City Hall is located at 245 Washington Street, Watertown, NY 13601 (map link)
Checks can be made payable to "City of Watertown".
Yes. The City Clerk’s Office accepts Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover. Additional fees may be associated with each transaction, which are charged by the credit card processing companies. Marriage Licensing, however, is a cash-only transaction.
If you reside in the City of Watertown, you must license your dog (over the age of 4 months) in the City Clerk’s Office. You will need to present the current rabies vaccination and proof of spay or neutering upon application. Licenses are good for one year from the month of application and are renewable annually. The fee for a spayed or neutered dog is $15.00 and a non-spayed or non-neutered dog is $25.00. More information can be found here.
Handicapped parking permit applications are available for City residents at the City Clerk’s Office. It must be completed by your physician and returned to this office either through the drop box or by appointment. Please show or provide a photocopy of the applicant’s driver’s license when submitting the form. Click here for more information.
Passports are handled by the Jefferson County Clerk’s Office. For more information, please visit their website at https://co.jefferson.ny.us/departments/CountyClerk/passports
Watertown City Clerk’s Office only has on file Birth Certificates for individuals that were born within the City limits. You may obtain your Birth Certificate either through the mail or City Hall drop box, via the internet or in person by appointment. For an appointment, call 315-785-7780. Please click here for more information.
Entitled parties can obtain a copy of a Death Certificate for a person who died within the City of Watertown or a Marriage Certificate for a couple who obtained a marriage license at City Hall. For further information, click here.
Divorces are handled by the Jefferson County Clerk’s Office. Call them at 315-785-3081 or visit their website at https://co.jefferson.ny.us/departments/CountyClerk
You can now obtain a Pre-Adoption Birth Certificate directly from NYS Department of Health Bureau of Vital Records. For more information, please visit their website at https://www.health.ny.gov/vital_records/preadoption.htm
A Fetal Death Certificate or Certificate of Still Birth can be obtained directly from NYS Department of Health Bureau of Vital Records. For more information, please visit their website at https://www.health.ny.gov/vital_records/fetal.htm
You may call NYS Department of Health Bureau of Vital Records at 855-322-1022 or email them at VR@health.ny.gov.
NYS Department of Health Bureau of Vital Records prefers requests for the purpose of dual citizenship be handled by their office. There are additional steps and forms that need to be completed and sent to them directly. More information can be found on their website at https://www.health.ny.gov/vital_records/dualcitizenship.htm.
NYS Department of Health can also assist with the apostille process needed for dual citizenship, which can save the applicant this additional step. Please see the additional webpage of https://www.health.ny.gov/vital_records/apostille.htm for information on that step of the process.
Information regarding legally changing your name through the NYS Unified Court System can be found by visiting their website at https://nycourts.gov/courthelp//NameChange/index.shtml.
Please remember that the name change court order will need to be sent to NYS Dept of Health Bureau of Vital Records in order to change your name on the birth certificate. Their mailing address is as follows:
Birth Amendment Unit
Vital Records Section
P.O. Box 2602
Abany, NY 12220-2602
If you have further questions, you may want to contact NYS Dept of Health Bureau of Vital Records at 855-322-1022 or email them at VR@health.ny.gov for further information.
To get married, a couple must first obtain a Marriage License. Both parties must come to City Hall by appointment. Please click here for additional information on the documents and fees required to obtain the license.
Once you have your marriage license, you must wait 24 hours before you have a ceremony. Marriage ceremonies are also offered at City Hall by appointment. Find more information here.
The City Clerk’s Office performs ceremonies at City Hall on weekdays by appointment. Ceremonies can be performed for Marriage Licenses that were obtained from any municipality within New York State. The cost is $70. Please call the office at 315-785-7780 and provide the Marriage License Registration Number when making an appointment. For further information, click here.
The City Clerk’s Office accepts applications for Vending On Public Streets. This is an annual license, and the application must be completed and approved prior to any sale. Please click here for more information.
If you are vending on private property and not on public property, a license is not necessary, but you should contact the Planning Department to ensure the property is zoned for that type of business. If your vending is in connection to an event, such as the Farmers’ Market or Downtown-hosted event, a license is not necessary, but you will need to seek permission from the organization hosting the event.
For questions regarding City Council Meetings, please here
