Schenectady County Court Records

Schenectady County court records are legal paperwork and other materials that provide a detailed account of cases heard by local courts in the county. Court records are useful for legal research, as they document pertinent incidences that occurred during a case's adjudication. Court records also provide an insightful avenue for finding out the current state of an active case or what led to the final judgment of a disposed case.

Common information and documents found in Schenectady County court records include but are not limited to case details (i.e., names of the defendant(s) or litigant(s) in a case, case number, filing date), summons, complaints, exhibits, orders, dockets, transcripts, and judgment.

Are Court Records Public in Schenectady County?

Yes. Per Section 255 of the New York Judiciary Law, court clerks are required to search their files and records upon request to furnish copies of court records to requesters or certify the nonexistent of records. However, there are several exceptions to the law. For instance, divorce, adoption, sealed, expunged, juvenile, mental health, and pending cases records are all considered protected records and inaccessible to the general public.

Schenectady County Court Records Search

Schenectady County court records search can be conducted through any of the following following:

• The Schenectady County Clerk's office
• The courthouse where the case was handled
• The New York State Unified Court System (NYSCEF) search portal
• Third-party resources

Schenectady County Court Records Search by Name

Researchers can conduct a name-based court search in Schenectady County using several online and offline avenues, provided they know the name of a person, business, or attorney involved in a local court case. For instance, interested persons can perform a name-based court record search through the NYSCEF case search portal online.

On the other hand, researchers can also visit or contact the Schenectady County Clerk's office or relevant local courthouses to conduct an in-person name-based court record search.

Schenectady County Courts

Schenectady County has six (6) types of courts: a Supreme Court, a County Court, a Family Court, a Surrogate's Court, two (2) City Courts, and six (6) Town/Village Courts. Each type of court has specific cases they handle. The physical courthouse addresses and contact information of Schenectady County Courts are detailed below:

Schenectady County Supreme Court Schenectady County Judicial Building
612 State Street,
Schenectady, NY 12305
Phone: (518) 285-8401
Fax: (518) 451-8731

Schenectady County Court
Schenectady County Judicial Building
612 State Street,
Schenectady, NY 12305
Phone: (518) 285-8401
Fax: (518) 451-8731

Schenectady County Family Court
Schenectady County Office Building
620 State Street,
Schenectady, NY 12305
Phone: (518) 285-8435
Fax: (518) 393-1565

Schenectady County Surrogate's Court Schenectady County Judicial Building
612 State Street,
Schenectady, NY 12305
Phone: (518) 285-8455
Fax: (518) 451-8732

Schenectady County City Courts
Schenectady City Court - Criminal
531 Liberty Street
Schenectady, NY 12305
Phone: (518) 453-6989 (Option 4)

Schenectady City Court - Civil and Traffic
City Hall
105 Jay Street
Schenectady, NY 12305
Phone: (518) 453-6989 (option 5) (Civil)
Phone: (518) 453-6989 (option 3) (Traffic)

Schenectady County Town Courts and Village Courts

Duanesburg Town Court
Town Court's Office
5853 Western Turnpike,
Duanesburg, NY 12056
Phone: (518) 895-8922
Fax: (518) 453-5948

Glenville Town Court
Glenville Municipal Center
18 Glenridge Road,
Glenville, NY 12302
Phone: (518) 688-1200 ext. 4
Fax: (518) 688-1468

Niskayuna Town Court
One Niskayuna Circle,
Niskayuna, NY 12309
Phone: (518) 386-4560
Fax: (518) 386-4515

Princetown Town Court
165 Princetown Plaza,
Schenectady, NY 12306
Phone: (518) 357-4047
Fax: (518) 357-4049

Rotterdam Town Justice Court
101 Princetown Road,
Schenectady, NY 12306
Phone: (518) 355-7911
Fax: (518) 881-0187

Scotia Village Court
4 North Ten Broeck Street,
Scotia, NY 12302
Phone: (518) 374-2099
Fax: (518) 374-5620

Schenectady County Superior Court Case Search

Schenectady County does not have a Superior Court. Instead, the Schenectady County Supreme Court is the county's trial court with the broadest jurisdiction. The Supreme Court hears any criminal and civil case, except claims against the state. The Supreme Court also has exclusive jurisdiction over divorces, annulments, and separations.

Interested persons can query the Schenectady County Supreme Court's Clerk office to access public court records of cases under the court's jurisdiction. Record seekers can visit the court clerk's office during regular business hours (between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.) to inspect publicly available court records. Record seekers can reach the court clerk's office at (518) 285-8401 (phone) or (518) 451-8731(fax) to inquire about court records. Schenectady Supreme Court records are also archived in the County Clerk's office, andresearchers can directly contact the County Clerk's office to access these records

Public Schenectady Supreme Court records are also accessible online through the New York State Unified Court System (NYSCEF) search portal. Researchers can search for court records on the portal by case identifers (i.e. case number, attorney file number, 3rd party index number), name (i.e. name of a party or an attorney involved in a case), and others.

Schenectady County District Court Records

Schenectady County court system does not include a district court. The Schenectady County Court is the closest equivalent to a district court in the county. The County Court has jurisdiction over the prosecution of crimes committed within the county and limited jurisdiction over civil cases up to $25,000. The County Court can also handle specific real property actions, including foreclosure, without monetary limitations.

Researchers can access Schenectady County court records through the court clerk's office. Record seekers can visit the clerk's office during regular business hours to inspect public court records in person or contact the clerk's office. Like Supreme Court records, Schenectady County Court records are archived with the County Clerk's office. Hence, researchers can query the county clerk's office to access these records.

It is also possible to access Schenectady County court records online through the NYSCEF search portal.

Schenectady County Criminal Records

Schenectady County criminal records provide comprehensive information about an individual's criminal history, such as Schenectady county arrests and convictions.

Some criminal records, including arrest records, are generated and maintained by local law enforcement agencies (i.e., the Schenectady County Sheriff's Office and municipal police departments). Hence, Schenectady County criminal records are obtainable through local law enforcement agencies.

Most criminal records, including Schenectady County arrest records, are subject to New York's Freedom of Information Law (FOIL). As a result, these records are public, and anyone can access them, except when expressly exempt under the FOIL.

Interested persons can obtain Schenectady County criminal records by querying local law enforcement agencies. For instance, record seekers can request local criminal records from the Schenectady Police Department by making an in-person request at the Police Department Headquarters. Note that Schenectady PD charges requesters $20 for a criminal background request, and requesters must show their current Photo ID when making their request. It is worth noting that criminal records provided by municipal police departments are limited to municipal-level records.

Schenectady County Criminal Court Case Lookup

Various courts in Schenectady County may have jurisdiction over criminal cases, contingent upon each case's specifics. For example, the Schenectady Supreme Court has the broadest jurisdiction over criminal proceedings. On the other hand, the Schenectady County Court has the authority to prosecute crimes committed within the county. Meanwhile, city, town, and village courts are courts of limited criminal jurisdiction over misdemeanors and lesser offenses committed within their respective municipalities.

Researchers can look up Schenectady criminal cases court records by querying the clerk's office of the specific court that handled the desired case. Most court clerks make records publicly available for in-person inspection at their offices, and copies can also be furnished for a fee, usually assessed per page. A good rule of thumb is contacting relevant court clerk offices to find out their procedures for requesting criminal court records. Note that records of criminal cases handled by Schenectady Supreme and County Courts are achieved with the Schenectady County Clerk's office. Hence, some criminal court case records are obtainable through the County Clerk's office.

Alternatively, record seekers can use the NYSCEF search portal to look up Schenectady County Criminal Court cases online.

Get Schenectady County Civil Court Records

Interested parties can obtain Schenectady County Civil court records from the court that heard the civil matter. Generally, different courts in Schenectady County can hear civil cases depending on the case's specifics. For instance, the Schenectady County Court has limited jurisdiction over civil cases involving up to $25,000. Meanwhile, city courts have civil jurisdiction over claims of up to $15,000, and town and village courts have civil jurisdiction over claims of up to $3,000.

Record seekers can inspect public court records of civil cases in person by visiting the clerk's office of the court that handled the case. Record seekers can also query the Schenectady County Clerk's office to access certain civil court records as the Supreme Court and County Court records are stored with the office.

Schenectady County Civil Court Records are also accessible online through the New York State Unified Court System (NYSCEF) search portal

Schenectady County Family Court Records

Besides divorces, Schenectady County Family Court handles all types of family disputes that arise with the county, including but not limited to cases involving the determination of support payments, the paternity of children, adoption, and child custody.

Schenectady County Family Court records are not entirely public. Family court records, including adoption records, are considered confidential and are often only available to specific eligible parties. To obtain family court records, eligible persons can visit the Family Court Clerk's office to inspect or request copies of records. The clerk's office is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and can be contacted by phone at (518) 285-8455.

Schenectady County Dissolution of Marriage Records

Schenectady dissolution of marriage records are protected records only accessible to specific eligible persons, such as parties to the case. To access these records, record seekers can query the Clerk's Office of Schenectady Supreme Court or Schenectady County Clerk's office.

Schenectady County Marriage and Divorce Records

In Schenectady County, marriage records are maintained separately from divorce records. Schenectady County marriage records are held by the Town or City Clerk's office that issued the marriage license associated with the record. Meanwhile, divorce proceedings are heard at the Schenectady County Supreme Court and the court maintains divorce records. However, Schenectady marriage and divorce records are confidential and only certain eligible persons can access these records. These eligible persons include the spouses named on the record and individuals with a court order for the record.

Record seekers must show photo identification when requesting a copy of a marriage certificate from a Town or City Clerk's office. Additionally, requesters are charged a fee for being furnished copies of a Schenectady County marriage certificate. Requesters can contact a Town or City Clerk's office to find out its procedures for requesting a marriage certificate. It is worth noting that some Town or City Clerk's offices provide information on requesting records they maintain, including marriage records, on their website. A good example is the Schenectady City Clerk's office page. Schenectady City Clerk's office accepts in-person and by-mail requests for marriage records and provides a dedicated request form record seekers can use to facilitate by-mail requests. Furthermore, the Schenectady City Clerk charges a $10 copy fee for marriage records.

On the other hand, Schenectady County has two types of divorce records; divorce decree and divorce certificate. Divorce decrees are accessible through the Schenectady Supreme Court or the County Clerk's office. Meanwhile, divorce certificates recorded on or after January 1, 1968, are accessible through the New York State Department of Health. Eligible persons can request divorce decrees by querying the Schenectady Supreme Court Clerk's office or the County Clerk's office in person. Meanwhile, the New York State Department of Health accepts mail-in requests for the Schenectady County marriage certificate. Requesters can use the divorce certificate request form to facilitate a by-mail request. Note that by mail request costs $30 per copy. Record seekers can also make requests for divorce certificates online or by phone through third-party vendors mentioned on the Department's divorce certificate page. Online/phone orders cost around $45.

The difference between the two documents is that a divorce decree is a court-issued document that legally terminates a marriage, while a divorce certificate contains basic information about the spouses, the recordation date, and the place where their marriage ended.

Schenectady County Birth and Death Records

In Schenectady County, Town or City clerks' offices are responsible for maintaining most records of vital events that occurred within their respective jurisdiction, including birth and death records.

Generally, Schenectady County vital records, including birth and death records, are considered confidential and inaccessible to the general public. Only certain eligible individuals can obtain these records. For Schenectady County birth records, these eligible persons include the person named on the record, provided they are 18 years or older or their parent. Meanwhile, eligible persons who can obtain death records include the decedent's attorney, legal spouse, parent, child, or sibling over 18 years old.

Note that requesters must show their photo identification when requesting birth or death records. To make a request, requesters can query the clerk's office of the Town or City where the vital event occurred. For instance, an eligible person can request birth and death records of vital events that occurred within the City of Schenectady through the City Clerk's office. Schenectady City Clerk's office charges a $10 copy fee for either a birth or death certificate. Requests are primarily made by mail using request forms (Application for Copy of Death Record and Application for Copy of Birth Record) the office provides. Eligible persons can contact other Town or City clerk's offices to learn about their procedures for requesting Schenectady County birth certificates or death certificates they hold.

Schenectady County Probate Court Records

Schenectady County Surrogate's Court handles probate cases that arise within the county. Some examples of probate cases include probate of wills and the administration of a decedent's estate. The probate court also handles guardianship and adoption proceedings.

Records seekers query the Schenectady County Surrogate's Court clerk office to access probate court records. Record seekers can visit the clerk's office on weekdays during regular office hours (9 a.m. to 5 p.m.) to inspect records in person. Record seekers also direct questions and inquiries about probate court records to the Surrogate's Court Clerk's office by phone at (518) 285-8455 or fax at (518) 451-8732

Schenectady County Property Records

Schenectady County Clerk's Office is the custodian of most property records, including deeds, liens, and mortgages, in the county. Hence, interested persons can access most property records through the County Clerk's Office. Record seekers can visit the County Clerk's Office physical address to search for public property records in person at the clerk's record room. Fortunately, appointments are not required.

Record seekers can also access property records remotely through certain online services the Schenectady County Clerk's Office works with. Note that record seekers are charged certain fees for using these services. These fees are accessed on a per-minute, per-page loaded, or per-document-viewed basis.

Schenectady County Court Records Online

Besides the New York State Unified Court System (NYSCEF) search portal, Schenectady County court records are accessible online through certain third-party websites, like Newyorkcourtrecords.us. Through these third-party websites, researchers can conduct a name-based or case-number-based search for court records of cases heard within Schenectady County and the entire New York state court system. Furthermore, the interface of these third-party websites is relatively easy to understand and use.

However, accessing court records through most third-party websites is subject to certain fees, and there are no guarantees that court records obtained through third-party websites will be accurate or complete.