Data You Give Us Directly
Search Queries
A name or location entered in a search box is sent directly to the outside company that operates that tool. The provider processes the request and supplies its response. Madison County Criminal History does not keep a local log of those search terms.
Messages and Contact Submissions
An email message may be retained long enough to answer and maintain the related correspondence. It remains within our organization unless disclosure is required by a valid legal obligation.
Data We Gather Automatically
Loading a page can cause the servers to receive routine technical information about the visit:
- Page-view dates and times
- Device type and operating system
- Browser name and version
- Referring website, when one is supplied
- Visited pages and time spent on them
- The device’s assigned IP address
Cookies and Analytics
Cookies are small files placed on a device. They help measure traffic, popular pages, and where visits end. Analytics providers combine that usage data for reporting. A browser can reject cookies, though doing so may change how parts of the website function.
What We Do With This Data
- Route a submitted query to the selected search provider
- Diagnose errors and other technical problems
- Measure which resources are useful and which need revision
- Operate the website and improve page speed
- Display advertising that may reflect visitor interests
No Criminal-Record Data on File
Madison County Criminal History does not build, keep, or sell a database of anyone’s criminal records. It publishes directions to Madison County custodians, New York courts, the Division of Criminal Justice Services, and the New York State Sex Offender Registry. Visitor information is not assembled into a consumer report or a record about another person, and this website is not a consumer reporting agency under the Fair Credit Reporting Act.
Third-Party Search Partners
Outside companies operate the search boxes. Their privacy policies, retention periods, and sharing rules apply to data submitted through those tools. Those practices are outside our control, so review the provider’s terms before entering a query.
Links to Other Websites
Links may lead to Madison County departments, court portals, New York agencies, legal resources, or outside search services. Once a visitor follows an outbound link, the destination’s privacy rules control. Check them before providing personal information.
Advertising companies may use their own systems to measure activity across websites and select ads. That tracking is governed by the advertiser.
Who Might See Your Data
We do not sell personal information. Data may still be disclosed to:
- Advertising networks that place or measure ads
- Search providers that process a submitted query
- Analytics vendors that report traffic and performance
- A government or law-enforcement body acting under a valid legal order
How We Protect Your Data
Reasonable, standard safeguards are used for information in our control. No internet service can guarantee perfect security, so a breach or unauthorized access can never be ruled out completely.
Users Under 18
The website is intended for adults, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from a person under 18. Information identified as belonging to a minor will be removed when a valid request brings it to our attention.
Your Data Rights
Applicable New York law may provide rights concerning personal information. The New York Freedom of Information Law governs state and local agency records, while Executive Law §837 controls DCJS criminal-history functions. Those government-record laws do not turn this private site into a records custodian. For data held directly by us, a user may:
- Request deletion where the law permits it
- Ask what personal information is held
- Seek correction of inaccurate information
- Opt out of processing when an applicable right allows it
Updates to This Policy
This privacy policy may be revised as services or practices change. A new version will appear here with its effective date, and continued use after publication is governed by that update.
Effective date: August 1, 2026