What Westchester County City Courts Handle
City courts sit at the local level of New York's court system. In Westchester, six cities each run one. They take on the everyday cases that come up in city life. That means local civil matters, criminal misdemeanors and violations, traffic and parking tickets, and small claims. The split with the higher courts is set by law. City courts do not run felony trials, and they do not hear divorce cases.
Most of what a city court does falls into four buckets. Civil suits under the city court money limit. Criminal cases that are not felonies. Traffic tickets and related fines. And small claims, where one person sues another over a small sum without a lawyer. The courts also handle arraignments and set bail in some criminal matters before a case moves up.
Each court keeps its own files. There is no single shared city court records office. To find a case, you go to the right city, or you use a statewide search tool that lists each city court as an option.
The Six Westchester County City Courts
Westchester has six city courts. They sit in Peekskill, Mount Vernon, New Rochelle, Rye, White Plains, and Yonkers. Each one serves its own city and the people who get cited or sued there. The table below lists the address and main phone for each. The two largest, Mount Vernon and Yonkers, run separate phone lines for their criminal, civil, and traffic divisions.
| City Court | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| Peekskill City Court | 2 Nelson Avenue, Peekskill, NY 10566 | 914-831-6480 |
| Mount Vernon City Court | 2 Roosevelt Square North, 2nd floor, Mount Vernon, NY 10550 | 914-831-6440 |
| New Rochelle City Court | 475 North Avenue, New Rochelle, NY 10801 | 914-358-8000 |
| Rye City Court | 21 McCullough Place, Rye, NY 10580 | 914-831-6400 |
| White Plains City Court | 77 South Lexington Avenue, White Plains, NY 10601 | 914-824-5675 |
| Yonkers City Court | 100 South Broadway, Yonkers, NY 10701 | 914-831-6450 |
Peekskill City Court sits at 2 Nelson Avenue and takes payments up to 4 p.m. New Rochelle City Court is at 475 North Avenue. Rye City Court runs out of 21 McCullough Place. Each official court page above gives the judges, hours, parking notes, and any local payment links for that city.
Mount Vernon and Yonkers City Court Divisions
The two biggest city courts run more than one phone line. Their caseloads are large enough to split work by type. If you call the wrong line, you may get bounced around, so it helps to know the right one before you dial.
The Mount Vernon City Court sits in the Ronald A. Blackwood Building at 2 Roosevelt Square North. Its criminal line is 914-831-6420. The civil line is 914-831-6410. The traffic line is 914-831-6430. The court page lists Bee-Line bus routes and two Metro-North stations for visitors who take transit instead of driving.
Yonkers City Court is the busiest city court in the county. At 100 South Broadway, it runs four service lines. Civil is 914-831-6920. Criminal is 914-831-6930. Traffic is 914-831-6910. Administration is 914-831-6940. The number of separate lines reflects the city scale and the volume of cases that pass through.
City Courts vs County and Supreme Court
People often mix up the city courts with the county-level courts in White Plains. They are not the same. City courts sit at the local level. County Court and Supreme Court sit above them and take the bigger cases. The table sums up the split for Westchester County city court records.
| City Court | County Court | Supreme Court | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level | Local | County | General trial |
| Criminal | Misdemeanors, violations, traffic | Felony trials | Rare felony parts |
| Civil | Small local suits and small claims | Up to $25,000 | No set ceiling |
| Divorce | No | No | Yes |
| Where Records Sit | Each city court | County Clerk | County Clerk |
The records split matters for a search. Felony files and Supreme Court civil files sit with the Westchester County Clerk. City court files stay with each city court. So a misdemeanor in Yonkers is held by Yonkers City Court, while a felony in the same case may move up to County and Supreme Court and land with the Clerk. NYCOURTS notes that County Court, City Courts, and Town and Village Courts share authority over misdemeanor trials and minor offenses, but only County Court conducts felony trials.
How to Search a Westchester County City Court Case
The main free tool for pending criminal matters is WebCriminal. It lists each Westchester city court as a choice in its court dropdown, alongside County Court and Supreme Court. You can search by defendant name and narrow the search to one court. The system shows pending cases with future court dates. It carries a notice that updates can lag, so a missing detail may just be slow to post.
To find a city court case or pay a ticket, the steps are simple.
- Pick the right court. Match the city where the ticket was written or the case was filed to one of the six city courts.
- Open the official tool. For pending criminal cases, use the WebCriminal defendant search and choose the city court from the court dropdown.
- Enter a name or case detail. Type at least the first two letters of the first and last name, or use a case identifier if you have one.
- Review the result. Check the parties, the charge or case type, the court, and the next appearance date.
- Pay an eligible fine online if the option is offered. Some city courts let you pay eligible fines, fees, and surcharges online; others take payment at the window or by mail.
- Call the court to confirm. When in doubt, call the city court line for that division to verify the amount or status.
For broader case lookups across all court types, the Westchester County court records guide walks through every official portal. Traffic matters have their own steps on the traffic court records page.
Paying Fines at Westchester City Courts
Not every city court takes payment the same way. Some offer online payment for eligible fines, fees, and surcharges, while others want payment in person or by mail. The official court page for each city lists its accepted methods and any web payment link.
The White Plains City Court page provides a web payment link for eligible fines, fees, and surcharges. New Rochelle City Court also notes online payment eligibility for some fines. Peekskill City Court takes payments up to 4 p.m. at the window. Before you pay, confirm the case is eligible for online payment, since some charges must be handled in person or require a court appearance.
Note: an online fine payment is not the same as resolving a charge that needs a court date, so check whether your ticket allows payment or requires an appearance.
Town and Village Justice Courts Outside the Cities
City courts cover the six cities. The rest of Westchester is covered by town and village justice courts. These local courts handle criminal arraignments, violations, misdemeanors, traffic tickets, and lower-dollar civil matters in the towns and villages. NYCOURTS describes justice courts statewide as locally funded courts that sit outside New York City.
If your ticket or case did not come from one of the six cities, it likely sits in a town or village justice court instead. The case type is much the same as a city court case, but the court is run by the town or village. WebCriminal does not list every justice court the way it lists the city courts, so for those matters you may need to contact the local court clerk directly.
Accessing Westchester City Court Records
City court records are kept by each court, not by the County Clerk. That is the key difference from the higher courts. For a Yonkers traffic case, you contact Yonkers City Court. For a Mount Vernon misdemeanor, you go to Mount Vernon City Court. The official court pages give the right phone line for the division you need.
Most city court records are open to the public unless a statute or a court order seals them. Some criminal cases are sealed under New York law, such as cases that end in the accused person's favor. Traffic and small claims files are generally open. For a certified copy or a sealed file, you must work with the court that holds it and meet any access rules. Arrest and booking details tied to a city court case are covered on the arrest records page.
City court traffic files are separate from your state DMV driver record. The court file shows the case and its outcome. The DMV record shows points and license status. They are two different files held by two different offices.