St. Lawrence County
St. Lawrence County was established in 1802 from parts of Albany County and named for Saint Lawrence of Rome. The county is New York's largest county by land, occupying about 2,680 square miles of land area. As of 2022, 108,670 persons reside in St. Lawrence County, while its county seat is Canton.
The trial courts in St. Lawrence County include the Supreme Court, a County Court, a Family Court, a Surrogate Court, two City Courts, and several Town/Justice Courts. The Supreme and County Courts in St. Lawrence County are part of New York's 4th Judicial District. Being the general jurisdiction court, the Supreme Court handles all civil and criminal cases outside the scope of other courts. On the other hand, the St. Lawrence County Court presides over felony trials and civil claims for up to $25,000. The County Court also has appellate authority over appeals from Town and City Courts. St. Lawrence County has a City Court in Ogdensburg City that hears misdemeanors and some city ordinance violations. The City Court judge typically resolves civil actions involving financial disputes below $15,000 and conducts felony pre-trials. In St. Lawrence County, the Surrogate's Court addresses probate matters related to contested estates, wills, and guardianships, while the Juvenile Court deals with child custody disputes, spousal supports, adoptions, truancy, and juvenile delinquencies. The Town/Village/Justice Courts settle landlord-tenant disputes, ordinance violations, and small claims cases.
St. Lawrence County court records are publicly accessible, as required by the New York Freedom of Information Law. Therefore, interested persons can view digital copies online or request paper copies from the St. Lawrence County Clerk. Court records provide details on case filings, evidence, transcripts, case numbers, dispositions, filing dates, names of involved parties, hearing dates, and locations. These records are useful for research, investigations, and future references. The County Clerk maintains the following court records in St. Lawrence County:
- Civil records
- Criminal court records
- Family records
- Land records
- Probate records
- Small claims records
Interested persons can obtain these documents by sending completed request forms to the court clerk at:
St. Lawrence County Clerk
48 Court Street
Canton, NY 13617
Phone: (315) 379-2237
Requesters can also view St. Lawrence County public court records online via the New York eCourts. Note that the state's FOI Law prohibits public access to certain confidential court records, including sealed, juvenile, adoption, and mental health court records. Access to confidential records in St. Lawrence County is possible if interested persons provide valid IDs or court orders granting them access.
