Search Chemung County Arrest Records
Chemung County arrest records are managed by the Sheriff's Office, the County Clerk, and the court system based in Elmira. If you need to pull up a booking, check on a criminal case, or get copies of arrest files, each office has its own process. Chemung County is part of the 6th Judicial District in New York's Southern Tier region. State-level databases from the Division of Criminal Justice Services are available too. This page explains how to get arrest records in Chemung County and what to expect from each source.
Chemung County Overview
Chemung County Sheriff's Office Records
The Chemung County Sheriff's Office is at 203 William Street, Elmira, NY 14901. The main phone number is 607-737-2987. The Records Division is at extension 104. This office handles arrest records, incident reports, and booking data. For a copy of any record, you file a FOIL request.
FOIL is the Freedom of Information Law, found in Article 6 of the Public Officers Law, sections 84 through 90. Send your request in writing to the Records Access Officer. Include the person's full name, arrest date, and any case or report numbers. The Sheriff's Office has five business days to respond. Copies run $0.25 per page. The office also provides fingerprinting services for background checks and permits. Civil process services go through the Civil Division.
The Sheriff's Office runs around the clock for patrol and emergency calls. Administrative hours are Monday through Friday. For emergencies, call 911.
Chemung County Court Records
The Chemung County Clerk is at 210 Lake Street, Elmira, NY 14901. Phone is 607-737-2920. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. The Clerk's office maintains court records from Supreme Court and County Court cases. Felony arrest records that made it through the court system are on file here. You can search in person or submit a FOIL request for copies.
Chemung County Court is at 201 Lake Street, Elmira, NY 14901. The phone is 607-737-2910. Part of the 6th Judicial District, this court handles felony criminal cases and civil matters. Court records can be accessed through the County Clerk's office. The Office of Court Administration offers a Criminal History Record Search at $95 per name. It is name-based and requires an exact match on name and date of birth to pull results.
WebCrims shows pending criminal cases with future court dates. Guest access is free. Enter at least three letters of the last name and two of the first. Only open cases with scheduled dates appear in the results.
Note: Copy fees at the Chemung County Clerk are $0.25 per page under state law.
Chemung County District Attorney
The Chemung County DA's Office is at 226 Lake Street, Elmira, NY 14901. Phone is 607-737-2945. The DA reviews arrests and decides what charges to bring. For information on what happened after an arrest in Chemung County, the DA's office is the right place to ask. They work closely with the Sheriff's Office and local police departments on all criminal matters.
Victim services include referrals and court accompaniment. The DA participates in treatment and diversion programs for eligible defendants. Community outreach programs are also part of what the office does. FOIL requests go in writing during business hours, Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM.
State Resources for Chemung County
The DCJS is the only source of official state criminal history records. These are fingerprint-based. To get your own rap sheet, go to an IdentoGO location and submit prints. The cost is $50 to $65. Results come by mail. DCJS records cannot be obtained through FOIL. Only the named person, authorized agencies, and certain employers can access them.
CPL section 160.50 automatically seals arrests that end in dismissal or acquittal. The Clean Slate Act, effective November 2024, seals eligible misdemeanor convictions after 3 years and felonies after 8 years from sentence completion. Class A felonies and sex offenses do not qualify. Under CPL section 160.59, you can apply to seal up to two convictions after 10 years. The Attorney General's office has details on eligibility.
Search the DOCCS Inmate Lookup for people in state prison. The Sex Offender Registry is free to search by name, county, or ZIP code for Level 2 and Level 3 offenders.
Chemung County Jail and Inmate Data
The Chemung County Jail is at 203-209 William Street, Elmira, NY 14902. Phone is 607-737-2934. The Sheriff's Office operates the facility. It holds pre-trial detainees and sentenced inmates.
Visitation follows a set schedule. A photo ID is required for all visitors. Mail must include the inmate's full name and booking number. Bail information is available through the Sheriff's Office. If someone was arrested in Chemung County and later transferred to state prison, the DOCCS lookup is the tool to use. People arrested within the past 72 hours might still be in local police custody and not yet in the county system.
The screenshot above shows resources available through the Chemung County Sheriff's Office website for requesting arrest records and related documents.
Elmira Area Arrest Record Access
Elmira is the county seat and the center of government services in Chemung County. The courthouse, County Clerk, and DA are all located on Lake Street within a few blocks of each other. If you plan to search records in person, you can hit all three offices in one trip. Bring a photo ID. Street parking is available near the courthouse.
The Chemung County Clerk also handles land records, business certificates, notary public filings, and passport services. If you are already there for an arrest record search, you can take care of other county business at the same time. Online records search is available for some document types, but arrest records still need a formal FOIL request in most cases. The office is in the County Courthouse in downtown Elmira and follows state copy fee guidelines at $0.25 per page.
For anyone searching from outside the area, mail requests work fine. Put your FOIL request in writing and send it to the office that has the records you need. The Sheriff handles arrest and booking data. The Clerk holds court records. The DA has case files. Each office has its own Records Access Officer and must respond within five business days. If you get a denial, the agency has to explain why in writing and you have 30 days to appeal.
Nearby Counties
These counties neighbor Chemung County and maintain their own arrest record systems: