<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0306</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2013-03-08</periodOfReport>

    <notSubjectToSection16>0</notSubjectToSection16>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0000790359</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>NBT BANCORP INC</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>NBTB</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001237956</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>CIVIL PATRICIA T</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>52 SOUTH BROAD STREET</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2></rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>NORWICH</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>NY</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>13815</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>1</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>NBT Bancorp Inc. Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2013-03-08</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>A</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>267</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>0</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>A</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>12362.747</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <derivativeTable>
        <derivativeHolding>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Non-Qualified Stock Option (right to buy)</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <conversionOrExercisePrice>
                <value>18.3825</value>
            </conversionOrExercisePrice>
            <exerciseDate>
                <value>2004-05-19</value>
                <footnoteId id="F2"/>
            </exerciseDate>
            <expirationDate>
                <value>2013-05-19</value>
            </expirationDate>
            <underlyingSecurity>
                <underlyingSecurityTitle>
                    <value>NBT Bancorp Inc. Common Stock</value>
                </underlyingSecurityTitle>
                <underlyingSecurityShares>
                    <value>600</value>
                </underlyingSecurityShares>
            </underlyingSecurity>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>600</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </derivativeHolding>
        <derivativeHolding>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Non-Qualified Stock Option (right to buy)</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <conversionOrExercisePrice>
                <value>20.7492</value>
            </conversionOrExercisePrice>
            <exerciseDate>
                <value>2006-05-01</value>
                <footnoteId id="F2"/>
            </exerciseDate>
            <expirationDate>
                <value>2015-05-01</value>
            </expirationDate>
            <underlyingSecurity>
                <underlyingSecurityTitle>
                    <value>NBT Bancorp Inc. Common Stock</value>
                </underlyingSecurityTitle>
                <underlyingSecurityShares>
                    <value>1500</value>
                </underlyingSecurityShares>
            </underlyingSecurity>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>1500</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </derivativeHolding>
        <derivativeHolding>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Non-Qualified Stock Option (right to buy)</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <conversionOrExercisePrice>
                <value>20.7642</value>
            </conversionOrExercisePrice>
            <exerciseDate>
                <value>2007-04-28</value>
                <footnoteId id="F3"/>
            </exerciseDate>
            <expirationDate>
                <value>2015-04-28</value>
            </expirationDate>
            <underlyingSecurity>
                <underlyingSecurityTitle>
                    <value>NBT Bancorp Inc. Common Stock</value>
                </underlyingSecurityTitle>
                <underlyingSecurityShares>
                    <value>400</value>
                </underlyingSecurityShares>
            </underlyingSecurity>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>400</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </derivativeHolding>
        <derivativeHolding>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Non-Qualified Stock Option (right to buy)</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <conversionOrExercisePrice>
                <value>21.74</value>
            </conversionOrExercisePrice>
            <exerciseDate>
                <value>2007-05-01</value>
                <footnoteId id="F2"/>
            </exerciseDate>
            <expirationDate>
                <value>2016-05-01</value>
            </expirationDate>
            <underlyingSecurity>
                <underlyingSecurityTitle>
                    <value>NBT Bancorp Inc. Common Stock</value>
                </underlyingSecurityTitle>
                <underlyingSecurityShares>
                    <value>1500</value>
                </underlyingSecurityShares>
            </underlyingSecurity>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>1500</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </derivativeHolding>
        <derivativeHolding>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Non-Qualified Stock Option (right to buy)</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <conversionOrExercisePrice>
                <value>22.1388</value>
            </conversionOrExercisePrice>
            <exerciseDate>
                <value>2005-01-01</value>
                <footnoteId id="F2"/>
            </exerciseDate>
            <expirationDate>
                <value>2014-01-01</value>
            </expirationDate>
            <underlyingSecurity>
                <underlyingSecurityTitle>
                    <value>NBT Bancorp Inc. Common Stock</value>
                </underlyingSecurityTitle>
                <underlyingSecurityShares>
                    <value>1500</value>
                </underlyingSecurityShares>
            </underlyingSecurity>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>1500</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </derivativeHolding>
        <derivativeHolding>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Non-Qualified Stock Option (right to buy)</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <conversionOrExercisePrice>
                <value>22.4842</value>
            </conversionOrExercisePrice>
            <exerciseDate>
                <value>2008-05-01</value>
                <footnoteId id="F2"/>
            </exerciseDate>
            <expirationDate>
                <value>2017-05-01</value>
            </expirationDate>
            <underlyingSecurity>
                <underlyingSecurityTitle>
                    <value>NBT Bancorp Inc. Common Stock</value>
                </underlyingSecurityTitle>
                <underlyingSecurityShares>
                    <value>1500</value>
                </underlyingSecurityShares>
            </underlyingSecurity>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>1500</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </derivativeHolding>
        <derivativeHolding>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Non-Qualified Stock Option (right to buy)</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <conversionOrExercisePrice>
                <value>22.5508</value>
            </conversionOrExercisePrice>
            <exerciseDate>
                <value>2009-05-01</value>
                <footnoteId id="F2"/>
            </exerciseDate>
            <expirationDate>
                <value>2018-05-01</value>
            </expirationDate>
            <underlyingSecurity>
                <underlyingSecurityTitle>
                    <value>NBT Bancorp Inc. Common Stock</value>
                </underlyingSecurityTitle>
                <underlyingSecurityShares>
                    <value>1750</value>
                </underlyingSecurityShares>
            </underlyingSecurity>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>1750</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </derivativeHolding>
        <derivativeHolding>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Non-Qualified Stock Option (right to buy)</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <conversionOrExercisePrice>
                <value>23.2708</value>
            </conversionOrExercisePrice>
            <exerciseDate>
                <value>2006-01-20</value>
                <footnoteId id="F2"/>
            </exerciseDate>
            <expirationDate>
                <value>2015-01-20</value>
            </expirationDate>
            <underlyingSecurity>
                <underlyingSecurityTitle>
                    <value>NBT Bancorp Inc. Common Stock</value>
                </underlyingSecurityTitle>
                <underlyingSecurityShares>
                    <value>630</value>
                </underlyingSecurityShares>
            </underlyingSecurity>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>630</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </derivativeHolding>
    </derivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">Received in exchange for 123 shares of Alliance Financial Corporation (&quot;Alliance&quot;) common stock in connection with the merger of Alliance with and into the Issuer.  Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, in exchange for each share of Alliance common stock the reporting person received 2.1779 shares of Issuer common stock rounded down to the nearest whole share.   The closing price per share of Alliance common stock on March 8, 2013, the effective date of the Merger, was $47.49 and the closing price per share of Issuer common stock on such date was $21.80.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">Pursuant to NBT Non-Employee Director, Divisional Director and Subsidiary Director Stock Option Plan grant vests  40% for first year, 20% annually for following years.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F3">Pursuant to NBT Non-Employee Director, Divisional Director and Subsidiary Director Stock Option Plan reload grant vests  100% two years after date of its grant.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>By: F. Sheldon Prentice, Power of Attorney  For: Patricia T. Civil</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2013-05-09</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
