Essex County Court Records

Essex County court records are legal documents and other materials that contain information about legal proceedings handled by the county’s Judiciary. These records document local cases and highlight different milestones in a case, including the initial filings, arguments of opposing sides, and the final disposition. Court records are also used for legal research and can be introduced as evidence establishing legal precedence in a future case.

Generally, Essex court records contain basic information about cases, such as case numbers, names of involved parties, and filing dates. Additionally, court records comprise different documents, including but not limited to motions, court dockets, pleadings, judgments, trial transcripts, exhibits, and evidence.

Are Court Records Public in Essex County?

Yes. The New York Freedom of Information Law (FOIL), codified in the NYS Public Officers Law Article 6 (Sections 84-90), established the public right to access records maintained by government agencies, including courts, with certain exceptions. Consequently, everyone is allowed access to Essex County court records.

Nonetheless, the following are types of records that are not subject to the provisions of the FOIL and exempt from public disclosure to the FOIL:

• Adoption records
• Sealed records
• Juvenile records
• Records specifically exempted from disclosure by state or federal statutes
• Records whose disclosure would constitute an unwarranted invasion of an individual’s personal privacy.
• Records whose disclosure may interfere with an ongoing judicial proceeding.

Essex County Court Records Search

There are numerous avenues and places through which interested persons can search for Essex County Court Records. These include:

• The Essex County Clerk’s office
• The Clerk’s Office of local courthouses
• Government resources, like the New York eCourt website.
• Third-party resources

Essex County Courts

Essex County courts fall under the 4th Judicial District of New York. The County’s Judiciary comprises five (5) types of courts; a Supreme Court, a County Court, a Family Court, a Surrogate’s Court, and 18 village/town Courts. Essex County Supreme Court, County Court, Family Court, and Surrogate’s Court are held at Essex County Courthouse. Meanwhile, each Village/Town Court has separate courthouses. The contact information and addresses of these courthouses are provided below:

Essex County Supreme Court
7559 Court Street,
P.O. Box 217,
Elizabethtown, NY 12932
Phone: (518) 873-3370
Fax: (518) 451-8738

Essex County Court
7559 Court Street,
P.O. Box 217,
Elizabethtown, NY 12932
Phone: (518) 873-3370
Fax: (518) 451-8738

Essex County Family Court
7559 Court Street,
P.O. Box 217,
Elizabethtown, NY 12932
Phone: (518) 873-3320
Fax: (518) 873-3626

Essex County Surrogate's Court
7559 Court Street,
P.O. Box 217,
Elizabethtown, NY 12932
Phone: (518) 873-3384
Fax: (518) 451-8740

Chesterfield Town Court
1 Vine Street,
P.O. Box 456,
Keeseville, NY 12944
Phone: (518) 834-9211
Fax: (518) 834-9042 x-5

Crown Point Town Court
Knapp Senior Center 2793 Route 9N,
P.O. Box 408,
Crown Point, NY 12928
Phone: (518) 597-4144

Elizabethtown Town Court
7563 Court Street,
P.O. Box 265,
Elizabethtown, NY 12932
Phone: (518) 873-2047
Fax: (518) 873-6571

Essex Town Court
2313 Main Street,
P.O. Box 355,
Essex, NY 12936
Phone: (518) 963-4287 x7

Jay Town Court
11 School Lane,
P.O. Box 730,
Au Sable Forks, NY 12912
Phone: (518) 647-2204 ext. 107
Fax: (518) 647-5257

Keene Town Court
P.O. Box 89, Keene, NY 12942
Phone: (518) 576-4556
Fax: (518) 576-9020

Lake Placid Village Court
2693 Main Street,
Suite 103,
Lake Placid, NY 12946
Phone: (518) 523-2004
Fax: (518) 523-7278

Lewis Town Court
8566 Route 9,
P.O. Box 28,
Lewis, NY 12950
Phone: (518) 873-3204
Fax: (518) 873-6462

Minerva Town Court
5 Morse Memorial Highway,
P.O. Box 937,
Minerva, NY 12851
Phone: (518) 251-6685
Fax: (518) 251-9854

Moriah Town Court
38 Park Place,
Port Henry, NY 12974
Phone: (518) 546-9955

Newcomb Town Court
5639 State Route 28 North,
P.O. Box 85,
Newcomb, NY 12852
Phone: (518) 582-4255

North Elba Town Court
2693 Main Street,
Lake Placid, NY 12946
Phone: (518) 523-2141
Fax: (518) 523-8146

North Hudson Town Court
2946 US Route 9,
North Hudson, NY 12855
Phone: (518) 532-0587
Fax: (518) 532-0150

Schroon Town Court
15 Leland Avenue,
P.O. Box 578,
Schroon Lake, NY 12870
Phone: (518) 532-7737 ext. 16
Fax: (518) 532-9104

St Armand Town Court
P.O. Box 66,
Bloomingdale, NY 12913
Phone: (518) 891-3189 ext. 4
Fax: (518) 891-5100

Ticonderoga Town Court
132 Montcalm Street,
P.O. Box 471,
Ticonderoga, NY 12883
Phone: (518) 585-7141
Fax: (518) 585-7161

Westport Town Court
22 Champlain Avenue,
P.O. Box 465,
Westport, NY 12993
Phone: (518) 962-4882

Willsboro Town Court
5 Farrell Road,
P.O. Box 370,
Willsboro, NY 12996
Phone: (518) 963-8668
Fax: (518) 625-3204

Wilmington Town Court
7 Community Circle,
P.O. Box 180,
Wilmington, NY 12997
Phone: (518) 946-7129
Fax: (518) 946-7124

Essex County Criminal and Civil Records

In Essex County, the Essex Supreme Court has the broadest jurisdiction over criminal and civil cases. Meanwhile, the Essex County Court and Town and Village Courts have limited jurisdiction over certain types of criminal and civil cases. The County Court can handle the prosecution of all crimes committed within the county and has limited jurisdiction over civil cases involving amounts up to $25,000. Meanwhile, the Town and Village Courts have criminal jurisdiction over violations and misdemeanors and can handle civil claims of up to $3,000 within their respective jurisdictions.

Note that records seekers are usually required to provide specific details about the civil or criminal case whose record they are seeking to assist in identifying the desired records. These details include the case’s index number, party name, or firm/attorney’s name. In cases where the Essex County Supreme or County Court handled a civil or criminal case, interested persons can query the County Clerk’s Office to obtain the case’s court records. Queries can be made by visiting or by contacting the County Clerk’s office at:

7559 Court Street,
P.O. Box 247
Elizabethtown NY 12932
Phone: (518) 873-3600
Fax: (518) 873-3548

On the other hand, record seekers can get case records of criminal or civil matters handled by any of Essex County's Town or Village Courts by contacting the clerk's office of the particular court that handled the desired case.

Essex County criminal and civil case records are also accessible online through the New York State Unified Court System WebCriminal and WebCivil Local portals. Interested persons can search for criminal cases through the WebCriminal portal by case identifier (i.e., case or summon number), defendant’s name, or court calendar. Conversely, researchers can search for civil cases through the WebCivil Local portal by index number, party name, attorney name, and judge name.

It is worth noting that certain types of Essex County Criminal Records are also generated and preserved by local law enforcement agencies, such as the Essex County Sheriff’s Office and local police departments. Essex County arrest records are good examples of criminal records these agencies maintain. Most of these Essex criminal records are accessible to the general public pursuant to the FOIL. As a result, these agencies usually allow public access to obtain the Essex arrest records they maintain. For instance, the Essex County Sheriff’s Office publishes arrest information on the report page of its official website.

Essex County Marriage Records

The Town and Village Clerks of Essex County are the custodians of Essex County marriage records for their respective jurisdictions. Hence, individuals seeking Essex County marriage certificates can contact the Town or Village Clerk’s Office that issued the original marriage license.

For instance, Records seekers can contact the Essex Town Clerk to obtain a marriage record if the town clerk issued the original marriage license. The Essex Town Clerk provided a dedicated application form that requesters can complete and submit to request marriage records. Furthermore, requesters are charged a $10 fee for a copy of a marriage record. Record seekers can find the address and contact information of every Town or Village Clerk in the county through the Essex County town and village clerk directory.

It is also worth noting only certain eligible persons, such as spouses named in the certificate and individuals who have a New York State Court Order, can obtain a certified copy of a marriage certificate. In contrast, uncertified copies are available to the public. Essex County marriage certificates from 1880 to the present are also available through the New York Department of Health.

Essex County Divorce Records

There are two types of Essex County divorce records; a divorce decree and a divorce certificate. A divorce decree is a court-issued document containing details about the divorce's terms and conditions. In Essex County, divorce decrees are signed by a judge and filed with the Essex County Clerk’s Office. Note that divorce decrees are the only type of divorce records available for divorces granted before January 1, 1963. Divorce decrees are part of Essex County public records. As a result, anyone can query the Essex County Clerk to obtain divorce decrees issued in the county.

On the other hand, a divorce certificate is a document that contains basic information about a divorce, such as the names of the divorcees and the place and date of the divorce. These certificates are filed with the New York Department of Health for divorces granted before or after January 1, 1963. Note that divorce certificates are not available to the general public. Only certain eligible persons, such as spouses named in the record and individuals with a New York State Court Order, are allowed access to a divorce certificate. Furthermore, applicants must present an acceptable form of identification to request a divorce certificate.

Generally, the New York Department of Health accepts mail-in requests for divorce certificates and charges requesters $30 per certificate. To make requests, eligible persons can complete the Divorce Certificate Application form. Next, applicants can submit the completed application, a copy of their required forms of identification, and the required fee (via check or money order payable to the New York State Department of Health) by mail to:

New York State Department of Health
Vital Records Certification Unit
P.O. Box 2602
Albany, NY 12220-2602

Essex County Birth Records

The New York State Department of Health is the central custodian of all Essex County vital records, including birth records, since 1881. As a result, Interested persons can obtain a copy of Essex County birth records through the New York State Department of Health.

Certain requirements exist for obtaining an Essex County birth certificate from the New York State Department of Health. For instance, only certain eligible persons can obtain a birth certificate from the Department. These include:

• The registrant (the person named on the birth certificate)
• The registrant's parents, provided they are named on the certificate
• The registrant’s spouse, child, or others pursuant to a New York State court.

Furthermore, requesters must present an acceptable form of identification and are charged $30 per certificate when they order a birth certificate. Requesters can use the Birth Certificate Application form to facilitate their request. Requesters can complete the application and mail it along with other required items (i.e., fee payment and a copy of their required forms of identification) to:

New York State Department of Health
Vital Records Certification Unit
P.O. Box 2602
Albany, NY 12220-2602

Essex County Death Records

Interested persons can get Essex County death records from 1881 to the present through the New York State Department of Health. Death certificates are considered privileged records and are only available to certain eligible persons. These eligible persons include:

• The decedent's spouse, parent, child, or sibling
• Individuals with a documented lawful right, claim, or medical need,
• Individuals who possess a New York State Court Order for death certificate.

Additionally, requesters must present an acceptable form of identification and are charged $30 per certificate when they order a death certificate. Eligible persons can request an Essex County death certificate from the New York State Department of Health using the Death Certificate Application. Applicant must complete the application and submit it along with a copy of their required forms of identification and the required fee payment by mail to:

New York State Department of Health
Vital Records Certification Unit
P.O. Box 2602
Albany, NY 12220-2602

Essex County Probate Court Records

Essex County Surrogate's Court handles probate cases in the county. Probate cases involve the administration of a decedent’s affairs, such as the probate of wills, administration of estates, and guardianship proceedings. The Surrogate Court also handles adoption proceedings. Therefore, queries for Essex County probate court records should be directed to the Essex County Surrogate's Court Chief Clerk at:

7559 Court Street
P.O. Box 217
Elizabethtown, NY 12932
Phone: (518) 873-3384
Email: EssexSurrogate@nycourts.gov

Essex County Property Records

Essex County Property Records are primarily preserved by two public offices: the Essex County Clerk’s Office and the Essex County Treasurer’s Office. The latter maintains property tax records, while the former maintains legal instruments that can be recorded against a property, like deeds, mortgages, liens, and other encumbrances.

Both offices provide public access to property records they maintain. For instance, interested persons for a property’s tax history through the Essex County Treasurer’s Property Lookup portal. On the portal, users can search by a property owner’s name, account number, address, or SWIS and Taxmap number. Interested persons can also visit the County Treasurer’s Office to request property tax records in person. Meanwhile, Record seekers can access or request property records held by the Essex County Clerk's office by contacting or visiting the office at

Office of the County Clerk
7559 Court Street,
P.O. Box 247
Elizabethtown NY 12932
Phone: (518) 873-3600
Fax: (518) 873-3548

Essex County Treasurer’s Office
7551 Court Street,
P.O. Box 217,
Elizabethtown, NY 12932
Phone: (518) 873-3310
Fax: (518) 873-3318 7551

Essex County Court Records Online

Third-party resources like Newyorkcourtrecords.us are noteworthy alternatives to using Government resources, like the New York eCourt website, to access Essex County court records online. These third-party websites offer users quick and unrestricted access to public court records retrieved from different official government channels in Essex County. Furthermore, only basic details about a court record, such as a case number or party’s name, are required as search criteria to conduct a search on these third-party resources. Note that third-party resources are operated separately from government agencies. As a result, the completeness and accuracy of court records they provide are not guaranteed.