Manhattan is in New York County. The borough of Manhattan and New York County cover the same ground — the island of Manhattan plus the small mainland neighborhood of Marble Hill — but they are two names for two overlapping systems of government. “Manhattan” is the borough, a political division of New York City. “New York County” is the state-level county used for courts, prosecutions, and official legal records. If you go looking for “Manhattan County,” you will not find it; every office you need is filed under one of those two names.
Why There Are Two Names for the Same Place
The borough is a creature of New York City. City-run functions — voting, property taxes, permits, local service complaints, community board input on land use — use “Manhattan” or borough-specific district numbers. The county is a creature of New York State. Anything that plugs into the statewide court system, state-level prosecution, or official recordkeeping uses “New York County,” even when it happens on the same block as a city office.
That is why a lawsuit filed in Manhattan is captioned in the Supreme Court, New York County, and why a deed for a Manhattan apartment is a New York County record, while the same owner pays property tax to the City of New York as a Manhattan parcel. Both names are correct. They just belong to different paperwork.
Which Name to Use for Which Task
A quick guide to the common ones:
- Filing or searching a court case: New York County.
- Criminal prosecution: the New York County District Attorney’s Office, which handles state criminal cases arising in Manhattan under New York County Law Section 700.1New York State Senate. New York County Law 700 – District Attorney Powers and Duties
- Property deeds, mortgages, and liens: New York County records, searched through the city’s ACRIS system.2NYC Department of Finance. ACRIS
- Business certificates for sole proprietors and general partnerships: New York County Clerk.3New York State Unified Court System. New York County Clerk’s Office
- Jury duty: New York County, administered by the County Clerk acting as jury commissioner.3New York State Unified Court System. New York County Clerk’s Office
- Marriage licenses: the Office of the City Clerk (Manhattan).4City Clerk – New York City. Marriage License
- Birth and death certificates: the New York City Health Department, not the County Clerk.5NYC Health. Birth Certificates
- Land use input, block party permits, local complaints: Manhattan community boards, through the Borough President’s office.6Mayor’s Community Affairs Unit. About Community Boards
When in doubt, the pattern holds: if it is a court, a prosecutor, or an official legal record, it is New York County. If it is a city service, it is Manhattan.
Courts in New York County
Several courts sit within New York County under Article VI of the New York State Constitution, which sets up the state’s unified court system.7New York State Senate. New York Constitution Article VI – Judiciary Each has its own jurisdiction, and filing in the wrong one wastes time.
Supreme Court, New York County
Despite the name, this is the trial-level court of general jurisdiction, not the state’s highest court. It splits into Civil and Criminal branches. The Criminal Branch hears felony cases where a conviction could result in more than 364 days of incarceration. The Civil Branch handles money claims above $50,000, the ceiling for the lower Civil Court.8New York State Senate. New York State Senate Bill 2021-S9377 Attorneys file through the NYSCEF electronic filing system, and the public can search filings as a guest.9New York State Unified Court System. NYS Courts Electronic Filing
Civil Court and Small Claims
The New York City Civil Court hears monetary disputes up to $50,000, a cap raised from $25,000 in January 2022.8New York State Senate. New York State Senate Bill 2021-S9377 Within it, a Small Claims Part lets individuals sue for up to $10,000 without a lawyer, with evening sessions and simplified procedure.
Criminal Court
The New York City Criminal Court in Manhattan handles misdemeanors, violations, and arraignments. Under New York Penal Law Section 70.15, the maximum sentence for any misdemeanor is 364 days, and that cap applies retroactively to earlier misdemeanor convictions.10New York State Senate. New York Penal Law 70.15 – Sentences of Imprisonment for Misdemeanors and Violation Felony cases are arraigned here and then move to the Supreme Court’s Criminal Branch for trial.
Housing Court
Manhattan Housing Court, at 111 Centre Street, is a division of the Civil Court that handles landlord-tenant matters only: evictions, repair disputes, and lease violations.11NYC311. Housing Court for Tenants and Landlords A landlord cannot legally remove a tenant without filing here first. Tenants facing eviction can often connect with free legal representation through city-funded programs at the courthouse.
Surrogate’s Court
The New York County Surrogate’s Court handles probate, estate administration, and adoptions. When a Manhattan resident dies, this is where the will is probated and an executor or administrator is appointed. If there is no will, the court oversees distribution under New York’s intestacy laws, and it also appoints guardians for minors whose parents have died.
Property Records: City Register, Not County Clerk
Manhattan property documents are not kept by the New York County Clerk. They are recorded by the City Register and searched through ACRIS, run by the New York City Department of Finance. ACRIS holds Manhattan records from 1966 forward — deeds, mortgages, liens — and lets you search by party name, borough-block-lot number, or document type and view scanned images.2NYC Department of Finance. ACRIS If you were expecting to walk into the County Clerk at 60 Centre Street for a deed, this is the correction: court records live with the Clerk; property records live with the Register.
A Note on Marble Hill
New York County is not only the island. Marble Hill, a small neighborhood physically attached to the Bronx mainland, is part of the borough of Manhattan and therefore part of New York County. Residents there use the same Manhattan city services and the same New York County courts and recordkeeping as anyone on the island.
The New York County Clerk’s Office
The County Clerk, at 60 Centre Street in Lower Manhattan, is Clerk of the Supreme Court and keeps the court’s permanent case records.3New York State Unified Court System. New York County Clerk’s Office The office also processes business certificates for sole proprietors and general partnerships operating under a name other than the owner’s legal name. Corporations filing assumed names go through the New York Department of State in Albany instead.12New York Department of State. Certificate of Assumed Name for Domestic and Foreign Business Corporations The Clerk authenticates notary signatures and maintains records for notaries who have filed certificates of official character in the county, though new notary commissions themselves are now issued by the Department of State.13New York Department of State. Become a Notary Public
If you remember one thing: for legal paperwork in Manhattan, write “New York County.” For a city service, “Manhattan” is fine. Both will get you to the right desk once you know which system you are in.