Franklin County Court Records
How To Find Court Records in Franklin County in 2026
Members of the public seeking court records in Franklin County, New York, may access publicly available case information through several official channels. FranklinNYRecords.org provides a directory of resources related to publicly available court records and related information maintained by government agencies. Franklin County court records may include documentation from civil, criminal, family, probate, and traffic proceedings, though the completeness and availability of any given record depends on case type, court jurisdiction, and applicable access restrictions under state law.
Records that may be accessible through official sources include:
- Civil court filings and judgments
- Criminal case dockets and disposition records
- Family court orders (subject to confidentiality rules)
- Surrogate's Court and probate filings
- Traffic and vehicle and traffic law violations
- Small claims court decisions
- Supreme Court civil and criminal matters
Court records in Franklin County may be searched through five primary methods:
1. Clerk of Court or Court Records Office. The Franklin County Clerk maintains official court records for Supreme Court and County Court proceedings. Members of the public may visit the clerk's office in person, present identifying case information such as a party name or index number, and request access to the file. Staff may assist in locating records, though research services may carry a fee.
2. Courthouse Public Access Terminals. Public terminals are available at the Franklin County Courthouse for in-person case lookup. These terminals allow members of the public to search docket entries and case status information without staff assistance during regular business hours.
3. Online Court Search. The New York State Unified Court System provides the eCourts case search platform, which allows users to search Supreme Court civil cases statewide, including those filed in Franklin County, by party name or index number.
4. State-Level Judicial Search Tools. The New York Courts WebCivil Supreme portal and related statewide tools provide access to civil case information. Criminal case information at the trial court level may require in-person access or a written request.
5. Written or Mail Requests. Members of the public who cannot appear in person may submit written requests to the Franklin County Clerk's office. Requests should include the case name, index number or docket number, and the specific documents sought. Fees for copies apply.
Franklin County Clerk's Office
355 West Main Street
Malone, NY 12953
Phone: (518) 481-1681
Franklin County Clerk
Are Court Records Public In Franklin County
Court records in Franklin County are subject to the public access provisions of New York's Judiciary Law and the New York Freedom of Information Law (FOIL), codified at Public Officers Law § 87, which establishes the right of the public to inspect and copy government records, including judicial records not otherwise sealed or restricted. Under current law, the following categories of records are accessible to the public:
- Docket entries and case indexes
- Party names (plaintiff, defendant, petitioner, respondent)
- Hearing and trial dates
- Court orders and judgments
- Filed pleadings in civil matters
- Sentencing records in criminal matters
- Probate filings in Surrogate's Court
Certain records are confidential, sealed, or restricted under state law and court rules, including:
- Juvenile delinquency and persons in need of supervision (PINS) proceedings under Family Court Act § 166
- Adoption records, which are sealed by statute
- Mental hygiene proceedings
- Records sealed pursuant to Criminal Procedure Law § 160.50 following dismissal or acquittal
- Expunged records
- Protected personal identifiers such as Social Security numbers and financial account numbers
A distinction exists between courthouse inspection and online access. While members of the public may inspect many records in person at the clerk's office, not all documents available for in-person review are accessible through online portals. Sealed and restricted filings are excluded from both in-person and electronic access.
What Are Court Records in Franklin County?
Court records are the official documentary record of judicial proceedings maintained by the clerk of the court or the relevant judicial office. In Franklin County, court records are created at the moment a case is filed and are updated continuously as the case progresses through the judicial system, from initial filing through disposition, post-judgment proceedings, and any appeal.
A docket entry is a chronological log of all actions taken in a case, while a full case file contains the actual documents filed by the parties and the court. Civil court records document disputes between private parties or between a party and a government entity, while criminal court records document proceedings initiated by the state against an individual charged with a violation of law. Filed pleadings are the initial documents submitted by parties, while final judgments represent the court's ultimate resolution of the matter.
Public filings are those accessible to any member of the public under applicable law, while sealed or restricted filings are withheld from public access by court order or statute. Trial court records are maintained at the originating court level, while appellate records are maintained by the Appellate Division of the New York Supreme Court.
In Franklin County, the following offices maintain court records:
- Franklin County Clerk — Supreme Court and County Court records
- Franklin County Family Court — Family court proceedings
- Franklin County Surrogate's Court — Probate, estate, and guardianship matters
- Town and Village Justice Courts — Local criminal and traffic matters
Records are created upon filing, updated with each docket entry, and retained according to applicable judicial retention schedules administered by the New York State Archives.
What's Included in a Franklin County Court Record?
A court record in Franklin County may contain a range of documents and data depending on the case type, the court in which the matter was filed, and applicable public-access rules. The following information may appear within a publicly accessible court record:
- Case number or index number — the unique identifier assigned at filing
- Court name and division — identifying the specific court and part
- Filing date — the date the initial pleading or petition was submitted
- Party names — names of plaintiffs, defendants, petitioners, respondents, and other named parties
- Case type and status — such as civil, criminal, family, probate, or traffic, and whether the matter is open, closed, or on appeal
- Docket entries — a chronological log of all filings and court actions
- Hearing and trial dates — scheduled and completed court appearances
- Motions, complaints, petitions, answers, orders, judgments, notices, minute entries, decrees — the substantive documents comprising the case file
- Outcome information — dismissals, verdicts, pleas, convictions, sentencing entries, custody rulings, probate orders, or appellate decisions
- Administrative and financial information — filing fees, assessed costs, fines, restitution amounts, or bond information where publicly shown
Records that are excluded or restricted from public access include sealed filings, expunged matters, juvenile files, adoption records, protected personal data such as Social Security numbers and financial account numbers, and certain exhibits admitted under seal or protective order.
Types of Courts in Franklin County
Franklin County is served by several courts operating within the New York State Unified Court System. The New York Courts Fourth Judicial District administers the courts serving Franklin County. The principal courts and their functions are as follows:
- Franklin County Supreme Court — General jurisdiction court hearing felony criminal matters, major civil cases, and matrimonial proceedings. The Franklin County Clerk maintains the official record.
- Franklin County Court — Hears felony criminal cases and appeals from lower courts.
- Franklin County Family Court — Handles child custody, child support, domestic violence, juvenile delinquency, PINS, and adoption proceedings.
- Franklin County Surrogate's Court — Administers probate, estate administration, guardianship, and adoption matters.
- Franklin County Court of Claims — Hears civil claims against New York State.
- Town and Village Justice Courts — Handle misdemeanor criminal matters, vehicle and traffic law violations, small claims, and landlord-tenant proceedings at the local level.
What Types of Cases Do Franklin County Courts Hear
Franklin County courts collectively hear criminal matters ranging from traffic infractions to felonies, civil disputes including contract and tort claims, family law matters, probate and estate proceedings, juvenile matters, landlord-tenant disputes, and small claims. The Supreme Court and County Court exercise general jurisdiction, while town and village justice courts exercise limited jurisdiction over matters arising within their geographic boundaries. Appeals from lower courts proceed to the Appellate Division, Third Department, of the New York Supreme Court.
Franklin County Supreme and County Court
355 West Main Street
Malone, NY 12953
Phone: (518) 481-1667
Franklin County Courts
Franklin County Family Court
355 West Main Street
Malone, NY 12953
Phone: (518) 481-1742
Franklin County Family Court
Franklin County Surrogate's Court
355 West Main Street
Malone, NY 12953
Phone: (518) 481-1736
Franklin County Surrogate's Court
How to Search Franklin County Court Records for Free?
Several methods for searching Franklin County court records are available at no cost, while others carry fees for copies or certified documents.
Free access methods include:
- In-person inspection at the Franklin County Clerk's office or courthouse public terminals during regular business hours, at no charge for viewing records
- Online case search through the New York Courts eCourts platform for Supreme Court civil cases, available at no cost
- Courthouse public terminals located within the Franklin County Courthouse, available to the public without charge
Services that carry fees include:
| Service | Approximate Fee |
|---|---|
| Photocopies of court documents | $0.65 per page (standard) |
| Certified copies of court records | $5.00 per document plus copy fees |
| Exemplified copies | Additional certification fee applies |
| Mail request processing | Varies by document volume |
Fee schedules for the Franklin County Clerk are established pursuant to New York County Law § 909, which governs clerk fees for copies and certifications. Members of the public seeking fee waivers based on indigency may inquire with the clerk's office directly.
How Long Does Franklin County Keep Court Records?
The retention of court records in Franklin County is governed by the judicial records retention schedules established by the New York State Archives, in coordination with the Office of Court Administration. Retention periods vary by case type and record category.
Under current retention schedules, the following periods apply to common record types:
- Civil court records — retained for a minimum of seven years following disposition, with some judgment records retained for twenty years or longer
- Criminal court records — felony records are retained permanently in many instances; misdemeanor records are retained for varying periods depending on disposition
- Surrogate's Court records — probate files and estate records are retained permanently as a matter of historical and legal significance
- Family Court records — retained according to case type, with some matters subject to confidentiality restrictions that affect access but not retention
- Traffic and local court records — retained for periods ranging from three to ten years depending on the nature of the violation and disposition
Records that have reached the end of their active retention period may be transferred to the New York State Archives or county archives for long-term preservation. Paper files may be destroyed following imaging or microfilming, provided the reproduced record meets archival standards. Destruction, archival retention, sealing, redaction, and expungement are distinct processes: destruction removes the physical record, archival retention preserves it in a non-active repository, sealing restricts access without destroying the record, redaction removes specific information from an accessible document, and expungement eliminates the legal effect of a record as provided by statute.
Older Franklin County court records, particularly those predating electronic filing systems, may exist in paper files, microfilm, or county and state archives and may require an in-person or written request to access.
How To Find a Court Docket in Franklin County
A court docket is the official chronological log of all actions, filings, and proceedings in a specific case. It differs from the full case file in that it records what occurred and when, rather than containing the actual documents filed. A docket entry may note that a motion was filed without including the text of the motion itself.
Dockets for Franklin County Supreme Court civil cases are accessible through the New York Courts WebCivil Supreme portal. To locate a docket through this system, members of the public may:
- Navigate to the WebCivil Supreme search page
- Enter the county (Franklin), index number, or party name
- Select the relevant case from the results list
- Review the docket entries displayed, which include filing dates, motion entries, hearing dates, and status updates
For criminal case dockets, in-person access at the Franklin County Clerk's office or a written request is the primary method, as criminal docket information is not as broadly available through online portals as civil case information.
A court docket may contain:
- Case number and filing date
- Party names and attorney information
- Chronological list of all filings and court actions
- Scheduled and completed hearing dates
- Continuances and adjournments
- Motion entries and decision notations
- Minute entries from court appearances
- Status updates and case disposition
A docket does not include the full text of filed documents, sealed entries, confidential attachments, or exhibits admitted under protective order. Hearing calendars and motion calendars for Franklin County courts may be available through the court clerk's office or posted at the courthouse. The New York State Unified Court System maintains guidance on accessing court calendars and docket information statewide.