Ontario County Death Records Search

Ontario County death records are held by the town and city clerks in this Finger Lakes region county. The county seat is Canandaigua, a scenic town on the north end of Canandaigua Lake. Ontario County has about 112,000 residents. Death certificates date back to the 1880s when New York started statewide registration, though some local records go back further. The Ontario County Clerk does not keep death records. You need to contact the local clerk where the death happened or go through the state. Ontario County has one of the oldest probate record collections in western New York, going back to 1789.

Where Ontario County Death Records Are Kept

The Ontario County Clerk at 20 Ontario Street, Canandaigua, NY 14424, phone (585) 396-4200, maintains court records and land records. But the County Clerk does not have birth or death certificates. Those must come from the clerk of the town or city where the death took place.

Ontario County has 16 towns: Bristol, Canadice, Canandaigua, East Bloomfield, Farmington, Geneva, Gorham, Hopewell, Manchester, Naples, Phelps, Richmond, Seneca, South Bristol, Victor, and West Bloomfield. Each town clerk keeps death records for deaths in their area. The cities of Canandaigua and Geneva also have city clerks who handle vital records. The Geneva City Clerk has cemetery records for Washington and Glenwood Cemeteries too.

If you do not know which town the death took place in, the state Department of Health can search their records for the whole county. But if you know the town, start with the local clerk. It is faster and often cheaper.

Ordering Ontario County Death Certificates

The New York State Department of Health has Ontario County death records from 1881 to the present. Mail orders cost $30 per copy. Send forms to the Vital Records Certification Unit, P.O. Box 2602, Albany, NY 12220-2602. Online and phone orders through VitalChek run $45 plus a processing fee. The toll-free line is (855) 322-1022.

Local town clerks typically charge $10 for a certified copy. That saves you $20 compared to the state mail fee. Turn around time from a local clerk is usually days, not weeks. The state is currently dealing with big processing delays. Go local if you can.

You need photo ID to order from any source. A driver's license, passport, or state ID works. The spouse, parent, child, or sibling of the person who died can request a copy. Others need a documented lawful right or a New York State Court Order.

Ontario County Death Records and Archives

The Ontario County RAIMS (Records, Archives and Information Management Services) at 3051 County Complex Drive, Canandaigua, NY 14424, phone (585) 396-4376, stores inactive records from all 55 county departments. This office was established in 1990. The County Historian, phone (585) 396-4034, may provide access to obituaries, vital records, church records, maps, and family files.

The Ontario County Historical Society and Museum at 55 North Main Street, Canandaigua, NY 14424, phone (585) 394-4975, email ochs@ochs.org, has local history collections. The Ontario County Genealogical Society operates from the same address. Both can be useful for death record research, especially for records before 1881.

Ontario County Death Records for Genealogy

Death records at least 50 years old can be requested as uncertified genealogy copies from the NYS DOH. Fees start at $22 for a one to three year search. The New York State Archives has free microfiche death indexes from 1880 to 1943 including Ontario County.

The New York State Death Index on FamilySearch is free and covers 1880 to 1956. FamilySearch probate records include Ontario County wills and letters of administration from 1789 to 1971. That is a massive collection: Surrogate Court Records from 1789 to 1926, a Surrogate Record Index from 1789 to 1965, Probate Records from 1795 to 1924 across 42 films, and Estate Inventory Files from 1797 to 1822.

The New York Genealogical and Biographical Society has guides for Ontario County vital records. Public libraries in the county often offer free access to Ancestry Library Edition and other genealogy databases.

Ontario County Surrogate's Court

The Ontario County Surrogate's Court at 27 North Main Street, Canandaigua, NY 14424, phone (585) 396-4055, handles probate and estate cases. Their probate records go back to 1789, making them among the oldest in western New York. The court handles wills, letters testamentary, letters of administration, estate inventories, and guardianship records. You can search online through WebSurrogate.

Probate files are a good secondary source for death information. The court file typically includes the date of death and names of heirs. A certified death certificate is required to open a probate case, so the existence of a probate file confirms a death record was issued. Small estate proceedings for estates under $50,000 can be filed for just $1.

Nearby Counties and Cities

Ontario County sits in the Finger Lakes region and borders several counties. Wayne County is to the north. Seneca County is to the east. Yates County is to the southeast. Steuben County is to the south. Livingston County is to the west. Monroe County borders it to the northwest.

There are no cities in Ontario County that meet the population threshold for a separate page. The largest communities are Canandaigua and Geneva. The closest qualifying city is Rochester in Monroe County to the north. For death records in Canandaigua, Geneva, or other Ontario County communities, contact the local town or city clerk.