Monroe County Clerk Records

The Monroe County Clerk's Role

New York uses a unified county clerk model, and the Monroe County Clerk fills it for Monroe County court records. The office is the Clerk of Supreme and County Courts, so it keeps the civil and criminal files for those courts. It is also the county recorder, charged with indexing and preserving deeds, mortgages, judgments, and liens. That dual role is why so many record searches start here.

Not everything runs through the Clerk, though. Family Court, Surrogate's Court, Rochester City Court, and the town and village courts each keep their own files. The Clerk's office is also clear that only felony convictions are filed there, and that it does not record birth, death, or marriage certificates.

Monroe County sits in New York's Seventh Judicial District, and the Clerk serves the Supreme and County Courts based at the Hall of Justice in downtown Rochester. The office works alongside those courts, issuing the index numbers that open civil cases and keeping the files that result. That close link is why a court records search and a Clerk records request often end at the same counter.

Records the Monroe County Clerk Keeps

The Clerk holds a broad set of records beyond court files. The list below covers the main categories the office maintains and indexes.

• Supreme and County Court civil action files.
• Felony criminal conviction files for Supreme and County Court.
• Judgments and liens.
• Deeds, mortgages, mortgage assignments, and satisfactions.
• Certificates of disposition for criminal cases.
• Business names (DBA), notary, pistol permits, passports, and veterans discharges.

The Clerk's office also handles DMV and auto license bureau services, eRecording, sporting licenses, and similar functions, which makes it one of the busier county offices. When you order a document, the Clerk asks for the index number, the record type, the filing date, and the names of the parties or the business. The more of those you can give, the faster staff can pull the file, and the less likely you are to pay a search fee.

Monroe County Clerk Office and Hours

The Clerk's Customer Service Department is the public counter for court and land record requests. It sits in the County Office Building in downtown Rochester, a short walk from the Hall of Justice. The contact card below has the address, phone, fax, and hours.

Monroe County Clerk Fees

The Clerk publishes a clear fee schedule for copies, searches, and recording. The table below shows the charges that come up most often for court and record requests.

Land and Recording Records

As the county recorder, the Clerk files and indexes the documents that prove who owns property and what is owed against it. That includes deeds, mortgages, mortgage assignments, and satisfactions, plus judgments and liens. These records are public and searchable, and they are central to title work, lending, and real estate closings across the county.

Recording carries its own fees. A one-page deed filing is $50, with $5 for each added page, and a one-page mortgage runs $45 plus the applicable mortgage tax. New York also charges transfer tax at $4 per $1,000, and forms like the TP-584 and the RP-5217 equalization form apply to transfers. In 2024, the Clerk added local forms and policy for Transfer on Death Deeds after New York Real Property Law section 424 took effect.

Note: For same-day recording, you must be in line at the Clerk's counter no later than 4:30 p.m.

Index Number

The case number the Clerk assigns to open a Supreme or County Court civil action.

Certificate of Disposition

A certified document that states how a criminal case ended.

Lien

A legal claim against property recorded with the Clerk.

Certified Copy

An official copy bearing the Clerk's seal, accepted by courts and agencies.

How to Request a Certified Copy

A certified copy is the official version that courts and agencies accept. The Clerk issues certified copies of Supreme and County Court files and land records on payment of the fee. Bring or include enough detail to find the document.

1. Gather the index number, the record type, the filing date, and the party names.
2. Choose a method: in person at Room 105, by mail, by fax, or by phone.
3. Request a certified copy and note how many pages you need certified.
4. Pay the fee, $5 for up to four pages plus $1.25 per added page, by the office's accepted method.
5. Receive the certified copy with the Clerk's seal.

If staff must search for the file, the $5 per two years searched fee applies, so an index number speeds the job and lowers the cost.

Certificates of Disposition

A certificate of disposition is the certified document that states how a criminal case ended. The Clerk provides it through a request form, in coordination with Monroe County Supreme and County Court. The copy fee is $5. A defendant or a defense attorney must show identification to access defendant-related disposition documents.

To order one, give as many case identifiers as you can, since the file can be located through the online document database. Submit the form in person, by mail, or by email, and the Clerk forwards it to the court. The arrest records page explains how a certificate confirms a conviction. People often need a certificate of disposition for employment, immigration, or licensing, where an agency wants proof of how a case ended rather than the full file. Because the document is certified, it carries the weight those agencies expect.

SearchIQS Online Records

The Clerk links an online records database called SearchIQS, shown on the office page as Search Online Records. It covers indexed public court and land records, so some searches can be done online before any in-person visit. The full set of dropdowns and result fields needs live use of the portal to map completely.

E-Filing Through NYSCEF

New York's e-filing system is NYSCEF. The Clerk's page states e-filing requires the NYS Unified Court System link and a username and password. Some e-filed documents are public, some need attorney or party permissions, and sealed documents are not viewable. So an e-filed case may be partly online and partly restricted, depending on the matter.

For a full walkthrough of NYSCEF and the other state portals, see the court records page. If you are not a registered filer, you can still ask the Clerk to pull a paper or scanned copy of a filed document, subject to the same fees and any seal on the case. Sealed and restricted filings stay out of public view no matter how you ask.

Ways to Request Records

The Clerk accepts requests through several channels, which is helpful if you cannot get downtown. Each one needs payment and enough detail to find the record.

• In person - search court and land records at Room 105; for same-day recording, be in line by 4:30 p.m.
• Mail - written requests to 39 West Main Street, Room 105, Rochester, NY 14614, with a check payable to the Monroe County Clerk.
• Fax - send requests to 585-753-1650 with a phone number so staff can call with the charge.
• Phone - call Customer Service at 585-753-1600 during business hours.
• Online - SearchIQS for public records and NYSCEF for e-filed matters where available.

When you order documents, include the index number, the type of record, the filing date, and the names of the parties or the business. A check should be made payable to the Monroe County Clerk, and the office can take a credit card by phone for faxed requests.

Note: Documents that arrive after the 4:30 p.m. recording cutoff are placed in a bin for next-day processing.

Related Monroe County Records

For the state court portals, see court records. For divorce decrees the Clerk holds, see marriage and divorce records. For the trial court the Clerk serves, see Supreme Court. For agency records and FOIL, see public records.