Niagara County Court Records

Niagara County court records are a subset of New York Court records generated within the county. They include files, case details (such as party names, case titles, events, and filed charges), dockets, and judgments. People can obtain and view documents and information by approaching the county clerk or using central databases provided by the state's unified court system.

Various situations and endeavors necessitate searching for and collecting court records. One may need them to track personally important cases or to make certain applications, such as criminal expungements. Attorneys and judges always rely on them for precedent research. Courts also generally use these records to keep court cases organized.

Are Court Records Public in Niagara County?

Yes, court clerks are mandated by New York law (N.Y. Jud. Law § 255) to provide court records to requesting members of the public. However, the law, including federal law, does not authorize courts to release every court document and information. Some records, such as active criminal investigations, victim and confidential informant details, juvenile court proceedings, and sensitive personal information like social security numbers, are restricted from public access.

Niagara County Court Records Search

The Niagara County Clerk, city and town court clerks, and New York Courts system offer various web and offline tools for finding and obtaining court records. These methods allow individuals to search for specific types of court records online, request copies by mail, and view or order court documents in person.

Knowing which of these agencies or offices to approach involves identifying the specific court records one wants to access. Individuals are also advised to understand copy and certification fees if they want certified copies of court records.

However, interested parties are not restricted to official government agencies. They can also go through third-party vendors that provide Niagara County public records, including court information and files. While they are not official bodies, they obtain records from authorized custodians.

Niagara County Court Records Search by Name

People generally opt for name searches when they cannot provide case numbers or other identifiers that can fetch specific court records. These types of searches allow individuals to provide the names of defenders, plaintiffs, and attorneys to query or request records. They are mostly available through online systems but court staff can also assist with such requests.

Moreover, third-party sites are known to allow customers to search for case records by name.

Niagara County Courts

The following are location of the different courts serving residents of Niagara County and its towns and cities:

County Court
175 Hawley Street
Lockport,
NY 14094
Phone: (716) 280-6400

City Courts
Lockport
One Locks Plaza
Lockport, NY 14094
Phone: (716) 280-6205

Niagara Falls
1925 Main Street
Niagara Falls, NY 14302
Phone: (716) 371-4100

North Tonawanda
216 Payne Avenue
North Tonawanda, NY 14120
Phone: (716) 845-7240

Town Courts
Town of Cambria
4160 Upper Mountain Road
Sanborn, NY 14132
Phone: (716) 433-3088

Town of Lewiston
1375 Ridge Road
Lewiston, NY 14092
Phone: (716) 754-8213

Town of Hartland
8942 Ridge Road
Gasport, NY 14067
Phone: (716) 735-7239

Town of Lockport
6564 Dysinger Road
Lockport, NY 14094
Phone: (716) 439-9528

Town of Newfane
2986 Transit Road
Newfane, NY 14108
Phone: (716) 778-9292

Town of Niagara
7105 Lockport Road
Niagara Falls, NY 14305
Phone: (716) 215-1486

Town of Pendleton
6570 Campbell Boulevard
Lockport, NY 14094
Phone: (716) 625-8833

Town of Porter
3265 Creek Road
Youngstown, NY 14174
Phone: (716) 745-7036 Ext 6

Town of Royalton
5316 Royalton Center Road
Middleport, NY 14105
Phone: (716) 772-2588

Town of Somerset
8700 Haight Road
Barker, NY 14012
Phone: (716) 795-9193 Ext 4

Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 863
Barker, NY 14012

Town of Wheatfield
2800 Church Road
North Tonawanda, NY 14120
Phone: (716) 694-6793

Town of Wilson
375 Lake Street
P.O. Box 537
Wilson, NY 14172
Phone: (716) 751-0549

Niagara County Superior Court Case Search

The trial court of general jurisdiction in Niagara County is the Supreme Court. It is similar to Superior Courts in other U.S regions, as it handles high-profile civil lawsuits above the monetary threshold of lower courts and general cases where other courts lack jurisdiction.

People looking to obtain superior court documents can use the following online tools operated by the New York State Unified Court System and the Niagara County Clerk:

• WebCivil Supreme: Provides civil case information, such as filed motions and status (whether granted or denied), case details (description, justice, disposition date e.t.c), and attorneys. Interested parties can search by party, index number, justice, attorney, and filing date. They can choose Niagara County to ensure search results are restricted to civil court cases heard within the county. The tool's document search allows individuals to find case documents by index number and the court calendar search shows upcoming court dates.
• WebCriminal: The WebCriminal portal contains court data emanating from ongoing criminal prosecutions in the county's supreme and county courts, including court dates for upcoming hearings. Details that can be found here include charges, defendant information, arrest date, arresting officer, incident date, attorney information, and arresting agency.
• WebFamily: People interested in viewing family case records generated in the Niagara County supreme court can use this portal.
• New York State Courts Electronic Filing (NYSCEF): A free-to-use online system where individuals can search case records and view some documents from the Niagara’s Supreme Court as guests.
• County Clerk Court Records Website: The Niagara County Clerk provides a web application where individuals can access court documents in addition to basic case information. This service is offered for a fee and individuals must fill out the subscription request form to set up an account. Activation costs $50 flat and intending users must pay a quarterly fee of $150 if they live in the county, $450 if they live outside Niagara but within New York, and $600 if they reside out of state.

People can also contact the Clerk's office by phone, email or mail, or visit the relevant courthouse to view and order case records. They can send requests to the clerk's email address, which must contain party name(s), recording date, and other relevant information. They can also fill out the Record Retrieval request or Criminal Case Record(s) Request form and mail or fax it to:

Niagara County
County Clerk's Office
Courthouse
P.O. Box 461
Lockport, NY 14095-0461
Fax: (716) 439-7189

Niagara County District Court Records

While certain New York counties, such as Suffolk and Nassau, have district courts, others like Niagara County operate different courts of limited jurisdiction. Niagara County’s courts include county, city, family, surrogate's, and town courts and they handle cases from criminal and civil matters to domestic and probate proceedings.

Individuals can obtain records at courthouse locations or using the WebCivil, WebCriminal, WebFamily, WebSurrogate portals, depending on the case records they want to access. The Niagara County clerk's office's online web program also provides access to most of these court case files and documents.

Niagara County Criminal Records

Criminal records generally refer to documents and information generated during court proceedings and by local law enforcement agencies. The latter are called Niagara County arrest records, and they are not always found in court databases, especially when the subjects of the records were never charged.

People looking to obtain such records can go visit or call city police departments and the county sheriff's office.

They can also check online records. For example, the Sheriff's office's Incarcerated Individual Search webpage allows the public to find information on recently jailed suspects. It shows inmate name, photograph, booking details, and bail records. It also displays arrest dates and criminal charges (including allegedly violated statutes). The Sheriff's office also publishes active arrest warrants through its warrants website, showing suspect personal information and alleged offenses.

Niagara County Criminal Court Case Lookup

People arrested for suspected crimes are generally charged to court on misdemeanor or felony counts when prosecutors believe they will be found guilty. These cases are heard in the county's town, city, county, and supreme courts and generate Niagara criminal records.

The Niagara County court adjudicates criminal cases for offenses occurring within the county that carry sentences above one year in prison. It can also hear appeals from Town, Village, and City Courts. City courts serving Niagara Falls, Lockport, and North Tonawanda handle criminal matters, such as misdemeanors and smaller infractions, where offenders only face one year in prison or less. Town courts also prosecute small misdemeanors, traffic offenses, and code violations that occur within the boundaries of the towns where they are located.

Case details from these courts can be obtained through the WebCriminal portal. Individuals can also visit the adjudicating courthouse or use online and offline methods provided by the county clerk to obtain or view most Niagara County criminal records.

Get Niagara County Civil Court Records

Civil court cases are reserved for settling disagreements between two or more parties. They are initiated by plaintiffs seeking specific restitutionary commitments from defendants and can be between organizations and individuals. These cases are heard in the Supreme, County, City, and Town courts in the county.

The 12 town courts in the county handle small claims and civil proceedings where the money in dispute is up to $3,000. They also hear landlord-tenant disagreements that may result in money judgment and eviction. Individuals can find records created during these proceedings by visiting or contacting the court that heard the case.

City courts hear cases worth up to $15,000 within their territories. People interested in such records can search the unified courts system's WebCivil Local database to find basic court case details. They can search by judge, party, and attorney name. The system also allows them to view court calendars and search by index numbers. Individuals who want to view documents or order copies can contact the city court directly.

People looking for records on civil cases worth up to $25,000 can use resources dedicated to the Niagara County Court. These include the WebCivil Supreme portal and the county clerk's online database. They can also visit courthouses or contact the clerk for information regarding copy requests and inspection.

However, court cases above $25,000 are handled by the Supreme Court and individuals can use the instructions for the Niagara Supreme Court explained earlier to find such records and documents.

Niagara County Family Court Records

Family law proceedings involve matters initiated to settle child-related matters, marriage actions, and domestic violence cases, among others.

The county's family court handles child-related and other domestic matters except dissolution of marriage actions. While the surrogate's court primarily settles the affairs of deceased Niagara County residents, it also handles adoptions.

People can use the WebFamily and WebSurrogate tools to find these cases. They should be mindful that not all family cases are open to the public.

Niagara Dissolution of Marriage Records

Dissolution of marriage records are products of matrimonial actions that suspend or end marriages. They can be required for protective orders, name changes, marriage licenses applications, inheritance processes, and other legal matters.

Niagara County marriage records like divorce decrees and divorce certificates can only be issued to either spouse or entities with valid court orders.

To obtain a divorce certificate, one can go through the New York Department of Health's Vital Records division, provided the document was created on January 1, 1963 or later. They can order online or by phone using the department’s third-party vendor (costs $45 per copy plus processing fee per order). They can also submit mail-in orders by completing the application for copy of divorce certificate form, attaching the required ID, and sending it to the following mailing address alongside the $30 fee (per copy):

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

People who want to obtain divorce decrees, which show more details about divorce agreements or court proceedings, must approach fill out the County Clerk’s Divorce File Request and send it to:

Niagara County
County Clerk's Office
Courthouse
P.O. Box 461
Lockport, Ny 14095-0461
Fax: (716) 439-7189

The clerk’s divorce decree costs 65 cents per page ($1.30 minimum order). Certification costs $5 per page for documents containing 4 pages or less. Certifying documents with more than 4 pages costs $1.25 per additional page.

Niagara County Marriage and Divorce Records

Divorce certificates are classed as Niagara County vital records at the state level but not at the city or town level where other records are issued. Although one can also order a Niagara County marriage certificate through the New York Department of Health (certificates from 1880), they cannot obtain it through the county clerk.

Like divorce certificates and decrees, not everyone can purchase Niagara County marriage certificates. They are reserved for spouses named on the certificates or people with judicial or acceptable reasons to order the document. For example, an applicant may need the marriage certificate to verify documents or a person’s identity.

Individuals can fill out the application for marriage certificate form and send it to the vital records division of the New York DOH alongside their ID (or reason for requesting the document) and $30 fee.

Purchasing copies of marriage certificates at the local level involves going through the office of the city or town clerk that issued the original copy. It costs $10 per copy in this case, and individuals can generally apply by mail and in person.

Niagara Birth and Death Records

Birth and death records are another class of Niagara County vital records that can be retrieved the same way one can obtain a marriage certificate. However, one must obtain the right certificate in this case.

People need Niagara birth records for applications like social security, driver’s license, and passports. Death records are typically required when settling deceased people’s estates and for issues like retirement benefits and insurance claims.

These documents are also not public information. Only the following individuals can obtain a Niagara County birth certificate:

• Individuals named on the certificate (registrants and their parents)
• Individuals with valid New York state court orders

The following parties are authorized to request death records:

• The spouse, child, parent, or sibling of the person named on the record
• People who have valid medical purposes for requesting death records
• Entities with orders issued by New York courts

Niagara County Probate Court Records

Probate court records are documents and data produced when settling a decedent's estate and will through the Niagara County surrogate's court. The court can appoint executors and handle disputed claims.

People can use the WebSurrogate tool to search for publicly available cases and access documents generated during probate proceedings. Available search methods include name, file number, old index, will, and index book page searches.

Interested parties can also visit the courthouse to obtain or view documents.

Niagara County Property Records

Property records are documents and information that detail real estate and personal property ownership and transactions. These documents include deeds, conveyances, mortgage documents, and other recorded data. They help members of the public find details like property ownership, transaction history, title transfers, County assessment and tax information, and possible liabilities like liens.

Individuals can obtain them through the Niagara County clerk’s office. The county clerk offers an online system that allows individuals to view all the property records filed with the office. Individuals must set up user accounts, which come at a cost, to use the website. Setting up the account involves filling out the subscription request form and paying the required activation and subscription fees.

The clerk's office also allows in-person, mail-in, email, and telephone requests. Interested parties can use the following address and contact information:

Niagara County Courthouse
175 Hawley Street
1st Floor
P.O. Box 461
Lockport, NY 14095-0461
Phone: (716) 439-7022
Fax: (716) 439-7035
Email: niagaracounty.clerk@niagaracounty.com

Another option is going through the assessor's office in the city or town where the property is located. Individuals can call or visit their assessor's office to find information about any specific property. They can find contact information for these offices on the webpage of the Niagara County Real Property department.

People can also view assessment information using the Niagara County Property Records Online System. It allows individuals to find information on any parcel within the county by name, address, and tax map. It displays structure, assessment, property description, property sale, tax, and ownership details.

Niagara County Court Records Online

Finding Niagara County public records online can be more straightforward when using third-party services. Privately owned websites like Newyorkcourtrecords.us allow individuals to search for court and vital records issued by different agencies from one place.

Indeed, third-party services are private businesses and not official record-issuing authorities. However, they compile data and documents from government and statutory custodians. Like other public agencies, they also charge for searches and access to records, albeit with likely varying payment methods and structures.