Providence County, RI Courts and Public Records

Providence County's court locations include the Superior Court at the Licht Judicial Complex and the Family and District Courts at the Garrahy Judicial Complex, both in Providence. The Traffic Tribunal in Cranston hears traffic violations.

Have the full name, case number, and approximate dates ready before you search Providence County records.

Providence County courts are estimated to have handled ~103,673 new cases in CY 2025 and disposed of ~101,178. The estimate scales Rhode Island statewide totals by the county's share of state population.

The largest category movement was in criminal filings, and figures marked with ~ are estimates: Rhode Island statewide figures scaled by Providence County's 60.77% share of the state population.

Estimated total filings in Providence County moved up over the last five years; dispositions are estimated at a similar level.

Estimated filings changed +0.4% between CY 2021 and CY 2025, from 103,303 to ~103,673. The largest annual change was CY 2023. The latest change of +5.0% reflects statewide Rhode Island trends, and figures marked with ~ are estimates scaled by the county's 60.77% share of the state population.

District civil cases are estimated to be the largest category, with ~31,388 of the 91,859 statewide trial-court filings in 2025, or ~34.2%.

These rows are statewide Superior, Family and District Court filings estimated from the 2024 counts and each court's 2025 change (Superior +12.8%, District +10.7%, Family -4.1%), and the Traffic Tribunal is not included.

Providence County is estimated to account for about 60.77% of the 170,609 cases filed in Rhode Island courts in CY 2025. The statewide figure adds Superior, District and Family Court filings to Traffic Tribunal summonses.

These county values are estimates built from statewide Rhode Island figures, so they track the state mix by design. Figures marked with ~ are estimates scaled by Providence County's 60.77% share of the state population.

These figures cover all of Rhode Island, not a single county. From 2023 to 2024, the statewide violent crime rate fell 8.3% while the property crime rate rose 7.4%.

No county-level crime figures are verified, so the county rate cannot be compared with the state rate from verified sources.

Providence County has one Superior Court location, the Licht Judicial Complex in Providence, and Family and District Courts sit at the Garrahy Judicial Complex in Providence. Check your notice for the courthouse and division assigned to your case type before you travel.

Providence County cases are heard at the Superior Court at Licht, the Family and District Courts at Garrahy, and the Traffic Tribunal in Cranston. Find your case type below to see where it goes.

Yes, most Rhode Island court records are public, but sealed cases and confidential case types are excluded under the Judiciary's Public Access Rules.

Public records: Anyone can review public electronic case information and electronic documents at courthouse terminals in the clerk's offices during business hours. Terminals are available at the Superior, Family, District and Workers' Compensation courts and at the Traffic Tribunal.

Restricted or confidential records: Sealed cases and documents, and confidential case types defined by the Public Access Rules, are excluded from access. The Judiciary case information page describes the public access rules for each type of record.

Online access: The Public Portal shows the register of actions, which is the docket, for remote users, not every document. Rhode Island-admitted attorneys who have appeared in a case may view its documents remotely after registering with the Judicial Technology Center at HelpDesk@courts.ri.gov, and state or federal agencies may register through an authorized contact.

In-person access: Visit the Licht Judicial Complex, 250 Benefit Street, Providence, for Superior Court terminals, or the Garrahy Judicial Complex, One Dorrance Plaza, Providence, for Family and District Court terminals. The Traffic Tribunal in Cranston also has terminals.

Use the Public Portal to search county cases by case type, and visit a courthouse terminal or clerk's office for documents that are not online.

1. Identify the case type, such as criminal, traffic, civil, small claims, family law, or juvenile.
2. Open the Public Portal at publicportal.courts.ri.gov.
3. Search by party name or case number, and note the case number from the results.
4. Review the register of actions for the case's docket entries.
5. For documents not online, visit a courthouse terminal or the clerk's office during business hours.

Traffic tickets are paid to the Rhode Island Traffic Tribunal, and the options below are the payment methods the Judiciary lists.

1. Online: Pay the full balance by card through the Public Portal. Limit: covers the full balance only.
2. By mail: Send a check or money order payable to the Rhode Island Traffic Tribunal to 670 New London Avenue, Cranston, RI 02920, and include the summons number. Limit: do not mail cash, and a driver with a third traffic fine in twelve months generally cannot pay by mail and must appear before a judge. Mail payments must reach the court at least seven days before the hearing date.
3. In person: Pay at the Traffic Tribunal, 670 New London Avenue, Cranston, RI 02920, (401) 275-2700. Limit: cash and cards are accepted, according to the Judiciary's payment instructions.
4. Payment plan: If you cannot pay in full, appear at the appropriate clerk's office to request a payment plan. Limit: the request is made in person, and details are on the Overdue Court Fees page.

Parking tickets are paid to the city or town that issued them, not to the Judiciary.