Reviewed and updated October 9, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. Every office link was opened and checked against the office's own site between September 23, 2026 and October 2, 2026.
Yates County, New York, has about 24,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). The divorce record of a couple from Yates County is a file of the Supreme Court, kept by the County Clerk, not a vital record. This guide says where the file is, how a certified copy of the decree is had and what the state issues.
This guide covers the court, copies, related records and common questions.
Related guides: Yates County public records, Yates County arrest records, Yates County warrants, Yates County inmate search, Yates County criminal records, New York arrest records and New York inmate search.
Where a Divorce from Yates County Is Filed and Kept
A divorce in New York is a court case, so the file and the final judgment of a divorce from Yates County stay with the Supreme Court. The County Clerk keeps it, and the case index tells whether a divorce was filed and when.
For Yates County the court records page SearchSystems verified is at yatescountyny.gov/160/County-Clerk (page title: County Clerk | Yates County, NY), phone (315) 536-5120, 417 Liberty Street Suite 1107 Penn Yan, NY 14527, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 23, 2026. Most of a divorce file is open to the public; the papers the law keeps confidential and anything the court has sealed are not.
Statewide, eCourts is the Unified Court System's free online case search (WebCivil, WebCrims and WebFamily).
Copies of a Divorce Decree from Yates County
The copy another court or an agency asks for is a certified copy of the judgment, issued by the County Clerk, reached through the court at (315) 536-5120.
The New York State Department of Health also issues divorce certificates for divorces granted since 1963 outside New York City; the County Clerk has the decree.
The New York vital records page SearchSystems verified is at health.ny.gov/vital_records/birth.htm.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a copy of a divorce decree from Yates County?
From the Supreme Court, through the County Clerk (yatescountyny.gov/160/County-Clerk). The New York State Department of Health also issues divorce certificates for divorces granted since 1963 outside New York City; the County Clerk has the decree.
Are divorce records public in New York?
Mostly. The court file is open except for the papers the law makes confidential and anything the court seals.
Which court hears divorces from Yates County?
The Supreme Court. The file is kept by the County Clerk.
Does New York issue divorce certificates?
The New York State Department of Health also issues divorce certificates for divorces granted since 1963 outside New York City; the County Clerk has the decree.
Is this the official Yates County website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official county, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.