PRACTICES / CERTIFICATE OF DISPOSITION

SPODEK LAW GROUP P.C. · NEW YORK · WE OWE LOYALTY TO ONLY YOU

Certificate of Disposition - raised court seal, retrieved for you.

Jobs, immigration, bail collateral, sealing motions, dismissed or sealed cases. We obtain Certificates of Disposition in all five NYC boroughs - and nationwide. Risk-free consultation. Ask us anything.

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THE DOCUMENT · RAISED COURT SEAL

What is a Certificate of Disposition?

A Certificate of Disposition is a document that details the current status or the final disposition of a criminal case. The Certificate of Disposition will have the raised court seal.

It tells a third party - an employer, licensing board, bail bondsman, immigration officer, or judge - what happened in that case: the charges, the outcome, the conviction date if any, and the sentence.

New York CourtHelp puts it plainly: when you apply for a job, you may be asked to get one for each of your convictions. Immigrant Defense Project and CUNY Citizenship Now go further - get a Certificate of Disposition for every arrest, ticket, or summons that went into criminal court, including cases that were dismissed or sealed.

It is the most accurate single-case record the court will issue. It is not already sitting in your court file. You have to request it from the clerk of the court that handled your case.

BAIL EXONERATION

What is a Certificate of Disposition for bail exoneration?

A Certificate of Disposition can state that bail was exonerated in a criminal case. If you posted a bond and the criminal case is now over, you will need a Certificate of Disposition that states the bail was exonerated in order to get your collateral back.

The bail bondsman will require one with the raised court seal. A photocopy without the seal is usually not enough to release collateral.

TURNAROUND

What is the turnaround time?

Generally, it takes one week. Sometimes factors outside our control delay the process. Rush service is available.

DELIVERY

How will I receive my certificates?

Upon receipt of your Certificate of Disposition, we upload it to our online case management system and mail out the original by first-class mail. Overnight shipping is available if you need it sooner.

GET STARTED

What do I need to get started?

Please use the intake form on this page - authorization and intake details. Fill it out as completely as possible. For sealed or dismissed cases, return an original notarized authorization to our office so we can pull the certificate on the first trip.

01

Authorization + intake

Complete the form as fully as you can - name, DOB, borough, arrest date, docket if known.

02

Notarized release (sealed / dismissed)

If the case was dismissed or sealed - or you are not sure - send an original notarized authorization regardless. That way you avoid paying for a second trip.

03

Payment

Credit card, check, cash, or PayPal. Payments can be made online at spodeklawgroup.com/payments.

Start the intake form (347) 292-8608 - Certificate of Disposition desk →

WHEN THERE IS NO CERTIFICATE

Voided arrests and undocketed releases.

VOIDED ARREST

Arrested but never ultimately charged

If you were arrested by NYPD or another agency and they declined to press formal charges, that is called a voided arrest. We can obtain your official New York Criminal History Search or an FBI criminal history to confirm that no voided arrest is on your record.

CENTRAL BOOKING RELEASE

Arrested, then released from central booking

If you were arrested, brought to central booking for arraignment, and let go because the District Attorney declined to prosecute, you were never docketed - and there is no Certificate of Disposition available. We can obtain an undocketed-arrest letter or a 343 letter on your behalf.

We can assist you in obtaining the necessary documents. Call us at (347) 292-8608.

What people confuse it with.

THE MOST EXPENSIVE MISTAKE IS THE WRONG PAPER

Certificate of Disposition

One case. Court-sealed. Proves the outcome. Does not restore rights or seal anything by itself.

OCA CHRS search

Statewide name/DOB search (~$95). Not certified. Sealed cases usually omitted. OCA warns: do not confuse it with a CoD.

Certificate of Relief from Disabilities

May lift certain legal bars for eligible people. Does not erase the conviction. Not a CoD.

Certificate of Good Conduct

Often for two or more felonies (or public office). Broader coverage than a CRD. Still not a CoD.

CPL 160.59 sealing order

Hides eligible old convictions from many employers. Immigration can still see them. A CoD is usually required to apply.

MTA TAB disposition letter

For many subway/bus violations. Different office than Criminal Court. "No records" often means go to Criminal Court.

WHY PEOPLE NEED THIS PAPER

When a Certificate of Disposition is the document that moves the next step.

01

Jobs & background checks

Employers often ask for a CoD for each conviction - not a printed RAP sheet or CHRS printout.

02

Immigration & citizenship

USCIS commonly wants certified court dispositions for arrests - including old, dismissed, or sealed cases. Disclose carefully with counsel.

03

CPL 160.59 sealing

A Certificate of Disposition for each conviction is usually required before the sealing motion is filed.

04

Licenses & housing

Boards and agencies want the official outcome, not a third-party summary that may be wrong or incomplete.

05

Gun licensing

NY permit offices routinely demand disposition papers. Sealed cases still create paperwork problems - honesty beats silence.

06

Bail return & corrections

Bondsmen require a sealed Certificate of Disposition stating bail was exonerated before returning collateral. People also use CoDs to dispute wrong statuses on commercial screens.

THE PROCESS

How to get a Certificate of Disposition in New York.

NYC courts generally charge $10. Outside NYC, many courts charge $5. Public assistance recipients can often ask for a fee waiver with a NYS Benefit ID. Always confirm payment rules with that clerk before you go.

01

Find the right court

Go to the court that handled the case - Criminal Court vs Supreme/Criminal Term can differ by borough and charge. Multi-borough history means multiple requests.

02

Bring what the clerk needs

Photo ID. Docket or indictment number if you have it. Otherwise full name, date of birth, and often arrest date. Exact-change or accepted payment for the fee.

03

In person or by mail

Most courts do not issue these online. Mail can take about a week or more. Older or archived cases can take longer - call first.

04

Sealed or third-party pickup

If the case is sealed, expect a notarized statement. If someone else is picking it up, they need a notarized authorization from the defendant.

05

Read it before you rely on it

Confirm the charges, dates, and outcome match what you remember. Then decide the next move - job packet, immigration file, sealing motion, or relief certificate.

NYC COURT LEDGER

Where to go in the five boroughs.

Rooms and counters move. Call the court locator or clerk before you leave. MTA Transit Adjudication Bureau is a different stop for many subway tickets.

Manhattan

NEW YORK COUNTY

Criminal Court · 100 Centre St

Supreme Criminal Term · same complex, different room

Bronx

BRONX COUNTY

Criminal Court · 215 E 161st St

Supreme Criminal Term · 265 E 161st St

Brooklyn

KINGS COUNTY

Criminal Court · 120 Schermerhorn St

Supreme Criminal Term · 320 Jay St

Queens

QUEENS COUNTY

Criminal Court · 125-01 Queens Blvd

Supreme Criminal Term · same complex, different room

Staten Island

RICHMOND COUNTY

Confirm current Criminal Court counter before you travel

Supreme Criminal Term often at 26 Central Ave

MTA / TRANSIT TICKETS

Many MTA citations need a disposition letter from the Transit Adjudication Bureau (Brooklyn), not Criminal Court. Outstanding tickets can block the letter. A "no records" letter often means the case was NYPD / Criminal Court after all.

NEED HELP MAPPING IT →

SEALED RECORDS

Sealed does not mean unreachable.

If the case is sealed and you are the defendant, bring picture ID. You may need a notarized statement. If someone else requests the Certificate of Disposition, they need a notarized letter from you authorizing release.

IMMIGRATION CAUTION

Sealing is not invisibility to USCIS.

Under New York's CPL 160.59 sealing rules, immigration authorities can still see sealed convictions. Suppressing a case on an N-400 or other application is far more dangerous than the paper trail itself. Get the dispositions first - then talk strategy with counsel.

AFTER YOU HAVE THE CERTIFICATE

The CoD is usually the first page - not the last move.

01

Sealing under CPL 160.59

Eligible people with limited convictions may ask a court to seal after roughly ten crime-free years from sentence or release from incarceration. A CoD for each conviction is usually step one. Sex offenses, violent felonies, Class A felonies, and certain other crimes are ineligible.

02

Certificate of Relief / Good Conduct

These may remove certain legal disabilities for employment, licenses, or housing. They do not erase the conviction. A CoD proves what happened; a relief certificate addresses what the conviction blocks.

03

Immigration packets

Certified dispositions belong in the binder before the interview. Photocopies alone are often not enough. Timing matters - do not wait until the week before naturalization.

04

Wrong background report

If a commercial screen lists a wrong open case or conviction, a CoD is the cleanest proof to dispute it. Pair the paper with a written correction demand.

SPEAK WITH US · IN ENGLISH OR SPANISH

Office visits, payments, and phone help.

CALL

(347) 292-8608

Ask about your situation. Spanish-speaking assistance available at the same number.

VISIT

Main office

100 Church Street, 8th Floor
New York, NY 10007
Please contact us before you come by.

PAY

Credit card · check · cash · PayPal

Pay online at www.spodeklawgroup.com/payments.

THE RECORD · PRIOR RESULTS DO NOT GUARANTEE A SIMILAR OUTCOME

Acquitted.

$26M MONEY LAUNDERING

Dismissed.

RICO · 10-YEAR MINIMUM FACED

Not guilty.

ALL COUNTS · TRIAL · 2025

ALL RESULTS →

WHEN DIY STOPS WORKING

Many people get their own Certificate of Disposition. Call us when the clerk says no - or when the next step is bigger than the paper.

Spodek Law Group P.C. is a second-generation New York firm. We owe loyalty to only you - not to prosecutors, not to the courthouse, not to another client's deadline.

01

The clerk will not release it

Sealed file. Missing authorization. Family member turned away. We know the notarized path and when counsel of record can retrieve it.

02

You cannot find the case

Old dockets, wrong borough, pre-computer arrests, or an MTA/Criminal Court mix-up. We map the paper trail before you waste a day in the wrong room.

03

Immigration stakes

What the disposition language means for admissibility, naturalization, or relief applications is often the real question - the certificate is the evidence.

04

Sealing or relief strategy

A stack of CoDs is the beginning of a sealing motion or a Certificate of Relief / Good Conduct plan - not a substitute for either.

SELLING POINTS

Many firms mail a brochure. We read the disposition language with you.

Typical firm: "go to the clerk," a form letter, no plan for sealing, immigration, or a sealed-case brick wall. You leave still unsure what the paper allows you to do next.

Spodek Law Group P.C.: senior counsel available 24/7, same-day strategy, loyalty to only you. We help retrieve difficult records, then sequence sealing, relief certificates, or immigration disclosure when that is the real fight.

The team on your case.

MANAGING PARTNER

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COUNSEL'S NOTES · CERTIFICATE OF DISPOSITION

The questions people ask before they stand at the clerk's window.

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Why do employers and schools keep asking for this specific paper?

Hands typing case notes at the firm — FIG. - THIRD PARTIES WANT A COURT SEAL

Because a Certificate of Disposition is the court talking - not a database vendor summarizing you. New York CourtHelp states that employers may ask you to get one for each conviction. That is different from a private background report that can lag, misfire, or omit sealed context.

A CoD is also what immigration counsel and sealing motions lean on. It is specific to one docket. If you have three cases in three boroughs, expect three certificates - and three trips or mail requests - unless counsel coordinates retrieval.

If someone asks for "your RAP sheet" or "your CHRS," pause. Those documents answer different questions. Giving the wrong packet delays jobs, licenses, and interviews.

What should I do if the case is old, sealed, or I have no docket number?

Todd Spodek at the office window — FIG. - ARCHIVED FILES · NOTARIZED RELEASE

Bring photo ID, your full legal name (and aliases you used then), date of birth, and the best arrest date you can reconstruct. Clerks search without docket numbers every day - but vagueness slows them down.

For sealed cases, plan on notarized paper if you are sending someone else. Forums and Avvo threads are full of spouses and parents who were turned away at the window. That is not the clerk being difficult for sport - it is the sealing rule working as designed.

Archived or decades-old files can take longer than a same-day counter request. Ask for a turnaround estimate when you submit. If the court cannot locate anything, ask whether a "no record" letter can be issued - gun boards and some agencies accept that as proof of a good-faith search.

I have the Certificate of Disposition. Should I seal, apply for relief, or do nothing?

Client journey collage — FIG. - SEALING · RELIEF · DISCLOSURE

It depends on the goal. A CoD proves the past. Sealing under CPL 160.59 can hide eligible old convictions from many private employers - with hard eligibility limits and a motion process. Certificates of Relief or Good Conduct can lift certain legal disabilities without erasing the conviction.

Immigration is a separate channel. Sealing does not make a conviction invisible to USCIS. If citizenship, a green card, or travel is on the table, do not treat a sealing order as permission to deny the case ever existed.

This is where Spodek Law Group P.C. earns the call. We read the disposition language, the timelines, and the arena you are about to enter - employment, licensing, sealing, or immigration - and we tell you the next paper that actually helps. Risk-free consultation. Ask us anything.

Your question is not here? Ask us anything - it is risk-free →

WHY PEOPLE CALL US FIRST

We owe loyalty to only you.

Whether you need the certificate itself, a sealing path, or immigration-safe disclosure advice - start with counsel before the wrong paper locks you into a timeline. Risk-free consultation. Answered within 24 hours, guaranteed.

Speak first with counsel

ALL 50 STATES

Certificate of Disposition by state.

Every state page keeps the Certificate of Disposition name you search for - then names what the local clerk actually certifies.

Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming

FAQ

Certificate of Disposition questions - ask us anything.

What is a Certificate of Disposition?

A Certificate of Disposition is a document that details the current status or the final disposition of a criminal case. It will have the raised court seal.

What is a Certificate of Disposition for bail exoneration?

It is a Certificate of Disposition that states bail was exonerated. If you posted a bond and the case is over, the bail bondsman typically requires a sealed certificate showing bail was exonerated before returning collateral.

What is the turnaround time?

Generally one week. Factors outside our control can delay the process. Rush service is available. After we receive the certificate, we upload it to our case management system and mail the original by first-class mail. Overnight shipping is available if you need it sooner.

What do I need to get started?

Complete the authorization and intake form on this page as completely as possible. For sealed or dismissed cases - or if you are not sure - send an original notarized authorization so we do not need a second trip to the clerk.

What happens if the case was dismissed or sealed?

We need an original notarized authorization to obtain the Certificate of Disposition. If you do not know whether the case was dismissed or sealed, send an original notarized authorization anyway.

Can you obtain Certificates of Disposition from other states?

Yes. We can obtain Certificates of Disposition from all over the United States. Contact us at (347) 292-8608.

How can I pay?

Credit card, check, cash, or PayPal. Payments can be made online at www.spodeklawgroup.com/payments.

Can I come by your office or speak with someone in Spanish?

Yes. Contact us to visit our main office at 100 Church Street, 8th Floor, New York, NY 10007. Call (347) 292-8608 - Spanish-speaking assistance is available at the same number.

What if I was arrested but never charged, or released from central booking?

A voided arrest (never formally charged) may require a New York Criminal History Search or FBI history instead of a CoD. If you were released from central booking because the DA declined to prosecute and you were never docketed, no Certificate of Disposition exists - we can seek an undocketed-arrest or 343 letter instead.

Is a CHRS the same thing as a Certificate of Disposition?

No. An OCA Criminal History Record Search is a statewide name/date-of-birth search. It is not certified. Employers, bondsmen, and immigration agencies that ask for a Certificate of Disposition want the court-issued sealed document for each case.

Is this the same as a Certificate of Relief or Good Conduct?

No. Those certificates may restore certain rights. A Certificate of Disposition only proves the outcome of a case. Many people eventually need both kinds of paper.