Albany Phone Directory

The Albany phone directory pulls from public records held by city, county, and state offices in the capital of New York. Albany sits in Albany County and has a population of about 99,000 people. As the state capital, Albany is home to dozens of state agencies that all keep their own records. City-level records come from the Albany City Clerk, the Assessment and Taxation office, and the police department. You can search for names, phone numbers, and addresses using these sources along with FOIL requests and free online databases.

Albany City Clerk and Public Records

The Albany City Clerk handles vital records, FOIL requests, Common Council minutes, and various permits. The office is at Albany City Hall, 24 Eagle Street, Albany, NY 12207. You can call them at (518) 434-5090. Hours are Monday through Friday during regular business hours.

Vital records are a key part of what the clerk stores. Birth and death certificates for events in the city are on file here. Marriage licenses are issued through this office too. Each of these documents contains names and addresses, which makes them relevant for phone directory searches.

The City Clerk also keeps records from the Common Council. Meeting minutes, resolutions, and local laws are all public. These records sometimes mention the names of residents who spoke at hearings or were involved in city business. The clerk serves as the official record keeper for the city government.

The official City of Albany website provides information about all city departments and services available to residents.

From this site you can find contact info for each department, look up city ordinances, and learn how to submit a records request. The site posts meeting agendas and minutes for the Common Council and other city boards.

FOIL Requests in Albany

New York's Freedom of Information Law applies to every city agency in Albany. You have the right to see any record held by the city unless a specific exemption applies. The City Clerk acts as the Records Access Officer and handles incoming FOIL requests.

To submit a request, write to the City Clerk at 24 Eagle Street, Albany, NY 12207. Include your name, contact info, and a clear description of the records you want. Be as specific as you can about dates, names, and document types. The city must respond within five business days.

Standard copy fees are $0.25 per page. Inspecting records in person is free. If your request involves a lot of staff time, the city may charge for hours beyond the first two. They will tell you about fees before doing the work.

Because Albany is the state capital, you are also close to every state agency office. That means you can file in-person FOIL requests with state agencies too. The NYS Committee on Open Government at One Commerce Plaza is right in Albany and can answer questions about the FOIL process.

Albany Assessment and Taxation Records

The Albany Department of Assessment and Taxation maintains records on every property in the city. These include assessed values, tax bills, exemption applications, assessment rolls, and tax maps. All of this data is public.

Assessment rolls list every property by owner name and address. They show the assessed value, the land value, and any exemptions. If you want to find out who owns a specific parcel in Albany, the assessment roll is the place to start. Tax bills go out each year and tie an owner's name to a mailing address.

Tax maps break the city into sections, blocks, and lots. Each lot has a unique identifier. You can use these maps along with the assessment data to pinpoint who owns what. The city's assessment office is at City Hall, 24 Eagle Street.

For countywide property records, the Albany County government website has links to the county clerk's land records system. Deeds, mortgages, and liens recorded at the county level all show names, addresses, and sale prices. These records supplement what you find at the city level.

Building Code and Permits in Albany

Albany's Division of Building and Regulatory Compliance handles building permits, inspections, certificates of occupancy, and code enforcement actions. Every permit application is a public record. It lists the property owner, the contractor, and the work being done.

Certificates of occupancy confirm that a building meets local codes. They tie a specific address to its approved use. Code violations are public too. If a building has been cited, the record shows the owner's name, the property address, and the nature of the problem.

These records are useful for phone directory searches because they connect names to addresses. A building permit tells you who owns a property and sometimes who is doing work there. Violation records can confirm current ownership or flag properties with issues.

You can request these records through a FOIL request to the city. Some permit data may be available online through the City of Albany website.

Albany Police Records

The Albany Police Department keeps incident reports, arrest records, and accident reports. You can get copies through a FOIL request. Some details may be blacked out if they involve ongoing cases or victim privacy protections.

Incident reports are filed for every police response. They show the names of people involved, the location, and a summary of what took place. Arrest records include the person's name, the charges, and booking info. Traffic accident reports list driver names, addresses, and insurance details.

For state-level criminal records, contact the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services. A statewide criminal history check costs $65 and requires fingerprinting. Local arrest data from the Albany PD is usually quicker and less expensive to obtain.

The Albany Police Department's records unit handles most requests. You can call the non-emergency line or submit a written FOIL request through the City Clerk's office.

Albany County Records

Albany is the county seat of Albany County. The county clerk's office at 16 Eagle Street handles land records, business certificates, court filings, and other documents. These records go back a long way and include names and addresses that are useful for phone directory searches.

Land records at the county level cover deeds, mortgages, liens, and satisfactions. Each document lists the names of the parties and their mailing addresses. The county clerk also files business certificates for sole proprietorships and partnerships. These show the owner's name, business name, and contact address.

Court records for Albany County are part of the New York State Unified Court System. The Albany County Supreme Court, Family Court, and City Court all generate records with names and addresses. Some case information is searchable online through the state's eCourts system.

The Albany County website lists contact info for all county departments. You can find the county clerk, the district attorney, the sheriff, and the Board of Elections all from one place.

State Agency Records in Albany

Because Albany is the state capital, many records are right here in the city. The NYS Department of State at One Commerce Plaza handles FOIL requests for state-level records. You can file in person, by mail, or online. The Secretary of State's business entity database is free to search at the DOS Corporation Search page.

The New York State Department of Health at Corning Tower in Albany holds vital records for events outside New York City going back to 1881. Birth, death, and marriage records from across the state are on file here. These records include names, addresses, and other personal details.

The NYS Archives at the Cultural Education Center on Madison Avenue holds historical government records. Old census records, military records, and colonial-era documents are all available for research. Some of these have been digitized and are searchable online.

Having all these state offices in one city makes Albany a unique spot for public records research. You can visit multiple agencies in a single trip if you need records from different sources.

Historical Phone Directory Records in Albany

The Albany Public Library holds historical city directories and old phone books. These date back to the 1800s and list residents by name with their occupation and home address. They are useful for tracing where someone lived in Albany decades ago.

The library also has access to genealogy databases including Ancestry.com and newspaper archives. Old newspaper records sometimes list addresses and phone numbers in ads, obituaries, and public notices. Cross-checking these with directory listings helps confirm your findings.

The New York State Library, also in Albany, has one of the largest collections of city directories in the state. Their collection includes directories from towns across New York, not just Albany. Researchers can visit in person or request materials through interlibrary loan.

Nearby Cities with Phone Directory Pages

Several cities and towns near Albany also have phone directory pages on this site. The Capital District area has a cluster of communities that share court and county resources.

Colonie and Guilderland are in Albany County. Clifton Park is in Saratoga County to the north. Troy sits across the Hudson River in Rensselaer County, and Schenectady is the county seat of Schenectady County to the west.