County Clerk

***Notary Renewal Changes***

Recent amendments to the New York Executive Law, 2023 Sess. Law News of N.Y. Ch. 188 (S. 7561) have changed the renewal process for notaries public. Whereas previously notaries public renewed their commissions through the County Clerk, on and after June 30, 2023 notaries now seeking renewal will do so through the Department of State.

Effective June 30, 2023, this law has taken effect and therefore you can no longer renew through the Ontario County Clerk’s Office. 

To renew You will now follow the process outlined by the State of New York:

  1. Access to online system at Business Express NY; then click on ‘Search Applications’ and search for ‘Notary’.
  2. Sign in or create a NY.gov account.
  3. Find your notary record.
  4. Go to ‘My Dashboard’ to start your renewal. You will be able to log in to your account and  view the status of your application.

All notary renewals received by the Clerk's Office prior to July 1st, 2023 have been processed and sent to the NYS Department of State. If your information is not yet available in the State's online portal, we encourage you to contact the NYSDOS before submitting a second renewal at 518-474-4429 from 8:45 am until 4:30 pm Monday through Friday.

***NOTICE***

The Clerk’s Office is currently accepting pistol permit applications for Ontario County residents. 

YOU MUST BE AN ONTARIO COUNTY RESIDENT TO APPLY WITHIN ONTARIO COUNTY.

Please read and follow the instructions completely 

and print ALL pages of the application.


Download Pistol Permit Application

Overview

As an elected official, the county clerk serves as a state constitutional officer when officiating in the capacity as clerk to State Supreme Court and County Court. That position carries the responsibility for custodial care of the official civil and criminal records of those courts which are on file in this office. The county clerk is also the chief recording officer and custodian of the county’s public land records.

Documents & Services

Documents filed, deposited, and recorded in the clerk’s recording office include:
  • Business certificates (DBA’s)
  • Corporation certificates
  • Deeds
  • Judgments
  • Liens
  • Lis pendens foreclosures
  • Mortgages
  • Oaths of office
  • Pistol permit records
  • Signature files of notaries
  • Survey and subdivision maps
  • UCC filings
  • Veterans’ discharges
Other services provided include the execution of U.S. Passport applications, processing of Notary Public renewals, and pistol permit applications.

Motor Vehicles


The county clerk also serves as the local agent for the state commissioner of motor vehicles and thus the position carries the management responsibility for the County Motor Vehicle Offices. Section 205 of the Vehicle and Traffic Law sets forth the specific guidelines for the processing of motor vehicle-related transactions and the methodology used for county reimbursement, currently based on a percentage of gross receipts.

State and local sales taxes are collected for all casual sales according to procedures outlined by the Department of Taxation and Finance. Written tests are administered for commercial and passenger driver’s license permits and endorsements.

Satellite Office

The bureau’s satellite office, located in the City of Geneva, serves the eastern portion of Ontario County and, with a few exceptions, provides the same services as the main office in Canandaigua.