Downtown Buffalo keeps its courts close together around Niagara Square and Delaware Avenue. Most crash lawsuits in Erie County start with the County Clerk on Franklin Street and are heard in Supreme Court on Delaware Avenue.
Erie County Supreme Court
25 Delaware Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14202
(716) 845-9300, Chief Clerk (716) 845-9301
Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The main trial court for injury cases of any size.
Erie County Clerk
Old County Hall, 92 Franklin Street, first floor, Buffalo, NY 14202
(716) 858-8785
Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., in line by 4:15 p.m. to file in person
Clerk’s contact page
Index numbers are bought here, and court papers are filed here or electronically through NYSCEF.
Buffalo City Court
50 Delaware Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14202
(716) 845-2600, Small Claims (716) 845-2663
Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Civil cases up to $15,000 and small claims up to $5,000.
Court Help Center
77 West Eagle Street, Buffalo, NY 14202
(716) 845-1816
Monday to Thursday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., closed 1 to 2 p.m.
Free procedural information and forms for people without lawyers.
U.S. District Court, Western District of New York
Robert H. Jackson United States Courthouse, 2 Niagara Square, Buffalo, NY 14202
Clerk’s Office (716) 551-1700
Clerk’s Office page
New York State Court of Claims
Claims against the State and the Thruway Authority go to the Court of Claims, which has a Buffalo district. Check the court’s website for the current address and filing rules. See our Court of Claims guide.
Outside Erie County
Crashes in Lockport or North Tonawanda may lead to Niagara County Supreme Court, and crashes in Batavia to Genesee County Supreme Court. Attica sits in Wyoming County. Call the county clerk for filing details.
Starting fees in Supreme Court
- Index number, $210.
- Request for Judicial Intervention, $95.
- Motion or cross-motion, $45.
- Note of issue, $95 with a jury demand.
Fees are set out on the Erie County Clerk’s fee schedule. If you can’t afford them, you can ask the court for permission to proceed as a poor person.
Read our filing guide for more. Hours change, so call ahead.