Herkimer County Genealogy Records

Herkimer County genealogy records date back to 1791 when the county was formed from Montgomery County in the Mohawk Valley region of New York. The county seat is the village of Herkimer, named for General Nicholas Herkimer of the Revolutionary War. This area saw early German Palatine settlement in the 1700s along with later waves of Welsh, Irish, and Italian immigrants. The county clerk, surrogate's court, and Herkimer County Historical Society each hold important records for family history research in this part of the state.

Herkimer County Clerk Records

The Herkimer County Clerk at 109 Mary Street, Herkimer, NY 13350 is the main office for genealogy records in this county. Land records run from 1791 to the present and include deeds, mortgages, and liens. Court records from the same year cover Supreme Court and County Court filings in the county.

Marriage records are on file for 1908 through 1935. Naturalization records are also here and can help trace immigrant families who settled in the Mohawk Valley. The New York State Census records for 1825 through 1925 round out the collection. These state censuses are taken between federal counts and often have more detail about each household.

The records are indexed by grantor and grantee for land transactions. You can search by name and date. In-person research is welcome during business hours, and mail requests are accepted too. Copy fees are $0.65 per page with $5.00 for certified copies. Call (315) 867-1125 for hours or to ask about a specific record set.

Herkimer County Historical Society Genealogy Resources

The Herkimer County Historical Society at 406 North Main Street, Herkimer, NY 13350 is a key resource for family history work in this area.

The society keeps family papers, photographs, maps, local histories, and a research library. These materials can fill in gaps that official records do not cover. Phone (315) 866-6413 to check hours or ask about their holdings.

The Mohawk Valley has a rich heritage of German Palatine settlement, and the historical society holds records that document these early families. Church records, cemetery transcriptions, and personal papers from the 1700s and 1800s are part of the collection. If your ancestors were among the Palatine settlers who came through New York, this society may have materials you will not find at any government office. Their volunteers know the local families well and can sometimes connect you with other researchers working on the same lines.

Probate Records in Herkimer County

The Herkimer County Surrogate's Court at 109 Mary Street, Herkimer, NY 13350 holds probate records from 1791 to the present. These cover wills, letters testamentary, letters of administration, estate inventories, and guardianship records. Adoption records are sealed by law.

Probate files are indexed by the name of the person who died. A will can name a spouse, children, grandchildren, and sometimes friends or business partners. Estate inventories describe personal property and real estate. Even when someone died without a will, the court appointed an administrator (usually a close relative) and that record is on file too.

Send a written request by mail with the decedent's name and date of death. The court does not take email requests. Search and copy fees apply. Call (315) 867-1126 for current rates. For colonial-era probate records from before 1787, check the New York State Archives in Albany where many early wills have been digitized through Ancestry.com.

Vital Records for Herkimer County Genealogy

The NYS Department of Health holds birth, death, and marriage records for Herkimer County from 1881. Coverage was spotty in the early years and got more reliable after 1913. Birth records open after 75 years if the person is dead. Death records need 50 years. Marriages require 50 years and proof both spouses have died.

Fees start at $22 for a three-year search. Processing can take eight months or more. Town clerks in Herkimer County may have their own copies and can respond faster. The New York State Archives has vital records indexes on microfiche at the Cultural Education Center in Albany. Finding the certificate number there first saves time and money on your request.

State Genealogy Resources for Herkimer County

The New York State Archives in Albany holds more than 200 million documents that can help with Herkimer County genealogy. You can find vital records indexes, military service records, land patents, and court papers. The archives are free and open to the public. No appointment needed. Bring a photo ID.

The New York State Library in the same building has the Local History and Genealogy section with family histories, reference guides, and the FamilySearch CD-ROM series. The Utica Public Library at 303 Genesee Street in Utica also holds copies of the vital records indexes on microfiche and is closer to Herkimer County than Albany. New York State Census records cover 1825 through 1925 and FamilySearch has digitized many of them for free online access.

Land Records in Herkimer County

Land records at the county clerk date from 1791. Deeds, mortgages, and liens are indexed by grantor and grantee. Copy fees are $0.65 per page with $5.00 for certified copies. The NYS Archives land records hold colonial patents and state land sales that cover the Mohawk Valley. Land deeds name buyers, sellers, and witnesses and can fill gaps where vital records do not exist. Before 1791, records for the Herkimer area were kept in Montgomery County.

Additional Herkimer County Genealogy Resources

Reclaim The Records won the release of the full New York State Death Index from 1880 to 2017 in a 2025 court case. The free data covers Herkimer County deaths with names, dates, ages, and state file numbers. Use those numbers to speed up requests to the Department of Health or a local town clerk. The Utica Public Library at 303 Genesee Street also has vital records microfiche indexes and is closer to Herkimer County than Albany. It is a good spot for a research day trip if you cannot get to the State Archives.

Nearby Counties

Counties near Herkimer County with their own genealogy record collections.