Getting arrested in New York City starts a process that can feel confusing and slow, both for the person arrested and for the family waiting to hear what’s going on. The good news is that it follows the same basic steps in all five boroughs: Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island.
Think of it like a relay race. The NYPD carries the case first, then hands it to the district attorney, then to a defense lawyer, and finally to a judge. Below, we walk through every handoff, from the precinct to Central Booking to the first court hearing. Click any question to jump to the answer.
The arresting officer takes the person to the NYPD precinct that covers the neighborhood where the arrest happened. That’s where the paperwork begins. The person is searched, and officers:
The fingerprints go to the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS). DCJS checks them against statewide records and sends back a criminal history report, sometimes called a “rap sheet.” If the person has been fingerprinted in New York before, their NYSID number (New York State ID number) comes back too. While all of this happens, the person usually waits in a holding cell at the precinct.
A desk appearance ticket is a written order to come to court on a set date. When police give someone a DAT, the person goes home from the precinct instead of waiting in a cell for a judge. It’s still a real arrest and a real criminal case. The ticket just lets the person skip the overnight wait.
Under New York law, police are generally required to give a DAT for most misdemeanors and class E felonies (the lowest level of felony). There are exceptions. People may still be held for arraignment if they have an open warrant, if the charge involves domestic violence or certain sex offenses, or if the police can’t confirm who they are.
Don’t ignore a DAT. Missing the court date can lead to a warrant for the person’s arrest. The ticket lists the courthouse and date. If you have questions about it, call the NYC Criminal Court Information Line at (646) 386-4500.
If the person doesn’t get a DAT, police transport them from the precinct to Central Booking. Each borough has one Central Booking location, inside or right next to that borough’s criminal courthouse. People wait there in holding cells, often with many others, until their case is ready for a judge. Here are the courthouses the Central Booking sites feed into:
Family members can’t visit people in Central Booking. The best thing you can do is go to the courthouse arraignment courtroom and wait for the case to be called.
A staff member from the New York City Criminal Justice Agency (CJA) talks with most people while they wait for arraignment. CJA is a nonprofit that works in every borough’s courthouse around the clock.
The interview is short. CJA asks things like where the person lives, how long they’ve lived there, whether they work or go to school, and who can confirm that information. CJA may call a family member to check the answers, so it helps to pick up calls from unknown numbers if someone you love was just arrested. CJA uses the answers to fill out a Release Assessment, a score the judge sees that helps predict whether the person will come back to court.
The CJA interview is not about the arrest itself. It’s best for the person not to talk about what happened with anyone except their lawyer.
Each borough has its own elected District Attorney: Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island. While the person is in Central Booking, an assistant district attorney (ADA) reviews the arrest. The ADA talks with the arresting officer, reads the reports and decides what to charge. This step is often called “writing up the complaint.”
The criminal complaint is the official paper that lists the charges. Sometimes the DA charges something lower or higher than what the police first wrote. Sometimes the DA declines to prosecute, which means the case is dropped and the person is released without ever seeing a judge.
Right before arraignment. Once the complaint is ready, the person is brought to a small interview booth behind the courtroom to meet a defense lawyer. If they have hired a private lawyer, that lawyer can meet them there.
People who can’t afford a lawyer are assigned one at no cost at arraignment. Depending on the borough, that lawyer may come from:
This meeting is usually quick, so it helps if family members come to the courthouse. They can tell the lawyer about the person’s job, school, home, health needs and family. Those details can help the lawyer argue for release.
Arraignment is the first time the person stands in front of a judge. It’s usually over in just a few minutes. The judge:
Some small cases are settled right there, for example with a plea to a lesser charge or a dismissal down the road if the person stays out of trouble. For felonies, the case may later go to a grand jury.
Arraignment courtrooms keep long hours. Brooklyn and the Bronx hear arraignments daily from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. Manhattan runs from 8:00 a.m. (Monday through Wednesday) or 9:00 a.m. (Thursday through Sunday) until 1:00 a.m. Queens holds them every day from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Staten Island goes from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on weekdays and 9:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on weekends.
New York’s highest court ruled in 1991 (in a case called People ex rel. Maxian v. Brown) that a person held after arrest should be brought before a judge within about 24 hours, unless there’s a good reason for the delay. Most people are arraigned within that window.
Busy nights, holidays and weekends can push it longer, though. Arrests that happen late at night or on a Saturday can mean a long wait. A desk appearance ticket, on the other hand, can get someone out of the precinct in just a few hours.
At the precinct, police take items like phones, wallets, keys, belts, shoelaces and jewelry. Each item is written down on a property form called an invoice (sometimes called a voucher), and the person should get a copy. Some personal items, like a small amount of cash or ID, may travel with them. Other things are stored by the NYPD.
Anything the police keep as evidence stays with the NYPD until the case is over. To get stored property back, the person usually needs the invoice number and photo ID. Items held as evidence often also need a release from the district attorney. If the person ends up in a city jail, belongings that go with them are stored by the Department of Correction and returned on release.
The NYC Criminal Court Information Line, (646) 386-4500, can also answer general questions about a case and when it will be heard.
If the judge releases the person, they walk out of the courthouse that day with a paper showing their next court date. If bail is set and paid right away, they can leave too.
If bail isn’t paid, court officers hand the person over to the NYC Department of Correction. They’re then taken by bus to a city jail, usually on Rikers Island. Some Manhattan cases go to the Manhattan Detention Complex at 125 White Street instead. At the jail, the person goes through intake: another ID check, a medical and mental health screening by Correctional Health Services, a clothing and property check, and then a housing assignment.
Family can still pay bail after the person reaches jail. The Rikers Island Central Cashier and the Manhattan Detention Complex both accept bail 24 hours a day.
Yes. Because of New York’s Raise the Age law, 16- and 17-year-olds are no longer treated as adults for most crimes. Police must notify a parent or guardian, and young people are questioned only in special rooms set aside for juveniles. They are never placed in adult jails.
Teens charged with misdemeanors usually go to Family Court. Those charged with felonies start in the Youth Part of the borough’s criminal courthouse, and many of those cases are sent on to Family Court. If a teen has to be held, they go to one of the city’s juvenile centers:
This page explains the usual steps after an arrest in New York City and is not legal advice. For questions about a specific case, speak with the defense lawyer or call the NYC Criminal Court Information Line at (646) 386-4500.