Kings County (Brooklyn), New York — one of New York City's five boroughs — does not have a separate county jail in the traditional sense. Detention is managed by the New York City Department of Correction (NYC DOC), which oversees the entire city jail system. To find publicly available information about individuals currently detained in connection with arrests in Kings County, use KingsNYCourt.us — a resource for searching public court data. Additionally, information can be obtained through the official NYC DOC online tool, by calling 311, or by visiting in person. The inmate registry is updated by NYC DOC and reflects the current detention status, not an archive of all past bookings.
Search Current Inmates in Kings Jail
Individuals arrested in Kings County are processed through the central NYC DOC system. Searches can be conducted in several ways.
Online Search
- Go to Person in Custody Lookup — the official NYC DOC tool.
- Enter the individual's Last Name and First Name. If known, use the NYSID or Book & Case Number for more accurate results.
- The system will display the current detention location, case status, and brief charge information.
Alternatively, KingsNYCourt.us allows searching for publicly available information related to court records of individuals from Kings County. For individuals convicted and transferred to state facilities, use DOCCS Incarcerated Lookup.
The State Commission of Correction also provides a list of inmate locators for searching city, county, and state facilities.
By Phone
Call 311 (within New York City) or (212) NEW-YORK outside the city. An operator can provide inmate location information if you provide the full legal name and date of birth.
In Person
Inquiries can be made directly at the facility's reception where the individual is held. Most NYC DOC facilities are located on Rikers Island, but some are in Brooklyn and Manhattan.
Minors are not displayed in the public registry. Their cases are handled by a separate system and are confidential.
Find Kings Jail Booking Records Online
A booking record is created when an arrested individual is registered at a detention facility. During this process, the following are recorded:
- Booking Number (Book & Case Number)
- Date and time of admission
- List of charges filed
- Arresting agency (usually NYPD)
- Basic identification details of the individual
Basic booking information can be viewed through P.I.C. Lookup. However, the full booking record — including arrest details, photograph, and fingerprints — is not published online.
If you need more detailed information, submit a request under the New York State Freedom of Information Law (FOIL). For NYPD records, use the OpenRecords portal or contact the NYPD Document Production Unit. Note: Under New York law, booking photographs (mugshots) are generally not subject to disclosure unless ordered by a court — as provided by Article 6 of the Public Officers Law.
To obtain an official extract of a criminal history (rap sheet), contact NY DCJS. Individuals can request their own criminal history by submitting fingerprints.
Search the Kings Jail Roster by Last Name or Booking Number
The P.I.C. Lookup system supports two primary search methods.
Search by Last Name
Enter the last name in the "Last Name" field. Adding the first name will narrow the results. A few tips:
- Use the full legal name — aliases and abbreviations are not recognized by the system.
- Check spelling: one letter error can yield an empty result.
- If the last name is common (e.g., Smith or Garcia), be sure to include the first name.
Search by Booking Number
The Book & Case Number is a unique identifier assigned upon registration. It provides an accurate result without needing to guess name spellings. This number is usually provided to an attorney or relatives during the first contact after arrest.
If the Search Shows No Results
- Ensure the individual is still in NYC DOC custody — after release or transfer, the record disappears from the active registry.
- If the person has been convicted and sent to a state facility, search through DOCCS Incarcerated Lookup.
- There may be a delay of several hours between arrest and the record appearing in the system — try again later.
- Call 311 for clarification.
Jail Roster Updates and Search Limitations in Kings
NYC DOC updates the P.I.C. Lookup database throughout the business day, but it is not an instantaneous process. There is usually a delay of several hours to a day between actual booking and the record appearing in the online system — depending on facility workload and time of day.
Main limitations to be aware of:
- Current detention only. The registry shows individuals currently in custody. It is not an archive. After release, bail, or transfer, the record is removed.
- Delays during mass arrests. During periods of increased activity (large NYPD operations, holidays), processing may take longer.
- Data entry errors. Sometimes a last name is entered incorrectly at the registration stage. If you are sure the person should be in the system, but the search yields no results — contact by phone.
- Confidential records. Minors, certain categories of witnesses, and individuals under court protection are not displayed in the public registry.
To obtain historical data on past bookings, a FOIL request must be submitted through the OpenRecords portal. Provide the individual's full name, approximate arrest date, and any known identifiers. Response time is up to five business days, although complex requests may take longer.