Search Monroe County Court Records

How to Search Monroe County Court Records

Most Monroe County court records search work runs through the New York State e-Courts hub. The hub links WebCivil Supreme, WebCivil Local, WebCriminal, WebFamily, WebSurrogate, NYSCEF, EDDS, and the traffic ticket payment page. Each tool covers one case type. The NY Courts e-Courts page is the official starting point for the statewide databases.

Before you run the search, gather the case type, the parties' names, and the year filed. An index or docket number speeds the lookup. For Clerk-held land or court records, use the Monroe County Clerk's SearchIQS database. For older paper files, contact the Clerk or the court directly.

The WebCivil Supreme search shown above covers all 62 New York counties; pick Monroe to narrow results. Use the steps below for a basic civil Supreme Court lookup.

1. Open WebCivil Supreme. Pick a search mode: index number, party name, attorney/firm, justice, or court/case.
2. If you have an index number, enter it directly. If not, use party name plus county and filing year.
3. Select Monroe from the court/county dropdown to narrow the results.
4. Choose output format (HTML or PDF) and run the search.
5. Open the matching case to see the docket, parties, justice, and the filings list.

Monroe County Court Records Search Fields

Each portal has its own field set. WebCivil Supreme runs broad civil Supreme searches across the state. The table below captures the field layout for WebCivil Supreme. Other portals follow a similar pattern but with different required fields.

Types of Monroe County Court Records

The records split by court. The Monroe County Clerk holds Supreme and County Court civil action files and felony criminal files. Surrogate's Court holds estate files. Family Court holds family matters. Rochester City Court holds city criminal, civil, small claims, and traffic cases. Town and village justice courts hold local violations and small claims.

Use the list below to pick the right court for your search.

• Civil Supreme/County records - summons, complaint, motions, orders, judgments, foreclosure, Article 78, name change, SCAR petitions
• Felony criminal records - only felony convictions are filed in the Monroe County Clerk's Office; federal, city, and town matters are held elsewhere
• Family Court records - custody, support, family offense, abuse and neglect, juvenile delinquency, adoption
• Surrogate's Court records - wills, probate, administration, small estate, guardianship, adoption
• City Court records - Rochester City Court criminal and civil divisions
• Town/village justice records - local misdemeanors, violations, traffic, small claims, landlord-tenant

For criminal pending matters, use WebCriminal. The Monroe County Clerk page is clear that only felony convictions are filed in its office; lower court matters stay with the court that handled them.

WebCriminal lets a person search by first name, last name, or corporation name. Searches need at least the first two characters of the first and last name.

What Monroe County Court Records Show

A case record returns a header and a docket. The header shows the index number, parties, judge or part, and case type. The docket lists each filing in date order, with the document title and the filing party. Documents themselves may or may not be downloadable, depending on the court, the matter, and any seal or restriction. Sealed records will not show in public results at all.

Searching Surrogate's Court Estate Records

Probate and estate matters in Monroe County go to Surrogate's Court, not Supreme Court. The state runs WebSurrogate for public estate searches across participating counties. NY Courts material confirms Monroe is included. For files that are not yet online or that need certified copies, contact Surrogate's Court directly at 585-371-3310 or visit Room 541 at the Hall of Justice.

The WebSurrogate landing page opens the estate search. Pick Monroe County and enter the file number, name, or filing date to narrow.

NYSCEF E-Filing and E-Filed Documents

New York's e-filing system is NYSCEF, the New York State Courts Electronic Filing system. The Monroe County Clerk page states e-filing requires the NYS Unified Court System link and a username and password. Some e-filed documents are publicly viewable; others require attorney or party permissions. Sealed and restricted documents are not viewable.

The NYSCEF login page opens the e-filing dashboard. From there a registered user can search case documents, file new papers, and access the courtesy copies tied to the account.

Public Access Framework for Monroe County Court Records

Court records in New York are not requested through FOIL. NY Courts is explicit on that point. Public Officers Law Article 6 (FOIL) governs agency records, not court files. Court file access runs on Judiciary Law section 255, which directs the clerk to search files and provide copies on payment of the statutory fees. To request a court file, contact the clerk that holds it: the Monroe County Clerk for Supreme and County civil and felony files; Surrogate's Court for estate files; Family Court for family matters; Rochester City Court for city cases; town or village courts for local cases.

Anyone may request a court record, with limited exceptions. Identification is required for sealed or restricted files. The Clerk charges $0.65 per page for plain copies with a $1.30 minimum, $5 for a certified copy up to four pages, and $1.25 per additional page. A search by Clerk staff is $5 for every two years searched.

Records That Are Sealed or Confidential in Monroe County

Several Monroe County court record categories are sealed or restricted by statute. Matrimonial files are sealed under Domestic Relations Law §235 and are available only to the parties or attorneys of record. Criminal cases that end in favor of the accused are sealed under CPL §160.50. Eligible old convictions may be sealed under CPL §160.59 after ten years. The Clean Slate framework under CPL §160.57 adds automatic sealing for eligible convictions after waiting periods. Family Court records are limited by Family Court Act §166, and juvenile delinquency is sealed under Family Court Act §375.1.

To view a sealed file as a nonparty, request a court order. The petition goes to the court that holds the file. Identification is required at the Clerk's window. Some records, including adoption, sex offense victim identifying information under Civil Rights Law §50-b, and grand jury material, are not unsealed even on petition outside narrow exceptions.

In-Person Court Record Requests

Walk-in requests go to the County Clerk's Customer Service Department for Supreme and County Court files, or to the file room at the court that holds the record. The Clerk's customer service team also handles certificates of disposition and Clerk-held land and judgment records. For same-day recording at the Clerk, be in line by 4:30 p.m.; documents that arrive after the cutoff are dropped in a bin for next-day processing.

Bring identification, especially for a sealed or restricted file, and bring the case details: the index number, the names, the court, and the filing year. The more you can provide, the faster staff can pull the file. If staff must search older records, the Clerk charges $5 for every two years searched, so a narrow date range keeps the cost down. Payment is accepted by cash, check, or credit card at the counter.

Related Monroe County Record Searches

For court date and calendar info, see the Monroe County court dockets page. For arrest and felony booking records, see the arrest records page. For non-court agency records, see the public records page. For Clerk-held filings, fees, and certified copy steps, see the County Clerk page. For trial-court structure, see the Supreme Court page. For estate and probate files, see the Surrogate's Court page, and for marriage and divorce records, see the marriage and divorce page. Each page covers the right office and the search steps for that record type.