Cattaraugus County Court Records Search

Cattaraugus County occupies the southwestern portion of New York State, with its county seat in the village of Little Valley and a second court facility in the city of Olean. The county’s trial court system — part of the Eighth Judicial District — comprises Supreme Court, County Court, Family Court, Surrogate’s Court, two city courts, and dozens of town and village justice courts. Each of these tribunals generates its own body of records, from felony indictments and civil summonses to probate petitions and family offense filings, all of which are maintained by the respective court clerks or the Cattaraugus County Clerk’s office.

For those seeking case information from courts across New York, records can be searched through clerk offices, courthouse public-access terminals, and electronic lookup tools maintained by the state judiciary. The website NewYorkCourts.us may also assist in identifying publicly available case data from courts statewide. In Cattaraugus County, the principal record custodians are the County Clerk at 303 Court Street in Little Valley and the individual court clerks for Family Court, Surrogate’s Court, and the city and town courts.

How to Look Up a Court Case in Cattaraugus County?

Cattaraugus County’s courts operate from two primary locations — the County Center in Little Valley and a facility in Olean — along with numerous justice courts in towns and villages throughout the county.

Primary Court Locations

Court	Address	Phone	Fax
Supreme Court	303 Court Street, Little Valley, NY 14755	(716) 379-6636	(716) 845-1829
County Court	303 Court Street, Little Valley, NY 14755	(716) 379-6636	(716) 845-1829
Family Court	1 Leo Moss Drive, Olean, NY 14760	(716) 379-6616	(716) 373-0449
Surrogate’s Court	303 Court Street, Little Valley, NY 14755	(716) 379-6637	(716) 845-1842
Olean City Court	101 East State Street, Olean, NY 14760	(716) 379-6660	—
Salamanca City Court	225 Wildwood Avenue, Salamanca, NY 14779	(716) 379-6670	—

General office hours for these courts are Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. A complete list of town and village courts in Cattaraugus County, with addresses and phone numbers, is available through the Eighth Judicial District’s website.

Cattaraugus County Clerk’s Office
303 Court Street, Little Valley, NY 14755
Phone: (716) 938-2297
Hours: Monday–Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

The County Clerk serves as the filing office for Supreme Court and County Court civil actions, maintaining indexes for lawsuits, judgments, liens, and property records.

Methods for Looking Up Case Records

Online — WebCivil eCourts: The New York State Unified Court System’s eCourts portal provides free access to active and disposed civil case information in Supreme Court and local civil courts. Users can search by index number, party name, attorney, or judge, and filter results to Cattaraugus County. The system displays case summaries, appearances, motions, and decisions but does not provide downloadable copies of filed documents for all case types.
Online — County Clerk eSearch: The Cattaraugus County Clerk’s office makes its recorded documents available through a web portal hosted by Cott Systems. Indexing data — names, dates, document types — can be viewed at no cost by signing in as a guest. Viewing or printing actual document images requires a paid account.
Online — NYSCEF: For cases filed electronically in Cattaraugus County Supreme Court or Surrogate’s Court, the New York State Courts Electronic Filing system allows users to search for and view e-filed documents by case name, index number, or filing date.
In person: Visitors may request records at the appropriate clerk’s window during business hours. Bring the case number or the full names of the parties involved. Photo identification is generally required for access to certain records, such as divorce judgments.
By mail or FOIL request: Written requests can be directed to the court clerk or the County Clerk’s office. Cattaraugus County also maintains an online FOIL request form for digital records held by county departments. Note, however, that the FOIL process does not apply to County Clerk records such as court filings, deeds, and mortgages — those must be requested directly from the Clerk’s office.

Key Fees at the County Clerk’s Office

Copies of any page: $0.50 per page (minimum $1.00)
Certified copies: $5.00 or $1.25 per page, whichever is greater
Exemplified copies: $10.00 (in addition to copy preparation fees)
FOIL document copies: $0.25 per page
Real property search: $5.00 per name for each two-year period

Are Court Records Public in Cattaraugus County?

Court records in Cattaraugus County are presumptively open to the public. Section 255 of the New York Judiciary Law requires that a clerk of a court, upon request and payment of the applicable fee, search files and provide copies of or certify the results. This right of access forms the legal foundation for public inspection of case documents across New York’s trial courts.

The state’s Freedom of Information Law (FOIL), codified in Sections 84–90 of the Public Officers Law, provides a separate mechanism for requesting government records from executive-branch agencies, including county departments. Court records themselves are governed primarily by the Judiciary Law and court rules rather than FOIL, though county-maintained administrative records may fall under FOIL. Cattaraugus County’s FOIL request procedures describe how to submit requests for non-court county records.

Despite the general presumption of openness, several categories of records carry restrictions:

Sealed records — Criminal cases that have been sealed under CPL § 160.50 (upon favorable termination), CPL § 160.55 (non-criminal dispositions), or CPL § 160.59 (certain older convictions) are not accessible to the public. Youthful offender adjudications under CPL § 720.15 are also sealed.
Juvenile and family proceedings — Family Court records, including juvenile delinquency, child abuse and neglect, and persons-in-need-of-supervision (PINS) cases, are generally confidential under the Family Court Act.
Adoption files — Adoption records in both Family Court and Surrogate’s Court are sealed upon finalization.
Estate tax proceedings — In Surrogate’s Court, estate tax filings are sealed and not available for public inspection.
Ongoing investigations — Records related to pending grand jury proceedings, active warrants, and certain law enforcement investigations may be withheld.
Confidential personal information — Social Security numbers, financial account details, and other sensitive identifiers appearing in filed documents may be subject to redaction under applicable court rules.

Anyone denied access to records they believe are public may appeal through the court or, for FOIL-covered records, through the New York State Committee on Open Government.

Cattaraugus County Criminal Court Records

Criminal cases in Cattaraugus County are prosecuted in County Court (felonies), the city courts in Olean and Salamanca (misdemeanors and lesser offenses), and the various town and village justice courts (misdemeanors, violations, and vehicle and traffic matters). Supreme Court occasionally handles criminal matters transferred from lower courts.

Searching criminal case records:

eCourts (WebCrims) — The Unified Court System’s online tools include WebCrims, which provides scheduling and case-status data for criminal matters in certain courts. Not all town and village court records are available electronically.
In person — Requesters can visit the clerk’s office of the court where the case was heard. For County Court criminal cases, the County Clerk maintains the files at 303 Court Street, Little Valley.
By mail — Submit a written request with the defendant’s full name, date of birth if known, case number, and the applicable fee.

Statewide Criminal History Record Search (CHRS)

The New York State Office of Court Administration operates a statewide Criminal History Record Search program. Key details:

Fee: $95.00 per name and date of birth
Covers open/pending cases and convictions from County, Supreme, City, Town, and Village courts in all 62 counties
Does not include sealed records, Family Court cases, civil matters, federal cases, or non-criminal offenses (violations, infractions)
Results are not certified; a certified Certificate of Disposition must be obtained from the court of original jurisdiction
Requests can be submitted through the online Direct Access portal or by mailing a completed application form to OCA’s CHRS Unit at 25 Beaver Street, Room 940, New York, NY 10004
Payment by check or money order payable to N.Y.S. Office of Court Administration; online requests accept credit cards

New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS)

For a fingerprint-based criminal history (rap sheet), individuals may submit a request through the DCJS personal record review program. As of February 2026, the processing fee is $17.50, payable to Idemia. Fingerprints must be submitted through an authorized IdentoGo location.

Cattaraugus County Sheriff’s Office

The Sheriff’s Office handles arrests, warrants, and maintains incident and booking records.

301 Court Street, Little Valley, NY 14755
Phone: (716) 938-9191
Fax: (716) 938-6552

Arrest records and incident reports may be requested directly from the Sheriff’s administrative division. The FOIL request form can be used for law enforcement records held by county agencies, though certain investigatory materials may be exempt from disclosure.

Cattaraugus County Civil Court Records

Civil litigation in Cattaraugus County is distributed among several courts based on the nature and monetary value of the claim. Supreme Court has unlimited jurisdiction and handles cases exceeding $25,000, mortgage foreclosures, and equitable actions. County Court hears civil matters up to $25,000. The city courts in Olean and Salamanca handle small claims (up to $5,000) and civil matters up to $15,000, while town and village courts adjudicate small claims up to $3,000.

Where civil records are maintained:

Supreme Court and County Court civil filings are indexed and stored by the Cattaraugus County Clerk’s Office. City court records remain with the respective city court clerk. Town and village court records stay with the justice court where the case was filed.

How to search civil records:

Use the eCourts system for Supreme Court civil case data, including index numbers, parties, motions, and decisions.
Search the County Clerk’s eSearch portal for recorded judgments, liens, and other filed documents. Index information is free; document viewing requires a paid account.
For e-filed cases, search NYSCEF by index number, party name, or attorney.
Visit the clerk’s office in person or submit a written request by mail.

Filing and copy fees (County Clerk):

Service	Fee
Index number (new civil action)	$210.00
Index number (mortgage foreclosure)	$400.00
Request for Judicial Intervention (RJI)	$95.00
Notice of motion or cross-motion	$45.00
Note of issue	$30.00
Demand for jury trial	$65.00
Notice of appeal	$65.00
Stipulation of settlement / discontinuance	$35.00
Transcript of judgment (file)	$10.00
Certificate of disposition	$5.00
Copies	$0.50/page (min. $1.00)
Certified copy	$5.00 or $1.25/page (whichever is greater)

The full County Clerk fee schedule lists additional charges for filings, liens, UCC searches, and other services.

Property-related records — Deeds, mortgages, liens, and maps are recorded by the County Clerk. The Cattaraugus County Real Property Tax Services office maintains assessment rolls, tax maps, and parcel data. Property searches can be conducted online through the Clerk’s eSearch portal or the Real Property office’s GIS system.

Cattaraugus County Family Court Records

The Cattaraugus County Family Court has jurisdiction over a range of matters affecting families and children. Administrative offices are located in Olean, where the majority of cases are heard, with additional proceedings held at the Little Valley courthouse.

Family Court
1 Leo Moss Drive, Olean, NY 14760
Phone: (716) 379-6616
Fax: (716) 373-0449
Hours: Monday–Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

The court’s subject-matter jurisdiction includes abuse and neglect of children, termination of parental rights, persons in need of supervision (PINS), adoptions, support and paternity, custody and visitation, juvenile delinquency, and family offenses (domestic violence). The court works closely with the Probation Department, the Department of Social Services, and the Department of Community Services.

Confidentiality of Family Court records:

Family Court proceedings in New York carry substantial confidentiality protections. Records involving juvenile delinquency, child protective cases, and PINS matters are generally not open to public inspection. Adoption records are sealed upon finalization. Custody, visitation, and support files may contain sealed or restricted documents, particularly those involving allegations of domestic violence or child abuse. Access by non-parties typically requires a court order.

Divorce records:

Divorces in Cattaraugus County are filed in Supreme Court. The resulting judgment of divorce and related filings are maintained by the County Clerk’s office. Key fees for divorce-related filings include an index number ($210.00), a note of issue ($30.00), an RJI ($95.00), and a dissolution of marriage with copies ($15.00). A certified copy of a judgment of divorce costs $5.00 and requires proper photo identification.

Marriage records:

Marriage certificates in New York are maintained by the city, town, or village clerk who issued the license — not by the County Clerk. To obtain a certified copy in Cattaraugus County, contact the municipal clerk of the municipality where the marriage license was purchased. Fees for certified copies of vital records issued by local clerks in New York are typically $10.00 per copy, though amounts may vary by municipality.

Birth and death records:

Birth and death certificates are filed with the clerk of the municipality where the event occurred. For births at a hospital, contact the clerk of the city or town where the hospital is located. The Cattaraugus County Clerk’s FAQ page lists the hospitals that have operated in the county and identifies the corresponding municipal clerk for each. Records can also be requested from the New York State Department of Health Vital Records office in Albany, which maintains statewide records dating back to 1881 (outside New York City). The state charges $30.00 per certified copy. New York restricts access to vital records to individuals who have a direct and tangible interest, as defined in 10 NYCRR Part 35.

Cattaraugus County Probate Court Records

Probate matters in Cattaraugus County fall under the jurisdiction of the Surrogate’s Court, located on the second floor of the County Center in Little Valley.

Cattaraugus County Surrogate’s Court
303 Court Street, Little Valley, NY 14755
Phone: (716) 379-6637
Fax: (716) 845-1842

The court is staffed by a Chief Clerk and two full-time employees who review filings for compliance with statutory requirements, schedule court appearances, issue citations, prepare decrees and letters of authority, collect filing fees, and maintain index books. Practice and procedure are governed by the Surrogate’s Court Procedure Act (SCPA), the Estates, Powers and Trusts Law (EPTL), the Mental Hygiene Law (MHL), and the Uniform Rules for Surrogate’s Court.

Types of proceedings:

The Surrogate’s Court handles the probate of wills, estate administration (with and without a will), accounting proceedings, construction of wills and trusts, wrongful death actions, small estate proceedings, guardianship of the property of minors and incapacitated persons, and adoptions.

Public access to probate records:

Most Surrogate’s Court files are open for public inspection. The two exceptions are adoption records (sealed upon finalization) and estate tax proceedings (sealed). The court’s records are frequently searched by genealogists researching family histories documented in wills and estate filings, as well as by title companies conducting real property searches. Both current and historical files generate significant public interest.

E-filing requirement:

Since May 23, 2018, electronic filing through NYSCEF has been mandatory for new probate, administration, and voluntary administration proceedings commenced in Cattaraugus County Surrogate’s Court. The e-filing protocol for Cattaraugus County details which documents must be filed electronically, exemptions for self-represented parties, and procedures for submitting original wills (which must be delivered to the court within two days of e-filing).

Searching probate records:

E-filed probate documents can be searched and viewed through NYSCEF by index number, party name, or filing date.
Older paper files and index books are available for in-person inspection at the Surrogate’s Court during regular business hours.
The County Clerk’s eSearch portal may also contain recorded probate-related documents such as letters testamentary and certificates of authority.

Fees:

Filing fees for Surrogate’s Court proceedings are established by the New York State Legislature and vary by proceeding type and estate value. Copy and certification fees follow the same schedule used by the County Clerk: $0.50 per page for copies and $5.00 or $1.25 per page (whichever is greater) for certification. Requesters should contact the Surrogate’s Court Chief Clerk at (716) 379-6637 to confirm current filing fees and to schedule an appointment if needed, particularly for reviewing older or voluminous files.