County Clerk

WELCOME!

You will find the County Clerk’s Office located in the courthouse on the corner of Franklin Street and 9th Street in beautiful Watkins Glen, with the Department of Motor Vehicles located conveniently down the hall. Both offices offer friendly, experienced staff willing to assist you with the many services we provide whether it be:

  • Recording land records or simply getting a copy of a document already on record
  • Filing civil/marital court proceedings (marriage certificates are issued by your town clerk)
  • Local criminal searches
  • Applying for or amending a New York State Pistol Permit
  • Obtaining a hunting or fishing license
  • Acquiring/renewing a passport

All public records can be searched in our office through our indexes Monday - Friday from 8:30 am - 4:30 pm.

Passports and recordings are only received until 4:00 pm.

Criminal record searches are $10.00 per name and must be submitted in writing. Results can be returned by phone, email, or mail, according to your preference. Certified copies of dispositions are available for $5.00. 

Our historical & contemporary online records are available at our Cott Portal, which is currently being expanded to make your searches from the office or home even more accessible.

My mission as county clerk is to maintain the friendly, courteous, and professional services that have been the hallmark of this office. Should you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me.

Sincerely,

Theresa A Philbin 

Donate Life New York Opens in new window

Electronic Filing & Recording Information
As of May 26, 2021, Schuyler County is required to participate in mandatory electronic filing for all court-related documents through the New York State Courts Electronic Filing System (NYSCEF). For details on applicable case types, please refer to Administrative Order 162.21.

You may access the NYSCEF system here: www.nycourts.gov/efile

Land Records Access
Title search companies and other users seeking access to land records are encouraged to use our secure online portal: https://recordhub.cottsystems.com/

E-Recording Now Available
E-recording is now available in Schuyler County. Documents may be submitted electronically through any of the following approved vendors:

County warns Schuyler County homeowners 2021 06 22
Effective March 11, 2020 there will be a $10 fee added to all residential deed recordings.

On January 11, 2020 Governor Cuomo signed into law an amendment to Real Property Law Section 291 that requires County Clerks to notify the owner(s) of record of residential real property when a document is recorded affecting said residential property. The law also allows a reasonable fee to be assessed for said notices.

The NYS Association of County Clerks, in order to provide uniformity throughout NYS, has determined that $10 is a reasonable fee per document.

In Schuyler County, this fee will apply to residential deed documents executed on or after March 11, 2020 and received over the counter or through the mail (USPS, FedEx, UPS etc.)

This fee does not apply to commercial transactions.