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Onondaga County, New York public records

In Onondaga County, deeds are recorded by the Onondaga County Clerk; property values come from the Onondaga County Real Property Tax Services; court files are divided among the Onondaga County Clerk, Civil Actions, the Onondaga County Court - The Honorable James C. Tormey III Criminal Courthouse and the Onondaga County Surrogate's Court.

Last checked against official sources on .

On this page
  1. Where to get each record
  2. Deeds and land records
  3. Property values, owners and tax bills
  4. Court records: which clerk keeps which case
  5. Marriage records
  6. Divorce records
  7. Birth certificates
  8. Death certificates
  9. Probate records and wills
  10. Business names (DBA)
  11. Historical records
  12. Good to know about Onondaga County records
  13. Office addresses, phones and hours
  14. Records that are not online: public records requests
  15. Questions people ask
  16. Official copies vs look-alike sites
  17. Sources

Where to get each record

RecordOfficeSearch onlineFee
Deeds and land recordsOnondaga County Clerk5Search deeds23$0.65 per page (regular document copies); $0.25 per page personal copies4
Property values and ownersOnondaga County Real Property Tax Services6——
Property tax billsOnondaga County Department of Finance / RPTS6——
Court casesOnondaga County Clerk, Civil Actions7
Onondaga County Court - The Honorable James C. Tormey III Criminal Courthouse8
Onondaga County Surrogate's Court8
Onondaga County Family Court8		——
Marriage recordsThe town, village or city clerk who issued the license9——
Divorce recordsCounty Clerk (Civil Actions); files confidential to the parties or their attorney7——
Birth certificatesOnondaga County Office of Vital Statistics (all births and deaths in the county)10—$30.00 first certified copy; $15.00 each additional copy of the same certificate ordered at the same time10
Death certificatesOnondaga County Office of Vital Statistics10—$30.00 first certified copy; $15.00 each additional copy11
Probate and willsOnondaga County Surrogate's Court8——
Business names (DBA)County Clerk files assumed names (DBA) for sole proprietors and general partnerships: $35.004——

Deeds and land records

Deeds, mortgages and other land documents for property in Onondaga County are recorded by the Onondaga County Clerk (Mortgages and Deeds department).5

Cost
Account3
Who runs it
Cott Systems eSearch (cotthosting.com/NYOnondagaExternal), linked from the County Clerk pages3
Subscription fees
$5.00 for 48 hours, $100.00 for 30 days, $500.00 for 180 days; printing $0.65 per page3
Copy fee
$0.65 per page (regular document copies); $0.25 per page personal copies4
Certified copy fee
$5.00 minimum for the first 4 pages, then $1.25 per page; exemplified copies $10.00 additional4
Search fee
$5.00 per name per 2-year period (court records search); the office does not perform judgment searches4
How to order
In person at the County Clerk (Court House, Room 200) or online through the Cott eSearch subscription; call Real Property (315) 435-82505
Recording fee
Deed: $45.50 plus $5.00 per page (cover page generated by the Clerk) plus $0.50 per additional surname or cross reference; TP-584 $5.00; RP-5217 $125.00 or $250.00; transfer tax $2.00 per $500; residential deed additional $10.004
Payment
Personal checks up to $125 (with Clerk approval); credit cards with a 2.65% service fee ($3 minimum)4
Earliest
Records date back to 17945

How deeds work in New York

Property values, owners and tax bills

The Onondaga County Real Property Tax Services (RPTS, a Division of Finance) sets property values6; the Onondaga County Department of Finance / RPTS (Chief Fiscal Officer collects delinquent taxes outside the City of Syracuse) bills and collects the tax6.

Property search
Image Mate Online (Search Assessments), on ocfintax.ongov.net12
Tax bill search
www.ongov.net/etax (tax bills, receipts and payoff amounts; town properties outside the City of Syracuse)13
Parcel map (GIS)
Onondaga County GIS Portal6
Tax maps
Full-size tax map $10.00, lap size $4.00, zoomed-in $2.00; full set on CD $350.0014
Appealing a value
Grievance to the local Board of Assessment Review, then Small Claims Assessment Review (SCAR) through the County Clerk ($30 fee)9
Assessors
Assessors and tax collectors are the City of Syracuse and each town/village; list on RPTS site15
Tax auction
Annual real property tax auction held online each October6

How property tax works in New York

Court records: which clerk keeps which case

CourtCasesRecords kept byCase search
Supreme Court (civil, matrimonial)Civil actions, divorces; files kept by the County ClerkOnondaga County Clerk, Civil Actions (clerk/custodian of Supreme and County Court records) NYSCEF case search for e-filed cases; files viewed in person at the County Clerk Civil Actions Department7
County CourtCriminal cases (County Clerk FAQ lists "County – Criminal (315) 671-1020")Onondaga County Court (criminal) - The Honorable James C. Tormey III Criminal Courthouse County Clerk is clerk/custodian of County Court records; WebCriminal via eCourts9
Surrogate's CourtWills, estates, guardianshipsOnondaga County Surrogate's Court Surrogate's Court online records search linked on the court page; WebSurrogate via eCourts8
Family CourtCustody and other Family Court mattersOnondaga County Family Court WebFamily eCourts8
Syracuse City CourtCriminal, civil actions, small claims, commercial claims, traffic tickets; landlord and tenant (menu of the 5th JD Syracuse City Court page)— WebCivil Local / WebCriminal8
Town & Village CourtsLocal criminal and civil matters outside Syracuse— Listed on the 5th JD Onondaga page8
Fees
Index number $210.00; RJI $95.00; note of issue $30.00; jury demand $65.00; motion $45.004

Criminal records and background checks

Court records
County Court criminal records are kept by the County Clerk; Certificate of Disposition $5.004

How New York courts keep their files

Marriage records

The town, village or city clerk who issued the license; the County Clerk holds only 1908-1938 marriage records (City of Syracuse) and sporadic older ones9

Archives
County Clerk archives hold City of Syracuse marriage records 1908-193816

New York marriage records, statewide

Divorce records

County Clerk (Civil Actions); files confidential to the parties or their attorney7

Certificate
A one-page gold-stamped certificate of divorce is available to anyone from the County Clerk9

New York divorce records: decree or state record

Birth certificates

Onondaga County Office of Vital Statistics (all births and deaths in the county)10

Fee
$30.00 first certified copy; $15.00 each additional copy of the same certificate ordered at the same time10
Who may order
Persons named on the certificate (parents or child), their legal representatives, legal guardians with court-ordered custody, or anyone with a court order17
How to order
Mail, fax, online form or in person (walk-in); photo ID required10
Expedite
Priority Mail add $20.00; next business day (UPS) add $25.0017

Ordering a New York birth certificate

Death certificates

Kept by: Onondaga County Office of Vital Statistics10

Fee
$30.00 first certified copy; $15.00 each additional copy11
Who may order
Spouse, child, parent, sibling, domestic partner, or designated agent in charge of disposition, their legal representative, or someone with a documented legal need11

Ordering a New York death certificate

Probate records and wills

Kept by: Surrogate's Court at the Courthouse, 401 Montgomery Street9

Online
Surrogate's Court 'Online Records Search' and fee/forms pages linked on the 5th JD Onondaga page8

Finding a will or probate case in New York

Business names (DBA)

County Clerk files assumed names (DBA) for sole proprietors and general partnerships: $35.004

Historical records

Clerk archives
County Clerk Archives & Microfilm: records from 1794; naturalization records from 1808; census records 1850-1925; Syracuse directories from 186116
Vital records for genealogy
Genealogy copies by mail or in person: $22.00 for a 1-3 year search up to $202.00 for 81-90 years; deaths over 50 years and births over 75 years (deceased) open to anyone18

Good to know about Onondaga County records

  • Onondaga County land records go back to 1794.5
  • Birth and death certificates for the whole county, including the City of Syracuse, come from the county Office of Vital Statistics, which holds the records for all births and deaths in Onondaga County for the past 150 years.10
  • The County Clerk keeps City of Syracuse marriage records only for 1908-1938; later marriages are with the issuing town, village or city clerk.9
  • The County Clerk archives hold naturalization records from 1808, local census records 1850-1925 and a Revolutionary War ballot book of veterans' land grants.16
  • Veterans may file military discharges (DD-214) with the County Clerk free of charge and get certified copies at no charge.16

Office addresses, phones and hours

Onondaga County Clerk (Mortgages and Deeds department)

Address
Onondaga County Court House, Room 200, 401 Montgomery Street, Syracuse, NY 1320219
Phone
(315) 435-8250 (Real Property); front desk (315) 435-222719
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:30AM - 4:00PM2

Onondaga County Clerk

Address
Onondaga County Court House, Room 200, 401 Montgomery Street, Syracuse, NY 1320219
Phone
(315) 435-2227 information/front desk; fax (315) 435-345519
Hours
Monday - Friday 8:30am - 4:00pm19

Onondaga County Real Property Tax Services (RPTS, a Division of Finance)

Address
421 Montgomery Street - 15th Floor East (Civic Center), Syracuse, NY 132026
Mail
Chief Fiscal Officer, PO Box 1004, Syracuse, NY 13201 (payments)6
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:00pm6

Onondaga County Department of Finance / RPTS (Chief Fiscal Officer collects delinquent taxes outside the City of Syracuse)

Address
421 Montgomery Street - 15th Floor East (Civic Center), Syracuse, NY 132026
Mail
Chief Fiscal Officer, PO Box 1004, Syracuse, NY 132016
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:00pm6

Onondaga County Clerk, Civil Actions (clerk/custodian of Supreme and County Court records)

Address
Onondaga County Court House, Room 200, 401 Montgomery Street, Syracuse, NY 1320219
Phone
(315) 435-2234 (Clerk Civil Actions); Supreme Court 315-671-103019
Hours
Monday - Friday 8:30am - 4:00pm (County Clerk)19

Onondaga County Court (criminal) - The Honorable James C. Tormey III Criminal Courthouse

Address
505 South State St., Syracuse, NY 13202-21048
Phone
315-671-1020 (County Court); County Clerk Criminal Actions (315) 435-22368

Onondaga County Surrogate's Court

Address
Onondaga County Courthouse, 401 Montgomery Street, Syracuse, NY 132028

Onondaga County Family Court

Address
Onondaga County Courthouse, 401 Montgomery Street, Syracuse, NY 132028
Phone
315-671-2000 information; records 315-671-20058

Onondaga County Office of Vital Statistics (a Division of Health)

Address
421 Montgomery Street, Civic Center Suite 20, Syracuse, NY 1320210
Mail
Office of Vital Statistics, 421 Montgomery Street, Rm 20 Basement Civic Center, Syracuse, NY 1320217
Phone
(315) 435-3241; fax (315) 435-361410
Hours
Mon-Fri 9:00 am - 4:00 pm; walk-ins only 9:00 AM to 3:55 PM10

Onondaga County Board of Elections

Address
1000 Erie Blvd West, Syracuse, NY 1320421
Phone
(315) 435-8683; fax (315) 435-845121
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:30AM-4:30PM21

Records that are not online: public records requests

Request page
onondagacountyny.nextrequest.com/… (DA, Sheriff, 911, Fire Investigation); onondaga.gov/forms/foil-request (all other FOIL)22

How to write a public records request

Questions people ask

How do I get a copy of a deed in Onondaga County?

The Onondaga County Clerk (Mortgages and Deeds department) keeps deed records. To order copies: In person at the County Clerk (Court House, Room 200) or online through the Cott eSearch subscription; call Real Property (315) 435-8250. Plain copies: $0.65 per page (regular document copies); $0.25 per page personal copies. Certified copies: $5.00 minimum for the first 4 pages, then $1.25 per page; exemplified copies $10.00 additional.54

Where do I get a divorce decree in Onondaga County?

County Clerk (Civil Actions); files confidential to the parties or their attorney.7

Official copies vs look-alike sites

A certified copy comes only from the office that holds the record; reports and "research copies" sold by commercial sites are not issued by any Onondaga County office. How to tell an official record source from a paid look-alike.

Other counties in New York with a full guide: Albany County, Bronx County, Broome County, Chautauqua County, Clinton County, Dutchess County, Erie County, Kings County, Monroe County, New York County, Oneida County, Orange County, Queens County, Rensselaer County, Richmond County, Saratoga County, Schenectady County, Suffolk County, Sullivan County, Ulster County, Westchester County. Every county in the state: New York county list.

Sources

Every fact above links to the official page it comes from; all 23 sources were checked on November 4, 2026. Fees and rules change, so check the office's own page before you pay or travel.

  1. Government Units List 2026US Census Bureau
  2. County Clerk homeOnondaga County
  3. Onondaga County Clerk eSearch sign-in (Cott Systems), linked from the County Clerk pagesCott Systems for the Onondaga County Clerk
  4. County Clerk - Fee Schedule (Updated August 2024)Onondaga County
  5. County Clerk - Mortgages and DeedsOnondaga County
  6. Real Property Tax Services (a Division of Finance)Onondaga County
  7. County Clerk - Civil ActionsOnondaga County
  8. 5JD Onondaga County HOME (court addresses and phone numbers)NYS Unified Court System, 5th Judicial Districtarchived copy
  9. County Clerk - Frequently Asked QuestionsOnondaga County
  10. Office of Vital Statistics (a Division of Health)Onondaga County
  11. Vital Statistics - Death Certificates By MailOnondaga County
  12. RPTS - Assessment InformationOnondaga County
  13. RPTS - ContactOnondaga County
  14. RPTS - Tax MapsOnondaga County
  15. RPTS - Tax Collectors and AssessorsOnondaga County
  16. County Clerk - Archives & MicrofilmOnondaga County
  17. Vital Statistics - Birth Certificates By MailOnondaga County
  18. Vital Statistics - Genealogy RequestsOnondaga County
  19. County Clerk - Contact UsOnondaga County
  20. Vital Statistics - Birth Certificates OnlineOnondaga County
  21. Board of ElectionsOnondaga County
  22. FOIL Request - FormsOnondaga County
  23. County population totals: Vintage 2025 (July 1, 2025)US Census Bureau