Ulster County
Named after Ireland's Ulster province, Ulster County is one of the 12 original counties formed in New York in 1683. It has a land area of about 1,124 square miles and a population of 181,851 residents. The City of Kingston doubles as the county's largest city and seat of government.
Ulster County has six trial courts, including the Supreme Court, County, City, Family, Surrogate, and Town/Village Courts. The Supreme and County Courts in Ulster County are part of New York's 3rd Judicial District. Legal proceedings at the Supreme County include foreclosures, divorces, writ of habeas corpus, and civil equity cases. The County Court handles felonies and civil actions involving financial disputes exceeding $25,000. Ulster County Court judges can also review judgments from the Town/Villages and City Courts. The Kingston City Court presides over contract disputes, personal injuries, and other civil claims under $15,000. It also hears felony pre-trials, traffic crimes, and misdemeanor cases with jail terms of up to one year. The Ulster County Family Court has authority over juvenile and family law cases such as domestic violence, child custody, juvenile delinquency, and alimony. The Surrogate's Court resolves all probate matters, while the Town/Village Courts try eviction disputes, small claims cases, and municipal violations.
The New York Freedom of Information Law mandates public access to records showing details of legal proceedings in Ulster County's trial courts. These records contain party names, attorney names, case filings, hearing dates, court transcripts, dockets, depositions, and court judgments. Court records maintained by the Ulster County Clerk include the following:
- Criminal court records
- Civil records
- Probate records
- Traffic records
- Family records
Ulster County public court records promote accountability and are often used as legal precedents for future cases. As such, anyone can request any court records except sealed, juvenile, adoption, mental health, and other confidential court records. Confidential documents in Ulster County are accessible only to record owners, their attorneys, and other legal representatives. The Clerk provides court records to requesters online, by mail, phone, and in person at:
Ulster County Clerk's Office
244 Fair Street (2nd floor Records Room)
Kingston, NY 12401
Phone: (845) 340-3288
Email: countyclerk@co.ulster.ny.us
An alternative way to find court records online is through the state's eCourts portal. To view court records online, users must input litigants' names, offenders' names, case index numbers, or filing dates.