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County Clerk

Welcome to the Chautauqua County Clerk's web page. The County Clerk is responsible for the recording of all land documents, serves as the clerk for the Supreme and County courts, oversees the Department of Weights and Measures and County Historian and heads the three Department of Motor Vehicle Bureau offices in our County. As your County Clerk, I strive to make our services easily accessible and available and to make your experience at any of our offices a pleasant one.

All fees must be made payable to the ‘Chautauqua County Clerk’

Payments are accepted in the form of cash, check, money order, cashier check, or credit card. We accept all major credit cards for charges of $20.00 and over, with a mandatory 2.5% processing fee.

SERVICES:

  • COPIES – We supply copies of documents that have been recorded with the County Clerk. This fee is the same, whether certified or not. Requests will be accepted via mail or in person. For more information, please contact (716) 753-4331
       Copies of Recordings                                            $1.00/page
       Copies of Filings                                                    $1.00/page ($4.00 minimum)

  • NOTARY SERVICES – We have several notaries on site. We can notarize your signature, free of charge, during regular operating hours. If you are a notary, you’ll file your renewals with the state. If you have any questions, see NYS Division of Licensing Services.
  • ONLINE ACCESS – We offer access with subscription to our records via web. Go to SearchIQS for complete information regarding fees and content availability. PDF For more information, please contact (716) 753-4331.
     
  • PASSPORTS – We are an acting agent for the U.S. Department of State Passport Agency. We can produce a passport picture and process new passports by appointment. To schedule an appointment, please contact (716) 753-4331.
  • VETERAN’S ID CARDS – Please see our Veteran’s Return-the-Favor Program. To schedule an appointment, please contact (716) 753-4331.
  • BUSINESS CERTIFICATES- Please see our Business Certificate Forms for information on recording a DBA (Doing Business As). For questions, contact (716) 753-4331
  •  If you are registering your business with the state as an LLC, the designated publications are as follows:
    • Daily
      OBSERVER                                POST JOURNAL
      (716) 487-1111                          (716) 487-1111
       
    • Weekly 
      WESTFIELD REPUBLICAN
      (716) 487-1111
       
  • REAL PROPERTY RECORDS – We are the recording office for deeds, mortgages, and many other documents pertaining to real estate.
  • eRecording – Land Records
    This process allows secure and efficient recording of real estate and related documents. Currently, eRecording is done through the following vendors:
  • Corporation Service Company
    (866) 652-0111
  • eRecording Partners Network
    (888)325-3365
  • Simplifile
    (800) 460-5657
     
  • COURT FILING CLERK- (Supreme & County) All documents pertaining to civil actions, divorces, name changes, and criminal proceedings are filed with the County Clerk's office. For more information, please contact (716) 753-4873
     
  • eFiling – Court Filings
     Court filings are required to be filed through the state system. This process provides secure and efficient filing of courts cases. eFiling can only be done through the state system.
  • NYS Courts Electronic Filing
    (646) 386-3033

 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

 
What are the hours?
 8:30a - 4:30p Monday through Friday, see HOLIDAY SCHEDULE for variances
Where can I get a copy of my deed? All deeds recorded in the County Clerk's Office are public information. Copies can be obtained by providing the address of the property. For more information, please contact (716) 753-4331
How do I update a Deed? To change any information on your deed, you must record a new one. See RECORDING A DEED for more information on recording a deed.
Do I need a Business Certificate? Per NYS Law, you are required to have a business certificate filed with the county where you do business if you are operating under a name other than your own. For more information, see BUSINESS CERTIFICATE FORMS
How do I get a Tax ID number? You can obtain a Sales Tax ID number from the NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF TAXATION AND FINANCE.
How do I get a Federal ID number? These are issued by the Federal Government. You can acquire an application from the SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER, or call (716) 338-1024
Where do I pay my property taxes? REAL PROPERTY TAX DEPARTMENT (716) 753-4221.
Do you do Passports? Yes. We process applications for NEW passports, and will take photos for both new and renewed passports. Appointments are required, contact (716) 753-4331 to schedule. For Passport information, FAQs, requirements, and tracking the status of you application; go to TRAVEL.STATE.GOV
Do you do Fishing/Hunting Licenses? Unfortunately, we don't. You'll need to go through your local municipality or find a FIND A VENDOR. Also, see HUNTING LICENSE INFO,
Where do I get my marriage license? INFORMATION ON GETTING MARRIED IN NEW YORK STATE
Where do I get my marriage certificate? Marriage certificate copies are available at the Town or City Clerk's office where the certificate was originally issued.
Where do I get a copy of my divorce? We can issue a Certified copy of your Judgement of Divorce. For more information, contact (716) 753-4873 or request DIVORCE CERTIFICATES from the State.
I need a copy of a birth or death certificate. Copies of Birth and Death certificates are available at the Town or City Clerk's office where the birth or death took place.
What records are available to help me research my genealogy? The County Clerk's Office has State Census Records (1825 to 1925), Naturalization Records (1814 to 1972), Marriage Records (1908 to 1935), Property Deeds/Mortgages (1811 to Present), and Tax Assessment Records (1854 to 1934). You can also do a For Vital Records, please see above, or see NYS DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH for NYS Genealogy Records & Resources.