Data You Give Us Directly
Search Queries
A name or place entered in a site search tool is sent directly to the outside provider that operates that tool. The provider processes the request and supplies its results. Tompkins County Criminal History does not retain or record those search terms on its own systems.
Messages and Contact Submissions
When you email us, the message is kept for the purpose of responding. It remains within our organization unless disclosure is required by law or a valid legal demand.
Data We Gather Automatically
Our servers receive standard technical details when a visitor loads a page. Those details may include:
- The internet protocol address associated with the device
- Browser name and version
- Operating system and device category
- Pages viewed and the time spent on them
- The referring website, when one is available
- The date and time of each page request
Cookies and Analytics
Cookies are small files placed on a device. We use them with analytics services to understand traffic in aggregate, such as which pages receive the most visits and where visits end. You can block cookies through your browser settings. Some site functions may then work differently.
What We Do With This Data
Information collected through the site is used for these operating purposes:
- Maintaining site availability, speed, and reliability
- Directing a search request to the applicable partner service
- Measuring which pages are useful to visitors
- Diagnosing errors and other technical problems
- Displaying advertising that may reflect visitor interests
No Criminal-Record Data on File
Tompkins County Criminal History does not build, keep, sell, or compile a database of personal criminal records. It provides general information about obtaining records from Tompkins County courts, the sheriff's records division, the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services, and the New York State Sex Offender Registry. Visitor information is not combined into a consumer report or a record about another person. This website is not a consumer reporting agency under the Fair Credit Reporting Act.
New York's Freedom of Information Law, Public Officers Law Article 6, governs access requests made to covered government agencies. It does not turn this private website into a government records custodian. New York Criminal Procedure Law provisions, including CPL 160.50, 160.57, and 160.59, restrict dissemination of sealed case information by official custodians. Those access rules are another reason official criminal-record questions must be directed to the court or agency that maintains the source record.
Third-Party Search Partners
Outside companies power the search boxes shown on this website. Information entered there is handled under the selected partner's privacy policy rather than this policy. Each partner determines its own retention, processing, and disclosure practices, which we do not control. Review the partner's terms before submitting information.
Links to Other Websites
Links may lead to Tompkins County offices, New York courts, state agencies, legal resources, or outside search services. Once you follow a link, the destination's privacy policy governs its collection and use of information. Consider that policy before providing personal details.
Advertising companies may use their own systems to follow activity across websites and select targeted advertising. That processing occurs under their controls, not ours.
Who Might See Your Data
We do not sell personal information. Limited information may be available to:
- Analytics providers that measure site use and performance
- Search partners that process a query you choose to submit
- Advertising networks that deliver ads on the website
- Government agencies or law enforcement when disclosure is required by a valid legal order
How We Protect Your Data
Reasonable, commonly used safeguards are applied to the information we collect. No online system is completely secure, however. We work to protect the data in our control but cannot guarantee that a breach or unauthorized access will never occur.
Users Under 18
This website is intended for adults, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone younger than 18. If we learn that a minor provided personal data, we will remove it promptly.
Your Data Rights
Rights can differ based on where you live and which law applies. New York FOIL concerns records held by government agencies, while the Criminal Procedure Law sealing provisions noted above govern access to specified official criminal records. Neither law makes this private site the custodian of Tompkins County government files. For personal information that we control, you may:
- Request a copy of the personal information held about you
- Ask that inaccurate personal information be corrected
- Request deletion of personal information
- Object to certain forms of data processing
Updates to This Policy
This privacy policy may be revised as practices or requirements change. The current version will be posted here, and its effective date will be updated when a revision takes effect.
Effective date: August 1, 2026