Washington County Court Records

A court record includes orders, exhibits, transcripts, and other documents filed with the clerk about a court case. Several court clerks in Washington County are responsible for maintaining these records. The courts in Washington County operate under the New York Unified system, so court records created by a Washington court are integrated into the broader New York court records.

Are Court Records Public in Washington County?

Yes. Washington County court records are part of New York public records per the New York Freedom of Information Law (FOIL). However, Section 255 of the New York Judiciary Law governs access to Washington court records. The law requires a court clerk to duly search and make copies of a court record once requested by a person. Although court records are generally open to the public for inspection, some statutes limit access to certain court records. For instance, Section 166 of the Family Court Act prohibits indiscriminate inspection of cases heard in the Family Court. Other restricted court record information includes:

• Juvenile court records.
• Matrimonial court records.
• Adoption records.
• Mental health records.
• Sensitive personal information.
• Sealed records.

Washington County Court Records Search

Individuals can generally access Washington Court records by doing any of the following:

• Visiting the courthouse where the case was tried
• Searching the New York eCourts search portals
• Third-party resources

Washington County Courts

Washington County's court system is part of New York's 4th Judicial District. It consists of a Supreme Court, a Family Court, a Surrogate's Court, and several town and village courts, known as the Justice courts. Below are the addresses of courts located in Washington County.

Washington County Courthouse
383 Broadway
Fort Edward, NY 12828
Argyle Town Court
Main Street
P.O. Box 38
Argyle, NY 12809-38
(518) 638-8681

Cambridge Town Court
846 County Route 59
Cambridge, NY 12816
(518) 677-5896

Cambridge Town Court
846 County Route 59
Cambridge, NY 12816
(518) 677-5896

Easton Town Court
1071 State Rte 40
Burton Hall
Greenwich, NY 12834
(518) 692-0027

Fort Ann Town Court
80 George Street
P.O. Box 295
Town Hall
Fort Ann, NY 12827-0295
(518) 639-4088

Fort Edward Town and Village Court
118 Broadway
Fort Edward, NY 12828
(518) 747-2252

Granville Town Court
P.O. Box 177
14 East Main Street
Granville, NY 12832-177
(518) 642-1500

Greenwich Town Court
2 Academy Street
Greenwich, NY 12834-1040
(518) 692-7611

Hampton Town Court
2629 State Route 22A
Hampton, NY 12837
(518) 282-9625

Hartford Town Court
P.O. Box 14
165 Hartford Main Street
Hartford, NY 12838
(518) 632-9151

Hebron Town Court
3165 County Route 30
P.O. Box 415
P.O. Box 415
Hebron, NY 12865
(518) 854-9300

Jackson Town Court
2355 State Route 22
Cambridge, NY 12816-9732
(518) 677-8896

Kingsbury Town Court
6 Michigan Street
Hudson Falls, NY 12839-1814
(518) 747-2188

Putnam Town Court
P.O. Box 104
Putnam Station, NY 12861
(518) 547-8317

Salem Town Court
West Broadway
P.O. Box 297
Salem, NY 12865
(518) 854-3433

White Creek Town Court
28 Mountainview Drive
Cambridge, NY 12816
(518) 677-3182

Whitehall Town Court
P.O. Box 272
57 Skenesborough Dr - Suite 3
Whitehall, NY 12887-272
(518) 499-0772

Cambridge Village Court
56 North Park Street
Cambridge, NY 12816
(518) 677-8297

Granville Village Court
P.O. Box 208
Granville, NY 12832
(518) 642-9386

Whitehall Village Court
P.O. Box 272
57 Skenesborough Drive - Suite 3
Whitehall, NY 12887- 272
(518) 499-0772

Washington County Criminal Records

Washington County criminal records document the criminal history of individuals arrested by local law enforcement agencies. The Washington County Sheriff's Office is the primary agency responsible for making arrests, though local police departments also have the authority to do so. The arresting agency, whether the Sheriff's Office or a local police department, maintains the arrest records of the individuals they arrest.

To obtain an arrest record, individuals can contact the Sheriff's Office or the specific agency involved in the arrest. The Sheriff's Office's recent arrest information is available on its Recent Arrests page.

The New York Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) is the agency solely responsible for maintaining the state's criminal history records. Under the Freedom of Information Law, criminal records in New York cannot be accessed. They are confidential and disclosed only to the subject of the record.

Individuals can request either a suppressed or unsuppressed criminal record (commonly known as a rap sheet) from the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS). A suppressed record includes only information the court has not sealed, while an unsuppressed record contains the individual's criminal history.

To begin a criminal history record request, applicants must schedule an appointment with the state's third-party fingerprinting vendor online or by phone. At the appointment, they must bring a valid photo I.D. and pay a $14.25 fee, which can be paid by card, check, or money order.

For applicants outside New York State, fingerprints can be taken on an FBI (FD-258) fingerprint card at a local law enforcement agency. The applicant must then enroll for a Card scan submission on the vendor's website and mail the completed fingerprint card to the vendor.

Once the request reaches the DCJS, processing takes three to four weeks. The check results are mailed to the applicant's address. If the request is for international purposes, applicants should indicate it as the reason for fingerprinting so the DCJS can provide a notarized result.

Publicly available criminal history information can be obtained from the New York State Office of Court Administration (OCA). A criminal history record search (CHRS) request can be made through the Online Direct Access program or by mailing a completed CHRS application form to the OCA at:

NYS Office of Court Administration
Division of Technology and Court Research
Criminal History Record Search Unit
25 Beaver Street (Room 830 – Front Counter)
New York, NY 10004

To obtain a criminal record, the requester has to provide the exact name and date of birth of the person named on the criminal record. Any variations in the name provided will result in a null criminal record. The criminal record resulting from a search includes information convictions on charges that do not result in fingerprinting. The results also do not include sealed or expunged criminal records. The result can be mailed or emailed to the requester. A CHRS request costs $95 with additional charges if payment is made by card.

Get Washington County Civil Court Records

A civil court record is a document created to record legal proceedings between two parties in a civil case. These records are filed with the court clerk, where the case was heard. Individuals interested in obtaining a civil court record can request it from the court clerk, but a fee is typically involved. The fee for obtaining a civil court record may differ per court. Generally, obtaining a copy of a civil court record is 50 cents per page, with a minimum fee of $1. To certify an already prepared copy of a court record costs 50 cents per page with a minimum fee of $4. Only certified copies of a civil court record can be used for official purposes.

Individuals can also access Washington County court records filed electronically through the eCourts search portals. Researchers may use the WebCivil Supreme portal to search court records for cases heard in the Supreme Court and the WebFamily portal for family-related civil cases. Civil cases heard in a Washington County town or village court can not be accessed through the eCourts portals.

Washington County Marriage Records

Marriage licenses are legal permits that allow individuals to be legally married. In Washington County, the town and city clerks are primarily responsible for issuing marriage licenses to intending couples. The town and city clerks are also the primary custodians of Washington County's vital records.

Marriage records in New York are not publicly accessible. A spouse, an individual with a New York court order, and a person with a documented judicial or other proper purpose may obtain a marriage record. A proper purpose may be claiming a benefit, in which case the individual would need a letter from the agency stating the need for the marriage record to claim the benefit.

Individuals seeking a Washington County marriage certificate can obtain it from the town or city clerk's office where the marriage license was originally issued. Requests can be made either in person or by mailing a Marriage Record Application to the appropriate clerk's Office. If the town or city where the marriage license was issued is unknown, the application can be sent directly to the New York State Department of Health. The address for submitting a marriage record request to the New York State Department of Health is:

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

Washington County marriage certificates from a town or city clerk are available for $10 per copy, and certificates from the Department of Health are available for $30 per copy.

Washington County Divorce Records

The Washington County Supreme Court is the only court with jurisdiction over the county's divorce cases. Divorce cases in Washington County can be uncontested or contested. Uncontested divorces are usually straightforward, as both parties involved already have an agreement on the terms of the divorce. Contested divorce cases occur when both individuals disagree on the terms of their divorce and need the court's intervention. Contested divorces can be complicated and are prone to taking longer to finalize than uncontested divorces.

Divorce records in New York can only be obtained by the parties involved in the divorce and individuals with a New York court order.

Once a divorce occurs in Washington County, the judge signs the decree and files it with the county clerk. Eligible individuals seeking a divorce decree can visit the County Clerk at the County courthouse.

The New York Department of Health can only acquire a Washington County divorce certificate. A divorce certificate can be requested by mailing a completed Divorce Certificate Application to the Department of Health. A requester who is not a spouse on the record needs to include a court order in the mail. Requesters are to provide a valid photo I.D. or a utility/phone bill and a letter from a government agency less than six months old showing the applicant's name and address. A mail-in request for a divorce certificate costs $30 per copy. Payment can be made by personal check, postal money order, or Certified Check made payable to the Department of Health. Divorces that occurred before January 1, 1963, only have divorce decrees available.

A Washington County divorce certificate can also be requested online or by phone through the state's third-party vendor. Each request costs $45 plus a vendor processing fee charged per transaction.

Washington County Birth and Death Records

Washington town/city clerks are responsible for recording births and deaths in their jurisdiction. These records are invaluable to the county as they are an integral part of the county's vital statistics.

Birth and death records are confidential in Washington County and can only be accessed by eligible persons. Individuals eligible to obtain a Washington County birth certificate are:

• The person named on the record.
• The parent documented on the record.
• Individuals with a court order.

The spouse, child, sibling, or parent of the deceased can obtain a Washington County death certificate. Individuals with a documented lawful right or claim, medical need, or a New York court order can also request a death certificate.

A birth or death certificate can be requested in person at the town/city clerk's Office where the event occurred. Alternatively, a requester may mail a Birth or Death Record Application to the appropriate clerk. The application must be mailed with a valid photo I.D. and payment. A birth or death certificate application from a town/city clerk costs $10.

If the requester is uncertain of the town where the birth or death occurred, they can submit a request to the New York State Department of Health by mailing the appropriate Birth Certificate or Death Certificate application form. Requesting a birth or death certificate from the Department of Health costs $30. Requesters can also make an online or phone request through the state's third-party vendor for $45 (excluding the vendor processing fee).

Washington County Probate Court Records

Probate cases involve the administration and distribution of a deceased person's estate. The Washington County Surrogate Court manages these probate matters and oversees adoption cases within the county.

Individuals can view and request copies of probate court records at the Court Clerk's Office. To facilitate the request, requesters must provide relevant information about the record they seek. Once the record has been located, a copy can be obtained for a fee.

Washington County Property Records

The county clerk maintains Washington County property records, which are publicly accessible. These records typically contain information about deeds, mortgages, assessments, and taxes of properties in the county.

Inquirers can request a property record from the County Clerk's Office. Alternatively, the County's Image Mate Online tool can be used to locate properties in Washington County. A property search can be done using the municipality, tax ID/SBL, last name, first name, street number, and street name. A property's owner's last name and first name are compulsory search criteria.

Washington County Court Records Online

Third-party resources like Newyorkcourtrecords.us can be used to look up Washington County court records. Users can locate a court record on these platforms using the case number or the name of the party involved. Additional search criteria are often provided to users to help streamline search results.

Third-party vendors are not official custodians of Washington County court records and thus may not always have current or accurate court record information. Researchers should verify the accuracy of a court record obtained from a third-party online resource through official sources.