| Superior Court Clerk | Superior Court Clerk — Providence/Bristol Division (Licht Judicial Complex, Providence) |
|---|---|
| Clerk address | Superior Court (Providence/Bristol County): Licht Judicial Complex, 250 Benefit Street, Providence, RI 02903; District Court 6th Division and Family Court: Garrahy Judicial Complex, One Dorrance Plaza, Providence, RI 02903 |
| Phone | Superior Court Clerk's Office (Providence/Bristol County) (401) 222-3230; District Court 6th Division Clerk (401) 458-5400; Family Court Domestic Relations Clerk (401) 458-3200 |
| Hours | Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m. (Rhode Island Judiciary posted courthouse hours) |
| Earliest records noted | Varies by court — older files may be on paper or microfilm |
| Plain copy fee | $0.20 per page (R.I. Gen. Laws § 9-29-12 sets $0.20 per page for copies made by recording and certifying officers; the Judicial Records Center charges $0.20 per page on its self-service copier) |
| Certified copy fee | $3.00 per document for a certified copy of a court record; $25.00 for a certified Family Court final judgment or divorce decree |
Bristol is Rhode Island's smallest county by population and the only one of the five with no Superior, District, or Family Court sitting inside it. Rather than a fourth judicial complex, Bristol County's Superior Court matters (felonies and larger civil suits) go to the Providence/Bristol Superior Court division at the Licht Judicial Complex in Providence, and the county's District and Family Court matters go to the divisions seated at the Garrahy Judicial Complex, also in Providence.
There is no Bristol County probate office, and there never has been a county government to run one. The county's three towns — Bristol, Warren, and Barrington — each run their own probate court through the town clerk.
Because none of Bristol County's trial-court records are kept in the county itself, the fastest way to check a case is the statewide Rhode Island Judiciary Public Portal, then the Providence-based clerk's office that actually holds the file.
Search Bristol County court records online
Superior Court Clerk
Superior Court Clerk — Providence/Bristol Division (Licht Judicial Complex, Providence)
- Cost
- Free to view the docket at the courthouse or through the Judiciary Public Portal; fees apply for copies
- Coverage
- Felony criminal, larger civil, and equity cases filed by Bristol County towns (Bristol, Warren, Barrington), heard at the combined Providence/Bristol Superior Court division
- Records
- Civil, Criminal, Family
Bristol County has no Superior Court courthouse of its own; cases are heard at the Licht Judicial Complex, 250 Benefit Street, Providence, RI 02903. Phone: (401) 222-3250.
Other courts
District Court, 6th Division (Garrahy Judicial Complex, Providence)
- Cost
- Free to view the docket; fees apply for copies
- Coverage
- Misdemeanors, felony arraignments, small claims, and civil cases up to $10,000 for Barrington, Bristol, and Warren, along with several Providence County cities and towns
- Records
- Civil, Criminal, Traffic
Address: One Dorrance Plaza, Providence, RI 02903. Phone: (401) 458-3480.
Other courts
Family Court, Providence/Bristol Division (Garrahy Judicial Complex, Providence)
- Cost
- Free to view the docket; fees apply for copies
- Coverage
- Divorce, custody, child support, domestic abuse, and juvenile cases for Bristol and Providence Counties
- Records
- Family
Address: 1 Dorrance Plaza, Providence, RI 02903. Phone: (401) 458-5262. Juvenile and abuse/neglect records are confidential.
What is available online
Bristol County has no trial courthouse of its own, so there is no local index to check separately: the Rhode Island Judiciary Public Portal shows docket entries for Bristol County cases handled at the Providence courts (Superior at Licht, District/Family at Garrahy) the same way it does for any other non-confidential Rhode Island case. Probate records are not on the portal and are not kept by the county at all — check the town where the case was filed.
Which clerk has your record
In Rhode Island, the clerk who keeps a file depends on which court heard the case. Check the court name on the case notice, citation, or order, then use the office and coverage details above to identify the record holder. Court names and responsibilities differ by state; a county clerk may not keep court case files. For federal cases, see the PACER guide. The full court structure is on the Rhode Island page.
| Court | Typical cases | Records kept by |
|---|---|---|
| Superior Court | Felony criminal cases; Civil actions over $10,000; Equity, land condemnation, and naturalization petitions | Clerk of the Superior Court for that county's division |
| Family Court | Divorce, custody, and child support; Domestic abuse petitions; Juvenile delinquency and abuse/neglect cases | Clerk of the Family Court for that division |
| District Court | Misdemeanors and felony arraignments/bail; Civil actions up to $10,000 and small claims; Landlord-tenant matters | Clerk of the District Court for that division |
| Workers' Compensation Court | Workplace injury and disability claims | Clerk of the Workers' Compensation Court |
| Rhode Island Traffic Tribunal | Civil (non-criminal) traffic citations; Some municipal ordinance violations | Clerk/Administrator of the Traffic Tribunal |
| Probate Courts (municipal) | Wills and estates; Guardianships; Name changes | Town or city clerk acting as clerk of the probate court (a separately elected probate clerk in Providence) |
Request records in person or by mail
Bristol County clerk offices
Superior Court (Providence/Bristol County): Licht Judicial Complex, 250 Benefit Street, Providence, RI 02903; District Court 6th Division and Family Court: Garrahy Judicial Complex, One Dorrance Plaza, Providence, RI 02903
Phone: Superior Court Clerk's Office (Providence/Bristol County) (401) 222-3230; District Court 6th Division Clerk (401) 458-5400; Family Court Domestic Relations Clerk (401) 458-3200
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m. (Rhode Island Judiciary posted courthouse hours)
Superior Court records. Because Bristol County cases are heard at the Providence/Bristol division, request copies in person or by mail from the Superior Court clerk's office at the Licht Judicial Complex, 250 Benefit Street, Providence, RI 02903, with the case number, the documents needed, whether certified copies are required, and payment or a request for a fee quote.
District and Family Court records. Request from the respective clerk's office at the Garrahy Judicial Complex, One Dorrance Plaza, Providence, RI 02903.
Probate records. Contact the town clerk in Bristol, Warren, or Barrington — whichever town the case was filed in — since each keeps its own probate court and there is no county office.
Older records. Closed case files, including archival records that predate 1900 from historic Bristol County, may be found at the Judicial Records Center in Pawtucket.
Fees
| Item | Typical cost in Rhode Island |
|---|---|
| Plain copy | $0.20 per page (R.I. Gen. Laws § 9-29-12 sets $0.20 per page for copies made by recording and certifying officers; the Judicial Records Center charges $0.20 per page on its self-service copier) |
| Certified copy | $3.00 per document for a certified copy of a court record; $25.00 for a certified Family Court final judgment or divorce decree |
Per-page and certification amounts are those posted in the Judicial Records Center policies and set by R.I. Gen. Laws § 9-29-12. The Records Center also charges a $15.00 per hour search fee after the first free hour for staff research, and it does not accept personal checks. An individual clerk's office may quote a different total for copies of active case files it still holds on-site, so confirm the amount before sending payment.
Need a copy an agency will accept? See how to get certified copies of court records.
Sealed and restricted records
Court records are open by default under the Rhode Island Judiciary's Rules of Practice Governing Public Access to Electronic Case Information, but several categories are removed from public view:
The Rhode Island guide lists every category of sealed and restricted record, and our guide to expunging or sealing a criminal record explains how to remove one from public view.
Frequently asked questions
Does Bristol County, Rhode Island have its own courthouse?
No. Bristol County Superior Court cases are heard at the Licht Judicial Complex in Providence as part of a combined Providence/Bristol division, and District and Family Court cases go to the Garrahy Judicial Complex, also in Providence.
Where do I search for a case from Bristol, Warren, or Barrington?
Use the Rhode Island Judiciary Public Portal for docket information, then contact the Providence clerk's office (Superior Court at Licht, District/Family Court at Garrahy) that actually holds the file, since none are kept in Bristol County itself.
Where is probate handled for someone who lived in Bristol County?
By the town where they lived — Bristol, Warren, or Barrington — through that town's own probate court and town clerk. There is no Bristol County probate office.
Is there a Bristol County clerk?
No. Like Rhode Island's other four counties, Bristol County has no county government, so there is no county-level clerk of any kind, including for probate.
Sources
- Rhode Island Judiciary — Courthouse and Facility Locations (addresses, hours) — https://www.courts.ri.gov/Courts/Pages/default.aspx
- Rhode Island Judiciary — Contact the Court (clerk phone directory) — https://www.courts.ri.gov/about/Pages/contact-the-court.aspx
- Rhode Island Judiciary — Superior Court Main Contacts — https://www.courts.ri.gov/Courts/superiorcourt/Pages/Main-Contacts.aspx
- Rhode Island Judiciary — District Court — https://www.courts.ri.gov/courts/districtcourt/pages/default.aspx
- Rhode Island Judiciary — About the Family Court — https://www.courts.ri.gov/Courts/familycourt/Pages/about-the-family-court.aspx
- Rhode Island Judiciary — Judicial Records Center — https://www.courts.ri.gov/programs-services/Pages/judicial-records.aspx
- Rhode Island Judiciary — About — https://www.courts.ri.gov/about/Pages/default.aspx
- Rhode Island Judiciary Public Portal — https://publicportal.courts.ri.gov/PublicPortal/
- Rhode Island Judiciary — Access to Case Information — https://www.courts.ri.gov/Public-Resources/Pages/case-information.aspx
- Rhode Island Attorney General — Get a Background Check (BCI) — https://riag.ri.gov/i-want/get-background-check
- Rhode Island Judiciary — Judicial Records Center Policies and Procedures (fees) — https://www.courts.ri.gov/programs-services/Pages/Policies-and-Procedures.aspx
- R.I. Gen. Laws § 9-29-12 — Certification and search fees (copy fee per page) — https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/Statutes/TITLE9/9-29/9-29-12.htm
- Rhode Island Judiciary — Supreme Court Opinions — https://www.courts.ri.gov/Search/Pages/supreme-court-opinions.aspx
- R.I. Gen. Laws Chapter 12-1.3 — Expungement of Criminal Records — https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/Statutes/TITLE12/12-1.3/12-1.3-3.htm
- R.I. Gen. Laws § 12-1-12 — Destruction/sealing of records after acquittal — https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/Statutes/TITLE12/12-1/12-1-12.htm
- United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island — https://www.rid.uscourts.gov/
See also: all Rhode Island counties.