As you use the new system, an On-line Help section is available to assist you in finding the information and documents you need. If you encounter any technical issues, please fill out our Contact Form. If you have questions about the actual data, please use Your Dutchess Direct to contact the County Clerk.
The Naturalization Index records naturalizations conducted in Dutchess County for the time period between 1800 to 1991. Information contained in the document includes an alphabetized list by surname and first name, corresponding year, along with the associated volume and page number. The index provides researchers information to reference when requesting naturalization documents such as declarations and petitions on file in the County Clerk’s Office. Uncertified copies of the records are provided upon request. The Dutchess County Clerk’s Office repository for naturalization records date back to 1759.
The County Clerk Ancient Document Search allows you to explore digital images of 37,000 pages of eighteenth-century legal documents. These records comprise the oldest surviving manuscripts from the Dutchess County Court of Common Pleas and General Sessions, which began operation in 1721 through 1786 (document numbers 1-11400). These documents detail daily life in Dutchess County as seen through both civil and criminal cases that came before the judges and justices of the peace.
Birth, death and marriage records are maintained in the offices of the City or Town where the birth, death or marriage occurred, as well as in the State Office of Vital Records. The County Clerk's Office does have marriage certificates from 1907-1935 only. There are no birth, death or marriage records in NYS prior to 1880.
