Tompkins County, New York Genealogy Records

Listed record inventories

Selected holdings and indexes for Tompkins County, checked against the repository descriptions linked below. Date spans may contain gaps; an index is not a complete set of original records.

See the repository's descriptions and search options

Repository access note: Selected sources are linked on individual entries. NYSL newspaper dates summarize service-copy microfilm holdings, not a continuous run or the newspaper’s entire publication life; follow the link for exact issues and gaps. Court surveys describe county holdings and may require advance arrangements. Historical NYG&B microfilm listings refer to a collection transferred to NYPL; confirm current availability there. These sources do not promise online images or complete county coverage.

Sources: the catalogs and repository descriptions linked on the entries above. Selected inventories do not establish complete coverage of every record type or online access to original documents. Read the repository access note for source dates and limitations.

Where to find the records

• Tompkins County official website

  Hours, addresses and phone numbers for the county clerk, the surrogate's court and the town or city clerk, and any online record search the county offers.

• The county clerk

  Deeds and other land records, naturalizations and court records.

• The surrogate's court

  Wills, estates and guardianships.

• The town or city clerk

  Births, marriages and deaths registered locally (New York City has its own vital records).

• The New York State Archives

  In Albany: state records, including the state censuses, and the statewide indexes to births, marriages and deaths outside New York City.

• New York State Archivesfree

  The state archives in Albany: state censuses, court and military records, and genealogical guides.

• FamilySearch Catalogfree

  Search by place for "New York, Tompkins" to find filmed and digitized records, many viewable free online with a FamilySearch account.

Offices change their hours and access rules; call before you visit.

Boundaries and parent counties

Formed from: Broome County, Cayuga County, Seneca County

Check the parent counties for earlier records: Broome County, Cayuga County, Seneca County

Later formed partly from Tompkins County: Schuyler County

Records stay with the county that created them. If your ancestor lived here before 1817, search the parent county. The Atlas of Historical County Boundaries shows each boundary change.