A clerk shall keep books and records in such form and style as may be prescribed by the chief administrator of the courts.
R 9703.Form of records.
Article 97. Records of Clerks of the Courts · Last amended 1990 · Last verified July 21, 2026
In one sentenceCPLR 9703 gives the chief administrator of the courts authority to prescribe the form and style in which clerks keep their books and records.
Full Text of CPLR 9703
Plain-English Summary
CPLR 9703 is a short section that answers a practical question left open by CPLR 9701 and 9702: those sections say what records a clerk must keep, but not what those records have to look like. This section fills that gap by giving the chief administrator of the courts authority to prescribe the form and style of the books and records clerks maintain.
Because the chief administrator can set this form, the specific layout of a judgment-book or an admissions index is not fixed permanently in the statute; it can be standardized or updated administratively across the court system without a legislative amendment to Article 97 itself.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who decides the format of court records under this section?
The chief administrator of the courts prescribes the form and style clerks use for their books and records.
Does this section create new record-keeping obligations?
Can the required format change over time?
The statute does not fix a permanent format; it leaves that to the chief administrator, who can prescribe form and style administratively.
Does this section apply to both Appellate Division clerks and other court clerks?
The text refers to a clerk's books and records generally, without limiting itself to one type of court, so it applies across the record-keeping duties described in this article.
Is this section about the content of court records or their appearance?
It is about form and style, meaning the format in which records are kept, rather than what substantive information they must contain.
Where do I find what records must contain?
CPLR 9701 and 9702 list the substantive records clerks must keep; CPLR 9703 only addresses the form those records take.
Amendment History
Add, L 1962, ch 308, § 1; amd, L 1990, ch 623, § 4, eff July 18, 1990.
Source & verification. Provision text, History, and Advisory
Committee Notes are reproduced verbatim from the Consolidated Laws of New York.
Last verified July 21, 2026.
· Official source
Also known as: CPLR 9703 form of recordschief administrator of the courts record formatNew York clerk record form requirementsCPLR 9703 books and records stylewho prescribes form of court clerk records New York