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Erie County, New York public records

In Erie County, deeds are recorded by the Erie County Clerk; property values come from the City and town assessors; court files are kept by the Erie County Clerk.

Last checked against official sources on .

On this page
  1. Where to get each record
  2. Deeds and land records
  3. Property values, owners and tax bills
  4. Court records: which clerk keeps which case
  5. Marriage records
  6. Divorce records
  7. Birth certificates
  8. Death certificates
  9. Probate records and wills
  10. Business names (DBA)
  11. Voter records
  12. Historical records
  13. Good to know about Erie County records
  14. Office addresses, phones and hours
  15. Records that are not online: public records requests
  16. Questions people ask
  17. Official copies vs look-alike sites
  18. Sources

Where to get each record

RecordOfficeSearch onlineFee
Deeds and land recordsErie County Clerk4Search deeds23Fee charged$1.30 first 2 pages, $0.65 each additional page; max $40 per document2
Property values and ownersCity and town assessors5Property search6—
Property tax billsErie County Department of Real Property Tax Services7Tax bill search8—
Court casesErie County Clerk4New York State Supreme Court and Erie County Court9
Erie County Surrogate's Court10		certificate of search of court records $5.00 per name per record type; copies per CPLR 8019(f)11
Marriage recordsTown or city clerk where the license was purchased (or NYS Department of Health)12——
Divorce recordsErie County Clerk4——
Birth certificatesRegistrar of Vital Statistics of the city or town of birth (Buffalo: City Hall, 65 Niagara Square, (716) 851-5432)12——
Death certificatesCity or Town Clerk where the death occurred; not at the County Clerk13——
Probate and willsErie County Surrogate's Court10—Certified copy of will or paper on file $6.00 per page (SCPA 2402)14
Business names (DBA)Erie County Clerk files assumed name (DBA) certificates for sole proprietors and partnerships: $25.0015——

Deeds and land records

Deeds, mortgages and other land documents for property in Erie County are recorded by the Erie County Clerk (Land Records).4

Online search
ecclerk.erie.gov2Fee charged
Cost
Index search on ecclerk.erie.gov (no price stated on county pages; basic search shows no images). Online images only for Registered Users: $250 escrow deposit, $5 debited per image. Images viewable at public computer terminals in the Clerk's Office.3
Years online
Deeds: kept 1808-present; online index 1/1/1986-present; online images 1/1/1960-present. Mortgages: index 1986-, images 1980-16
Copy fee
$1.30 first 2 pages, $0.65 each additional page; max $40 per document2
Certified copy fee
$5.00 first 4 pages, $1.25 each additional page; max $40 per document2
Search fee
Staff search: $10.00 per name per 2-year period (manual), $5.00 (digital)2
How to order
Online Request Form (emailed copy), in person at the Basement Records room, or by mail with Deed Request / Copy Request form, check or money order payable to Erie County Clerk and SASE2
Recording fee
$45.00 cover page plus $5.00 per page (1-page deed $50 plus TP-584 and RP-5217 filing)11
Transfer tax
$4.50 per $500 of consideration11
Mortgage tax
1% of the total mortgage amount11
Fraud alerts
Property Alert sign-up linked from the Clerk home page4

How deeds work in New York

Property values, owners and tax bills

The City and town assessors (assessments are made locally, not by the county) sets property values5; the Erie County Department of Real Property Tax Services bills and collects the tax7.

Property search
paytax.erie.gov (Real Property Parcel Search)6
Tax bill search
paytax.erie.gov (Tax Inquiry; online payment of City of Buffalo county taxes and delinquent county taxes)8
Appealing a value
Grievance with the local (municipal) board of assessment review first, then Small Claims Assessment Review (SCAR) or tax certiorari in State Supreme Court18
Scar filing fee
File Small Claims Assessment Review: $30.00 (County Clerk fee schedule)11
Tax foreclosure
County forecloses tax liens unpaid two or more years (In Rem auctions)6

How property tax works in New York

Court records: which clerk keeps which case

CourtCasesRecords kept byCase search
New York State Supreme Court and Erie County Court (files kept by the County Clerk)Civil actions (Supreme), felonies (County Court), divorces19Erie County Clerk (clerk of Supreme and County Courts; Actions & Proceedings)iapps.courts.state.ny.us/nyscef/HomePage ecclerk.erie.gov for older cases; e-filed cases commenced after April 3, 2012 only on NYSCEF; search both sites9
Erie County Surrogate's CourtWills, estates, guardianship10—websurrogates.nycourts.gov/Home/Welcome WebSurrogate, linked from the Surrogate's Court page10
Erie County Family Court; Buffalo, Lackawanna and Tonawanda City Courts—— eCourts (WebCivil Supreme, WebCivil Local, WebCriminal, WebFamily, WebSurrogate)20
Fees
Index number $210.00; certificate of search of court records $5.00 per name per record type; copies per CPLR 8019(f)11

Criminal records and background checks

County
County Clerk criminal records (felony convictions kept 1922-present): research on public terminal or by Local Criminal Searches Form; closed criminal records by notarized mailed form12
Years
Felony convictions 1922-present16
Statewide
OCA statewide Criminal History Record Search $9521

How New York courts keep their files

Marriage records

Town or city clerk where the license was purchased (or NYS Department of Health)12

Older records
County Clerk holds marriage records 1878 to April 29, 193513

New York marriage records, statewide

Divorce records

Erie County Clerk (early 1800s to present)13

Restrictions
Sealed 100 years; only parties or their attorneys may obtain13
How to order
Divorce Record Request Form (printed, notarized and mailed); not available through the online request form2
Online
Divorce images not available online16

New York divorce records: decree or state record

Birth certificates

Registrar of Vital Statistics of the city or town of birth (Buffalo: City Hall, 65 Niagara Square, (716) 851-5432); also NYS DOH12

State
NYS DOH Vital Records (all NYS except NYC, since 1881)22
Older records
County Clerk microfilm: City of Buffalo births Sept 17, 1881-Dec 15, 1913 only (in person, no index)13

Ordering a New York birth certificate

Death certificates

City or Town Clerk where the death occurred; not at the County Clerk13

State
NYS DOH Vital Records23

Ordering a New York death certificate

Probate records and wills

Kept by the Erie County Surrogate's Court, whose cases include “Wills”.10

Copy fee
Certified copy of will or paper on file $6.00 per page (SCPA 2402)14

Finding a will or probate case in New York

Business names (DBA)

Erie County Clerk files assumed name (DBA) certificates for sole proprietors and partnerships: $25.0015

Years online
Assumed business names kept 1900-present; online 2/21/1994-present16

Voter records

Kept by the Erie County Board of Elections.7

Historical records

County
Clerk Basement Record Room microfilm: census 1850-1925, naturalization 1827-1929, deeds from early 1800s (self-service in person)13
Naturalization
Naturalization records 1827-1929 (Supreme, Superior and County Courts)13

Good to know about Erie County records

  • Erie County deed books go back to 1808; online images start in 1960 and the online index in 1986.16
  • Erie County Supreme Court cases e-filed after April 3, 2012 are only on NYSCEF, not the Clerk's search site.9
  • The County Clerk holds City of Buffalo birth records 1881-1913 and marriage records 1878-1935 on microfilm.13
  • Property assessments are made by city and town assessors; the county RPTS collects current county taxes only in the City of Buffalo.6
  • Military discharges recorded from March 8, 1919.13

Office addresses, phones and hours

Erie County Clerk (Land Records)

Address
Old County Hall, 92 Franklin Street, first floor, Buffalo, NY 1420225
Mail
Erie County Clerk’s Office, 92 Franklin St., Buffalo, NY 14202 (include payment and a postage-paid self-addressed envelope)2
Hours
Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-5 p.m. (be in line by 4:15 p.m. to file documents)25

Erie County Clerk

Address
Old County Hall, 92 Franklin Street, first floor, Buffalo, NY 1420225
Mail
Erie County Clerk’s Office, 92 Franklin St., Buffalo, NY 14202 (include payment and a postage-paid self-addressed envelope)2
Phone
716-858-8785 (General Information)25
Hours
Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-5 p.m. (be in line by 4:15 p.m. to file documents)25

Erie County Clerk (clerk of Supreme and County Courts; Actions & Proceedings)

Address
Actions & Proceedings Office, 92 Franklin St., Buffalo, NY2
Mail
Erie County Clerk’s Office, 92 Franklin St., Buffalo, NY 14202 (include payment and a postage-paid self-addressed envelope)2
Phone
(716) 858-8785 Option 2, 2 (criminal records)12
Hours
9:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Monday-Friday (closed criminal records)2

Erie County Department of Real Property Tax Services

Address
Edward A Rath County Office Building, 95 Franklin Street - Room 100, Buffalo, New York 142026
Phone
Tax Line (716) 858-83336
Hours
Cashier Monday-Friday 8:30am-3:00pm6

City and town assessors (assessments are made locally, not by the county)

Erie County Board of Elections

Address
134 West Eagle Street, Buffalo, NY 1420227
Phone
(716) 858-8891 (general inquiries); (716) 858-7818 (absentee)27
Hours
Monday-Friday 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.27

Erie County Internet Mapping System / RPTS Tax Mapping Office

Phone
(716) 858-6657 (Tax Mapping Office)17

Records that are not online: public records requests

Where to send it
FOIL Officer of the department holding the record; Clerk, Sheriff, Comptroller, DA, Legislature and Board of Elections run separate FOIL processes28
Clerk note
Most Clerk records are public and available without FOIL2

How to write a public records request

Questions people ask

How do I get a copy of a deed in Erie County?

The Erie County Clerk (Land Records) keeps deed records. To order copies: Online Request Form (emailed copy), in person at the Basement Records room, or by mail with Deed Request / Copy Request form, check or money order payable to Erie County Clerk and SASE. Plain copies: $1.30 first 2 pages, $0.65 each additional page; max $40 per document. Certified copies: $5.00 first 4 pages, $1.25 each additional page; max $40 per document.42

Can I search Erie County land records online for free?

No, the official online search charges a fee. Index search on ecclerk.erie.gov (no price stated on county pages; basic search shows no images). Online images only for Registered Users: $250 escrow deposit, $5 debited per image. Images viewable at public computer terminals in the Clerk's Office. The official search: ecclerk.erie.gov32

Where do I get a divorce decree in Erie County?

Divorce decrees are court records; ask the Erie County Clerk (early 1800s to present).13

How do I look up who owns a property in Erie County?

Use the property search of the City and town assessors (assessments are made locally, not by the county): paytax.erie.gov6

Official copies vs look-alike sites

A certified copy comes only from the office that holds the record; reports and "research copies" sold by commercial sites are not issued by any Erie County office. How to tell an official record source from a paid look-alike.

Other counties in New York with a full guide: Albany County, Bronx County, Broome County, Chautauqua County, Clinton County, Dutchess County, Kings County, Monroe County, New York County, Oneida County, Onondaga County, Orange County, Queens County, Rensselaer County, Richmond County, Saratoga County, Schenectady County, Suffolk County, Sullivan County, Ulster County, Westchester County. Every county in the state: New York county list. Looking for another Erie County? Erie County, Ohio; Erie County, Pennsylvania.

Sources

Every fact above links to the official page it comes from; all 29 sources were checked on November 4, 2026. Fees and rules change, so check the office's own page before you pay or travel.

  1. Government Units List 2026US Census Bureau
  2. General Rules for Requesting InformationErie County Clerk
  3. Registered UsersErie County Clerk
  4. Erie County Clerk
  5. General InformationErie County Department of Real Property Tax Services
  6. Real Property Tax ServicesErie County Department of Real Property Tax Services
  7. Erie County Departments & AgenciesErie County, New York
  8. Erie County Tax Payment Site / Parcel SearchErie County Real Property Tax Services
  9. Court Records/FilingErie County Clerk
  10. Erie County Surrogate's CourtNYS Unified Court System
  11. Schedule of FeesErie County Clerk
  12. FAQsErie County Clerk
  13. GenealogyErie County Clerk
  14. SCPA 2402 Fees of the clerk of the surrogate's courtNew York State Senate (Consolidated Laws)
  15. Business CenterErie County Clerk
  16. Records Kept by the County ClerkErie County Clerk
  17. Tax MapsErie County Department of Real Property Tax Services
  18. Contesting Your Assessment in New York State (NYS Tax Dept guide hosted by Erie County RPTS)NYS Department of Taxation and Finance, via Erie County RPTS
  19. Legal RecordsErie County Clerk
  20. eCourtsNYS Unified Court System
  21. Criminal History Record Search (CHRS)NYS Unified Court System
  22. Birth CertificatesNew York State Department of Health
  23. Death CertificatesNew York State Department of Health
  24. Erie County Clerk home (www4.erie.gov landing)Erie County, New York
  25. Contact UsErie County Clerk
  26. Land RecordsErie County Clerk
  27. Erie County Board of Elections homeErie County Board of Elections
  28. Freedom of Information LawErie County, New York
  29. County population totals: Vintage 2025 (July 1, 2025)US Census Bureau