicted of a crime due to their being a victim of human trafficking may be eligible to remove (vacate) the conviction from their record under CPL section 440.10(1)(i).

Youthful Offenders

This option allows a judge to grant someone who committed a crime when they were at least 14 and under 19 years old a Youth Offender status during the defendant’s sentencing. A youthful offender status permits the automatic sealing of the records connected to that conviction. A defendant who was previously denied a Youthful Offender status may retroactively apply for it under  CPL section 720.20(5) if they meet the eligibility requirements.

How Do You Remove Ulster County Arrest Records From the Internet?

Before you can remove your arrest records from the internet, the records must have been officially sealed under New York law. These records are usually displayed on government sites such as the Sheriff’s Office or court record platforms in accordance with New York law. Such agencies cannot take down the information from their website because someone made an informal request. The best way to get the record removed is through a court-ordered sealing of the relevant criminal record.

New York does not generally use traditional “expungement” the way most states do. Instead, the state mainly relies on record sealing. Therefore, those seeking the takedown of arrest records from the internet may explore record sealing under New York Criminal Procedure Law § 160.50. This option applies to individuals whose criminal charges resulted in a favorable outcome, such as a dismissal or acquittal. Eligible older convictions may also qualify for sealing under CPL § 160.59.

If the court grants an order to seal the record, government websites, such as the Ulster County Sheriff’s Office, local police departments, and courts, are expected to update their systems. This will remove the sealed records from public access.