Search Ontario County Felony Records

Ontario County felony records are filed and stored at the County Clerk's Office in Canandaigua. The county sits in the Finger Lakes region and is part of the 7th Judicial District along with Monroe, Livingston, Seneca, Steuben, Wayne, and Yates counties. Felony cases go through Ontario County Court, and records can be found through the Clerk's Office, the Sheriff, or statewide search tools run by the Office of Court Administration. The District Attorney handles all felony prosecutions in the county, and those case files are kept on record as well.

Ontario County Clerk and Felony Court Records

The Ontario County Clerk's Office acts as clerk to the Supreme and County Courts. All felony case files are maintained there. This means indictments, plea agreements, sentencing orders, and judgments of conviction are on file at the courthouse in Canandaigua. The Clerk's Office is the first place to check when you need records from a specific felony case.

Felony case files in Ontario County are kept permanently under New York State retention rules. Misdemeanor records stay on file for 25 years after disposition. If you know the index number and year of filing, the search goes much faster. Without that, you need to give a full name and date of birth so staff can find the right file. Copy fees are $0.65 per page, and certified copies cost $5.00 per document. Staff can help with searches during regular business hours, which run Monday through Friday.

Some records are sealed. Under CPL Section 160.50, dismissed cases get sealed automatically. CPL Section 160.59 lets people apply to seal eligible convictions after 10 years. Sealed files can only be opened by the attorney of record, the person named in the case, or through a court order. Ontario County follows the same sealing rules as every other county in the state.

Ontario County Sheriff and Arrest Records

The Ontario County Sheriff's Office keeps arrest records and booking data. It also runs the county jail in Canandaigua. When someone is arrested on a felony charge in Ontario County, the Sheriff's Office creates a record of that arrest. These records show the date, charge, and booking details. They do not serve as a full criminal history.

You can request arrest records through a FOIL submission. Under Public Officers Law Sections 84 through 90, the Sheriff must respond within five business days. Copies cost no more than 25 cents per page. The Sheriff also posts information on active warrants and works with the District Attorney on investigations. For people held in state prison after sentencing, the DOCCS Inmate Lookup is the tool to use. That database covers all state correctional facilities across New York.

The Sheriff's Office maintains the local sex offender registry as well. The statewide registry is searchable through the DCJS Sex Offender Registry online.

Statewide Felony Record Search Tools

The OCA Criminal History Record Search costs $95 per name and covers conviction data from all 62 counties. Results come back the next business day. The search uses an exact match of name and date of birth. This is not the same as a certified disposition. Only the court that handled the case can issue that document.

For your own criminal history, you can request a record review through DCJS. This costs $63.50 and requires fingerprinting. DCJS records are not public. They cannot be shared through FOIL. You can get two types of responses: an unsuppressed version that shows everything including sealed records, or a suppressed version that leaves out sealed items. The process takes 7 to 10 business days once DCJS gets your prints.

The NYSCEF portal has documents for electronically filed cases. The NYS court records page explains what records are available and how to request them from any court in the state.

Ontario County Felony Records and Sealing Laws

New York's Clean Slate Act took effect on November 16, 2024. The law gives OCA up to three years to set up automatic sealing of eligible conviction records. Misdemeanors seal 3 years after the sentence ends. Felonies seal after 8 years. Sex offenses and non-drug Class A felonies like murder will not be sealed under this law. Until OCA finishes building the system, criminal records will still show convictions that will eventually be sealed.

CPL Section 160.58 covers drug convictions that may be sealed if the person completes a treatment program. CPL Section 720.35 protects youthful offender records from public view. Under Correction Law Section 9, DOCCS removes information from public view 3 years after a person completes their sentence. These rules apply the same way in Ontario County as they do statewide.

For FOIL requests tied to Ontario County felony records, write to the Records Access Officer at the relevant agency. Each office has its own officer. The County Clerk, Sheriff, and District Attorney all handle their own FOIL responses. The law says they must acknowledge your request within five business days and provide records within a reasonable time after that.

How to Search Ontario County Felony Records

There are a few ways to look up felony records in Ontario County. The method you pick depends on what you need and how fast you need it.

• Go to the Ontario County Clerk's Office in Canandaigua and search records in person during business hours
• Run a CHRS search through OCA for $95 to check statewide conviction data
• Submit a FOIL request to the Sheriff's Office for arrest and incident records
• Search the DOCCS Inmate Lookup for anyone in state custody
• Check the NYSCEF system for e-filed court documents

For certified copies of a disposition, contact the court where the case was decided. The County Clerk can help you find the right court if you are not sure where the case was filed. The DCJS Record Review page has details on checking your own record.

Cities in Ontario County

Ontario County includes the City of Canandaigua, the City of Geneva, and several towns. None of the cities in Ontario County meet the population threshold for a dedicated page, but felony cases from any municipality within the county are handled through the Ontario County Court system in Canandaigua.

Nearby Counties

Counties that border Ontario County also maintain separate felony records through their own court systems and clerk offices.