Access Ontario County Marriage Records

Marriage records in Ontario County are kept by the town clerks who issued each license, with the county clerk's office in Canandaigua handling deeds, mortgages, and court records. Matthew A. Hauf serves as the Ontario County Clerk at 27 North Main Street in Canandaigua. The county has 16 towns and two cities, Geneva and Canandaigua, each with a clerk who issues marriage licenses and maintains the local records. Whether you need a current marriage license or a copy of an older record, the key is identifying which clerk's office handled the original filing.

Where to Find Ontario County Marriage Records

The Ontario County Clerk's office at 27 North Main Street in Canandaigua is the main administrative hub for the county. Call (585) 396-4200 to reach them. While the clerk records deeds, mortgages, and court documents, marriage licenses are handled at the town and city level in New York. The county clerk may have marriage records from the 1908 to 1935 period when state law required county-level filing.

Canandaigua's city clerk is one of the primary sources for marriage records in the county. Geneva's city clerk is the other. Both cities have full-time offices open during regular business hours. The smaller town clerks, such as those in Victor, Farmington, and Manchester, also issue licenses and keep records. Victor has grown a lot in recent years, so its clerk office sees more traffic than it used to.

New York's Domestic Relations Law Section 15 sets the rules for marriage licenses statewide. Both parties must appear in person. The license costs $40. There is a 24-hour wait before the ceremony can take place. The license is valid for 60 days. These rules do not change from one clerk to another. Every office in Ontario County follows the same process.

How to Search Ontario County Marriage Records

Start with the clerk who issued the license. If you know the couple got married in Canandaigua, call the city clerk there. If it was Geneva, call Geneva. For town marriages, contact the specific town clerk. Most clerks can search by name if you give them an approximate date range.

The New York State Department of Health is a good backup option. They hold copies of all marriage certificates from 1881 to the present for areas outside New York City. Mail requests go to P.O. Box 2602, Albany, NY 12220-2602 with a $30 fee. Online orders through VitalChek run $45 plus processing. The mail route takes 8 to 10 weeks, while priority handling for an extra $15 cuts that to about two weeks.

For genealogy work, the New York State Archives maintains marriage indexes from 1881 onward. Records older than 50 years are available to the public. The Ontario County Historical Society in Canandaigua also has resources for local marriage research, including church records and newspaper archives that predate official government filings.

Town and City Clerks in Ontario County

Ontario County has 16 towns and 2 cities. The towns are Bristol, Canadice, Canandaigua (town), East Bloomfield, Farmington, Geneva (town), Gorham, Hopewell, Manchester, Naples, Phelps, Richmond, Seneca, South Bristol, Victor, and West Bloomfield. The cities of Canandaigua and Geneva have separate clerks from the towns of the same name. This can cause some confusion, so make sure you are contacting the right one.

The Farmington and Victor town clerks handle a growing number of requests as those communities expand. Naples and Bristol are smaller and more rural, with clerk offices that keep shorter hours. Phelps sits on the eastern edge of the county near Seneca County, and its clerk serves a modest population. Each clerk charges the same $40 for a license and $10 for certified copies. There is no difference in fees between the bigger and smaller offices.

When applying for a marriage license, you need a valid photo ID and proof of age. If either person was previously married, a certified copy of the divorce decree or the death certificate of the former spouse is required. The clerk will have you complete an application at the counter. Both people must be present. You cannot mail in an application or send someone on your behalf. The process usually takes about 15 to 20 minutes.

Access Rules and Historical Records

New York limits access to recent marriage records. Certified copies of records less than 50 years old can only be obtained by the people named on the certificate, their legal representatives, or close family members. After 50 years, the records become available to the general public. This rule applies whether you request the record from the local clerk or the state health department.

Ontario County's Finger Lakes location means many marriages took place at lakeside venues and local wineries. The county has been a popular wedding destination for decades. If you are looking for a marriage record and only know the venue was in the Finger Lakes area, you may need to check clerks in Ontario, Seneca, and Yates counties. The license would have been issued wherever the couple applied, not necessarily where the ceremony happened.

For records from the 1800s, church records and the New York State Archives are your best options. The Ontario County Historical Society may also have relevant materials. Some early marriage records were recorded in town record books that are now held by local historical societies or the county historian's office.

Cities in Ontario County

Ontario County does not have any cities that meet the population threshold for a dedicated page. Canandaigua and Geneva are the two main cities, and their clerks handle the bulk of marriage licenses in the county.

Nearby Counties

Ontario County sits in the Finger Lakes region. These neighboring counties each have their own clerk offices for marriage records.