Yates County Court Docket Records
Yates County court docket records are on file at the County Clerk's Office in Penn Yan. The clerk manages all Supreme Court and County Court filings for Yates County, covering civil case dockets, criminal records, judgments, and liens. You can search these records through state online portals or visit the office at 415 Liberty Street. Yates County is one of the smallest counties in New York with a population of about 25,000, but the clerk's office maintains a full set of court records going back many years. The office also holds naturalization documents, census materials, and marriage records from 1908 to 1935.
Yates County Overview
Yates County Court Docket Office
The Yates County Clerk's Office is where you go for court docket records in this county. The office is at 415 Liberty Street in Penn Yan. Staff handle civil case filings, docket sheets, judgments, liens, and criminal records from Supreme Court and County Court cases. The clerk also records deeds, mortgages, and other land documents. eRecording is available for land record filings, so you can submit those electronically without making a trip to the office.
Yates County is small, and that has its perks when it comes to finding court docket records. The office staff know the filing system well, and the lower volume of cases means searches tend to go faster than in bigger counties. Under Judiciary Law § 255, the County Clerk must keep all court docket records and provide public access. The Yates County office follows this rule and will help you find what you need.
| Office | Yates County Clerk's Office |
|---|---|
| Address | 415 Liberty Street Penn Yan, NY 14527 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM |
| Website | www.yatescounty.org/130/County-Clerk |
The office processes all types of court docket filings. Civil actions, foreclosures, mechanic's liens, judgments, and lis pendens all come through here. When a case is filed in Yates County Supreme Court, the docket starts at this office. Each paper filed after the initial filing gets added to the case record, building the full court docket step by step.
Search Yates County Court Docket Records
You can search Yates County court docket records online or by visiting the clerk's office in Penn Yan. The state runs free portals that cover all 62 counties in New York.
The WebCivil Supreme portal has civil Supreme Court docket records for Yates County. Search by index number, party name, or attorney name. The system shows case type, status, appearance dates, and a full list of docket entries with filing dates. This is the fastest way to check on a civil court docket case without leaving home.
For criminal cases, the WebCriminal system covers pending criminal matters in Yates County courts. Search by defendant name or case number to see charges, court dates, and status. Only active cases appear in this system. Closed criminal court docket records must be pulled from the clerk's office.
The Yates County Clerk's Office provides information on county services and records through the county website.
The Yates County Clerk's page has details on services, office hours, and how to request court docket records.
The Yates County government portal is another resource for finding information about county departments and services.
The Yates County website links to all county departments, including the clerk's office where court docket records are maintained.
Estate and probate matters in Yates County can be searched through the WebSurrogate system. This covers wills, guardianships, and estate administration cases filed in the Yates County Surrogate's Court.
The NYS Court Records Information page is a solid starting point if you are not sure which search tool to use. It explains all the online systems and how to request records when online access is not enough.
To search in person, go to the Clerk's Office at 415 Liberty Street in Penn Yan. If you have the case index number, bring it along. Staff can also search by party name. The office keeps records that go back a long way, including naturalization documents and census materials that could be relevant to older court docket research.
Yates County Court Docket Fees
Yates County follows the same fee schedule as every other county in New York. State law sets the rates for court docket copies and services.
Uncertified copies of court docket records cost $0.65 per page. Certified copies are $5.00 per page. If you need to start a new civil case in Supreme Court, the index number fee is $210.00. A Request for Judicial Intervention adds $95.00 to the cost. These fees cover standard court docket filings in Yates County.
A statewide Criminal History Record Search through the Office of Court Administration runs $95.00 per name. It covers all 62 New York counties and results come by email. A local search at the Yates County Clerk's Office only covers Yates County records. CPLR § 8019 sets the fee rules for courts other than Supreme and County Court, so Town and Village Court fees in Yates County may differ from the amounts listed here.
Note: Yates County offers eRecording for land records, which can save time if you need to file deeds or mortgages without visiting the office in person.
Court Docket Records in Yates County
The Yates County Clerk maintains a full set of court docket records and related files. Civil case files from Supreme Court contain the complete docket from first filing to final judgment. County Court records cover felony criminal cases and civil matters up to $25,000. The office also keeps judgment rolls, satisfaction records, and lien filings tied to court docket activity.
Beyond the standard court docket files, the Yates County Clerk holds some records that can help with deeper research. Naturalization documents are on file for people who became citizens through the Yates County courts. Census materials provide another layer of historical data. Marriage records from 1908 to 1935 are in the collection too. These records often connect to court docket cases involving property, estates, or name changes. Having them all under one roof in Penn Yan makes the Yates County Clerk's Office a useful resource for many kinds of research.
Under Judiciary Law § 255-b, the County Clerk must keep a docket book for each case where a Request for Judicial Intervention or appeal is filed. The docket book lists every paper filed in the case in the order it was filed. This is the core of the court docket record. It gives you a clear timeline of everything that happened in a case. For anyone trying to understand a Yates County court case from start to finish, the docket book is the key document to ask for.
Public Access to Yates County Court Docket
Court docket records in Yates County are open to the public. You do not need to be a party to the case. Judiciary Law § 4 says all court proceedings must be open, and that same principle covers the records. Walk into the clerk's office in Penn Yan, ask for a case file, and staff will help you find it. Some records may be sealed by a judge or restricted by law, but the default rule is open access for all court docket files.
E-filing through NYSCEF is now mandatory for new civil Supreme Court cases in Yates County. Documents filed through this system become part of the court docket right away. The Guest Search feature lets anyone view publicly filed court docket documents without creating an account. This is a big improvement for people who want to follow a case but can not make it to Penn Yan in person. The combination of NYSCEF and the state's other online tools means you can do a lot of court docket research from home, even in a small county like Yates.
Nearby Counties
These counties border Yates County. If you are not sure which county covers your case, check the address where the filing was made.