Kathleen A. Newkirk, MMC Town Clerk Town Hall, Room 104 (518) 439-4955, Ext. 1183 E-mail:  Department Telephone/E-mail Directory

Responsibilities of Office

The Town Clerk is the records management officer for all town records.  The office is the repository of vital statistics and town board records.  The Town Clerk also publishes notices of public hearings, conducts town elections and assists in voter registration.

Contact the Town Clerk's Office for:
Licenses -- marriage, dogs, bingo, games of chance, fishing, hunting and junior hunting, big game including deer management permits (DMP), small game; big game license
Permits -- handicap parking, trailers, resident landfill, peddlers, emergency alarms.
Notary Publics -- available during business hours; call 439-4955, extension 1183, for shut-in service.
Certificates of Residency (for those attending area community colleges) -- proof of state residency for one year and Albany County residency for six months is required.
Biodegradable Refuse Bags -- yard waste paper bags can be purchased
Bicycle Registration -- recommended as protection against theft or loss.
Freedom of Information Law requests (also known as FOIL)

Voter Registration
Mail-in forms for registering to vote in primary and general elections may be picked up at the Town Clerk's Office.  A person may register to vote if he or she is at least 18 years of age, a United States citizen, and a New York State resident for at least 30 days or more.

For more information on polling places, printable forms such as Voter Registration or Absentee Ballots, visit the Albany County Board of Elections web site at  http://www.albanycounty.com/departments/elections/default.asp? id=118.

Marriage Licenses
Birth certificates and drivers' licenses are required.  If applicable, divorce papers from previous marriages are required.  A blood test is no longer required, but there is a 24-hour waiting period before the license becomes valid for 60 days.  The license is completed at the time of application at the Town Clerk's office; a license fee will be collected.

MARRIAGE OFFICIALS
Town Justices can marry anywhere in New York State:

Paul F. Dwyer, Esq.              Office: (518) 432-5988
Ryan T. Donovan, Esq.         Office: (518) 434-9807

(Mrs.) Barbara Hodom          Office: (518) 439-9717
John Capron                        Home: (518) 767-2769

Peddler's Permits
Unless associated with a not-for-profit group, anyone soliciting door-to-door must have a peddler's permit.  The permit is good for one calendar year.

Dogs
New York State law requires licenses for all dogs at least four months old.  Proof of spaying/neutering and rabies immunization is required.  Fees are $12.50 for dogs that have not been spayed or neutered and $4.50 for spayed or neutered dogs.  The license must be renewed each year on or before the date of the current license; the expiration date is in the top left corner of the license.  If your dog is lost, stolen, or dies, notify the Town Clerk's Office.  When traveling with your dog, carry all paperwork and check with other municipalities for any additional regulations.

Leash Law -- requires all dogs to be leashed unless accompanied by, and under the full control of, either their owner or another person responsible for the dog's actions.  When traveling with your dog, carry all paperwork and check with other municipalities for any additional regulations.

Scooper Law -- prohibits dog owners from allowing their dogs to deposit any droppings or excrement on any private property, public roads, sidewalks, parks, or school property.  Dog owners are required to remove immediately any dog droppings, place them in a suitable container, and dispose of them safely.  For more information, call the Town Clerk's office.

Reporting Wild Animals -- Under Chapter 680 of the Laws of 2002 enacted General Municipal Law Section 209-cc, requires the annual reporting of the presence of wild animals. Each person owning, possessing or harboring a wild animal as set forth in Section 209-cc must report its presence to the Municipal Clerk's office on or before April 1 of each year.  The form for reporting is available at http://www.dos.state.ny.us/fire/pdfs/WARF.pdf.   For more information, call the Town Clerk's office.

Pedestrian Vests and Blinkers -- Orange colored vests and orange blinkers are available at the Town Clerk's office.  The price of the vest is $12, the cost of the blinkers is $5 each.  The vests and blinkers are perfect gifts for the safety conscious who walk, jog, or bike.

Bethlehem Diary -- Copies of the Bethlehem Diary, resident Floyd Brewer's sequel to Bethlehem Revisited, are available at the Town Clerk's office.  For those who wish to know some of the history of the town, these make fine gifts. Copies are available at the reduced price of $9.50.
People of Bethlehem -- The book, People of Bethlehem, published by the Bethlehem Historical Association, is available at the Town Clerk's office for $20. This is a great genealogy tool and covers years 1698 through 1880. It also includes 15,000 name entries of over 1,400 families with church, government and private records used for the contents of the book.

Dog Park Permits -- Permits to use the town dog park are available at the Town Clerk's office for dogs licensed in the Town of Bethlehem only. The cost of a permit, which is good through December 31 of each year, is $30. Those applying for a permit must show that the dog is licensed and present proof of immunization against rabies and distemper. The fee is $15  for seniors, 62 and older; the fee is waived for those who have temporary ownership of guide and therapy dogs.  Replacement tags are $5 each.

All Dogs, Cats and Ferrets -- The Albany County Board of Health requires all dogs, cats and ferrets to be immunized against rabies. Rabies immunization clinics for dogs, cats and ferrets are currently offered yearly at Elm Avenue Park, as well as at other county locations, in conjunction with the Board of Health and the Capital District Veterinary Medical Society.  When traveling with your dog, carry all paperwork and check with other municipalities for any additional regulations.

Please note:  Fees subject to change at any time by the Town Board or New York State requirement.  Fees must be paid by cash or check, no credit cards will be accepted.

Records Management

The Town of Bethlehem has a Records Management Program initiated in 1992.   All Town records were indexed with the Records Management Officer and inactive records are stored in the records center at Town Hall.  The more historical records have been cataloged and retained in fire-resistant rated rooms.  The rooms are checked for proper storage conditions of permanent records.

Town Clerk/Records Management Officer (RMO), Kathleen A. Newkirk, CMC, RMC, maintains two archival rooms at Town Hall for these historical records.   The Town Historian works in conjunction with the RMO to manage, catalog and index the historical collections including a finding aid and photograph index for the Town records.

A flyer is available at the Town Clerk’s window at Town Hall for anyone interested in this collection.

The historical website pages have been made available through a grant from the New York State Education Department, State Archives, Local Government Records Management Improvement Fund grant for historical records which provided funds for personnel and creation of this link on the Town’s website.

New York State Register

The State Register, a weekly publication of rule making activities by New York State agencies and authorities, is now available on-line at the Department of State (DOS) website (www.dos.state.ny.us). The publication includes recently adopted rules and proposed amendments to rules previously adopted.

Each volume of the State Register will be posted on the DOS website and available for viewing at any time, free of charge. Back issues of the Register, from June 25, 2003 forward, also will be archived on the website.

Forms

Please mail all completed forms and any additional paperwork, fees, etc. to

Town Clerk's Office
Bethlehem Town Hall
445 Delaware Avenue
Delmar, NY 12054

Please note:  checks should be made payable to Bethlehem Town Clerk

Town Clerk's Office
Frequently Asked Questions

Q.  How old does a dog have to be to be licensed?
A.  A dog must be licensed beginning at four (4) months of age according to the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets.  Every dog, regardless of age, owned or harbored in New York State for longer than 30 days must be licensed in the town, city or village where the dog is being harbored.

Q.  What information do I need to license my dog?
A.  The application form which may be obtained at our office or downloaded from this web page (see above) or from http://www.agmkt.state.ny.us/AI/DL-1-Instructions.html.  Along with the application, the appropriate fee, spay/neuter certificate (if applicable), proof of rabies vaccination signed by a licensed veterinarian and, if applicable, proof of exemption status.

Q.  How often must a dog be licensed? What are the dog licensing fees?
A.  A dog is required to be licensed at 4 months of age and the license is renewable yearly. Fees are $12.50 for unspayed/unneutered dogs and $4.50 for spayed/neutered dogs.

Q.  How old does a dog have to be to use the dog park?
A.  A dog must be 4 months of age or older to use the dog park and must have a Town of Bethlehem Dog Park Permit (see above).

Q.  Does a dog have to be licensed in order to use the dog park? Must the dog's owner be a resident of the Town to use the dog park?
A.  Yes, the dog must have a current NYS Agriculture and Markets dog license with current rabies vaccination information and the owner must bring proof of distemper shot to obtain a dog park permit. Dog park is available to Town of Bethlehem residents only.

Q.  Are the Leash and Scooper Laws Town of Bethlehem laws or state-wide?
A.  The leash and scooper laws are Local Laws under the Town of Bethlehem and are in the Code of the Town of Bethlehem.

Q.  I own a pet snake. Is there anything special I have to report?
A.  Exotic pets must be registered with the Town Clerk by April 1 of each year. See the forms section for information regarding this regulation.

Q.  What do I need to get a marriage license?
A.  Two forms of identification – driver’s license or picture ID and birth document or passport. Divorce decrees for any previous marriages.

Q.  You mentioned the forms of ID needed to get a marriage license. Are there any fees? For how long is the license valid? Do Divorce Decrees have to have a raised seal, can they be photocopies?
A.  The fee for a marriage license is currently $40 (subject to change by State direction). The license is valid for 60 days following a 24 hour waiting period. License must be obtained 24 hours minimum before the marriage service. Divorce decrees have to be submitted for all previous marriages and have the signatures and raised seal on the document.

Q.  Can I get a fishing or hunting license at your office?
A.  Yes, we issue New York State Department of Environmental Conservation licenses for fishing and hunting.  One must bring driver’s license and previous hunting license or hunter training certificate for hunting license.

Q.  How do I get a handicap parking permit?
A.  You and your healthcare provider can complete the application form MV-664.1. If the doctor gives a prescription slip with diagnosis, the form can be filled out at our office for issuance of permit.   You also can have your healthcare provider (MD, DO or DPM) complete a statement on their letterhead. The statement must describe the disabling condition and verify that the disability qualifies according to the law. Bring the form or statement to our office.  If you have a NYS driver's license, you will also need to present the license when obtaining the permit at the office. 

Q.  How do I register to vote?
A.  A mail-in form can be picked up at either the Town Clerk’s office, on the table outside our office in the hallway or at http://www.albanycounty.com/departments/elections/default.asp? id=217.  The form is completed and mailed to the Albany County Board of Elections (the address of which is stamped on the form).

Q.  How do I get an absentee ballot for voting if I cannot get to my polling location?
A.  The application form can be picked up at either the Town Clerk’s office, on the table outside our office in the hallway or at http://www.albanycounty.com/departments/elections/default.asp? id=217.  The form is completed and mailed to the Albany County Board of Elections (the address of which is stamped on the form).

Q.  What election district am I in?
A.  You may use the utility "Where Do I Vote" on the Albany County Board of Elections web site or call their offices for the most current information.

Q.  Do you have a notary public on staff? What information must I provide to get a document notarized? Are there any fees involved?
A.  Staff in the Town Clerk's office are notary publics. A person must bring proof of identification (driver's license, passport or other forms of identification) to get a document notarized. There are no fees, this is a service the Town Clerk's office provides.

Q.  What is needed to get a Certificate of Residency? Who needs them and why?
A.  The person wishing to obtain a Certificate of Residency must provide proof of residents one (1) year in New York State and six (6) months in Albany County. The proof can be a NYS Driver's license issued more than one (1) year ago, car registration issued more than one (1) year ago, high school transcript, bank statement or other proof. One form should be a picture identification. A certificate for a minor can be obtained by a parent or legal guardian.

Q.  How do I go about getting access to Town records?
A.  A FOIL request can be submitted to the Town Clerk for access to Town records. Historical record information is available on the Town Clerk's and Historian's web pages of this site.  You can also e-mail .

Q.  Do you accept credit cards as a form of payment? Do you accept personal checks?
A.  No, we do not accept credit cards. We accept either cash or check.