Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) Request
Welcome to the Jefferson County FOIL (Public Officers Law §87) Request portal. This page is designed to assist you in accessing public records maintained by Jefferson County agencies and departments.
Important: Certain records are subject to specific statutory requirements or must be requested through specialized procedures. Please review the following categories before submitting your request.
- 911 Audio/Transcripts: Per County Law § 308(4), we are legally prohibited from releasing 911 audio recordings or transcripts.
- Alternative: You may request a Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) Report for a specific call. This provides a summary of dispatch activity, provided such a report was created.
- Board of Elections Requests: If you are requesting voter registration records, your request must explicitly state that the information will be used for election purposes. Requests without this certification cannot be processed under New York State Election Law § 3-103(5).
- City or State Police Records: For incidents handled by non-county agencies, please contact the City of Watertown or New York State Police directly.
- Court Records: Jefferson County agencies do not maintain official court files. Please contact your attorney or submit a request directly to the applicable Clerk of the Court or the County Clerk who possesses those records.
How to File a Request:
Online Submission: For your convenience, Jefferson County now offers an online FOIL submission form. We encourage you to use this new system to streamline your request.
Prefer the traditional method? You may submit a Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) Request by email to foil@jeffersoncountyny.gov, by mail to: Ryan Piche, Records Access Officer, 195 Arsenal Street, Watertown, NY,13601; by fax to 315-785-5070
