Crime Statistics
The New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services publishes annual crime statistical data as part of the FBI's national crime reporting program. Reports published in 2016 through 2018 revealed a 21% decline in index crimes of Ontario County over the 3-year period. Local law enforcement agencies reported a net total of 1,866 index offenses in 2016 and 1,459 in 2018.
Property crimes were recorded to be the most popular subset of offenses, accounting for 91% of the county's index crimes in 2018.
There were 1,094 reported incidents of larceny-theft, which was the county's most recorded crime in that year, this was followed by burglary and aggravated assault which each had 209 and 62 reported incidents respectively. Rape and motor vehicle thefts were the county's fourth and fifth most recurring offenses accounting for 3.7% and 1.7% of the reports received, while incidents of robbery and murder were the least reported and constituted barely 1% of the reported crimes.
Criminal Records
The Ontario County Sheriff's Office serves as the county's primary law enforcement agency and is tasked with generating a variety of crime-related records and reports. However, all criminal record requests may be directed to the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services which maintains the state central repository of criminal history information. As per state laws, the eligibility requirements for accessing these records may apply, depending on the record of interest.
How to Get Criminal Records
The New York DCJS processes requests for Ontario County criminal records and background checks. As per state laws, individuals may request their own criminal records referred to as a rap sheet, while only employers and licensing agencies may access criminal history records of other persons. Individuals may only request the criminal history records for another person if authorized by a subpoena or court order.
Individuals may request suppressed or unsuppressed personal record reviews depending on the purpose of the record. Unsuppressed records include the history of arrests, misdemeanor, and felony charges as well as records of convictions and dispositions both public and confidential. However, unsuppressed records exclude sealed or confidential information.
To request a personal record review, the requestor is required to schedule a fingerprinting appointment with the vendor named by the DCJS. At the appointment, the applicant will be expected to provide one form of identification and make a payment of $63.50 for the requested records.
On the other hand, employers, licensing entities and authorized persons may obtain criminal records of other individuals by completing and submitting a Criminal History Information Request Form to:
Office of Legal Services
New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services
Alfred E. Smith Building
80 South Swan St.
Albany, NY 12210
Records will be sent to all requesters via US mail to their preferred or indicated address, and related queries may be made to the records review unit at (518) 485-7675 or recordreview@dcjs.ny.gov for personal record reviews and (518) 457-8413 or dcjslegalservices@dcjs.ny.gov for requests for employers, licensors and authorized individuals.
How to Find Sex Offender Information
The Ontario County Sheriffs Office maintains a local sex offender registry that lists offenders resident within county limits. Interested persons may search the registry for offender information by furnishing the tools with any local address. Once provided, all sex offenders within a mile radius of the indicated address will be displayed. Offenders may also be searched by name and registration number, and residents may view information regarding their compliance status, offense history, and other relevant identifiers. Additionally, Ontario county residents may subscribe to the Sheriff's Email Notification Service in order to receive email alerts regarding offenders in selected vicinities.
Ontario County Jail Information
The Corrections Division of the Sheriff's Office is charged with overseeing all the affairs of the Ontario County Jail located at:
3045 County Complex Dr.
Canandaigua, NY 14424
All information regarding the facility as well its managing staff can be viewed on the Corrections Webpage of the county sheriff's website. Details unavailable on the page may be obtained by querying the Chief Corrections Officer at (585) 396-1800.
Intending visitors are advised to contact the corrections lieutenants to schedule their visit ahead of time. All visitors may be required to present a government-issued ID and undergo routine searches upon arriving at the facility.
Where and How to Find Inmate Information
Information regarding detainees of the Ontario County Jail can generally be obtained by contacting the Corrections Division of the Sheriff's Office at (585) 396-1800. However, this information may also be obtained on Corrections Webpage or FAQ page, and inmate-specific detail such as a detainee's primary charges, arrest and booking information, bail or bond conditions and court information may be viewed using the applicable New York Inmate Search Tool. Inmates can be searched by name, date of birth or booking date.
Court Records
Where and How to Get Court Records
The Ontario County Clerk's Office performs a variety of administrative functions in the county which includes retaining and disseminating records of court cases heard within county limits. As per state laws, these records are provided to interested members of the public if they are deemed non-confidential.
To obtain a court record, interested persons may query the county clerk's office or the courthouse where the case was heard (see locations below). The requesting party will be required to provide details of the record of interest, including the names of the plaintiff, defendant or litigant as well as the date the record was filed, and the case file number of the record (if known).
Court record requests may be made to:
Ontario County Clerk
20 Ontario St.
Canandaigua, NY 14424
Phone: (585) 396-4200
The County Clerk also records and maintains records pertaining to land and real property ownership including deeds, plats, liens, mortgages, judgments, and others. All property record requests may be made to the above-stated address.
Location of all Courts in the County
Listed below are the addresses and contact information of all courthouses in Ontario County, New York:
Ontario County Supreme Court
27 North Main Street,
Canandaigua, NY 14424
Phone: (585) 412-5300
Fax: (585) 412-5327
Canandaigua City Court
2 North Main Street,
Canandaigua, NY 14424
Phone: (585) 412-5170
Fax: (585) 412-5172
Geneva City Court
255 Exchange Street,
Geneva, NY 14456
Phone: (315) 237-6575
Fax: (315) 237-6415
Bristol Town Court
6740 County Road 32,
Canandaigua, NY 14424
Phone: (585) 229-4523
Fax: (585) 229-4523
Canadice Town Court
5949 County Road 37,
Springwater, NY 14560
Phone: (585) 367-3590
Fax: (585) 367-9477
Canandaigua Town Court
5440 Route 5 and 20 West,
Canandaigua, NY 14424
Phone: (585) 394-9040
Fax: (585) 394-7373
Clifton Springs Village Court
1 West Main Street,
Clifton Springs, NY 14432
Phone: (315) 462-3048
East Bloomfield Town and Village Court
99 Main Street,
P.O. Box 85,
East Bloomfield, NY 14443
Phone: (585) 657-7248
Fax: (585) 657-4356
Farmington Town Court
1023 Hook Road,
Farmington, NY 14425
Phone: (315) 986-8195
Phone: (315) 986-3113
Fax: (315) 986-2891
Geneva Town Court
3750 County Road 6,
Geneva, NY 14456
Phone: (315) 789-1100
Fax: (315) 781-1684
Gorham Town Court
4736 South Street,
P.O. Box 224,
Gorham, NY 14461
Phone: (585) 526-6298
Fax: (585) 526-4799
Hopewell Town Court
2716 County Road 47,
Canandaigua, NY 14424
Phone: (585) 394-1963 ext. 6
Fax: (585) 394-8581
Manchester Town Court
1272 County Road 7,
P.O. Box 633,
Clifton Springs, NY 14432
Phone: (585) 289-3010
Phone: (315) 462-6224
Naples Town Court
106 South Main Street,
P.O. Box 535,
Naples, NY 14512
Phone: (585) 374-2111
Fax: (585) 374-9981
Phelps Town Court
1331 Route 88,
P.O. Box 219,
Phelps, NY 14532
Phone: (315) 548-2090
Richmond Town Court
8690 Main Street,
P.O. Box 145,
Honeoye, NY 14471
Phone: (585) 229-4006
Seneca Town Court
4224 South Street,
P.O. Box 536,
Stanley, NY 14561
Phone: (585) 526-4780
Fax: (585) 526-5128
South Bristol Town Court
6500 Gannett Hill Road West,
Naples, NY 14512
Phone: (585) 374-6355
Fax: (585) 374-9802
Victor Town Court
11 Framark Drive,
Victor, NY 14564
Phone: (585) 924-5262
Phone: (585) 924-5775
Fax: (585) 924-6958
West Bloomfield Town Court
West Bloomfield Highway Garage
2560 County Road 37,
P.O. Box 82,
West Bloomfield, NY 14585
Phone: (585) 624-9860
Vital Records
Ontario county vital records are primarily managed in the various municipal areas of the county. Thus, requests for birth, death, marriage and divorce records may be made to the town, city or village clerk where the event occurred. At the state level, these requests are processed by the New York State Department of Health which serves as the central repository of statewide vital records. Essentially Ontario county vital records may be obtained at county or state level.
Where and How to Get Divorce Records
The New York DPH Vital Records Office maintains records of divorces granted within state limits going back to 1963. As per state laws, these records can only be accessed by either of the spouses named on the record or persons authorized by a New York issued judicial order or subpoena.
Interested and eligible persons may request divorce records by making in-person requests to the office or completing and submitting the Mail-in Application of Divorce Certificate. In either case, the requestor must provide details of the divorce including the names of the spouses, the date and place of the divorce, the address of the spouses at the time of the decree and the reason for which the record is being requested.
Requestors will be charged a standard fee of $30 for mail orders and $45 for walk-in requests and must present or enclose a government-issued photo ID in order to obtain the requested record. Requests may be made to:
New York State Department of Health
Vital Records Certification Unit
P.O. Box 2602
Albany, NY 12220-2602
Where and How to Get Marriage Records, Birth Records and Death Records
Requests for birth, death and marriage records can be made to the DPH vital records office which retains records of these events going back to 1881.
To request any of these records, the requesting party must be either named on the record, have a documented lawful claim over the record or be authorized by a New York-issued court order. Interested and eligible persons may request any record in person or via mail. Mail-in requests require that the requestor download and complete the Application For a Birth Certificate Copy, Application For Death Certificate Copy or Application For Marriage Certificate Copy. Completed applications must be accompanied by the stated fees and ID requirements and submitted to:
New York State Department of Health
Vital Records Certification Unit
P.O. Box 2602
Albany, NY 12220-2602
In addition to government agencies, county public records may also be obtained from third-party websites. These non-government platforms come with intuitive tools that allow for expansive searches. Record seekers may either opt to use these tools to search for a specific record or multiple records. Users are able to search third-party websites remotely for multiple records at a time with just the name of the record subject and their last known location, including the city, county, or state. Third-party sites are not sponsored by government agencies. Because of this, record availability and results may vary.
