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Columbia County, New York Public Records

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Find the right office in Columbia County. Court cases, deeds and parcels, sheriff and jail records, vital records and county filings, each linked to the office that keeps them.

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Most requested Columbia County records

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Official

Court records

Columbia County Family Court

New York's list of courts outside New York City gives the Columbia County Family Court, which hears custody, support, neglect, paternity and juvenile delinquency cases.

nycourts.gov
Open official site Columbia County Family Court

Everything else, organized

More official Columbia County record sources

16 more Columbia County sources not listed above.

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Local record guide

About public records in Columbia County

County profile

Columbia County at a glance

State
New York
County seat
Hudson
Population
61,570
Area
648 sq mi
Founded
1786
Cities and towns
32

Columbia County offices and records

Sheriff & Law Enforcement. Columbia County Sheriff's Office is responsible for maintaining law and order throughout Columbia County.

Police Departments. Columbia County is served by several law enforcement agencies, including Columbia County Sheriff's Office and municipal police departments such as the Hudson Police Department and Chatham Police Department.

Law Enforcement & Arrests. Columbia County Sheriff's Office, headquartered at 85 Industrial Tract in Hudson, New York 12534, is the primary law enforcement agency for Columbia County. Columbia County Jail, operated by the Sheriff's Office at the same Hudson location, houses pretrial detainees and sentenced inmates. Arrest records and booking information in Columbia County are maintained by the arresting agency and the Sheriff's Office. Under New York Public Officers Law Article 6, Section 87 (Freedom of Information Law or FOIL), members of the public may request arrest records, incident reports, and booking logs by submitting a written FOIL request to the appropriate law enforcement agency.

Arrest Records. Arrest records in Columbia County are maintained by Columbia County Sheriff's Office. Residents and attorneys can request arrest records through the Sheriff's Office, often requiring a formal request under the New York Freedom of Information Law.

Mugshots & Booking Photos. Mugshots in Columbia County are taken and retained by Columbia County Sheriff's Office during the booking process. These booking photos are part of the arrest record and can be accessed through the Sheriff's Office, often via an online portal or by request.

For formal business entity formation (corporations, LLCs, limited partnerships), businesses must register with the New York Department of State Division of Corporations (apps.dos.ny.gov/publicInquiry, 518-473-2492). Columbia County Court, sharing the same address, handles felony prosecutions, civil cases up to $25,000, and appeals from local courts. Columbia County Surrogate's Court (401 Union Street, 518-828-0414) has jurisdiction over probate, estate administration, and guardianship matters. Property tax records, including current and delinquent taxes, are maintained by each town or city tax collector. Columbia County Treasurer's office (560 Warren Street, Hudson, 518-828-1527) handles certain county tax matters. Columbia County's court system operates under the unified New York State Court system. Columbia County Supreme Court, located at 401 Union Street, Hudson, NY 12534 (518-828-3339), hears major civil cases and felony criminal matters. Columbia County Department of Planning and Economic Development (401 State Street, Hudson, 518-828-3375) provides information on county land use regulations and economic development initiatives. Municipal police departments operate in the City of Hudson (Hudson Police Department, 327 Warren Street, 518-828-3388) which provides law enforcement services within city limits. The office website (www.columbiacountyny.com) provides access to some information, though full online searching capabilities are limited. Columbia County Real Property Tax Services maintains property assessment data and can be contacted at 560 Warren Street, Hudson, NY 12534 (518-828-4144). Columbia County Chamber of Commerce (www.columbiachamberbiz.com, 518-828-4417) maintains directories of local businesses and provides networking and advocacy services for the business community. Columbia County Family Court (401 Union Street, 518-828-7858) handles family offense proceedings, custody and visitation, paternity, support, juvenile delinquency, and foster care matters. The New York State Department of Health Vital Records Section (800-698-3999, www.health.ny.gov/vital_records) is the state repository for all vital records and can provide certified copies for events statewide, typically for higher fees ($30-45) and longer processing times.

Abandoned mine records

Old mine workings in Columbia County

Where the workings are, and the office that holds the mine maps.

From the old mine records

What is on record in Columbia County

Old mine sites
28
Still producing
14
Worked underground, in the mine records
1
Main minerals
Iron; Manganese; construction sand and gravel
Holes drawn on the old survey maps
71
Shafts and tunnels
0
What they are
open pit mine or quarry, gravel pit, quarry, sand pit
Maps surveyed
1953 to 1973
Records behind them
144 records for 113 sites, the rest are the same working written down more than once
Sources
USGS mineral file and USGS topographic mine features

Is an old working under a property here?

The mine records hold 42 named mine sites inside the county, 28 of them worked out or abandoned; the old survey maps add 71 holes drawn inside the county, 0 of them shafts or tunnels. The minerals the records name are Iron; Manganese; construction sand and gravel.

A point in either file is a location, not a property line: the sheet shows the opening on the surface, not the rooms under it. The record that shows what runs under a parcel is the mine map. The OSMRE National Mine Map Repository holds scanned underground mine maps and answers requests for a named mine or an area. New York has no coal AML program; the DEC database covers permitted mines, not historic underground workings.

Columbia County: the boundary from the Census Bureau, and one dot for each old mine or hole on record inside it. The purple dots come off the old survey maps and the darkest of those are shafts and tunnels; the red, green and orange ones are mine records. Hover a dot for its name.
New York mine map and abandoned mine records
Named workings recorded in Columbia County (45 shown, 68 unnamed on the map)

Rows taken off the old survey maps open the USGS record of what sits at that spot, because no single feature on those maps has a page of its own. Rows from the mine records open their own USGS page.

Disclaimer: The mine information here is for general information only. Old mine records can be incomplete, outdated or wrong, and finding nothing here does not mean there is nothing there. Check with the mine map office named here before you rely on it, and have a qualified engineer look at any ground you are worried about. PublicRecordCenter.com assumes no responsibility or liability for any errors, omissions, or consequences arising from the use of this information.

Straight answers

Columbia County public-records FAQs

Open only the answer you need.

Where can I find mugshots or booking photos in Columbia County, New York?

Booking photos are kept by the agency that made the arrest, such as the Columbia County Sheriff or a city police department in Columbia County. Ask that agency for its record. Under New York Public Officers Law 89(2)(b)(viii), releasing law enforcement arrest or booking photographs is an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy unless public release will serve a specific law enforcement purpose and no state or federal law bars it.

How do I get a criminal background check in Columbia County, New York?

The New York criminal history record comes from the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS). Fingerprint based Record Review only: book an IdentoGO fingerprint appointment online or at 877-472-6915 with service code 15464Z (suppressed record) or 15465F (unsuppressed record); DCJS mails the rap sheet or a no record response. Fee: $17.50 (as of 2/2/2026) for New York residents fingerprinted at IdentoGO; $57.45 for those living outside New York State.

How can I look up sex offenders in Columbia County, New York?

Search the New York State Sex Offender Registry (DCJS), or every state at once on the National Sex Offender Public Website run by the U.S. Department of Justice.

How do I register to vote in Columbia County, New York?

Register with the county board of elections (Board of Elections in the City of New York) or through the New York State Board of Elections. You can also register online with the state online registration. For the November 3, 2026 general election, registration applications must be received by October 24, 2026.

How do I look up property records in Columbia County, New York?

Deeds and other recorded land documents in Columbia County are kept by the Columbia County clerk. Property values are set by the city, town or village assessor, and tax bills come from the town or city tax collector. Source: official state page.

How do I get a birth or death certificate in Columbia County, New York?

Certified birth and death certificates for New York come from the New York State Department of Health, Vital Records (all of the state except New York City). Birth and death records are also available from the local Registrar of Vital Statistics where the event occurred; New York City births and deaths come from the New York City Department of Health. By mail to New York State Department of Health, Vital Records Certification Unit, P.O. Box 2602, Albany, NY 12220-2602, or online or by phone through VitalChek Network, the independent company the Department has partnered with. Fee: $30 per copy by mail; $45 per copy online or by phone, plus a vendor processing fee per order.

How do I find business license records in Columbia County, New York?

Business entity filings are searched with the New York Department of State, Division of Corporations.

Same county

Cities, towns and neighboring counties

Use the city page when a record was created by a municipal police department or city office; use the county page for courts, deeds, vital records and jail custody.

HudsonChathamValatiePhilmontNivervilleStottvilleKinderhookGermantownGhentCopake FallsAncramAncramdaleAusterlitzCanaanClaverackColumbiavilleCopakeCraryvilleEast ChathamElizavilleHillsdaleHollowvilleMalden BridgeMellenvilleNew LebanonNorth ChathamOld ChathamSpencertownStuyvesantStuyvesant FallsWest CopakeWest LebanonRensselaer CountyDutchess CountyAlbany CountyBerkshire County, MassachusettsUlster CountyGreene County