Ontario County
Ontario County was founded in 1789 and named for Lake Ontario. The county seat is Canandaigua. It has about 644.1 square miles of land, making it the 34th largest county in New York State by total area. Ontario County has approximately 112,458 residents and is known for its recreational activities and agricultural heritage. The judicial system of Ontario County consists of a County Court, Family Court, Surrogate Court, Supreme Court, two separate City Courts, as well as 17 Town and Village Courts.
The Ontario Supreme Court is a trial court with broad jurisdiction over most civil cases and certain criminal cases involving felonies, divorce, contract disputes, and civil claims over $25,000. It hears appeals from lower courts. Ontario County Court handles most criminal cases and some civil cases, including misdemeanors, evictions, some preliminary hearings for felonies, and civil claims below $25,000. Cases involving domestic relations, juvenile matters, and abuse are handled by Ontario County Family Court.
The Ontario County Surrogate Court handles cases related to the affairs of decedents, including probate of wills, administration of estates, and guardianships. Cases involving petty thefts, assaults, traffic violations within the city, and civil claims up to $15,000 are handled by the City Courts. Town Court and Village Courts hear cases involving local matters, such as traffic infractions and landlord/tenant disputes. Notably, they only handle cases within their territories.
Ontario County court records consist of case briefs, files, and information generated from cases handled within the county jurisdiction. These records include dockets, summaries, and transcripts. The residents of Ontario County have the right to view and access public court records under the New York Freedom of Information Law. In some instances, court documents that could endanger the life and safety of any residents are restricted from public access. Court records exempted from public access include personal information, adoption records, juvenile records, and sealed court documents. Publicly available Ontario county court records include:
- Probate Records
- Civil Records
- Criminal Records
- Traffic Records
The Ontario Clerk's Office is responsible for organizing and keeping court records. The county court records may be obtained online through the County Clerk Online Services upon request or by mailing a request to the County Clerk's Office at:
Ontario County Clerk's Office
20, Ontario St.
Canandaigua, NY 14424.
The Clerk charges $1.30 per document for each requested record. Notably, the Ontario County Clerk does not accept court record requests over the phone.
