How to Search Onondaga County Court Records
The search path begins with the case type. Civil and matrimonial cases route to WebCivil Local. Criminal case appearances route to WebCrims. Estates route to WebSurrogate. Electronically filed documents may live in NYSCEF. Recorded county documents live in the County Clerk records portal. The right starting portal saves time.
You will need the case caption, party names, an approximate filing year, and any case identifier you have. Index numbers, docket numbers, indictment numbers, and Surrogate's file numbers are all different. Search by last name first if you do not know the number.
Once a result returns, open the docket and read the entries in order. Some documents are public PDFs. Others are restricted to parties and counsel.
- Pick the right portal for the court that holds the file.
- Set Onondaga as the county filter when the portal allows it.
- Enter a party name or the case identifier. Try the last name only if a full-name search returns nothing.
- Open the docket entries. Note the index or docket number, the part, the judge, and the next appearance date.
- If a document is sealed or restricted, contact the issuing court clerk. A motion may be required for sealed access.
- Request a certified copy from the clerk when a court, agency, or employer needs an official document.
Onondaga County Court Records Search Fields
WebCivil Local is the New York Courts portal for civil case information in courts below Supreme Court. A user looking for an Onondaga civil tort or contract case can usually find the docket through the WebCivil tools. A matrimonial case will not show full documents because divorce files are restricted under Domestic Relations Law § 235. Use the county filter to limit results to Onondaga. The field table below is captured from the official portal entry.
| Field Label | Type | Required | Notes / Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| Court / County | Dropdown | Usually required | Select Onondaga or the relevant local court. |
| Case / Index Number | Text | Optional | Exact case number when known. |
| Party Name | Text | Optional | Last name first. First name narrows results. |
| Attorney / Firm | Text | Optional | Used for attorney-of-record searches. |
| Date Range | Date | Optional | Filing date range. |
| Case Type | Dropdown | Optional | Civil categories vary by court. |
Onondaga County Criminal Court Records on WebCrims
WebCrims is the New York Courts portal for public criminal case appearances. It is most useful for finding upcoming court dates and active criminal matters in Onondaga County Court, Syracuse City Court, and certain town and village justice courts. WebCrims is not a criminal-history database. It is an appearance and case-status tool.
The WebCrims defendant search is the official entry. Public users can run a name search; attorneys can register for added case-management features.
A sealed case will not appear. A youthful offender case will not appear in the same way as an adult conviction. Coverage of town and village justice court matters can be thinner than coverage of County Court and Syracuse City Court. The full sealing rules sit on the Onondaga County arrest records page.
WebSurrogate for Onondaga County Estate Records
Estate files use WebSurrogate. The Surrogate's Court is the probate court in New York. Onondaga County's Surrogate's Court sits at 401 Montgomery Street. A search on WebSurrogate by decedent's name or file number is the right starting point for probate, administration, accounting, and guardianship matters.
WebSurrogate can locate the file index even when the full document set is not posted online. The Surrogate's Court page covers the estate process in detail.
NYSCEF E-Filed Onondaga County Court Records
NYSCEF is the New York State Courts Electronic Filing system. Many Supreme Court and County Court cases in Onondaga County are now e-filed. NYSCEF can show case captions, party lists, attorney information, docket entries, and PDFs of public filings. Matrimonial and sealed cases remain restricted under court rule.
The NYSCEF homepage is the gateway for public document search and registered e-filing. The list below sets out the most common fields a public NYSCEF result shows.
- Index number: the case identifier for Supreme Court civil matters.
- Case caption: plaintiff against defendant, or Matter of (name).
- County and court: Onondaga; Supreme Court or County Court.
- Case type: tort, contract, Article 78, foreclosure, commercial, miscellaneous.
- Filing date and status: date opened, plus active, disposed, stayed, or sealed.
- Judge and part: assigned justice and part when assigned.
- Docket entries and documents: filed motions, orders, judgments; PDFs when public.
Onondaga County Clerk Records Portal
The Onondaga County Clerk handles recorded county documents and acts as clerk of court for Supreme and County Court records. The Clerk's online records run through a Cott Systems portal. A user looking for a deed, mortgage, judgment, lien, or DBA filing should start here, not on WebCivil.
The portal login is the official Onondaga County Clerk online records gateway. Login may be required for document images or subscription features.
This is a clerk-style records system, not the state court portal. A user searching for an Onondaga County felony docket should use WebCrims and NYSCEF. A user searching for a recorded mortgage should use the Clerk portal. The Onondaga County Clerk page covers the full record set the Clerk holds.
What Onondaga County Court Records Show
A court record can mean several things at once. It can mean the docket summary, the underlying filed documents, or the certified disposition. The table below shows the fields that appear on most public Onondaga County court dockets.
| Field | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Case Number | Index number for Supreme Court civil; docket or indictment number for criminal; file number for Surrogate's Court; petition number for Family Court. |
| Caption | Plaintiff v. Defendant, People v. Defendant, Matter of (name), Estate of (name), or family-style caption. |
| Filing Date | Date the case was opened or document was filed. |
| Parties and Counsel | Names of litigants and attorneys of record where public. |
| Case Type and Status | Civil, criminal, matrimonial, estate, family, traffic; active, disposed, stayed, or sealed. |
| Disposition | Judgment, dismissal, plea, sentence, decree, or settlement entry. |
| Hearings and Appearances | Date, time, courtroom, and purpose of each scheduled event. |
Public Access Framework for Onondaga County Court Records
New York court records sit under Judiciary Law, court rules, and case-specific confidentiality statutes. Agency records sit under the Freedom of Information Law at Public Officers Law Article 6. The two systems do not overlap. A FOIL request to the county for a Supreme Court divorce file will be denied because the court is not a FOIL agency.
Court certified copies follow Judiciary Law § 255. The clerk must search and certify copies for the statutory fee. The New York Courts CourtHelp portal walks self-represented litigants through certificate-of-disposition requests and other clerk processes.
Note: Court records are accessed through the clerk; agency records use FOIL. Sending a court file request to a FOIL officer will lose time.
Records That Are Sealed or Confidential in Onondaga County
Several categories of Onondaga County court records are not open to general public inspection. Family Court files are restricted by Family Court Act § 166. Youthful offender records are confidential under CPL § 720.35. Records sealed after a favorable termination follow CPL § 160.50.
Matrimonial records have their own rule. Domestic Relations Law § 235 limits public inspection of divorce pleadings and exhibits. A party can usually get a certified judgment, but a third-party searcher cannot pull the full divorce file from a public portal. A person who wants to view a sealed record usually has to file a motion in the issuing court.
In-Person Court Record Requests
Some Onondaga County court records cannot be pulled online. Older paper files, sealed records released by motion, and exhibits attached to a closed case may require an in-person request at the courthouse. The Supreme, County, Family, and Surrogate's Court clerks all sit at 401 Montgomery Street. The Syracuse City Court clerk sits at 505 South State Street.
Onondaga County Clerk
401 Montgomery Street, Room 200
Syracuse, NY 13202
(315) 435-2229
Mon–Fri 8:30am–4:00pm
Onondaga County Supreme & County Court
401 Montgomery Street
Syracuse, NY 13202
County Court (315) 671-1020