New York Charge Code Lookup

Type a New York charge code from a booking sheet, jail roster or ticket and see which law book and section it points to, with a link to the official text. It runs in your browser and nothing is stored.

Enter a code to see which law book it comes from and open the official text.

New York criminal code books and abbreviations

New York defines offenses in more than one law book, so the abbreviation on the record tells you which one:

  • Penal Law (PL, Penal Law). Sections are written as article.section (120.05), for example 120.05, 155.30, 220.16. See section 120.05
  • Vehicle and Traffic Law (VTL). Sections are written as section (1192, 511), for example 1192, 511. See section 1192
  • Criminal Procedure Law (CPL). Sections are written as article.section (140.20), for example 140.20, 120.90, 170.10. See section 140.20

After an arrest in New York: the first court appearance

After an arrest without a warrant, the police must, without unnecessary delay, bring the person before a local criminal court and file an accusatory instrument. (N.Y. Crim. Proc. Law § 140.20(1))

Upon arresting a person without a warrant, a police officer, after performing without unnecessary delay all recording, fingerprinting and other preliminary police duties required in the particular case, must except as otherwise provided in this section, without unnecessary delay bring the arrested person or cause him to be brought before a local criminal court and file therewith an appropriate accusatory instrument charging him with the offense or offenses in question.

New York courts call this hearing the arraignment.

What this page does not do

  • It does not look up a person, a booking or a case.
  • It does not say what a charge will lead to; the prosecutor decides what is filed.
  • It collects nothing; what you type stays in your browser.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I read a New York charge code?

Find the number and the abbreviation. PL is the Penal Law; VTL is the Vehicle and Traffic Law; CPL is the Criminal Procedure Law. A section is written as article.section (120.05). The lookup above links the official text.

How long can you be held in New York before seeing a judge?

After an arrest without a warrant, the police must, without unnecessary delay, bring the person before a local criminal court and file an accusatory instrument. (N.Y. Crim. Proc. Law § 140.20(1)).

Sources

Checked against the sources above on October 20, 2026.

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