Albany County
Albany County occupies a land area of 523 square miles on the west bank of the Hudson River in New York. It was established in 1683 and now has a population of about 315,000 residents. The City of Albany, which is New York's capital city, serves as the government seat.
The Albany County court system consists of the Supreme, County, Family, Surrogate, City, and Town/Justice Courts. Being the general jurisdiction court, the Supreme Court presides over all cases that are outside the authority of other trial courts in Albany County. The County Court handles all civil cases over $25,000 and all felony criminal cases.
Albany County has a Family Court that oversees cases involving divorce, child custody, child support, adoption, domestic abuse, and all domestic issues. On the other hand, the Surrogate Court handles probate matters such as wills, estate administration, adoptions, and guardianships. The City Courts, located in Cohoes, Albany, and Watervliet, rule on minor criminal offenses and civil claims under $15,000. Municipal violation cases are within the jurisdiction of Albany County's Municipal Courts.
Albany County public court records, maintained by the County Clerk, contain information on various court proceedings. These records include dockets, court judgments, dispositions, subpoenas, and case filings. Court records available to the public include the following:
- Civil court records
- Criminal court records
- Probate records
- Family court records
Anyone can get Albany County public court records by mail, email, or call the County Clerk at (518) 487-5100. Note that documents showing juvenile and adoption cases contain sensitive information and are restricted from public view.
You can also get Albany County court records online through New York's eCourts portal or the county's Online Record Search. To make the search easier, it's important to have key details like case numbers or the names of the defendants, plaintiffs, or offenders. The County Clerk charges a $5 search fee and $0.65 per page for copies of public court records.
