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The Office of the Westchester County Clerk is open from 8:30 A.M. to 4:30 P.M. weekdays
Passports/Licensing is open from 8:30 A.M. to 4:00 P.M.
Passport and Westchester County ID applications are now accepted five days a week.
For your convenience, documents may be delivered to the County Clerk by use of the drop box located in the lobby of the courthouse.
WHITE PLAINS, NY — On October 10, 2016, in an effort to raise public awareness about the crucial role and importance of electronic records in our world, the Office of the Westchester County Clerk observed the annual Electronic Records Day. “Since we first implemented electronic recording in the Westchester County Clerk’s office in 2012, we have noticed a significant increase in the efficiency and reliance on electronic records by our customers,” remarked Clerk Idoni. “Electronic recording makes filing easier and saves costs for customers and our office.”
Clerk Idoni was one of the leading proponents in support of implementing electronic recording in New York State. At one time land records could not be electronically submitted due to a specific prohibition in the New York State Technology Law. Clerk Idoni helped lead the successful efforts to change the legislation in 2011. On September 24, 2012, the Westchester County Clerk’s office became the first recording office in New York State to record a document submitted electronically.
In addition to advancements in electronic recording, technology improvements in electronic filings have brought major efficiencies to the Office of the Westchester County Clerk. The Clerk’s Legal Division, which handles hundreds of filings a day, is now receiving over eighty-four percent of its new civil cases electronically, saving time and money for taxpayers.
County Clerk Timothy C. Idoni was honored in June of this year by his colleagues of the New York State Association of County Clerks (NYSACC) with a 2016 Annual Achievement Award in recognition of his contributions to NYSACC over the past year, including his efforts to support the expansion of electronic filing of court records throughout the state. In 2013, the Clerk’s office successful implementation of electronic recording of land records was selected as winner of a 2013 Achievement Award from the National Association of Counties (NACo) and also that year Clerk Idoni accepted a Best of New York award for the Best In-House Developed Application for the electronic recording portal.
Electronic Records Day aka “E-Recording Day” was created by the Council of State Archivists (CoSA) as part of its State Electronic Records Initiative. For Electronic Records Day 2016, CoSA will place special focus on the challenges and opportunities electronic records presents. With the increasing reliance on information technology, the challenge to manage, preserve, and provide access to digital records and information continues to grow. The Clerk’s office is committed to ensuring the infrastructure is in place to ensure future access to electronic records.
Join the Office of the Westchester County Clerk and CoSA in raising awareness of digital records and the importance of their preservation among government agencies, professional organizations and stakeholders, as well as the general public. See CoSA’s Electronic Records Day page for more information and tips on managing e-records at www.statearchivists.org/programs/state-electronic-records-initiative/electronic-records-day/
The Office of the Westchester County Clerk is located at 110 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. in White Plains and is open from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. ( arrive by 4:30 pm) weekdays, exclusive of holidays. For additional information about the office, please visit WestchesterClerk.com, or call (914)995-3080.
WHITE PLAINS, NY: The Office of the Westchester County Clerk is home to millions of land and legal records, many of which can be accessed online from your home or office. You may view land records including deeds going back to 1680 and mortgages recorded as far back as 1950 online. “What is a deed and how can I obtain a copy?” is one of the commonly asked questions Westchester County Clerk Timothy C. Idoni’s office receives from the public. Answers to frequently asked questions about deeds follow:
A deed is a legal instrument which transfers an interest in property such as real estate. If you own your home, your ownership was created by a deed likely filed in the Office of the Westchester County Clerk. A deed will generally contain the name of the current property owner, the name of the person or entity to whom the property is being transferred, and a legal description of the property. It must be signed by the party with legal authority to transfer the property and the signature must be acknowledged before a Notary Public.
Your deed, once recorded, is safe with the Office of the Westchester County Clerk and becomes a permanent land record of Westchester County. The office has deeds dating as far back as 1680 as well as those executed within the last few days. Once you have confirmed that your deed has been recorded, a process generally overseen by your real estate attorney, there is no need to periodically confirm that your deed is on record.
A certified copy of any recorded land document, including your deed, is $5.00 for up to five pages with an additional $1.00 charged for each additional page. If you would like a non-certified copy, the fee is $1.30 for up to two pages with an additional $.65 charged for each additional page. If you are making a request by mail, there is an additional $5.00 search fee.
Resurfacing every few years, a number of companies have made a business out of leading residents to believe they need to secure a certified copy of a deed that has been on record in the Office of the Westchester County Clerk for years. Unless you have a specific reason for securing a certified copy of your deed, you may not need one. If in the future you need a copy, it can be obtained at a fraction of the cost by contacting the Office of the Westchester County Clerk directly.
If you would like to view one of the documents recorded in our office, we offer the following options:
County Clerk’s 2015 Report Details Efficient Government
WHITE PLAINS, NY: “The work of the Office of the Westchester County Clerk impacts the lives of residents and businesses throughout our county,” shared Westchester County Clerk Timothy C. Idoni in the cover letter to his recently released 2015 annual report. “Every deed, mortgage, civil or criminal court record, judgment, business certificate or incorporation, and pistol license is filed or recorded in the Office of the Westchester County Clerk,” continued Idoni.
The 2015 annual report highlights the significance of the financial transactions that pass through the office which collected $176,967,999.32 in revenue for 2015, of which $27,662,046.65 was turned over to the county. The expenditures for the operation of the County Clerk’s Office in 2015, totaling $6,715,856.79, are more than offset by the $9,112,610.06 in departmental fees collected.
The report also acknowledges the key role of technology in allowing the office to improve customer service, while reducing costs. “In 2015, the Office of the Westchester County Clerk saw continuing growth in the electronic submission of records throughout the office,” began Idoni. “By the end of the year over sixty percent of land records, such as deeds and mortgages, were being submitted to the office electronically as part of a voluntary eRecording initiative. In addition, over eighty-four percent of civil cases were commenced electronically, either pursuant to state mandate, or voluntarily in the case of matrimonial actions.”
The Office of the Westchester County Clerk is located at 110 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. in White Plains and is open from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays. For more information, of for a copy of the 2015 Annual Report, please visit our website WestchesterClerk.com or call (914)995-3082. Link to 2015 Annual Report here.
WHITE PLAINS, NY: Westchester County Clerk Timothy C. Idoni warns county residents, especially seniors, to beware of scammers who call impersonating New York State Department of Taxation and Finance officials. “Scammers have been making phone calls to households claiming to represent the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance Tax and demanding payment for taxes they falsely claim are owed. The calls appear on Caller ID as tax department numbers. These calls are not coming from the tax department, and you should not respond to these calls,” cautioned County Clerk Idoni.
According to a release from the Department of Taxation and Finance, scammers are using sophisticated methods to mask their phone numbers with the tax department’s fraud hotline numbers (518) 457-5181 or (518) 457-0578. The Tax Department will not use fraud hotline numbers to contact taxpayers.
Residents, and especially seniors, in the county are urged to be on the lookout for signs of possible scam calls, such as the use of scare tactics to get you to share your personal and financial information. The obvious red flags are calls from imposters demanding payments in the form of iTunes gift cards and reloadable debit cards. Tax Department employees will not threaten a taxpayer’s failure to pay a tax debt; use email, text messages, or social media to request or discuss your personal or tax information; or demand payment of taxes without the option to question or appeal the amount owed.
Please report any suspicious contact you have with individuals claiming to be Tax Department employees, including any suspicious phone calls and voicemails received; text messages and emails requesting personal information; or interactions with Tax Department employees who do not seem legitimate. Scams can be reported by phone to 518-451-1566, by email to or through the Fraud, Scams and Identity Theft section on the tax department website at www.tax.ny.gov.
Visit Westchester Records Online (WRO) for Access Around the Clock
WHITE PLAINS, NY: Westchester County residents and businesses have always been able to call or visit the County Clerk’s Office for quick access to legal records. Twenty-four hour access to most legal records can be accomplished through the County Clerk’s Westchester Records Online (WRO) at https://wro.westchesterclerk.com. The savings in time, travel, and parking can be significant. “WRO allows users to perform fast, easy, and comprehensive online searches for County Clerk records such as judgments and business filings”, stated Westchester County Clerk Timothy C. Idoni.
What information is available online?
WRO has information on documents ranging from 18th century deeds to judgments entered by our Legal Division last week. WRO provides extensive information at no cost to search for the information you need.
What is the fee for viewing scanned images of documents?
Subscribers can pay an annual fee of $1,200 which provides access to all public images for a period of one year. Alternatively, subscribers can pay just $20 to have access to images for one day. There is no limit to the number of images viewed. Fees can be paid online using any major credit card.
Are all legal documents available online?
In most instances online users can obtain hardcopy legal files dating back to 2002. Please note, however, matrimonial cases are not public and therefore authorized parties must visit our office in person and provide identification to access such file. In addition, they can use one of the free public viewing terminals in the office to view the images of documents filed from 2002 to present.
The Legal Division in the Office of the Westchester County Clerk is located at 110 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., room 330 in White Plains and is open from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays. Visit our website www.westchesterclerk.com for more information or call (914)995-3071.
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