Chautauqua County Court Records

Chautauqua County court records are created to provide access to historical and active legal actions initiated in the county. They are similar to other New York court records and contain case information (case description, party names, and dates), transcripts, filed motions and orders, disposition documents, recordings, and logged evidence.

These materials help legal professionals, citizens, and judges to access old and ongoing cases for precedent research, background checks, and case updates. They are available to the public through online databases and court clerks.

Are Court Records Public in Chautauqua County?

Yes. Members of the public can generally inspect and order court records filed in Chautauqua County per N.Y. Jud. Law § 255. However, certain records are only accessible to specific entities authorized by law. These records are usually blocked from public access to avoid disclosing sensitive and critical government and private information. They include the following:

• Certain criminal records connected to ongoing investigations
• Juvenile court records
• Chautauqua County vital records such as birth, death, and marriage documents
• Family court records related to child support, adoption, child custody, and guardianship matters.
• Personal information including social security numbers, passport information, credit card numbers, and driver's license details.
• Information about certain victims, confidential informants, and protected witnesses

Sealed and expunged court records and data restricted by federal law are also not part of Chautauqua County public records.

Chautauqua County Court Records Search

Individuals can do the following to access Chautauqua court records:

• Contact the Chautauqua County clerk's office
• Approach city, town, and village court clerks
• Use online databases provided by the county clerk and New York State Unified Court System
• View and order records through third-party public records vendors

The right resource to use depends on the type of record a person seeks and whether they want to view case details or copy records. For example, people can only view case details and documents online and must contact the court clerk's office to obtain certified copies of court documents.

Chautauqua County Court Records Search by Name

Clerks of courts can help requesting individuals search Chautauqua County court records using party and attorney names when the case or index number is unavailable. People can also provide the names of case participants, judges, and attorneys (or firms) to search case records on government and private web resources.

However, it would be best to use case numbers when they are available, as they help produce exact case matches and reduce research time.

Chautauqua County Courts

Chautauqua County belongs to New York's 8th judicial district. The district comprises the county supreme, county, family, and surrogate's court. Other courts that serve residents include city, town, and village courts. Individuals can use the following information to visit or contact these courts:

Supreme and County Court
Chautauqua County Courthouse
P.O. Box 292
3 North Erie Street
Mayville, NY 14757-0292
Phone: (716) 753-4266
Fax: (716) 753-4993

Family Court
Chautauqua Municipal Building
2 Academy Street (Suite 5)
Mayville, NY 14757
Phone: (716) 753-4351

Surrogate's Court
Gerace Office Building
Courthouse - P.O. Box C
Mayville, NY 14757
Phone: (716) 753-4339
Fax: (716) 753-4600

Town and Village Courts
Brocton Village Court
87 West Main Street
Brocton,
NY 14716-9749
Phone: (716) 792-4160

Busti Town Court
121 Chautauqua Avenue
Lakewood, NY 14750-1242
Phone: (716) 763-4695

Carroll Town Court
P.O. Box 630
Frewsburg, NY 14738-0630
Phone: (716) 569-5365

Charlotte Town Court
8 Lester Street
P.O. Box 895
Sinclairville, NY 14782
Phone: (716) 962-9455
Fax: (716) 962-3843

Chautauqua Town Court
2 Academy Street
Suite A
Mayville, NY 14757-1111
Phone: (716) 753-5245
Fax: (716) 753-5241

Cherry Creek Town Court
6845 Main Street
Route 83
Cherry Creek, NY 14723-9730
Phone: (716) 296-8050

Clymer Town Court
West Main Street
Clymer Commercial Building
Clymer, NY 14724
Phone: (716) 355-9933; (716) 769-7250

Mailing Address
Clymer Town Court
P.O. Box 417
Findley Lake, NY 14736

Dunkirk Town Court
4737 Willow Road
P.O. Box 850
Dunkirk, NY 14048-0850
Phone: (716) 366-3967

Ellery Town Court
25 Sunnyside Avenue
P.O. Box 429
Bemus Point, NY 14712-0429
Phone: (716) 386-3465

Ellicott Town Court
215 South Work Street
Falconer, NY 14733
Phone: (716) 665-5317

Ellington Town Court
Main Street
Ellington, NY 14732
Phone: (716) 287-2026

Fredonia Village Court
P.O. Box 31
9-11 Church Street
Fredonia, NY 14063
Phone: (716) 679-2312

French Creek Town Court
10073 King Road
Clymer, NY 14724-9628
Phone: (716) 355-9945

Gerry Town Court
4519 Route 60
P.O. Box 163
Gerry, NY 14740-0163
Phone: (716) 985-4323

Hanover Town Court
68 Hanover Street
Silver Creek, NY 14136-1515
Phone: (716) 934-4770

Harmony Town Court
P.O. Box 181
Panama, NY 14767-0181
Phone: (716) 782-3430

Kiantone Town Court
1521 Peck Settlement Road
Jamestown, NY 14701-9221
Phone: (716) 488-0383

Mina Town Court
Mann Road
P.O. Box 417
Findley Lake, NY 14736-0147
Phone: (716) 769-7250

North Harmony Town Court
Old Bridge Road
P.O. Box 167
Stow, NY 14785-0167
Phone: (716) 789-3445

Poland Town Court
3593 Church Street
P.O. Box 4
Kennedy, NY 14747
Phone: (716) 267-3809

Pomfret Town Court
9-11 Church Street
Village Hall
3rd Floor
Fredonia, NY 14063
Phone: (716) 672-6878

Portland Town Court
87 West Main Street
Brocton, NY 14716-9749
Phone: (716) 792-4111

Ripley Town Court
P.O. Box 353
1 Park Avenue
Ripley, NY 14775-0573
Phone: (716) 736-7575

Sheridan Town Court
2702 Route 20
P.O. Box 73
Sheridan, NY 14135-0073
Phone: (716) 672-4174

Sherman Town Court
Park Street
P.O. Box 542
Fire Hall
Sherman, NY 14781-0542
Phone: (716) 761-6770

Silver Creek Village Court
172 Central Avenue
Silver Creek, NY 14136-1397
Phone: (716) 934-3558

Stockton Town Court
Box 43
7344 Route 380
Stockton, NY 14784-0043
Phone: (716) 595-2259

Villenova Town Court
1094 Butcher Road
South Dayton, NY 14138
Phone: (716) 988-3476

Westfield Town Court
23 Elm Street
Westfield, NY 14787-3406
Phone: (716) 326-3211

Westfield Village Court
23 Elm Street
Westfield, NY 14787
Phone: (716) 326-4961

Chautauqua County Superior Court Case Search

The Supreme Court is New York State's highest trial court at the county level. It is similar to Superior Courts in states like Connecticut, as it handles most high-profile cases. These cases include lawsuits worth more than $25,000 and some criminal cases (most criminal cases are heard in lower courts). People can use online and offline methods provided by the county clerk and the state's court system to inspect records generated in this court.

Chautauqua County Clerk

The Chautauqua County clerk's online case search system is a paid service. Users must set up accounts and pay subscriptions fees to use the resource. It mainly displays court records from civil cases. Interested parties should expect to pay the following:

• Account activation: $50
• Quarterly fee for Chautauqua County residents: $150
• Quarterly fee for New York State residents outside the county: $450
• Quarterly fee for out of state residents: $600

People looking to order physical copies of court documents can send requests to the county clerk in person or by mail:

County Clerk
1 North Erie Street
P.O. Box 170
Mayville, NY 14757
Phone: (716) 753-4331

Copies cost $1 per page and minimum orders are $4.

New York Unified Courts System

The state's judiciary provides various online databases dedicated to different courts and case types.

The WebCivil Supreme case system contains information about civil cases heard in the state's supreme courts. People can search by entering the index number, justice name, attorney details, filing date, and participant (party) name. When using the party search function, they can focus their results on Chautauqua court records by selecting the county. The documents search option allows users to find and view civil case documents by providing index numbers.

The New York State Courts Electronic Filing (NYSCEF) system is the state's main database for court filings. Lawyers and case participants are mandated to file most cases, especially commencement documents like complaints, using this system. Majority of these documents are available to members of the public who search the NYSCEF as guests. They can search by case number, party name, tax certificate, and filing date. The system allows users to select the county and case type when using the name search option.

Other resources include the WebCriminal and WebFamily portals used to access case records generated in family and criminal law matters.

Chautauqua County District Court Records

District courts are generally recognized as courts of limited jurisdiction because they only handle cases assigned to them by law. Courts in this category go by different names in Chautauqua County. They include county, family, surrogate's, city, and town and village courts.

The county court is responsible for more serious criminal cases like felonies and misdemeanors punishable by more than one year in prison. It also litigates civil cases where up to $25,000 is in contention and handles appeals from town and city courts.

Other courts deal with lesser cases. For example, city courts have a civil case limit of $15,000 and town courts are restricted to cases worth $3,000 and below. They also handle misdemeanors and violations that occur within their boundaries and are punishable by fines and less than one year in prison.

Case records from courts of limited jurisdictions can be obtained through their clerks and the WebSurrogate, WebCivil, and WebFamily online systems. However, people looking to get copies of county court documents can approach the Chautauqua County clerk's office.

Chautauqua County Criminal Records

Chautauqua County criminal records are detailed accounts of people's interactions with the county's justice system. They contain details of arrests, court appearances, convictions, and incarceration. However, not all Chautauqua arrest records are criminal records. People who have not been charged by the District Attorney typically do not have criminal records.

To find these arrest records, one can visit the agency responsible for the arrest or use online resources. The county Sheriff's Office operates an online inmate search page listing people arrested and booked by various law enforcement agencies. It displays each suspect's alleged crime category, booking date, bail information, photograph, and age. The office's warrants list also helps the public identify people who have county-wide warrants issued for their arrests.

Individuals can also visit the websites of city and town police departments to learn how to obtain Chautauqua County arrest records and view other information like active warrants.

Chautauqua County Criminal Court Case Lookup

Chautauqua criminal records are generated and maintained by courts, law enforcement agencies, and correctional facilities. People can view these records by using processes and methods provided by the New York court system, the county clerk, clerks of city and town courts, and other state agencies.

The type of record a person needs will determine the official or method to use. For example, felonies are handled in the county court, and individuals can access these records by using options provided by the clerk's office or the New York Unified Courts system.

The WebCriminal portal is the main database for looking up criminal case information online. It contains details from the Supreme, County and City courts. People can enter a defendant's name, provide a case number, or use the calendar feature to search criminal cases. Individuals using the defendant search option can limit search results to specific courts. The portal shows incident and arrest information, attorney details, and next court appearance.

Members of the public can also contact the county clerk or city and town clerk's office to request access to physical copies of court documents.

People who intend to view incarceration details, such as where an inmate is being held and when they will be released, can contact the county’s corrections division or the state’s department of corrections.

Get Chautauqua County Civil Court Records

Civil records contain details and documents of cases initiated to resolve civil matters like personal injury, contract disagreements, and landlord-tenant disputes. They do not comprise criminal cases filed by prosecutors. Cases such as probate and family matters can also be classed as civil proceedings.

These records are generated in the Supreme, county, city, town, and village courts. One can use the following options to locate different case records:

• Cases worth up to $3,000: Clerk of the village or town court where the action was litigated
• Cases worth up to $15,000: Clerk of city courts; the WebCivil Local online portal
• Cases worth up to $25,000: Chautauqua County Clerk's office and online portal; NYSCEF; WebCivil Supreme database
• Cases worth more than $25,000: The WebCivil Supreme databa; the NYSCEF system; Chautauqua County Clerk's office and online portal

Chautauqua County Family Court Records

Court records from family law matters typically contain details of the following cases:

• Child custody and visitation
• Child support
• Adoption
• Divorce
• Legal separation
• Annulment
• Parental rights
• Delinquency
• Domestic violence
• Guardianship

The county's supreme court handles separation, divorce, and annulment proceedings while the family court has jurisdiction over other cases. Individuals interested in finding these case records can go through the County Clerk’s office or use the WebFamily online portal. They can search by file and docker number, attorney or firm name, and calendar dates.

Individuals must note that they cannot retrieve certain case files and details online or in person unless they are parties to such cases or have legal authorization. Restricted case data include adoption, child support, delinquency, domestic violence, and guardianship court documents.

Chautauqua Dissolution of Marriage Records

Dissolution of marriage records are created when couples end their marriages through divorce and annulment proceedings in the supreme court. These documents are also called Chautauqua County marriage records and consist of divorce certificates and judgments of divorce (divorce decrees). Only the divorced couple and entities with New York State court orders can obtain these records.

One can order their divorce certificate from the Vital Records Certification Unit of the New York Department of Health. The department offers online and telephone requests through its approved vendor and direct mail-in orders processed in-house. Mail-in requesters are to print and complete the divorce certificate application form, attach the accepted proof of ID and $30 (per copy) fee, and submit to:

New York State Department of Health
Vital Records Certification Unit
P.O. Box 2602
Albany, NY 12220-2602

Mail-in orders cost $30 and phone/online requests cost $45 (excluding processing fee).

People looking to obtain certified copies of their divorce decrees can visit or contact the Chautauqua County Clerk using the following information:

County Clerk
1 North Erie Street
P.O. Box 170
Mayville, NY 14757
Phone: (716) 753-4331

Chautauqua County Marriage and Divorce Records

Other Chautauqua County marriage records, such as copies of marriage certificates, can be ordered from the state’s department of health but not the county clerk. Unlike divorce records, people must contact or visit the city or town clerk where the original record was issued to obtain it at the local level.

Only individuals named on marriage certificates and parties with New York State court orders and proper or judicial purposes can request these documents.

To order a copy of one’s Chautauqua County marriage certificate from the department of health’s Vital Records Certification unit, the requester can fill out the application form and submit it to the unit. They can also order by phone or online through the department's vendor. The same fees as divorce records apply.

The second option is obtaining a copy of the Chautauqua County marriage certificate from the town or city clerk's office that issued the original marriage license. For example, ordering a certificate from the Dunkirk City Clerk involves providing the following:

• Application letter with the bride's maiden name and groom's full name at the time the marriage license was issued, requester’s receiving address and phone number, and date of marriage
• Notarized proof of identification (preferably copy of New York driver's license)
• $10 fee
• If someone else is picking up the document, the requester must indicate the individual's name.

The completed application must be mailed to:

City Clerk’s Office
342 Central Avenue
Dunkirk, NY 14048

People can follow the same process for other towns and cities but should ideally visit the clerk’s websites for specific instructions and forms.

Chautauqua Birth and Death Records

Birth and death certificates are important legal documents required to complete various official processes. One would need their Chautauqua County birth certificate to enroll in school, prove their age and citizenship, apply for social security programs, collect insurance benefits, and claim inheritance. People can also use Chautauqua County birth records to prove parentage. On the other hand, death records are generally required when settling the affairs of a deceased person.

The following parties can request Chautauqua County death records:

• The deceased’s child, spouse, parent, siblings
• People with documented medical needs and lawful claims or rights (must submit proof)
• Individuals with court orders issued by any state court

Only the following parties can request Chautauqua County birth records:

• People named on birth certificates (parents and children)
• Other individuals, including the child and spouse of the subject, must present New York State court orders.

Individuals can obtain these records from the town or town clerk's office where the death or birth was recorded. They must provide the individual's full name, relationship with the subject of the record, notarized proof of identification, receiving address, phone number, and $10 (per copy) fee and then send it to the city or town clerk’s mailing address.

Interested parties can also follow the same processes outlined for marriage records to obtain birth and death certificates from the state's vital records certification unit. However, they must fill out the birth certificate or death record application instead.

Chautauqua County Probate Court Records

Probate court records document proceedings initiated to administer a deceased person's estate. They are handled in the Chautauqua County surrogate's court. People looking for such records have the following options:

• Contact the county clerk to order copies of court records
• Purchase an online subscription to access records through the clerk's web portal
• Use the WebSurrogate online database

Chautauqua County Property Records

Property records are real estate documents filed at the county clerk’s office to register transactions, record liens, and finalize property ownership transfers. Town and clerk assessors and the county's tax body also create them to document property evaluation and tax levies.

People can order recorded documents through the clerk’s office or view them online after purchasing a subscription. Interested parties can also inspect tentative and final assessment rolls published by town and city assessors, contact the city assessor to order or view other records, and use the county’s online parcel viewer. Approaching the Chautauqua County Real Property Tax Department for tax-related records is another way to get property records.

Chautauqua County Court Records Online

Members of the public can view and order various Chautauqua County public records from one website when they use third-party vendors. These services are convenient alternatives that remove the need to use or contact different online government sources and offices.

Third-party vendors like Newyorkcourtrecords.us are private businesses providing paid services. They do not work directly with government agencies or have authorization to dispense records on their behalf. Instead, they collect official public records from official custodians and redistribute them to paying customers.