Access Clinton County Recent Bookings

Clinton County recent bookings are handled at the Clinton County Correctional Facility, located at 25 McCarthy Drive, Plattsburgh, NY 12901. The Sheriff's Office runs this 344-bed facility, which serves as the sole county-level detention center for Clinton County. You can look up recent bookings by calling (518) 565-4300 or by using the Sheriff's Office resources and state-level search tools. This page explains all the ways to find Clinton County recent bookings, what information the records contain, and how to get copies through New York's Freedom of Information Law.

How to Search Clinton County Recent Bookings

To check Clinton County recent bookings, call the correctional facility at (518) 565-4300. The jail is staffed around the clock, so calls can be placed at any time. You need the person's full name to search. A date of birth is helpful if the name is common. Staff can confirm whether someone is in custody and provide basic booking details including charges and bail amounts. For in-person inquiries, visit the Clinton County Sheriff's Office during business hours. The front desk handles walk-in requests for inmate information.

Clinton County sits in the northeast corner of New York, bordering Canada and Lake Champlain. The county covers 1,118 square miles. The Sheriff's Office operates patrol divisions and a marine patrol on Lake Champlain during warmer months. All arrests in the county that result in detention are processed through the single correctional facility in Plattsburgh. The average daily population at the jail runs between 200 and 250 inmates. The facility holds both pretrial detainees and sentenced inmates. Visitation is available by appointment and requires proper identification.

For people transferred from Clinton County to state prison, the NYS DOCCS Incarcerated Lookup is the right tool. This free system runs 24/7 with brief maintenance near midnight. Search by name and birth year or Department Identification Number. The VINE notification system covers Clinton County too. Register for free at 1-888-846-3469 or on the website. VINE sends alerts by phone, email, or text when custody status changes.

Clinton County Booking Process and Records

When someone is arrested in Clinton County and held for detention, they are brought to the correctional facility at 25 McCarthy Drive for booking. The intake process includes identity verification, fingerprinting, mugshots, and medical and mental health screening. Personal belongings are inventoried and stored. Every booking creates a record that includes the person's name, charges, bail amount, arresting agency, and the date and time of intake. Clinton County processes inmates from the City of Plattsburgh and the surrounding municipalities. Cases come from the Plattsburgh Police Department, the Sheriff's patrol, New York State Police, and other agencies operating in the county.

Booking records from the Clinton County Correctional Facility are subject to the New York Freedom of Information Law, codified in Public Officers Law Article 6, Sections 84 through 90. FOIL says government records should be open to the public unless a specific exemption applies. The publicly available parts of Clinton County recent bookings include the jail roster, charges, bail information, and basic booking data. Medical records, juvenile records, mental health evaluations, and sealed court records are not available to the public. When a case is dismissed or ends in acquittal, CPL 160.50 requires the sealing of all related arrest records, including the booking record itself.

Clinton County's location near the Canadian border means some bookings involve federal charges or border-related offenses. People in federal custody are held separately and are not part of the county's standard booking records. For federal inmates, use the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator.

Filing a FOIL Request for Clinton County Recent Bookings

To get copies of Clinton County recent bookings records not posted online, file a FOIL request with the Sheriff's Office. Send a written request to the Records Access Officer at 25 McCarthy Drive, Plattsburgh, NY 12901. Include the person's name, approximate date of booking, and what specific records you need. Be as detailed as possible. The office must respond within five business days. Copy fees run $0.25 per page. If your request is denied, you have 30 days to file a written appeal.

For state-level criminal history records, the Division of Criminal Justice Services at 80 South Swan St., Albany, NY 12210 handles requests. But DCJS criminal history records are not available through FOIL. You must use the DCJS Record Review process with fingerprint submission to get your own record. DCJS does not release criminal histories to third parties. The OCA Criminal History Record Search provides court-based records for $95 covering all 62 New York counties.

Additional Resources for Clinton County Recent Bookings

Several state tools supplement Clinton County booking searches. The WebCrims system gives free access to criminal court case information in participating courts. Search by defendant name or case number to see charges, hearing dates, and case status. The Sex Offender Registry at DCJS shows Level 2 and Level 3 offenders online. For Level 1, call 800-262-3257 with the person's name and a second identifier.

New York's records retention schedule requires booking video and audio to be kept for at least three years, longer if litigation is involved. The Clean Slate Act, effective November 16, 2024, will eventually automate sealing of certain older convictions. Sex offenses and non-drug Class A felonies are excluded. Until the Office of Court Administration builds the required systems (up to three years), all conviction records continue to show in searches.

Legal aid in Clinton County is available through the Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New York and the county public defender's office. North Country legal services organizations may also assist. If someone booked in Clinton County needs an attorney and cannot afford one, the court will appoint counsel. The Plattsburgh area also has private attorneys who handle criminal defense cases for those who do not qualify for appointed counsel.

Nearby Counties

Looking for recent bookings in a neighboring county? Check these nearby areas.