Tompkins County Court Records

Court records in Tompkins County are official documents on court-related activities. Such records comprise court case files and judicial documents in different formats and types. Based on case type, court records may exist as criminal, civil, property, juvenile, and family records. Court records may also differ in terms of content. For instance, court dockets contain case summaries, while case files feature full information on court case events.

Note: New York court records, including Tompkins County court documents, are important documents in legal issues. The records accurately document court activities and may serve as evidence of court events.

Are Court Records Public in Tompkins County?

In Tompkins County, court records are publicly accessible to residents and non-residents. The New York Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) empowers public members to find, inspect, and make copies of public records from designated government agencies. In turn, the agencies must provide options through which record seekers can obtain the records.

Note that the FOIL also prevents the public disclosure of certain court documents. The state law will generally withhold information that will violate an individual’s right to safety or privacy. For example, Article 6 (Section 84-90) prevents the disclosure of witnesses in a criminal investigation. Other exempt court records in Tompkins County include:

• Court documents that are specifically exempt under state or federal statutes
• Court records that were expunged from public view due to court orders.

Tompkins County Court Records Search

Individuals or entities can search Tompkin court records by contacting the agencies responsible for holding them. The agencies may allow online, mail, or in-person requests for records in their custody. For instance, the Tompkins County clerk’s office maintains an online search database for civil court cases and also accepts mail-in requests for criminal court cases.

Note that inquirers must provide information that will help the agency find the requested document. The information may include case identifiers, such as court disposition date, case party’s name, or case number.

Tompkins County Court Records Search by Name

Name searches for court records involve using the case party’s name to find court documents. In Tompkin County, inquirers may search court records by name through the clerk’s office. The clerk’s online search portal allows name searches for court records. Parties using the portal must choose “Case Name” as the preferred search type. Record seekers may also name-search court records in person by visiting the county clerk at:

320 North Tioga Street
Ithaca, NY 14850
Phone: (607) 274-5431

The New York eCourt website is another option for finding court records by name. It features databases for specific court cases. Interested parties must choose the right case database and input the case party’s name to generate results for the requested document.

Tompkins County Courts

The Tompkins County court system comprises supreme, family, surrogates, city, county, and town and village courts. The courts have sole or shared jurisdiction over court cases filed and heard in the county. Residents will find the county courts at these locations:

Tompkins County Supreme Court
320 North Tioga Street
P.O. Box 70
Ithaca, NY 14851
Phone: (607) 216-6610
Fax: (212) 401-9071

Tompkins County Court
320 North Tioga Street
P.O. Box 70
Ithaca, NY 14851
Phone: (607) 216-6610
Fax: (212) 401-9071

Tompkins County Family Court
320 North Tioga Street
P.O. Box 70
Ithaca, NY 14851
Phone: (607) 216-6640
Fax: (607) 457-2951

Tompkins County Surrogate's Court
320 North Tioga Street
P.O. Box 70
Ithaca, NY 14851
Phone: (607) 216-6655
Fax: (212) 457-2952

Ithaca City Court
118 East Clinton Street
Ithaca, NY 14850
Phone: (607) 216-6660
Fax: (607) 240-5821

Caroline Town Court
2668 Slaterville Road
P.O. Box 121
Slaterville Springs, NY 14881
Phone: (607) 539-7796
Fax: (607) 539-7796

Cayuga Heights Village Court
836 Hanshaw Road
Ithaca, NY 14850
Phone: (607) 257-3944
Fax: (607) 257-8615

Danby Town Court
1830 Danby Road
Ithaca, NY 14850
Phone: (607) 277-0095
Fax: (607) 277-0031

Dryden Town Court
93 East Main Street
Dryden, NY 13053
Phone: (607) 844-8888 ext. 1
Fax: (607) 844-9358

Enfield Town Court
Enfield Community Building
182 Enfield Main Road
Ithaca, NY 14850
Phone: (607) 272-0529

Freeville Village Court
5 Factory Street
P.O. Box 288
Freeville, NY 13068
Phone: (607) 844-8470
Fax: (607) 844-4971

Groton Town Court
Town Hall
101 Conger Boulevard
P.O. Box 5
Groton, NY 13073
Phone: (607) 898-3711
Fax: (607) 898-5798

Ithaca Town Court
215 North Tioga Street
Ithaca, NY 14850
Phone: (607) 273-0493
Fax: (607) 275-0728

Lansing Town Court
29 Auburn Road
P.O. Box 186
Lansing, NY 14882
Phone: (607) 533-4776
Fax: (607) 533-3667

Newfield Town Court
166 Main Street
Newfield, NY 14867
Phone: (607) 564-9982
Fax: (607) 564-7404

Ulysses Town Court
10 Elm Street
Trumansburg, NY 14886
Phone: (607) 387-5411
Fax: (607) 387-3728

Tompkins County District Court Records

District court records contain information on civil and criminal court cases. While there are no district courts in Tompkins County, the county courts oversee such case types. Furthermore, the county clerk’s office is the official custodian of civil and criminal court records.

Persons interested in obtaining civil court records may use the clerk’s online search portal. On the other hand, record seekers must use the mail-in or in-person option to get criminal court records. For a mail-based request, complete the criminal record request form, attach a $5 search fee, and send it to:

Tompkins County Clerk’s Office
320 North Tioga Street
Ithaca, NY 14850

Note: Use a check or money order as the preferred payment option in mail-based requests.

At the state level, the eCourt platform allows online searches for civil and criminal court cases. Users may perform searches using the case party’s name or case number. Note that only pending criminal case information is available on the platform.

Tompkins County Criminal Records

Tompkins County criminal records are official documents on criminal histories and convictions. Such records may feature Tompkins county arrest information, incarceration data, and court convictions.

Criminal records generated in Tompkins County are accessible through local and state agencies. The Tompkin County Sheriff’s Office maintains criminal records of persons convicted. Furthermore, it allows the record-bearer to access the records in person at:

Public Safety Building
779 Warren Road
Ithaca, NY 14850
Phone: (607) 257-1345
Phone: (607) 272-2444

The record-bearer must provide a valid ID and a $10 check or cash payment to obtain the record.

At the state level, inquirers can obtain Tompkins County criminal records from the New York Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) and the Office of Court Administration (OCA). The OCA allows name-based online searches for criminal records and does not restrict the public from accessing the records. Inquirers may use the OCA online search portal or send a mail-in request to obtain the records. Follow these steps to obtain the records via mail or email:

1. Fill out and print the criminal record application form.
2. Attach a $95 fee as a check or money order that is payable to N.Y.S. Office of Court Administration.
3. Mail in the form and fees to:

Office of Court Administration
Criminal History Record Search Unit
25 Beaver Street
New York, NY 10004
Email: CHRS@nycourts.gov

In contrast, the DCJS allows fingerprint-based checks for criminal records. Inquirers can obtain records from the DCJS through these steps:

1. Visit your local law enforcement agency and get fingerprinted on an FD-258 fingerprint card. You may also get fingerprinted via the agency’s licensed partner. Book an appointment on the licensed partner’s website.
2. Requesters must either upload the completed fingerprint card to the website or visit the closest partner center in person.
3. Pay the required fees.
4. The partner will send the request to the DCJS for processing. Next, the DCJS will process the request and send it to the requester via the provided mail address.

Tompkin County arrest records are available as police reports at the county sheriff’s office. Inquirers can obtain the records by calling the Records Division at (607) 257-1345. Next, requesters can visit the sheriff’s office to pick up the records.

Tompkins County Criminal Court Case Lookup

In Tompkin County, criminal court cases are public documents. The county clerk’s office is the custodian of all criminal cases in the county. To lookup criminal court cases, record seekers must send a mail request to the court clerk at:

Tompkins County Clerk’s Office
320 North Tioga Street
Ithaca, NY 14850

The mail request must include a completed request form and a $5 search fee. Requesters may also request the records in person at the court clerk’s office.

Get Tompkins County Civil Court Records

Tomplins County civil court records provide information on cases involving disputes and claims. The county clerk’s office serves as the custodian of civil court cases documented in the county courts. To access the records, inquiries may use the clerk’s online case search portal. In contrast, record seekers may inquire in person by visiting the court clerk at:

Tompkins County Clerk’s Office
320 North Tioga Street
Ithaca, NY 14850

New York’s eCourt portal is an alternative option for finding Tompkin County civil court records. Requesters using the portal may search civil court records using the following options:

• Index search
• Party search
• Attorney search
• Judge search
• Civil court case calendars

Tompkins County Family Court Records

Family court records comprise information on family law cases like divorce, juvenile delinquency, paternity, and child adoption. In Tompkin County, the family court and supreme court oversee family law cases. To obtain family court records, interested parties must visit the courthouse that handled the case. Requesters must make a request for records during the court’s operational hours.

Note that the courts may limit access to court records to the record subject and other authorized requesters. Furthermore, the court may request a valid ID before releasing the records.

Record seekers can find information concerning active family court records on the New York eCourt portal.

Tompkins County Marriage and Divorce Records

Tompkin County marriage and divorce certificates are under the purview of the New York Department of Health. As the state-level record custodian, the agency maintains marriage records from 1880 and divorce records from 1963. Furthermore, it discloses the records to the following requesters:

• The record subject
• Persons empowered by a court order or have a judicial reason for requesting the document.

Eligible applicants can request the records via these steps:

1. Fill out and print out an application form for a marriage or divorce certificate.
2. Attach a copy of a valid government-issued ID or utility bill.
3. Include a $30 money order or check that is made payable to the N.Y.S. Department of Health.
4. Mail the form and fees to:

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

In Tompkins County, the village, city, and town clerks’ offices are also repositories for finding marriage records. Inquirers must request the record at the clerk’s office in the region where the event occurred.

Tompkins Birth and Death Records

Tompkins County Health Department registers all birth and death events that occurred in the county. Furthermore, it maintains and issues copies of the documents to eligible requesters. According to the agency, only the following requesters can get Tompkins County birth certificates:

• The record subject
• Parents named on the birth certificate
• Persons empowered by a court order to obtain the record

In contrast, applicants are eligible to get death certificates if:

• They are directly related to the record subject (spouse, children, parents, and siblings).
• They have a court order that permits them to obtain the record.

How do I obtain Tompkins County birth records?

Record seekers can obtain birth certificates in person or via mail requests to the county health department. To use either request option, the record seeker must follow these general steps:

1. Fill out, download, and print the application form for Tompkins County birth records.
2. Sign the completed form.
3. Include a copy of a valid ID
4. Attach a $30 fee. Mail-based payments must be a money order or check made payable to the Tompkins County Health Department
5. Send the documents in person or via mail to:

Tompkins County Health Department
Vital Records Section
55 Brown Road
Ithaca, NY 14850

How do I obtain death certificates in Tompkins County?

Inquiries must make an in-person or mail request for death records through this guide:

1. Fill out, download, and print the application form for the death certificate.
2. Attach a copy of a valid ID.
3. Include the applicable fees for copying the document. The first copy cost $30, while each additional copy cost $15.
4. Mail or present the documents in person to:

Tompkins County Health Department
Attn: Vital Records
55 Brown Road
Ithaca, NY 14850

Tompkin County vital records, including birth and death records, are legal documents for verifying legal identity. Concerned parties can also use these documents to obtain other legal documents, such as driver’s licenses or passports.

Tompkins County Probate Court Records

Probate court records feature information on probate cases like trustees, administration of estates, and conservatorships. The surrogate’s court and the Supreme Court share jurisdiction over probate cases filed within the county. Persons interested in finding probate court records must direct their request to the court that handled the case. The courts will attend to in-person requests made during business hours. Record seekers can find the county courts at:

Tompkins County Surrogate's Court
320 North Tioga Street
P.O. Box 70
Ithaca, NY 14851
Phone: (607) 216-6655
Fax: (212) 457-2952

Tompkins County Supreme Court
320 North Tioga Street
P.O. Box 70
Ithaca, NY 14851
Phone: (607) 216-6610
Fax: (212) 401-9071

Tompkins County Property Records

In Tompkin County, property records refer to official documents pertaining to land and real estate-related information. Such records include property information like mortgages, liens, plots, property IDs, map images, plats, property sales and valuation, and tax assessment.

The Tompkins County Clerk’s Office maintains online and offline access to property records. To obtain the records online, inquirers must use the clerk’s online search portal. For in-person requests, record seekers must provide search information in person at:

Tompkins County Clerk’s Office
320 North Tioga Street
Ithaca, NY 14850

Tompkins County Court Records Online

The New York eCourt website and the county clerk’s online search portal are repositories for finding Tompkins County court records. Third-party sites like newyorkcourtrecords.us may also be useful for finding court records. Such sites typically have an easy-to-navigate interface and may not require complex login requirements. Furthermore, the sites may also allow users to download court records directly to their devices. However, note that such sites are mostly unregulated and may not contain complete court data.