To get a copy of your Certificate of Relief from Disabilities in New York, contact whichever authority originally issued it: the clerk of the court that sentenced you, or the New York Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) Certificate Review Unit. Which one applies depends on whether your sentence included state prison time.
Figure Out Who Issued It
This is the first thing to get right. Sending your request to the wrong office wastes weeks.
If your conviction did not result in state prison time, the sentencing court almost certainly issued your CRD. That could be a County Court, Supreme Court, or a local criminal court, depending on the charges. The clerk’s office for that specific court holds the original record.1New York State Unified Court System. Certificate of Relief from Disabilities
If you served state prison time and applied for the certificate on or after release, DOCCS issued it through its Certificate Review Unit. The same is true if your underlying conviction was in federal court or another state, since DOCCS is the only path to a New York CRD in those situations.2Department of Corrections and Community Supervision. Certificate of Relief / Good Conduct and Restoration of Rights
Not sure which one you have? Call either office with your identifying information and ask. They can check their records and redirect you if needed.
What to Have Ready Before You Ask
Whichever office you contact, gather this information first. Missing any of it slows the search:
- Your full legal name at the time of conviction, plus any legal name changes since.
- Date of birth.
- Indictment or case number. This is the fastest way for a clerk to pull your file.
- Exact conviction date, county, and type of court.
- Approximate date the CRD was granted. Even the year helps, particularly for older files.
Decide up front whether you need a plain photocopy or a certified copy. For anything official — showing the certificate to an employer, a licensing board, a housing authority — you almost always need a certified copy, which carries an official seal or stamp confirming it reproduces the original. A plain photocopy carries no legal weight. Ask whoever requested the document which form they will accept before you pay for the wrong one.
Requesting a Copy From the Court
Contact the clerk of the court that sentenced you. Most New York courts accept requests in person, by mail, or by phone. Some counties also accept electronic requests through the New York State Courts Electronic Filing system (NYSCEF), though availability varies.
For a mail request, send a letter with the identifying information above, state clearly that you need a certified copy of a previously issued Certificate of Relief from Disabilities, and enclose payment. Courts generally accept money orders, certified checks, or attorney checks made payable to the county clerk. Some accept credit cards for in-person transactions.
Fees vary by county. As one reference point, New York County charges $0.25 per page plus $8.00 per certification.3New York State Unified Court System. Certifications Other counties price differently. Call the clerk before mailing anything and confirm the exact amount, because a check for the wrong amount will come back and reset the clock.
Requesting a Copy From DOCCS
If DOCCS issued your certificate, direct your request to the Certificate Review Unit. DOCCS publishes a combined application form for Certificates of Relief and Certificates of Good Conduct on its website; you can download it, complete the identifying sections, and mail it to the address on the form.4Department of Corrections and Community Supervision. Certificate of Relief from Disabilities – Certificate of Good Conduct Application and Instructions Include a clear written statement that you are requesting a copy of a previously granted certificate, not applying for a new one. Without that note, your request can be misrouted to the application review queue.
If you were on parole or probation when the certificate was granted, your officer may have records or a direct contact inside DOCCS who can move things along.2Department of Corrections and Community Supervision. Certificate of Relief / Good Conduct and Restoration of Rights
How Long It Takes
Turnaround depends on the age and storage format of the record. Recent files kept electronically can produce a certified copy within a few days to two weeks. Older records, especially from cases going back decades, may have been archived off-site or transferred to a state records storage facility, which can push the timeline to several weeks. Ask for an estimate when you submit the request, and follow up if you have not heard back within that window.
If the court or DOCCS cannot locate your record on the first search, ask specifically whether the file may have been sent to a state archive or records center. Court clerks are the legal custodians of these files and can usually trace where an older record was transferred, even when it is no longer on-site.
If the Court Says No CRD Was Ever Issued
Sometimes a request for a copy turns up nothing because no certificate was ever actually granted. A defense attorney may have mentioned a CRD as a possibility without filing the application, or the judge may have declined to issue one at sentencing. If the court finds no CRD in your file, you are not requesting a copy — you are applying for the first time. The sentencing court handles new applications if your conviction did not result in state prison time; DOCCS handles them if it did.1New York State Unified Court System. Certificate of Relief from Disabilities
One related boundary worth knowing: if you have two or more separate felony convictions, you are not eligible for a CRD at all and would need a Certificate of Good Conduct instead, which is a different document handled by DOCCS.2Department of Corrections and Community Supervision. Certificate of Relief / Good Conduct and Restoration of Rights If that describes your situation, ask DOCCS whether what you actually hold is a Certificate of Good Conduct; the process for obtaining a copy is essentially the same, but the request goes to DOCCS regardless of who sentenced you.