SearchSystems Editorial

Reviewed and updated October 4, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. The jail figures are from the Vera Institute of Justice's Incarceration Trends data, latest year 2026. Every office link was opened and checked against the office's own site between September 23, 2026 and September 30, 2026.

About this guide

Erie County, New York, has about 951,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). No single office holds its records: the county, the state, the Erie County Supreme and County Courts and the cities and towns each keep their own. The sections below take them one at a time, with each office's own phone, address and page where it publishes them.

In this guide: Jail and arrests, Warrants, Criminal records, District Attorney, Police reports, Sex offender registry, Court records, Traffic tickets, DWI, Divorce records, Deeds and property, Records requests, Which office covers your city, Other counties and Questions.

New York guides: Arrest Records · Inmate Search · Criminal Records · Background Checks · Wants and Warrants · Sex Offender Registry · Court Records · Property Records · Recorded Documents · Public Records Law · People Search

Arrests, Jail and Inmate Search in Erie County

People held after an arrest in Erie County are booked into the county jail. Its roster, with the charges and the bond for each person held, is the first public record of an arrest; once the person is released or sentenced, the record continues in the court file.

So far in 2026 the jail has held about 760 people on an average day, down from about 870 in 2019. Its rated capacity in 2023, the last year with a capacity figure, was 1,385 beds, and it ran at 56 percent of it that year. The figures are from the Vera Institute of Justice's Incarceration Trends data.

Who is in custody

The jail and inmate page SearchSystems verified for Erie County:

  • Website: www4.erie.gov/sheriff (page title: Erie County Sheriff's Office)
  • Phone: 716-858-7755
  • Checked: September 30, 2026, the page answered.

A sentence of more than a year is served in state prison. The New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision lists its inmates at nysdoccslookup.doccs.ny.gov.

SearchSystems' New York inmate search guide and arrest records guide explain how arrest and custody records work across New York.

Warrants in Erie County

An arrest warrant in Erie County is signed by a judge, usually of the Erie County Supreme and County Courts or the city, town and village courts, and is served by the Erie County Sheriff's Office or the city police. A judge also issues a bench warrant when someone misses a court date, and a warrant issued in a case becomes part of that case's court file.

The New York wants and warrants guide covers the statewide picture.

Criminal Records and Background Checks in Erie County

In New York the public route to a statewide criminal record is the court system's own search: the Office of Court Administration sells a statewide search of criminal court records by name and date of birth, at $95 a search. It covers cases that reached a court, not arrests that never did. The search is on the New York State Office of Court Administration site.

Your own New York record

To see your own record, the route is a fingerprint-based Record Review through the Division of Criminal Justice Services. The state page SearchSystems verified for it is at criminaljustice.ny.gov/ojis/recordreview.htm.

Local records in Erie County

The Erie County Sheriff's Office keeps its own arrest and booking files for Erie County, separate from the state repository, and some sheriffs issue a local clearance letter from them. The prosecutions themselves are in the files of the Erie County Supreme and County Courts.

The New York criminal records guide and background check guide explain who may legally check whom, and what each route costs.

District Attorney for Erie County

The District Attorney is the charging office for Erie County: it reviews arrests from every police agency in the county and files the cases in the Erie County Supreme and County Courts or the city, town and village courts. Plea offers, restitution and victim notification go through it; copies of filings come from the court.

  • Website: www4.erie.gov/da (page title: Erie County District Attorney's Office)
  • Checked: September 23, 2026, the page answered.

Sheriff and Police Reports in Erie County

A crime, incident or collision report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, and that agency releases it, not the court or the clerk. In Erie County that is the Erie County Sheriff's Office for the unincorporated county and for any city that contracts with it for police service, and a city's own police department where the city has one. Under the Freedom of Information Law the agency must answer within 5 business days, at least with an acknowledgment and a date for the full answer. It may charge copying at 25 cents a page.

SearchSystems has a guide to the city offices of Buffalo, Lackawanna, Tonawanda, Kenmore, Depew, Lancaster, Hamburg and East Aurora.

Sex Offender Registry for Erie County

Registered sex offenders living in Erie County are listed on the New York Sex Offender Registry, run by the Division of Criminal Justice Services at criminaljustice.ny.gov/nsor. Level 2 and Level 3 offenders are listed online; Level 1 offenders are not.

Registrants report in person to the local agency where they live (the sheriff's office, or the city police in a city with its own department), and those offices keep the local file the state site is built from.

The New York sex offender registry guide explains the tiers and the notification rules.

Court Records and Case Search in Erie County

In Erie County, the Erie County Supreme and County Courts hear divorces and major civil cases in the Supreme Court, felonies in the County Court. The city, town and village courts take misdemeanors, traffic cases and small claims. The County Clerk keeps the files.

The court records page SearchSystems verified

eCourts is the Unified Court System's free online case search (WebCivil, WebCrims and WebFamily). The state court page SearchSystems verified is at iapps.courts.state.ny.us/nyscef/CaseSearch.

The New York court records guide covers copy fees, certified copies and sealed records statewide.

Traffic Tickets and Driving Records in Erie County

Tickets in Erie County go to the city, town and village courts. A paid ticket, a dismissal and a trial all end up in that court's records.

Convictions are reported by the court to the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, which keeps the driving record and decides on points and suspensions. Order the driving record from that agency, not from the court.

DWI Arrests and Records in Erie County

Drunk driving is charged as DWI in New York, at a blood alcohol level of 0.08 or more (driving while ability impaired (DWAI) is charged from 0.05). In Erie County a DWI arrest goes the same way whoever makes it: a person who is held is booked at the county jail, and the case is charged by the District Attorney in the local criminal court.

The court case is only half the record. The DMV runs a separate administrative case over the license, which can suspend it before the criminal case is decided. For sentencing, New York counts prior offenses within 10 years.

Divorce Records in Erie County

Divorce records are not vital records in New York. The decree and the file are court records of the Supreme Court, and certified copies come from the County Clerk.

For Erie County the court records page is www4.erie.gov/clerk/court-recordsfiling. Most of a divorce file is public once the case is closed; financial declarations, records about children and anything the court sealed are not.

The New York State Department of Health also issues divorce certificates for divorces granted since 1963 outside New York City; the County Clerk has the decree.

Property Records, Deeds and Parcel Search in Erie County

Two county offices share the property record in Erie County. The County Clerk (land records) records the deeds, mortgages, liens and easements that affect title to land, and sells copies of them. The Real Property Tax Services handles the assessment side: the value each parcel is taxed on and the parcel maps. New York property is assessed by each city and town, not the county, except in Nassau and Tompkins counties and New York City.

Recorded documents

The New York property records guide and recorded documents guide explain how to read a deed index and what a title search costs.

Public Records Requests in Erie County

Any record of a county office in Erie County that is not posted online can be requested under the Freedom of Information Law. The request goes to the office that holds the record, in writing, and does not need to say why you want it. The office must answer within 5 business days, at least with an acknowledgment and a date for the full answer. It may charge copying at 25 cents a page. Court records are outside the act and follow the court's own rules.

The records request page SearchSystems verified for Erie County:

The New York public records law guide has the appeal route when a request is denied.

Which Office Covers Your City in Erie County

The jail, the court and the deed records are the same for every city in Erie County: the county jail, the Erie County Supreme and County Courts and the County Clerk. The police agency is what differs: the Erie County Sheriff's Office for the unincorporated county and for any city that contracts with it for police service, and a city's own police department where the city has one.

The FBI lists separate crime reporting for 11 of these cities: Blasdell, Hamburg, Orchard Park, Hamburg, Lancaster, Tonawanda, Buffalo, Lackawanna, Tonawanda, Kenmore and East Aurora.

Cities in Erie County, with the 2024 Census Bureau population; the linked names open SearchSystems' guide to that city's own offices:

Frequently Asked Questions

How many people are in the Erie County jail?

About 760 on an average day so far in 2026, against a rated capacity of 1,385 beds.

How do I find out if someone is in jail in Erie County?

Check the roster on the jail page SearchSystems verified at www4.erie.gov/sheriff, or call 716-858-7755. It shows each person held, the charges and the bond.

Are criminal records public in Erie County?

Court files of criminal cases are public. The New York State Office of Court Administration also sells a statewide search of criminal court records for $95.

Can I search Erie County court cases online?

The records page of the Erie County Supreme and County Courts is at www4.erie.gov/clerk/court-recordsfiling. eCourts is the statewide search.

What is the DWI law in Erie County?

New York charges it as DWI at 0.08 or above (driving while ability impaired (DWAI) is charged from 0.05). The criminal case is heard in the local criminal court. The license case is handled separately by the DMV.

How do I get a copy of a divorce decree in Erie County?

From the Supreme Court, through the County Clerk (www4.erie.gov/clerk/court-recordsfiling). The New York State Department of Health also issues divorce certificates for divorces granted since 1963 outside New York City; the County Clerk has the decree.

Who records deeds in Erie County?

The County Clerk (land records), at www4.erie.gov/clerk/land-records. Deeds, mortgages and liens on land in Erie County are filed there.

How long does Erie County have to answer a records request?

Under the Freedom of Information Law, the answer is due within 5 business days, at least with an acknowledgment and a date for the full answer. The records request page SearchSystems verified is at www4.erie.gov.

Is this the official Erie County website?

No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official county, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.

Population
951K
County Seat
Buffalo
Libraries
38
Schools
212