Each U.S. county has a county clerk responsible for maintaining records of births, marriages, deaths, and divorces that occurred in that county. So, when a couple’s divorce is finalized, a new divorce record containing information on the divorce and the parties involved is created and filed.
These are considered public records in nearly every state, meaning anyone can access them through the county clerk. However, there are some exceptions. For example, divorce records may be sealed to protect victims of domestic violence or hide sensitive financial information. In addition, New York state’s divorce records are not public and are sealed for 100 years.