Access Free Erie County Public Records on Any Resident

X

Free Erie County Public Records Search

Access Erie County Records: marriage, divorce, warrants, arrests, probation, criminal, court, background checks, and all public records.

First Name

Last Name

City (Optional)

State ALAKAZARCACOCTDEDCFLGAHIIDILINIAKSKYLAMEMDMAMIMNMSMOMTNENVNHNJNMNYNCNDOHOKORPARISCSDTNTXUTVTVAWAWVWIWY

Erie County public records are available due to New York’s Freedom of Information Law (FOIL), molded around the federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Available information includes property, marriage, divorce and court case details.

Accessing public records such as crimes, property ownership and taxes, marriages and divorces, court cases, prisoner information, probation, and warrants may be possible, but knowing where to look is the key to finding this information.

This resource empowers citizens to execute public record searches quickly and efficiently by providing details about which agency hosts and distributes certain records, their online databases and other request methods.

How To Find Recent Arrests in Erie County New York for Free

The search for loved ones and acquaintances can be confusing in Erie County, as interested parties may need help knowing where to start looking. Before commencing a search, having information about the individuals, such as their full names or the city where they were arrested, can be helpful.

Most counties, including Erie County, will have a sheriff’s office operating the county jail. Therefore, the search for arrest records should commence with this law enforcement agency since it tends to cover the arrestee’s county-wide, incorporating all cities and towns within county lines.

The norm is that when offenders are taken into custody by city police departments, they are eventually transferred to the county for processing to await to appear in court. Sheriff’s Offices will mostly furnish inmate rosters that can be accessed electronically. When these are unavailable, contact the law enforcement agency directly.

If a county search does not yield any results, patrons should try to find city police departments in the county and ascertain if they operate jails. In some cases, these law enforcement agencies may also have online jail rosters.

Look Up Arrestees Booked in the Erie County Jail

The Erie County Sheriff’s Office is the primary law enforcement agency in the county and performs the function of arresting and charging offenders before being booked.

Inmates are held by the Sheriff’s Office’s Jail Management Division, which manages the Erie County Holding Center (ECHC) in Buffalo, and an overflow of inmates are held at the County Correctional Facility (ECCF) at Alden.¹

Pursuant to New York’s Freedom of Information Law (FOIL), the Erie County Sheriff’s Office makes available to the public jail records of offenders in custody.² Consequently, the Sheriff’s Office has furnished an Erie County Arrest Records Roster available for free to the public.

This Erie County bookings list does not have mugshots for patrons looking to find someone’s mugshot but does provide information such as the inmate’s name, booking date and facility where they are held.

Contact the Erie County Sheriff’s Office for more information on arrest records:

Erie County Sheriff’s Office
10 Delaware Avenue
Buffalo NY 14202

Phone: 716.858.7618

Retrieve Arrest Information & Police Reports via Law Enforcement Agencies in Erie County

The next place to find recent arrest information would be to contact city police departments in Erie County.

There are over forty city police departments in the county who can be sought to find information on Erie County public records created by local law enforcement agencies.

Contact for some of these police departments is found in the list below, with the first five being the most populous cities in Erie County. Other police departments have been added to the list as well:

• Buffalo Police Department: 716.851.4444
• Cheektowaga Town Police Department: 716-686-3500
• Tonawanda Police Department: 716-692.2121
• West Seneca Police Department: 716.674.2280
• Lackawanna Police Department: 716.822.4900
• Kenmore Police Department: 716.875.1234
• Depew Police Department: 716.683.1123
• Gowanda Police Department: 716.532.2020

To find Erie County arrest records from the other police departments, interested parties can type this keyword into any search engine — “[city name] [state] arrest records.”

If these city police departments do not operate jails, consider this syntax: “[city name] police department contact information,” which will retrieve contact information.

How To Find Someone’s Criminal Record for Free in Erie County New York

Criminal records that appear in someone’s rap sheet (records of arrest and prosecution) are of varying types in New York. They include, but are not limited to:

• Arrest date and number
• Prosecution charges and disposition of the case (final outcomes in court)
• Level of offense (i.e., felony, misdemeanor and violations)
• Incarceration, probation and parole information
• Warrants information
• Sex offenses

Background checks that individuals and companies perform will search for criminal history information on persons, with the main focus being prosecutions and charges levied against offenders. This will subsequently provide data on whether the individual received a prison sentence and whether they are on probation or parole.

Parole records appear in criminal records when offenders are convicted for sentences but are released back into the community. These records provide an excellent barometer to gauge someone’s past and current situation regarding their interaction with law enforcement.

Conviction, prosecution, and probation records can be found at the courts, but sometimes they are available through the Department of Corrections. State agencies like the New York State Office of Court Administration (OCA) that serve as the primary repositories for criminal records and from which background checks are carried out will also have this information.

Warrants issued by the court are found in court records and state agencies mentioned before. Sex offenses are a special category of criminal records since these offenders may pose additional dangers to the community when released on probation, especially to children. State and national registries contain records of these individuals, which can be accessed for free by the public.

Perform a Free Public Criminal Record Check in Erie County New York

The Erie County Clerk’s Office is the main point of contact to perform a criminal record search. Offender records may be obtained electronically using the Erie County Criminal Record Search Tool, which scours for criminal court records.⁴

This tool can be used to perform a free criminal record check as a guest or a registered user. Ensure to select the correct code for record type to find criminal records.

To exhaust the search for court records in the county electronically, interested patrons will also need to use the New York State Unified Court System Case Search Tool provided by the New York State Courts Filing System (NYSCEF). Erie County should be chosen, and “Criminal” should be selected from the case type to narrow the search to criminal records from the county alone. This tool can also be used at no cost to the public.

Patrons may also make a public record request for criminal records by mail and in person at the courthouse.⁶ Mail requests require an Erie County criminal record request form to be completed, printed and notarized. Alternatively, a written request detailing the type of criminal record being sought, such as the subject of the record, court dates if known and contact information of the requestor will suffice.

Search charges and copy fees will apply depending on the number and type of copies needed.

Include payment of money order or check payable to the “Erie County Clerk,” the application packet should include a self-addressed envelope with its postage paid.

Mail the application to the Erie County Clerk’s Office:

Erie County Clerk’s Office
92 Franklin Street
Buffalo, New York 14202

Interested parties can also visit the Erie County Clerk’s Office and use computers on the first floor and at the Basement Records department.⁷

Conduct an Erie County Criminal Record Search Through the Sheriff’s Office

Interested parties can acquire criminal records through the Erie County Sheriff’s Office, which provides fingerprint-based local police criminal history checks.⁸ These checks cost $25.00 for each fingerprint card, which can be paid for credit card or money orders. It is possible to bring your fingerprint card or use FBI cards, also available.

The check itself costs $25.00, and $1.00 for additional copies. Complete the request for a personal local police record history check form and have it notarized and present this in person at the Identification Bureau. The service is not walk-in, and an appointment needs to be set by calling 716.858.6566.

Bring acceptable identification documents such as a driver’s license, U.S. passport and a state-issued ID card to the Identification Bureau:

Erie County Sheriff’s Office
Identification Bureau
1st Floor, 134 West Eagle St.
Buffalo, New York 14202

It should be stated that these records are not full blown criminal records but rather reveal local arrest records. These checks cannot be used to look up someone’s criminal record but are only for personal checks.

How To Determine if Someone Has an Arrest Warrant in Erie County New York

Warrant information can be obtained from city, county and state agencies depending on the search scope needed. Information on warrants is not mandated by state law to be released to the public, and the agencies holding these records will make a determination on what information should be released as part of the public records in Erie County.

With that said, the first place to find warrant information in Erie County would be to contact the Sheriff’s Office. The Sheriff’s Office makes it convenient to find this data by furnishing an Erie County Sheriff’s Office Warrant List complete with a search feature.⁹

This list is free for public use and contains names of wanted offenders, their names, the reason for the warrant and other information.

Some law enforcement agencies in cities and towns may provide this information, and interested parties can reach out to them to make this determination. For example, the City of Tonawanda, through the police department, has an active warrant list of offenders that are wanted by the city but not the county—access to this is at no cost to the public. To find warrants from other cities, consider this search syntax: “[city] warrant search.”

The search for warrants can also be directed to the Erie County Clerk since the court may issue orders to have offenders arrested. Patrons can perform an Official Public Records Search for court records to find warrant data. The County Clerk has two codes for the warrant data type: “108” and “109”. These should be inputted into the search tool to obtain information on Erie County warrants.

Additionally, the search for warrants can be expanded beyond county lines to cover the state of New York. This can be accomplished by background checks completed via the New York State Office of Court Administration (OCA) that will show warrant data. The process for this is discussed in the next section.

How To Execute a Probationer Search in Erie County New York

The Erie County Probation Department is charged with the task of monitoring offenders in adult and juvenile populations. Probation in New York and Erie County is defined as a sentence carried out by a criminal or family court where the probationer is released back into the community rather than serve a prison or jail sentence—sometimes, they may serve both terms concurrently.¹¹

In Erie County, the Probation Department makes available a list of probationers who have absconded and subsequently violated their conditions. It should be noted that the U.S. Probation Office does not release details on a probationer—this applies to Erie County, although their conviction records remain a public record.

Information on offenders cannot be disclosed over the phone, but members of the public can leave a message on the tip line at 716.858.2800 or emailing [email protected].

How To Get a Background Check Done in Erie County New York

Background checks are done for many reasons, and the type of checks depends on who requests them and the purpose. Personal background checks are the type of searches done by private citizens to check public records for data pertaining to the interaction of themselves and others with law enforcement agencies.

These records include Erie County arrest records, criminal records, conviction information etc. Individuals may perform background checks to investigate other people’s characters, including new acquaintances, family and neighbors. Personal background checks are mostly name-based or level 1 checks and don’t require the other person’s consent.

Professional checks are originated for official purposes by employees, public agencies and companies for reasons of employment, issuing licenses or granting privileges such as the ability to carry firearms. According to state and federal regulations, these checks cannot be carried out until permission is granted from the owner of the record.

Several public channels are tasked with conducting background checks in Erie County. Interested persons will need to start their search at the county level and work their way up to state and federal agencies. As mentioned earlier, Erie County criminal records can be obtained electronically from the Count Clerk’s Office.

These records may also be searched online using the New York State Unified Court System, which makes available an Erie County Case Search Tool to acquire criminal records narrowed down to the county.

They can also be requested by mail and in person from the Erie County Court Clerk’s Office.

Erie County Clerk’s Office
92 Franklin Street
Buffalo, New York 14202

As delved into earlier, the Erie County Sheriff’s Office provides fingerprint-based searches for personal criminal history checks. These checks, however, are only limited to arrest records and data generated by local police departments.

Searching for criminal records can also be done by contacting local police departments. Some agencies may offer these services—for example, the City of Tonawanda Police Department, whose Records Office can be contacted to request criminal records.¹³

After a thorough search through county agencies, interested parties can now turn their attention to state and federal agencies such as the New York State Office of Court Administration (OCA) and the Federal Bureau of Criminal Investigation (FBI). Helpful links to these agencies are provided in the section below.

Patrons can also get in touch with non-official channels to run background checks in the form of third-party vendors. These companies charge for their services and operate within the confines of the state and federal regulations. They make the process of locating criminal records easier as they often conduct nationwide searches.

How To Obtain Criminal Records & Cases via New York State & Federal Agencies

The search for criminal records in county public agencies is far from exhaustive, and it is necessary to locate these records from state and federal agencies to get a complete picture. These agencies include the New York State Office of Court Administration (OCA), the New York Sex Offender Registry and the Federal Bureau of Criminal Investigation (FBI).

New York State Office of Court Administration (OCA): Interested parties can acquire New York criminal records from the New York State Office of Court Administration (OCA) electronically using the online direct access page or by submitting mail requests using the criminal history record search request form.¹⁴

OCA is the public records repository for New York criminal records. The cost for these searches is $95.00. These New York public records cover all forms of criminal records, including arrests, court dispositions, warrants, parole etc.

New York Department of Corrections & Community Supervision (NYDCCS): The NYDCCS maintains a database of currently incarcerated offenders and those released from its facilities, making it a viable way to know offenders with prior prison sentences. This can be accessed for free using the NYDCCS Criminal Record Search Tool.

New York State Sex Offender Registry: The New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services makes available a sex offender registry to the public for free. This online directory is accessed using the New York State Sex Offender Registry Search Tool.

National Sex Offender Registry: To obtain criminal records for persons convicted of sexual offenses outside New York, patrons may use the National Sex Offender Public Website for free. The NSOPW is searchable by location or by the offender’s name.

Federal Bureau of Criminal Investigation (FBI): Full criminal history records (rap sheets) that are national and encompass records outside New York can be obtained from the FBI. These cost $18.00, are fingerprint-based, and are completed online or by mailing in a written request.

Bureau of Prisons (BOP): Offenders convicted of federal crimes are held in federal prisons maintained by the BOP. The BOP furnishes a Federal Inmate Locator Tool that acquires records of incarcerated persons and persons released from its facilities since 1982. It is free to use.

How To Access Erie County Court Records & Cases

Erie County court records can be obtained electronically from the County Clerk or by visiting the courthouse. The Erie County Court is part of New York’s Unified Court System which consists of multiple courts, including the Court of Appeals, Appellate Divisions and County Courts, each with varying jurisdictions as outlined below:¹⁶

• The Court of Appeals—This is the highest court in New York and is the one of last resort.

• Appellate Divisions—The Appellate Divisions of the Supreme Court hear appeals from the lower superior courts, i.e., criminal and civil cases in County, Family and Surrogate Courts.
• The Eighth Judicial District—There are twelve judicial districts and an administrative judge from each district oversees the courts, including the Supreme, Count, Family and Surrogate Courts.
• Supreme Court—These are the state-wide trial courts and have the majority of jurisdiction in civil and criminal cases. Cases heard here are often out of the jurisdiction of other trial courts with less jurisdiction. These courts can hear all cases except claims brought against New York, which must be heard in the Court of Claims.
• County Court—Each county has a County Court and is tasked with prosecuting all crimes in the county. These include civil cases where the amount is less than $25,000. As a general rule however, minor offenses and trials of misdemeanors are heard by lower courts.
• Court of Claims—This court has exclusive jurisdiction over cases regarding monetary damages against the state.
• Family Court—These courts deal with juvenile cases where offenders are between eight and sixteen years old.
• City Court—City Courts hear criminal, misdemeanors, lesser offenses and civil cases where the contested amount exceeds $15,000.
• Town & Village Courts— Town & Village Courts hear civil cases with claims greater than $3,000 and criminal cases that touch on violations and misdemeanors.
• Specialized Courts & Justice Initiatives—Small Claims Courts are included in these courts and deal with civil cases under $3,000, Integrated Domestic Violence Courts (IDV) and Commercial Division of the Supreme Court are among the other courts found in this category.

It is possible to search for court records at all the above courts using the New York State Unified Court System Case Search Tool.

Erie County judicial records can be sought electronically using the Official Records Public Search Tool for free. It can be used anonymously, but registered users receive extra features such as the ability to view images. The tool can either be used through a browser or as downloaded software.

Users will need to select the document type from a list of codes and use them to find the type of court record they are looking for, whether criminal, civil or probate.

Additionally, since not all cases are eligible for E-filing, which commenced in 2012, interested persons looking for records at the Erie County Clerk’s Office must also search for these records at the New York State Courts’ Electronic Filing Site. Users can search as registered members or guests using the New York State Unified Court System Case Search Tool. They may narrow their search by selecting Erie County.

Erie County Court records may also be requested and received electronically by completing the online request form—this method does not however apply to criminal records. These search charges will apply.

Mail requests are executed by using any of these applicable forms: copy request form (if book and page of a document are available), search and copy request form (if book and page are unknown) and criminal record request form. If unable to use these forms, make a written request detailing the record needed and provide the requestor’s contact information.

Proceed to mail the application and applicable fees payable in money order or check to the “Erie County Clerk.” Include a postage-paid self-addressed envelope and send it to the address outlined earlier in this resource.

In-person requests can be made by visiting the Erie County Clerk’s Office (address can be found above).

Erie County Clerk’s Office records that are defined by Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) statutes, but not maintained or not created in a format that is easily accessible can be requested by this FOIL Request Form.

How To Track Down Vital Records in Erie County New York (Marriage, Divorce, Birth & Death)

Vital records in New York may be searched for in county and state resources, including the Erie County Clerk, the City of Town’s Clerk where the vital event occurred, and the New York State Department of Health.

Vital records are only considered part of Erie County public records once certain time stipulations have been fulfilled. A certificate of birth remains out of public view for 75 years, and the public can only access divorce records once they are 100 years old.¹⁷ The public can only view marriage and death records once they are 50 years old.¹⁸

Outside the authorized persons who can request these records, such as spouses and within these time stipulations, if interested parties need to find out if someone is married or divorced, they will need to obtain a New York State court order or letter from an agency stating the certificate is needed to obtain a benefit.

Marriage and divorce records may be required for genealogy, adoption or performing a name change. They may also be required as a matter of curiosity to check if someone is married.

Death and birth records may be required when needing to prove identity or needing to attain identification documents by proving citizenship—they are also required for inheritance purposes and enrolling in school.

Request Erie County Divorce & Marriage Records Through the County Clerk

Marriage and divorce records may be sought from the Erie County Clerk, the city or town where either event occurred, and the New York State Department of Health (NYSDH).

Look Up Divorce Records via the Erie County Clerk: Records of dissolution can be sought from the Erie County Clerk conveniently online using the Divorce Record Search Tool. The search is free and can be done anonymously, but if images need to be viewed, then registration is required. To locate divorce records, the record type is needed and provided as codes, which the user enters into the search field along with the party’s name.¹⁹ Choose record types that state “Dissolution.”

Alternatively, requests for certified copies of dissolution records can be mailed by completing an Erie County divorce record request form which must be notarized and signed. Fees for this can be obtained from the fee chart. Mail the documents along with applicable payment made in check or money order payable to the “Erie County Clerk” to the address stated earlier.

Patrons needing help computing the total cost can pay by credit card and include a self-addressed, postage-paid envelope.

Erie County divorce records may also be obtained in person by visiting the Actions & Proceedings Office of the Erie County Clerk. There are computers on the first floor and at the Basement Records department.

Since divorce records are not publicly available until the time stipulations are satisfied, it is possible for interested parties to search for these records from third party vendors who scour records nationwide and can perform online checks through genealogy sites and social media websites.

Acquire Marriage Certificates Through the City of Buffalo: Marriage records cannot be obtained from the Erie County Clerk but will be requested from the city or town where the event occurred.

For example, marriage records can be ordered from the city of Buffalo if the ceremony was recorded there. These Erie County marriage records may be requested online, in person and via mail. They can only be acquired by the parties of the record or with the authority of a NY State Court Order or a Government agency.

Mail requests are completed by sending a written request including the groom’s full name, the bride’s first and maiden name, the marriage date and a contact phone number. A copy of a valid government-issued ID, self-addressed envelope and money order of $10.00 (per copy) payable to the “City Clerk.” will need to be included in the application packet.

Orders are mailed to the Vital Records Office and processed within 7-10 business days.

Vital Records
1302 City Hall, 65 Niagara Square
Buffalo, New York 14202

Walk-in requests cost $10.00 per certificate and can be paid via credit card, cash and money order. Make sure to bring a valid ID to the address below:

Vital Records
65 Niagara Square, Rm. 1308
Buffalo, New York 14202

Questions and concerns for marriage certificate questions can be directed to 716.851.5274 or [email protected].

Online requests are completed through a third-party vendor, VitalChek—divorce records may also be obtained through this online resource.²⁰ VitalChek request questions should be addressed to 716.851.5431 or [email protected].

The City of Buffalo can also be contacted for more information.

Search for Marriage Certificates Through the Tonawanda Town Clerk’s Office: Marriage certificates may be sought from the Tonawanda Town Clerk’s Office for parties who obtained their license in the town. The town charges $10.00 for a copy and $10.00 for additional copies each.

Payment can be made via debit or credit card (incurs a $1.75 processing fee), cash, check and money order. They can be requested by visiting the Tonawanda Town Clerk’s Office, emailing, faxing or mailing in the request.

Mail orders arrive in 7-10 days after receipt of the request—orders are initiated by downloading and printing the marriage record request. Include the acceptable ID from the documents identified in the previous link. Proceed to mail the application packet to the Tonawanda Town Clerk’s Office.

Tonawanda Town Clerk’s Office
2919 Delaware Avenue, Room 14
Kenmore, New York 14217

Alternatively, the application for these Erie County public records can be brought in during business hours to the Tonawanda Town Clerk’s Office’s address above, emailed to [email protected] or faxed to 716.877.0578.

Order Marriage & Divorce Certificates From the NYSDH: Marriage records and divorce certificates can be acquired through the state agency that is the New York State Department of Health (NYSDH). These vital records can be requested from the NYSDH either online through VitalChek or by mail.

Mail-in requests are done by printing either the marriage certificate request form or the divorce certificate request form.

Only authorized individuals may acquire these records, as mentioned earlier, and the applicant must include copies of ID such as a driver’s license or passport.

Each certificate costs $30.00 and can be paid for through postal money order, personal and certified check payable to “NYS Department of Health.” Mail the application to the New York State Department of Health.

New York State Department of Health
Vital Records Certification Unit
Post Office Box 2602
Albany, New York 12220

View or Order Birth & Death Certificates in Erie County New York via the City of Buffalo

Birth and death certificates are not available at the Erie County Clerk’s Office, but can be retrieved from the town or city where the event was recorded. Only birth records that occurred between September 17, 1881, to December 15, 1913, in Buffalo are available in microfilm at the Erie County Clerk’s Office basement record room.

Request Birth & Death Certificates From the City of Buffalo: Death records and birth certificates for events recorded in the City of Buffalo can be obtained from the official government website. Birth and death records from 1878 and 1852, respectively, to the present are available. Genealogy records are also available at the Vital Records Office.

Birth records and death certificates issued by this office are only available to these eligible persons.

A certificate of death and birth can be requested from the Vital Records Office online through VitalChek, in person and through mail requests. Each certificate costs $10.00, and birth certificates are also available in wallet size; these can only be obtained in person and cost $25.00.

Mail-in requests are completed by executing a written request detailing the information below:

• The name on the certificate.
• Date of birth/death.
• The place where death occurred or the hospital of birth.
• Father’s name and mother’s maiden name for birth certificate requests.
• Contact phone number.

Include a self-addressed envelope in the application, a copy of a valid ID and payment, which can be made by money order payable to the “City Clerk.” The certificate should arrive in 7-10 business days, and the request should be mailed to the same address outlined earlier.

These certificates can also be obtained in person at the Vital Records Office in Buffalo. Applicants must bring valid ID—valid birth certificates ID requirements, and death records ID prerequisites are detailed in these links.

Acquire Birth and Death Certificates via the Tonawanda Town Clerk’s Office: Patrons can also obtain a certificate of death or birth from the Tonawanda Town Clerk’s Office for events recorded in the town.²² The applicant must be either the owner of the record, parents or individuals with power of attorney.

Both records cost $10.00, and the payment methods are similar to those outlined for marriage certificates. The methods to apply are the same as marriage records, and the prior information can be utilized.

Birth and death records can also be requested from the Village of Kenmore for events that were recorded in that town. Follow the instructions from the prior link to obtain these records.

Retrieve Birth & Death Records From the NYSDH: The New York State Department of Health (NYSDH) furnishes death certificates and birth records since 1881. These vital records can be requested from the NYSDH either online through VitalChek or by mail. Only authorized individuals, such as the owner of the record and parent of the record. Spouses and children may order only with a New York State Court order.

The same costs, forms of payment and methods of applying marriage and divorce records from the NYSDH apply to birth and death records. Print either the application for a copy of a birth certificate or the request for a death record form and follow the steps outlined earlier.

Interested parties can also order Fetal Death and Stillbirth Certificates and Pre-Adoption Birth Certificates by following the instructions on these prior links.

For more information on VitalChek orders, call 855.322.1022.

Lastly, obtaining information on vital records from third-party vendors is possible if it is unattainable to do so through public channels, especially due to the restrictions of authorized persons. However, these records will not be certified or official and will not be actual certificates.

How To See Who Lives at an Address or Owns a Property in Erie County New York

Property records, including deeds, mortgages, judgments and liens, are maintained by the Erie County Clerk, the official registrar of these records. The clerk would, therefore, be the primary contact to obtain these public records—the County Clerk furnishes a Real Property Tax Services webpage.

From this page, patrons can perform a Real Property Parcel Search or make a tax inquiry search and pay for current and delinquent property taxes using this public index.

Erie County Clerk – Property Tax Services
Edward A. Rath Bldg.
95 Franklin St. Rm. 100
Buffalo NY 14202

Additionally, interested parties can request copies of property records online, by mail and in person. Online requests are applied for and received by emailing an online request form with these applicable search charges. Costs for copying can be found in this fee schedule.

Mail-in requests are completed using the deed request form and should include a check or money order and a self-addressed envelope whose postage has been paid and sent to the Erie County Clerk’s Office, whose address appears earlier.

Walk-in requests are done at Erie County Clerk’s Office Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM and 4.30 PM, except public holidays. Computers are available on the first floor and in the basement records department.

Utilizing Erie County Public Records Responsibly & Understanding Your Rights

New York’s Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) guarantees access to public records in Erie County, which places vast amounts of information about citizens in the public domain. When done on someone else, background checks for personal reasons reveal intimate information, whether they are vital, property, or criminal records.

Thus, when citizens obtain data about someone else, they are obligated to treat this information with the respect it deserves and not abuse the privilege granted by FOIL to view these records. They should never be used to undermine the integrity of fellow citizens to paint them in a negative light or blacklist them.

While these types of personal background checks do not require consent from the owner of the record, criminal record information cannot be used for tenant screenings, employment or ascertaining credit worthiness of individuals.

An additional right conferred by laws and statutes is the ability of citizens to obtain information about government meetings and recordings by making a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request.

When background checks are done for professional purposes, there is an added responsibility on those running these checks due to mandates put in place by public agencies such as the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

The FCRA, among other rights, confers job applicants with the entitlement of knowing what is in their criminal record and whether this information has been used to their detriment. EEOC provides employees with equal opportunities in the workplace and prevents background check reports from being an instrument of discrimination.²⁵

Among the statutes that protect privacy rights is mandating employers to obtain written consent to run background searches. Employees can file a report with the FTC if employers violate this law.²⁶

Citizens who feel discriminated against based on their public records, such as criminal and arrest records, can lodge a complaint with the EEOC.

The ability to access Erie County public records is an important aspect of citizens’ rights of ensuring critical records are within easy reach of the public— with the correct resources and tools, accessing these records in a timely and efficient manner is made possible.