| Superior Court Clerk | Superior Court Clerk — Providence County (Licht Judicial Complex) |
|---|---|
| Clerk address | Licht Judicial Complex (Superior Court), 250 Benefit Street, Providence, RI 02903; Garrahy Judicial Complex (District & Family Court), One Dorrance Plaza, Providence, RI 02903 |
| Phone | Superior Court Clerk (401) 222-3250 |
| 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 |
Providence County has no county government and no county clerk. Trial-court records for the county are split among three separate Rhode Island Judiciary offices, all clerked separately: the Superior Court clerk at the Licht Judicial Complex handles felonies, larger civil suits, and equity matters (and, because Providence and Bristol County share one Superior Court division, also Bristol County Superior Court cases); the District Court, 6th Division clerk at the Garrahy Judicial Complex handles misdemeanors, arraignments, and smaller civil claims for Providence, Pawtucket, Woonsocket, Central Falls, East Providence, and several towns; and the Family Court, Providence/Bristol Division clerk, also at Garrahy, handles divorce, custody, and juvenile matters.
There is no county-level probate office. Each city and town in the county — Providence, Cranston, Pawtucket, Woonsocket, and the rest — runs its own probate court for wills, estates, and guardianships, usually clerked by the town or city clerk. The City of Providence is the exception: its charter creates a separately elected Clerk of the Probate Court.
Case status and docket information for Superior, District, and Family Court cases statewide, including Providence County, is searchable through the Rhode Island Judiciary Public Portal rather than through any county-specific website.
Search Providence County court records online
Superior Court Clerk
Superior Court Clerk — Providence County (Licht Judicial Complex)
- 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 in Providence County (this division also handles Bristol County Superior Court matters)
- Records
- Civil, Criminal, Family
Clerk: Stephen T. Burke. Address: 250 Benefit Street, Providence, RI 02903. Phone: (401) 222-3250.
Other courts
District Court, 6th Division (Garrahy Judicial Complex)
- Cost
- Free to view the docket; fees apply for copies
- Coverage
- Misdemeanors, felony arraignments, small claims, and civil cases up to $10,000 for Providence, Pawtucket, Woonsocket, Central Falls, East Providence, and the towns of Barrington, Bristol, Burrillville, Cumberland, and Warren
- Records
- Civil, Criminal, Traffic
Address: One Dorrance Plaza, Providence, RI 02903. Phone: (401) 458-3480. This division also covers Bristol County towns.
Other courts
Family Court, Providence/Bristol Division (Garrahy Judicial Complex)
- Cost
- Free to view the docket; fees apply for copies
- Coverage
- Divorce, custody, child support, domestic abuse, and juvenile cases for Providence and Bristol 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
The Rhode Island Judiciary Public Portal shows docket entries, parties, and hearing information for non-confidential Superior, District, Family, and Workers' Compensation Court cases statewide, including every court sitting in Providence County. It does not include document images for most filings and does not include probate records, which each city or town keeps on its own. Confidential case types — juvenile, abuse/neglect, and sealed or expunged records — never appear.
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
Providence County clerk offices
Licht Judicial Complex (Superior Court), 250 Benefit Street, Providence, RI 02903; Garrahy Judicial Complex (District & Family Court), One Dorrance Plaza, Providence, RI 02903
Phone: Superior Court Clerk (401) 222-3250
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m. (Rhode Island Judiciary posted courthouse hours)
Superior Court records. Request copies in person at the Licht Judicial Complex clerk's office, or by mail 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. Family Court juvenile and abuse/neglect files require a formal motion to access even for parties to the case.
Probate records. Contact the clerk of the probate court in the city or town where the person lived — for example, the Providence Probate Court on the fifth floor of Providence City Hall — rather than any county or state office.
Older records. Closed Providence County case files that are no longer needed for active court business may be transferred to 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
Is there a Providence County clerk's office?
No. Rhode Island counties have no government, so there is no single "Providence County clerk." Records are split among the Superior Court clerk (Licht Judicial Complex), the District Court, 6th Division clerk, and the Family Court, Providence/Bristol Division clerk, both at the Garrahy Judicial Complex.
Where do I search for a case filed in Providence County?
Use the Rhode Island Judiciary Public Portal for docket information on any non-confidential case, or contact the specific court clerk's office directly for copies or older records.
Where is probate handled in Providence County?
By the city or town where the person lived, not by the county. Providence has its own elected Clerk of the Probate Court; other cities and towns in the county use their town or city clerk.
Does the Providence Superior Court also handle Bristol County cases?
Yes. Providence and Bristol Counties share one Superior Court division, seated at the Licht Judicial Complex in Providence, because Bristol County does not have its own Superior Court courthouse.
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
- City of Providence — Probate Court — https://www.providenceri.gov/probate-court/
- 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.