Registration No. 333-_________

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C.  20549

____________________

FORM S-8

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

Orange County Bancorp, Inc.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

212 Dolson Avenue

Middletown, New York 10940

(Address of Principal Executive Offices)

Orange County Bancorp, Inc. 401(k) Plan

(Full Title of the Plans)

Copies to:

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”):

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act. ☐

PART I.

Items 1 and 2.  Plan Information and Registrant Information and Employee Plan Annual Information

The documents containing the information specified in Part I of Form S-8 have been or will be sent or given to participants in the Orange County Bancorp, Inc. 401(k) Plan (the “Plan”) as specified by Rule 428(b)(1) promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) under the Securities Act.

Such documents are not being filed with the Commission, but constitute (along with the documents incorporated by reference into this Registration Statement pursuant to Item 3 of Part II hereof) a prospectus that meets the requirements of Section 10(a) of the Securities Act.

PART II.

Item 3.  Incorporation of Documents by Reference

The following documents previously filed by Orange County Bancorp, Inc. (the “Company”) with the Commission under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), are incorporated herein by reference (other than any such documents or portions thereof that are furnished under Item 2.02 or Item 7.01 of Form 8-K, unless otherwise indicated therein, including any exhibits included with such Items):

(a) The Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021, filed with the Commission on March 30, 2022 (Commission File No. 001-40711) (including information specifically incorporated by reference therein from the Company’s definitive proxy statement on Schedule 14A, filed on April 19, 2022);

(b) The Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2022, filed with the Commission on May 11, 2022 and the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2022, filed with the Commission on August 11, 2022  (File No. 001-40711);

(c) The Company’s Current Reports on Form 8-K filed with the Commission on January 6, 2022, January 24, 2022, February 18, 2022, May 20, 2022, May 25, 2022, June 30, 2022 and August 19, 2022 (Commission File No. for all 001-40711); and

(d) The description of the Company’s common stock contained in the Registration Statement on Form 8-A, filed with the Commission on August 4, 2021, to register the Company's common stock under the Exchange Act (Commission File No. 001-40711).

All documents subsequently filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14, or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, after the date hereof, and prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment which indicates that all securities offered hereby have been sold or which deregisters all securities then remaining unsold, shall be deemed incorporated by reference into this Registration Statement and to be a part thereof from the date of the filing of such documents.  Any statement contained in the documents incorporated, or deemed to be incorporated, by reference herein or therein shall be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this Registration Statement and the prospectus to the extent that a statement contained herein or therein or in any other subsequently filed document which also is, or is deemed to be, incorporated by reference herein or therein modifies or supersedes such statement.  Any such statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this Registration Statement and the prospectus.

All information appearing in this Registration Statement and the prospectus is qualified in its entirety by the detailed information, including financial statements, appearing in the documents incorporated herein or therein by reference.

Item 4.  Description of Securities

Not applicable.

Item 5.  Interests of Named Experts and Counsel

None.

Item 6.  Indemnification of Directors and Officers

ARTICLE X.  Limitation on Liability.

A director of the Corporation shall not be personally liable to the Corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director, except for liability: (i) for any breach of the director's duty of loyalty to the Corporation or its stockholders; (ii) for acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law; (iii) under Section 174 of the Delaware General Corporation Law; or (iv) for any transaction from which the director derived an improper personal benefit. If the Delaware General Corporation Law is amended to authorize corporate action further eliminating or limiting the personal liability of directors, then the liability of a director of the Corporation shall be eliminated or limited to the fullest extent permitted by the Delaware General Corporation Law, as so amended.

Any repeal or modification of the foregoing paragraph by the stockholders of the Corporation shall not adversely affect any right or protection of a director of the Corporation existing at the time of such repeal or modification.

ARTICLE VI. Indemnification

Section 1. Actions, Suits or Proceedings Other Than Those by or in the Right of the Corporation. Subject to Section 3 of this Article VI, the Corporation shall indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (other than an action by or in the right of the Corporation) by reason of the fact that the person is or was or has agreed to become a director or officer of the Corporation, or is or was a director or officer of the Corporation serving at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise, against expenses (including attorney's fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by the person in connection with such action, suit or proceeding if the person acted in good faith and in a manner the person reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Corporation, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe the person's conduct was unlawful. The termination of any action, suit or proceeding by judgment, order, settlement, conviction, or upon a plea of nolo contendere or its equivalent, shall not, of itself, create a presumption that the person did not act in good faith and in a manner which the person reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation, and, with respect to criminal action or proceeding, had reasonable cause to believe that the person's conduct was unlawful.

Section 2. Actions, Suits or Proceedings by or in the Right of the Corporation. Subject to Section 3 of this Article VI, the Corporation shall indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action or suit by or in the right of the Corporation to procure a judgment in its favor by reason of the fact that he is or was a director or officer of the Corporation, or is or was a director or officer of the Corporation serving at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise against expenses (including attorneys' fees) actually and reasonably incurred by him in connection with the defense or settlement of such action or suit if he acted in good faith and in a manner he reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Corporation; except that no indemnification shall be made in respect of any claim, issue or matter as to which such person shall have been adjudged to be liable to the Corporation unless and only to the extent that the Court of Chancery or the court in which such action or suit was brought shall determine upon application that, despite the adjudication of liability but in view of all the circumstances of the case, such person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such expenses which the Court of Chancery or such other court shall deem proper.

Section 3. Authorization of Indemnification. Any indemnification under this Article VI (unless ordered by a court) shall be made by the Corporation only as authorized in the specific case upon a determination that indemnification of the present or former director or officer is proper in the circumstances because he or she has met the applicable standard of conduct set forth in Section 1 or Section 2 of this Article VI, as the case may be. Such determination shall be made (i) by the Board by a majority vote of directors who were not parties to such action, suit or proceeding, even though less than a quorum, (ii) by a committee of such directors designated by majority vote of such directors, even though less than a quorum; (iii) if there are no such directors, or if such directors so direct, by independent legal counsel in a written opinion, or (iv) by the stockholders. To the extent, however, that a director or officer of the Corporation has been successful on the merits or otherwise in defense of any action, suit or proceeding described above, or in defense of any claim, issue or matter therein, he or she shall be indemnified against expenses (including attorneys' fees) actually and reasonably incurred by him or her in connection therewith, without the necessity of authorization in the specific case.

Section 4. Indemnification by a Court. Notwithstanding any contrary determination in the specific case under Section 3 of this Article VI, and notwithstanding the absence of any determination thereunder, any director or officer may apply to any court of competent jurisdiction in the State of Delaware for indemnification to the extent otherwise permissible under Sections 1 and 2 of this Article VI. The basis of such indemnification by a court shall be a determination by such court that indemnification of the director or officer is proper in the circumstances because he or she has met the applicable standards of conduct set forth in Sections 1 or 2 of this Article VI, as the case may be. Neither a contrary determination in the specific case under Section 3 of this Article VI nor the absence of any determination thereunder shall be a defense to such application or create a presumption that the director or officer seeking indemnification has not met any applicable standard of conduct. Notice of any application for indemnification pursuant to this Section 4 shall be given to the Corporation promptly upon the filing of such application. If successful, in whole or in part, the director or officer seeking indemnification shall also be entitled to be paid the expense of prosecuting such application.

Section 5. Expenses Payable in Advance. Expenses incurred by a director or officer in defending or investigating a threatened or pending action, suit or proceeding shall be paid by the Corporation in advance of the final disposition of such action, suit or proceeding upon receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of such director or officer to repay such amount if it shall ultimately be determined that he or she is not entitled to be indemnified by the Corporation as authorized in this Article VI.

Section 6. Nonexclusivity of Indemnification and Advancement of Expenses. The indemnification and advancement of expenses provided by or granted pursuant to this Article VI shall not be deemed exclusive of any other rights to which those seeking indemnification or advancement of expenses may be entitled under any Bylaws, agreement, contract, vote of stockholders or disinterested directors or pursuant to the direction (however embodied) of any court of competent jurisdiction or otherwise, both as to action in his or her official capacity and as to action in another capacity while holding such office, it being the policy of the Corporation that indemnification of the persons specified in Sections I and 2 of this Article VI shall be made to the fullest extent permitted by law. The provisions of this Article VI shall not be deemed to preclude the indemnification of any person who is not specified in Sections I or 2 of this Article VI but whom the Corporation has the power or obligation to indemnify under the provisions of the Delaware General Corporation Law or otherwise.

Section 7. Insurance. The Corporation may purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of any person who is or was a director or officer of the Corporation, or is or was a director or officer of the Corporation serving at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise against any liability asserted against him or her and incurred by him or her in any such capacity, or arising out of his or her status as such, whether or not the Corporation would have the power or the obligation to indemnify him or her against such liability under the provisions of this Article VI.

Section 8. Certain Definitions. For purposes of this Article VI, references to "the Corporation" shall include, in addition to the resulting corporation, any constituent corporation (including any constituent of a constituent) absorbed in a consolidation or merger which, if its separate existence had continued, would have had power and authority to indemnify its directors or officers, so that any person who is or was a director or officer of such constituent corporation, or is or was a director or officer of such constituent corporation serving at the request of such constituent corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise, shall stand in the same position under the provisions of this Article VI with respect to the resulting or surviving corporation as he or she would have with respect to such constituent corporation if its separate existence had continued. For purposes of this Article VI, references to "fines" shall include any excise taxes

assessed on a person with respect to an employee benefit plan; and references to "serving at the request of the Corporation" shall include any service as a director, officer, employee or agent of the Corporation which imposes duties on, or involves services by, such director or officer with respect to an employee benefit plan, its participants or beneficiaries; and a person who acted in good faith and in a manner he reasonably believed to be in the interest of the participants and beneficiaries of an employee benefit plan shall be deemed to have acted in a manner "not opposed to the best interests of the Corporation" as referred to in this Article VI.

Section 9. Survival of Indemnification and Advancement of Expenses. The indemnification and advancement of expenses provided by, or granted pursuant to, this Article VI shall, unless otherwise provided when authorized or ratified, continue as to a person who has ceased to be a director or officer and shall inure to the benefit of the heirs, executors and administrators of such a person.

Section 10. Limitation on Indemnification. Notwithstanding anything contained in this Article VI to the contrary, except for proceedings to enforce rights to indemnification (which shall be governed by Section 4 hereof), the Corporation shall not be obligated to indemnify any director or officer in connection with a proceeding (or part thereof) initiated by such person unless such proceeding (or part thereof) was authorized or consented to by the Board of the Corporation.

Section 11. Indemnification of Employees and Agents. The Corporation may, to the extent authorized from time to time by the Board, provide rights to indemnification and to the advancement of expenses to employees and agents of the Corporation similar to those conferred in this Article VI to directors and officers of the Corporation.

Item 7.  Exemption From Registration Claimed

Not applicable.

Item 8.  List of Exhibits

_________________________

The undersigned hereby undertakes that Orange County Bancorp, Inc. has submitted, or will submit, the Plan and any amendment thereto to the Internal Revenue Service in a timely manner and has made, or will make, all changes required by the Internal Revenue Service in order to qualify the Plan.

Item 9.  Undertakings

The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:

1. To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement:

(i) to include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act;

(ii) to reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate,

represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) (section 230.424(b)) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than 20% change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fees” table in the effective registration statement;

(iii) to include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in this Registration Statement or any material change to such information in this Registration Statement;

provided, however, that paragraphs 1(i) and 1(ii) above do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by these paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the Company pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act that are incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement.

2. That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof;

3. To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering;

4. That, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each filing of the registrant's annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan's annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act) that is incorporated by reference in the registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof; and

5. Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable.  In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

SIGNATURES

The Registrant.  Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Middletown, State of New York, on August 26, 2022.

POWER OF ATTORNEY

We, the undersigned directors and officers of Orange County Bancorp, Inc. (the “Company”) hereby severally constitute and appoint Michael J. Gilfeather, as our true and lawful attorney and agent, to do any and all things in our names in the capacities indicated below which said Michael J. Gilfeather may deem necessary or advisable to enable the Company to comply with the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and any rules, regulations and requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission, in connection with the registration of Company common stock and participation interests offered or sold to the Orange County Bancorp, Inc. 401(k) Plan, including specifically, but not limited to, power and authority to sign for us in our names in the capacities indicated below the registration statement and any and all amendments (including post-effective amendments) thereto; and we hereby approve, ratify and confirm all that said Michael J. Gilfeather shall do or cause to be done by virtue thereof.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the date indicated.

The Plan.  Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the trustees (or other persons who administer the Orange County Bancorp, Inc. 401(k) Plan) have duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Middletown, State of New York, on August 26, 2022.

Security Type	Security Class Title	Fee Calculation Rule	Amount to be Registered(1)	Proposed Maximum Aggregate Offering Price Per Share(2)	Maximum Aggregate Offering Price	Fee Rate	Amount of Registration Fee
Equity	Common stock, $0.50 par value per share	457(c) and 457(h)	600,000	$35.56	$21,336,000	0.0000927	$1,977.85
Other	Participation Interests	Other	(3)	(3)	(3)	(3)	(3)
Total Offering Amounts					$21,336,000		$1,977.85
Total Fee Offsets							$0.00
Net Fee Due					$21,336,000		$1,977.85