Erie County Property Tax Records
Erie County property tax records are kept by the Department of Real Property Tax Services at 95 Franklin Street in Buffalo. The county is the largest in western New York and includes Buffalo, Amherst, Cheektowaga, and more than two dozen other municipalities. You can search property tax records online through the county's PROS system by owner name or address. The county also posts the City of Buffalo's final assessment roll and runs foreclosure sale information through the same office. Whether you need assessed values, tax bills, or sales data, the Erie County system is a good place to start.
Erie County Property Tax Overview
Erie County Real Property Tax Services
The Erie County Department of Real Property Tax Services is the central office for property tax records in the county. It is in the Edward A. Rath County Office Building at 95 Franklin Street, Room 100, Buffalo, NY 14202. Phone is (716) 858-8333. Fax is (716) 858-7744.
| Office | Department of Real Property Tax Services |
|---|---|
| Address | 95 Franklin St, Room 100, Buffalo, NY 14202 |
| Phone | (716) 858-8333 |
| Fax | (716) 858-7744 |
This office maintains assessment rolls for the entire county. It also runs foreclosure sale info for properties with delinquent taxes. The City of Buffalo's yearly final assessment roll is available through the department. Staff can help with questions about assessed values, equalization rates, and tax map information. If you need to correct a tax bill or apply for a billing adjustment, this is where to go.
Search Erie County Property Tax Records Online
Erie County uses the PROS search system for online property lookups. You can search by owner name or property address to pull up assessment records, tax info, and property details. The system is free and open to the public.
The City of Buffalo runs a separate search at cityofbuffalo.net/property-search. You can look up any Buffalo parcel by name, address, or bill number. Assessment details and tax bill info show up in the results. Buffalo also has a GIS map tool that lets you view parcels on an interactive map with assessment data layered on top.
For property sales, Buffalo posts commercial and residential sales records on its website. This data helps when comparing recent sale prices to the assessed value on your tax record. The statewide SalesWeb tool covers Erie County as well and goes back ten years.
Note: The City of Buffalo search is separate from the county PROS system and covers only parcels within city limits.
Erie County Clerk Recorded Documents
The Erie County Clerk's Office is at 92 Franklin Street in Buffalo. Phone is (716) 858-8785. The clerk records deeds, mortgages, assumed names, corporations, and liens. These documents tie into property tax records because they show ownership history and encumbrances.
You can search recorded documents online through the clerk's website. This is useful when you need to verify who holds title to a property before checking its tax status. Every time a property sells, the buyer files an RP-5217 transfer report with the clerk, which feeds into the state sales database.
Buffalo Property Tax Assessments
The City of Buffalo has its own Assessment and Taxation Department at 101 City Hall, Buffalo, NY 14202. Phone is (716) 851-5733. This office handles property appraisals, tax bill issuance, payment plans, and exemption applications within city limits.
Buffalo assessments follow the same state rules as everywhere else in New York. Under RPTL Section 305, the tax rate must be uniform. The city posts its final assessment roll through the county department. If you want to challenge your assessment, you can contact the city assessor first. After that, you file with the Board of Assessment Review on Grievance Day, or go through Small Claims Assessment Review.
Tax foreclosure auctions in Buffalo are run as in-rem proceedings. The city posts sale results and upcoming auctions on its website. Delinquent tax enforcement drives these sales.
Erie County Tax Exemptions
Property owners in Erie County can apply for STAR, veteran, senior, and other exemptions under the Real Property Tax Law. Basic STAR is for all owner-occupied homes. Enhanced STAR is for seniors 65 and older meeting the income limit. Veteran exemptions under RPTL Sections 458-a and 458-b depend on the local adoption rate and type of service.
Senior citizens may qualify under RPTL Section 467 for an income-based reduction. All exemptions are filed with the local town or city assessor before March 1. The Local Laws and Resolutions page shows which specific programs each Erie County municipality has adopted.
Cities in Erie County
Several major cities and towns in Erie County have their own pages with local property tax record details.
Nearby Counties
Erie County borders these counties in western New York. Each has its own Real Property Tax Services office.