Major New York courts that have kept records of genealogical value include the following:

1638–1664	Director General and Council of New Netherland was the highest court and governing body in New Netherland.
	There are three published volumes for 1638–1660: Van Laer, Arnold J. F. Register of the Provincial Secretary; Council Minutes. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1974 (FHL book 974.7 H2vL; computer number 152204). Each volume is indexed. The records for 1649–1651 have been lost. Remaining records give genealogical information about many early immigrants.
1653–1674	Courts of schouts and schepens were the Dutch courts having criminal and civil jurisdiction. These were replaced by the mayor's court.
	Records of these courts are found in Edmund Bailey O'Callaghan, trans., and Berthold Fernow, ed., The Records of New Amsterdam from 1653 to 1674 Anno Domini, 7 vols. (1897; reprint, Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1976; FHL book 974.71 P2f 1976; vols. 1–4 on film 982184; vols. 5–7 on film 982187; computer number 66671). The index is in volume 7. Immigrants and their occupations are sometimes listed.
1664–1688	Colony of New York records are found in: Christoph, Peter, ed. New York Historical Manuscripts. English. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, Inc., 1980– (FHL book 974.7 H2ny vols. 2–3; computer number 207938). Vol. 2, Books of General Entries of the Colony of New York, 1664–1673. Vol. 3, Books of General Entries of the Colony of New York, 1674–1688. These books list some marriages, divorces, denizations, passports, and court decisions.
1665–1683	Court of Assizes was the highest provincial court. It was established in New York City, hearing both civil and criminal cases. Along with the Court of general sessions of the peace, the Court of Assizes had jurisdiction over probates.
	The records for 1665–1682 have been published as Christoph, Peter R. and Florence A. Christoph, eds., New York Historical Manuscripts: English. Records of the Court of Assizes for the Colony of New York, 1665–1682 (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1983; FHL book 974.7 H2ny v. 4; computer number 207938). The records contain appeals, some probates, and divorce records.
1665–1962	Courts of general sessions of the peace were county courts having jurisdiction over criminal cases such as desertions, vice, apprenticeship disputes, bastardy, and other violations of vice and immorality laws. These courts handled probate matters from 1665 to about 1683. They heard only criminal cases after 1691. Their jurisdiction was transferred to the county court in 1847, except in New York County where the courts of general sessions of the peace continued until 1962.
	Some early quarter sessions records have been published in Kenneth Scott, ed., New York City Court Records, 1684–1804, Genealogical Data from the Court of Quarter Sessions, 4 vols. (Arlington, Va.: National Genealogical Society, 1982–88; FHL book 974.71 P2s; computer number 286576; book 974.71 P2sk, computer number 286586; book 974.71 P2sb, computer number 485650; and book 974.71 P2sc, computer number 485651). Records contain lists of persons involved in cases of stealing, assault, battery, and illegitimacy.
1674–1784	Mayor's court existed in New York City and Albany. It handled civil suits, apprenticeships, and naturalizations. Early records are in Kenneth Scott, ed., New York Historical Manuscripts. Minutes of the Mayor's Court of New York, 1674–1675 (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1983; FHL book 974.7 H2ny v. 5; computer number 207938). This book lists probates, marriages, lawsuits, licenses, names of freemen, and persons taking allegiance oaths. The Mayor's court of Albany was established in 1686 and continued during the colonial period. The records are at the Albany County Hall of Records.
1691–1847	Courts of common pleas were established in each city and county to handle civil cases such as marriages, naturalizations, name changes, probates, exemptions from military duty, lunacy cases, tavern licenses, insolvency cases, old age assistance, manumissions, laying of roads, insolvency, settlement of boundary disputes, and child support and custody. They handled appeals from justices of the peace. The court was replaced by the county court. In New York City, the court of common pleas and the superior court were abolished in 1895 and their activities taken over by the supreme court. The Family History Library has some records of the courts of common pleas.
1683–1895	The court of oyer and terminer and general gaol delivery was a county court that had jurisdiction over capital crimes such as treason and murder. The Family History Library has a few of the records.
1664–pres.	Justice's courts are presided over by justices of the peace who perform marriages, issue summons for debts, and rule on minor civil suits.
1686–1877	The Prerogative Court was headed by the governor or his delegate. It had jurisdiction over all estates in the New York City area and over larger estates elsewhere in New York Colony. The court also registered marriage licenses but did not possess jurisdiction over matrimonial proceedings like divorces. The constitution of 1777 replaced this court with the court of probates.
1691–pres.	The Supreme Court is a statewide court which holds terms in each county. Since 1847, it has heard appeals from the surrogates court. Only in some counties today, usually the largest ones, does the court handle naturalizations. The county clerk is also clerk of the supreme court. The Family History Library has some supreme court records, including New York County indexes for 1754–1910 and minute books for 1704–1847. The records for the years 1691–1704 have been published in Collections of the New-York Historical Society. New York: the Society, 1957–1959. (Not at FHL.)
1778–1823	The Court of Probates handled most probates from 1778–1787. Until 1783 in British-occupied New York City, Long Island, and Staten Island, the Prerogative Court (see above) handled probates also. See the “Probate Records” section of this outline for more information.
1787–pres.	Surrogates Courts are countywide courts with jurisdiction over probates, some adoptions, and guardianships. Before 1787 surrogates were appointed to act in place of the prerogative.
1821–pres.	Circuit courts were the trial terms of the supreme court. The term “circuit court” was not used after 1895. Since 1896, the supreme court has held trial terms periodically in each county.
1683–1847	The Court of Chancery had statewide jurisdiction over civil equity matters, such as mortgage foreclosures, real property proceedings, sale of estates in dower and curtesy, naturalizations, matrimonial disputes, divorces, guardianships, and child custody. It absorbed the court of probate and had appellate jurisdiction over surrogate's courts. After 1847 equity responsibilities were assigned to the supreme court.
	The Records of the New York Court of Chancery, 2nd through 8th Circuits, 1823–47, are now at the state archives. The Records of the New York Court of Chancery, 1st Circuit, 1823–47, which sat in New York, are at the New York County Courthouse, Office of the County Clerk. They contain decrees, files, indexes, minutes, and orders. The Family History Library has some of these for the first circuit, including minutes, 1711–1847; indexes, 1700–1848; and records, 1787–1910.
1847–pres.	County courts are the major trial courts for each county with jurisdiction over criminal matters, minor equity cases, and some appeals. They assumed the duties of the court of common pleas. The Family History Library has some records.