Court records in Erie County, New York, are maintained by the Erie County Clerk's Office and the various courts serving the county. ErieCourt.us can help you find publicly available court record information for Erie County. You can also access records through official court portals such as the Erie County Clerk's online public record search, the Erie County Clerk's court records and filing page, and the New York State Courts Electronic Filing system. In-person requests can be made at the Clerk's Office in downtown Buffalo.
Erie Court System Overview
Erie County is part of the Eighth Judicial District of New York State, which also includes Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Genesee, Niagara, Orleans, and Wyoming counties. The Eighth Judicial District is headquartered in Buffalo, the county seat of Erie County. New York's Unified Court System organizes trial-level courts into Supreme Court (the state's general jurisdiction trial court), County Court, Family Court, Surrogate's Court, and local city, town, and village courts. The Erie County Clerk serves as clerk of both the Supreme Court and County Court, maintaining case files, judgments, and related documents. The main courthouse complex is located in downtown Buffalo.
Courts Serving Erie
Erie County residents may have matters in several different courts depending on the type of case:
New York State Supreme Court – Eighth Judicial District
Erie County Court
Erie County Family Court
Erie County Surrogate's Court
Buffalo City Court
U.S. District Court – Western District of New York
U.S. Bankruptcy Court – Western District of New York
Numerous town and village justice courts also operate throughout Erie County, handling local criminal matters, traffic violations, and small claims in their respective jurisdictions.
What Types of Cases Erie Courts Hear
Courts in Erie County handle a broad range of case types across multiple courts:
- Criminal: Felonies, misdemeanors, violations, and infractions
- Civil litigation: Contract disputes, personal injury, property disputes, and commercial matters
- Small claims: Disputes involving limited dollar amounts
- Family law: Divorce, custody, child support, paternity, orders of protection
- Probate and estates: Wills, estate administration, guardianship
- Juvenile: Juvenile delinquency, persons in need of supervision (PINS)
- Traffic: Moving violations, parking infractions, DWI/DUI
- Landlord-tenant: Evictions, housing disputes
The specific court that handles a case depends on the subject matter, the dollar amount involved, and whether the matter is criminal or civil.
District Court Cases in Erie
New York does not use the term "district court" in Erie County. Instead, the primary trial courts of general jurisdiction are Supreme Court and County Court. Erie County Supreme Court hears civil cases without a dollar-amount cap, including matrimonial actions (divorce), equity matters, and cases exceeding the jurisdictional limits of lower courts. County Court handles felony criminal prosecutions, as well as civil cases up to $25,000. Felony cases typically begin with an arraignment or preliminary hearing in a local court before being presented to a grand jury and, if indicted, moving to County Court for trial. Supreme Court and County Court judges are assigned cases through the court's administrative office. Appeals from these courts go to the Appellate Division, Fourth Department.
Magistrate Court Cases in Erie
Erie County does not have a separate "magistrate court" in the traditional sense. Instead, local courts — including Buffalo City Court and the various town and village justice courts — function as courts of limited jurisdiction. These courts handle:
- Misdemeanors and violations
- Felony arraignments and preliminary hearings
- Small claims (up to $5,000 in city courts; up to $3,000 in town and village courts)
- Civil cases up to $15,000 (in city courts)
- Traffic violations and vehicle-and-traffic infractions
- DWI arraignments and hearings for misdemeanor-level offenses
- Landlord-tenant proceedings
Buffalo City Court is the largest local court in Erie County and handles a high volume of criminal arraignments, housing matters, and civil disputes. Town and village justice courts across the county hear local ordinance violations, traffic tickets, and small claims within their geographic boundaries.
Family Law, Probate, and Juvenile Matters in Erie
Family Law
Erie County Family Court handles custody, visitation, child support, paternity, family offense (orders of protection), and termination of parental rights. Divorce actions are filed in Supreme Court, and the Erie County Clerk maintains divorce records — though matrimonial records are sealed under New York State law for 100 years and can only be released to the parties involved or their attorneys.
Probate
Erie County Surrogate's Court handles all probate matters, including the administration of decedent estates, probate of wills, guardianship of minors' property, and trust proceedings. The Surrogate's Court is located at 92 Franklin Street in Buffalo.
Juvenile
Juvenile delinquency cases and PINS (Persons in Need of Supervision) proceedings are heard in Erie County Family Court. Juvenile records are confidential under New York law and are not available for public inspection. Family Court also handles child protective proceedings brought by Erie County's Department of Social Services.
How Cases Move Through the Erie Court System
- Filing or initiation: Criminal cases begin with an arrest or the filing of a criminal complaint. Civil cases start when a plaintiff files a summons and complaint. Family and probate matters are initiated by petition.
- Assignment: Cases are assigned to a judge through the court's administrative process. In Supreme Court, an individual assignment system (IAS) assigns one judge to a case from start to finish.
- Initial appearance: Criminal defendants are arraigned and bail is set. Civil cases receive a preliminary conference or scheduling order. Family Court matters are calendared for an initial hearing.
- Pre-trial phase: In criminal cases, this includes motions, discovery, and plea negotiations. Civil cases involve discovery, depositions, and motion practice. Either side may file pre-trial motions.
- Trial or resolution: Cases may resolve through plea agreement, settlement, default judgment, or trial (bench or jury).
- Post-judgment: Criminal cases proceed to sentencing. Civil judgments may be enforced or appealed. Appeals from Erie County courts generally go to the Appellate Division, Fourth Department, located in Rochester.
Court Administration, Local Rules, and Public Access in Erie
The Eighth Judicial District Administrative Judge oversees court operations in Erie County and the surrounding counties. The Erie County Clerk's Office serves as the clerk of Supreme Court and County Court, managing filings, judgments, and public records.
Local Rules
Local court rules for the Eighth Judicial District are published by the New York State Unified Court System. Individual judges may also have part rules governing practice in their courtrooms, available through the court system's website.
Public Access
Under New York's common law and statutory framework, most court records are presumptively open to the public. Key exceptions include:
- Sealed records (e.g., youthful offender adjudications, certain dismissed criminal cases under CPL § 160.50)
- Matrimonial records (sealed for 100 years)
- Juvenile and Family Court records (confidential)
- Grand jury proceedings
E-filed documents in Erie County are available for online public viewing through the New York State Courts Electronic Filing (NYSCEF) system. The Erie County Clerk's general rules for requesting information explain how to request closed criminal records, which requires a notarized form submitted by mail.
Attending Hearings
Most court proceedings in Erie County are open to the public. Some proceedings may be conducted by video or telephone — check with the specific court for current remote-appearance options.
Contact
Court Records and Related Court Resources in Erie
- Court record search: The Erie County Clerk's BrowserView search allows you to search official public records including deeds, mortgages, judgments, and liens. E-filed court documents can be searched through NYSCEF.
- Land records: The Erie County Clerk's land records page provides information on recorded deeds, mortgages, satisfactions, and related instruments.
- Property tax records: Search Erie County property records through the Real Property Tax Services portal, or pay property taxes online.
- Warrant search: The Erie County Sheriff's Office warrant page lets you search active warrants by name.
- Inmate lookup: The Erie County Sheriff's inmate roster lists individuals currently held at the Erie County Correctional Facility. For state prison inmates, use the DOCCS incarcerated individual lookup or NY.gov's correctional facility search.
- Victim notification: The Erie County Sheriff's Office provides access to the New York VINE (Victim Information and Notification Everyday) system for custody status updates.
- Criminal records and fingerprinting: The Sheriff's Office fingerprinting page explains local criminal history check services. For statewide criminal records, contact the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services.
- Central Police Services: Erie County's Central Police Services information systems support arrest-fingerprint data transmission to the state's criminal justice database for local law enforcement agencies.
- Divorce records: The Erie County Clerk's divorce records page explains access restrictions and how authorized individuals can request copies.
- State records: The New York Department of State records page provides access to various state-level public records.
- Erie County government: The Erie County official website offers a directory of public officials, legislative meeting information, and links to county departments.