Land Records

Clerk Hours & Contact Info

NOTE: You must be in line no later than 4:30 to record documents the same day.  If you arrive after 4:30 you will be asked to drop your documents in the bin for processing the next day.

General Information and Requests

The County Clerk is the Clerk of Supreme and County Courts and is responsible for maintaining the court files for civil and criminal matters. The County Clerk is also the official registrar of deeds, mortgages, assignments of mortgages, satisfactions of mortgages, judgments and liens. The Clerk has the duty of indexing and preserving these documents.

A search of public court and land records can be conducted at the Clerk’s Office either in person or via telephone or fax request. Another option is to search records by using the On-line Office of the Monroe County Clerk.

Copies of records are 65¢ per page. A $1.30 minimum charge is required. The fee for a certified copy is $5 for a document up to four pages in length, plus a charge of $1.25 per page for each additional page when applicable. Also, an extra fee of $5 for every 2 years searched is charged whenever a search of the records is involved. Payment may be made at the time of pickup, at the Clerk’s office. The County Clerk’s Office accepts cash, checks, Visa and Master Card.

Mail-in Requests can be made in writing and mailed to the Monroe County Clerk’s Office (39 W. Main Street, Room 105, Rochester, New York, 14614) along with a check for the appropriate amount of money made payable to the Monroe County Clerk. For further information, please call 585 753-1600.

Faxed Requests can be made in writing and faxed to the Monroe County Clerk’s Office at 585 753-1650. Please include a telephone number that you can be reached at. A Clerk’s Office representative will contact you to advise you of the charge for your request. Payment may be made over the phone via credit card or by mailing a check or in person.

Telephone Requests can be made by calling 585 753-1600 during normal business hours.

When ordering documents, please provide the following information:

• index number
• type of record sought
• filing date
• name of the parties (or a business name)

Certificates of Disposition

Criminal Certificate of Disposition Request Form

Criminal Certificates of Disposition may be obtained by filling out the form above. Please fill out the form with as many Case Identifiers as possible. You can locate this information by searching our online document database. The completed form can be delivered to the Monroe County Clerk's Office either in person, by mail, or by email.  The copy fee of $5 may be paid with a check made out to Monroe County Clerk's Office. If you are the defendant or the defendant's attorney, you must provide appropriate identification.

Attn: Customer Service Department
Monroe County Clerk's Office
101 County Office Building
39 West Main Street
Rochester, NY 14614
[email protected]

The County Clerk's Office will submit the completed request to the Monroe County Supreme and County Court and the Court will print, stamp, and seal the requested Certificate of Disposition.  If there are no reportable charges, an official "No Results" page will be provided.  The Court will contact the requestor when the document is ready for pick up. 

E-Filing

To E-File, you must use this link to the NYS Unified Court System page and create a username and password.  

This office is subject to Administrative Orders from the State of New York Unified Court System. 

Recording and Filing Fees

Mortgages

Mortgage instruments must include all mortgagors and mortgagees, the new tax number, address, legal description of the property and the type of dwelling.

• The base fee to record a mortgage is $45, which includes the recording page.
• Each page is $5. (Therefore, it will cost $50 to record a one page mortgage.)
• Applicable Mortgage Tax is also due at time of recording.

Mortgage Assignments

• The base fee to record a single page assignment of mortgage is $50.50, which includes the recording page.
• Each additional page is $5. 
• Each additional mortgage recited is $3.

Mortgage Discharge

• The base fee to record a single page Discharge of mortgage is $50.50, which includes the recording page.
• Each additional page is $5. 
• Each additional cross index is $.50
• Each assignment is $.50
• Each additional mortgage recited is $10.50.

Mortgage Tax Collection

1. Single or two family dwelling (only one structure)
   • Mortgage of $10,000 or LESS—3/4 of 1%
     • half (1/2) of 1% paid by MORTGAGOR
     • one quarter (1/4) of 1% paid by MORTGAGEE
     • Half (1/2) of 1% goes to the town or the city where the property is located; one quarter (1/4) of 1% goes to the state of New York; 0 will go to the Transportation Authority.
   • Mortgage OVER $10,000—1%
     • three quarters (3/4) of 1% paid by MORTGAGOR
     • one quarter (1/4) of 1% paid by MORTGAGEE
     • Half (1/2) of 1% goes to the town or the city where the property is located; one quarter (1/4) of 1% goes to the state of New York; one quarter (1/4) of 1% goes to the Transportation Authority.
2. Multiple structures or three to five family dwelling—1% of Mortgage Amount
   • three quarters (3/4) of 1% paid by MORTGAGOR
   • one quarter (1/4) of 1% paid by MORTGAGEE
   • Half (1/2) of 1% goes to the town or the city where the property is located; one quarter (1/4) of 1% goes to the state of New York; one quarter (1/4) of 1% goes to the Transportation Authority.
3. Multiple family dwelling (over six), vacant land (not to be improved by one or two family dwelling), commercial—1% of mortgage amount
   • 1% paid by MORTGAGOR
   • Half (1/2) of 1% goes to the town or the city where the property is located; one quarter (1/4) of 1% goes to the state of New York; one quarter (1/4) of 1% goes to the Transportation Authority.
4. Vacant land (to be improved by one or two family dwelling)—1% of Mortgage Amount
   • three quarters (3/4) of 1% paid by MORTGAGOR
   • one quarter (1/4) of 1% paid by MORTGAGEE
   • Half (1/2) of 1% goes to the town or the city where the property is located; one quarter (1/4) of 1% goes to the state of New York; one quarter (1/4) of 1% goes to the Transportation Authority.

Deeds

Deeds must be dated originals and include the name and address of both the grantor and grantee, return address or attorney’s box number, full legal property description specifying which municipality the property is situated in, the new tax number, property and tax mailing address, signature of grantor, acknowledgement matching signature and name cited on document, and complete notary information. Deed filings must also include a completed TP-584 and RP-5217 (Equalization Form).

• A one page deed costs $50.00 to file.  Each additional page costs $5.
• The TP-584 form is $5. 
• The Equalization Form fee is $125 if one the following boxes is checked: 7A, 7B, 7E or both 7G and box 8 OR if the property classification code in Item 18 is: 100 through 199; or 200 through 299; or 411-C. Otherwise the Equalization Form fee is $250. 
• Transfer Tax of $4 per thousand.
• Effective March 11, 2020, each residential deed filed will also require an additional $10 fee.
• Here is the link to the current RP-5217 form. This form will need to be completed on a computer in order for the bar code to be generated. It cannot be handwritten or typed.

If you need help with a historical deed search use our Guide to Search for Historical Property Deeds

Transfer On Death Deeds

On July 19, 2024, Section 424 of NYS Real Property Law, “Transfer on Death Deed” went into effect. This provision of law establishes a new recording type, however does not explicitly provide instructions regarding several related manners. In order to provide clarity, the Monroe County Clerk's Office has added several fields to the below forms and requests that all individuals and law offices use the forms provided when filing. This policy of the Monroe County Clerk’s Office may not be applicable to other jurisdictions.

• Transfer on Death Death Policy
• Revocable Transfer on Death Deed
• Revocable Transfer on Death Deed Multiple Beneficiaries
• Revocation of Transfer on Death Deed
• Renunciation of Transfer on Death Deed

Index Numbers

Index numbers are assigned to open a file where all later papers are kept and which bear that same number. Index numbers are assigned only to those actions and proceedings issued by the New York Supreme or Monroe County Courts.

The index application must be completed and filed at the Monroe County Clerk’s Office. The fee per number is $210.

Please remember that all instruments filed with the Monroe County Clerk’s Office must bear original signatures.

Civil Actions

A $210 check payable to the County Clerk for assigning an index number, starts a civil action proceeding. Please remember that instruments filed with the County Clerk’s Office must bear original signatures.

A civil action file may include court orders, affidavits, summons, complaints or any document pertaining to that action and bearing the assigned index number. If you do not know the index number assigned to your action, a $5 fee will be charged for every two years searched.

Note: For information on court dates, jury duty, bail bond hearings or small claims, please see the courts listed in the blue pages of your telephone book.

Criminal Proceedings

Individuals may not initiate criminal proceedings directly, therefore, if you wish to initiate a criminal proceeding please consult an attorney, law enforcement agency or the district attorney’s office.

The Monroe County Clerk’s Office is the source for criminal records filed by the New York State Supreme and Monroe County Courts. Only felony convictions are filed in the Monroe County Clerk’s Office. It will be helpful in locating a criminal file if you know the index number and year of filing. Only the parties involved and/or their counsel may have access to any sealed records, otherwise a court order for unsealing is required.

Federal, city and town proceedings are the responsibility of those government bodies and are not filed with this office.