Hempstead Divorce Decree Lookup

Hempstead divorce decree records are held by the Nassau County Clerk, not by the town itself. The Town of Hempstead is the most populous town in New York State, but it does not keep divorce records. All divorce decree files for cases involving Hempstead residents go through the Nassau County Supreme Court and end up with the County Clerk in Mineola. If you are looking for a divorce decree from a case filed in the Hempstead area, the Nassau County Clerk's office is where you need to go.

Nassau County Handles Hempstead Divorce Decrees

The Nassau County Clerk's Office is the place to go for any divorce decree from a case filed in the Hempstead area. The office is at 240 Old Country Road, Mineola, NY 11501. You can call them at (516) 571-2660. Hours are Monday through Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM. Nassau County is in the 10th Judicial District, which also covers Suffolk County. The Supreme Court in Nassau County handles all divorce cases for the entire county, including the Town of Hempstead and its many villages.

The Town of Hempstead Clerk at 1 Washington Street, Hempstead, NY 11550, handles marriage licenses and birth and death records. But divorce decree records are strictly a county matter. The Town Clerk cannot help you with a divorce decree. Do not confuse the two offices. If you call the town first, they will just send you to the county.

The Nassau County Clerk's website has information on how to request court records. You can also search for cases through the WebCivil Supreme system run by the state court system. That tool covers all 62 counties and shows basic case info for Supreme Court matters, including divorces.

How to Get a Hempstead Divorce Decree

Go to the Nassau County Clerk's office in Mineola with a valid photo ID. You need the names of both parties and the year of the divorce, or the index number if you have it. The clerk will search the files. A certified copy of the divorce decree runs about $5 to $8 for the first four pages. Each page after that costs $1.25. Plain copies are cheaper. If you do not have the index number, there is a search fee of $5 for every two-year period the clerk has to look through.

You can also request records by mail. Send a written request to the Nassau County Clerk at 240 Old Country Road, Mineola, NY 11501. Include a check or money order for the fees. Make sure to include the full names of both spouses, the approximate date of the divorce, and a copy of your photo ID. The clerk will mail back the copies once the request is processed. Mail requests take longer than in-person visits, sometimes a few weeks.

Under DRL Section 235, only the parties to the divorce or their attorneys can get the full divorce decree file. If you are not a party, you need a court order or a notarized letter of authorization from one of the parties. Anyone can request a certification of disposition, which confirms a divorce took place without showing the case details. The fee for that is $5 per two-year search period.

Hempstead Divorce Decree Fees and Process

Fees at the Nassau County Clerk follow the state schedule. A certified copy costs $5 to $8 for the first four pages. Extra pages are $1.25 each. Copy fees for uncertified pages run about $0.65 per page. The search fee is $5 for every two-year block the clerk must check. These fees apply to all court records, not just divorce decrees.

If you need a divorce certificate instead of the full decree, that comes from the NYS Department of Health. The mail order fee is $30 per copy. Online or phone orders cost $45 plus a processing fee. The Department of Health only has certificates for divorces from 1963 onward. For anything before that date, the divorce decree from the County Clerk is the only record.

The Nassau County Clerk also handles land records, liens, and other court filings. When you visit, be specific about what you need. Tell the staff you want a divorce decree, not a divorce certificate. They are two different documents from two different offices.

Divorce Decree Access Rules for Hempstead

Judiciary Law Section 255 requires the clerk to search records and make copies when asked by an eligible person. But for divorce cases, the privacy rules under DRL Section 235 limit who can see the file. The records stay sealed for 100 years from the date of the final decree. After that, anyone can view them. This rule helps protect the privacy of people who went through a divorce, while still allowing the records to open up eventually for genealogy and historical research.

The New York State Library has guides for people doing family history work with vital records. The library lists the types of records available and explains how to access older files. For Hempstead area genealogy, the Nassau County Clerk's office is the primary source for divorce decree records over 100 years old.

The screenshot below shows the Nassau County Clerk's website, which is the primary resource for Hempstead divorce decree records.

From this site, you can find contact info, office hours, and details on requesting court records including divorce decrees.

Nearby Cities

Other towns and cities near Hempstead also use county-level offices for divorce decree records. Check these pages for more info.