Ontario County Arrest Records
Ontario County busted mugshots come from the Ontario County Sheriff's Office, which runs the jail in Canandaigua. Sheriff David Cirencione leads a staff of more than 100 sworn officers and corrections personnel. The jail uses a Direct Supervision model, meaning staff work inside the housing units with inmates rather than watching from a booth. Arrest records, booking data, and inmate info are held by the sheriff's office. You can look up current inmates through the county's online locator or file a public records request for past bookings and busted mugshots tied to Ontario County cases.
Ontario County Arrest Records at a Glance
Ontario County Sheriff Busted Mugshots
The Ontario County Sheriff's Office runs law enforcement and the county jail from 3045 County Complex Drive, Canandaigua, NY 14424. The phone number is 585-396-1800. Sheriff David Cirencione oversees a force that includes 9 Sergeants, 79 officers, and 15 part-time deputies. Court security has 9 full-time and 2 part-time staff. That is a lot of people involved in the arrest and booking process for a county this size.
When someone gets arrested in Ontario County, the booking happens at the jail on County Complex Drive. Staff photograph the person, log their charges, and enter the data into the system. That creates the arrest record. It stays with the sheriff's office. You can call 585-396-1800 to ask about a specific person's status. Give them the full name and date of birth. They can confirm if someone is in custody right now.
The jail also has a medical unit. A part-time physician, a nurse practitioner, and six registered nurses handle health care inside the facility. This matters because medical holds can affect when an inmate appears in court or gets released. If you are trying to track someone's case, medical delays can slow things down. The booking record itself stays the same regardless.
Ontario County uses a Direct Supervision model in the jail. Officers are in the housing pods with inmates at all times. This is different from how some older jails work, where guards watch from a separate area. The direct model means more documentation of inmate behavior, which becomes part of the facility records. These internal records are separate from the arrest record, but they exist in the same system.
Ontario County Inmate Locator
Ontario County runs an online inmate locator through the county website. The Ontario County Inmate Locator lets you search for people currently in the jail. You can look up inmates by name. The system shows charges, bail amount, and booking date. It is free to use and does not need an account.
The county also participates in VINELink, the national victim notification network. VINELink sends alerts when an inmate's status changes. If someone you are tracking gets released, transferred, or escapes, you get a call or email. You register through the VINELink site using the inmate's name or ID number. This is useful if you need to know the moment something changes, rather than checking back over and over.
The inmate locator page on the Ontario County government site shows the current roster of people held at the jail.
You can search by name to find booking details and current charges for anyone in custody at the Ontario County Jail.
Ontario County Corrections Division
The corrections side of the Ontario County Sheriff's Office is where arrest records live after someone is booked. The facility handles intake, housing, medical care, and release. Every step creates documentation. The booking record is the foundation, but the corrections division adds to it as the case moves forward.
Visitors to the jail must follow a 48-hour symptom-free rule. If you have had any illness symptoms in the past two days, you cannot visit. This policy was put in place for health safety and remains in effect. It does not affect your ability to request records by phone, mail, or through a FOIL filing. But if you plan to visit someone in person, keep the 48-hour rule in mind.
The Ontario County corrections page on the county website provides details about jail operations and policies.
This page outlines jail policies, visitation rules, and how to reach the corrections division about an inmate or booking record.
How to Get Ontario County Arrest Records
The standard way to get arrest records in Ontario County is through a FOIL request. New York's Freedom of Information Law gives you the right to ask for records from any government agency, including the sheriff's office. Send your request to the Records Access Officer. State what records you want. Be specific. Include names, dates, and case numbers if you have them.
The agency has five business days to respond. They can approve your request, deny it, or say they need more time. If they need more time, they get up to 20 extra business days. Copies cost $0.25 per page. You can ask for electronic copies too. Some agencies send digital files at no cost if the records already exist in that format.
Not every record is available. Under CPL §160.50, arrest records get sealed when a case ends in dismissal, acquittal, or certain other outcomes. A sealed record cannot be released. The sheriff's office will deny your request and cite the statute. This is automatic under New York law. There is no way around it unless you are the subject of the record and go through the court to unseal it.
If your request gets denied and you think it should not have been, you can appeal. First appeal to the head of the agency. If that does not work, contact the Committee on Open Government for an advisory opinion. Courts generally side with the public when agencies withhold records without a valid exemption.
State Databases for Ontario County Records
Several state systems hold records that may include Ontario County arrests. The DOCCS Incarcerated Individual Lookup covers people serving time in state prisons. If someone arrested in Ontario County got sentenced to state prison, they appear in this database. You can search by name or DIN number. It is free.
The WebCrims system tracks criminal court cases statewide. Search for Ontario County cases to find charge details, court dates, and case status. It does not show mugshots. But it gives you the case number you need to request more records from the court clerk.
The New York Sex Offender Registry has a public search tool for convicted sex offenders. You can search by name or by county. Ontario County listings show up under the offender's registered address. The Division of Criminal Justice Services handles criminal history record reviews. That costs $95 and is mainly used by people checking their own rap sheet.