Search Buffalo Jail Mugshots
Buffalo jail mugshots are booked at the Erie County Holding Center in downtown Buffalo. The Buffalo Police Department makes arrests across the city, and all bookings flow through the county jail system. Buffalo is the second largest city in New York with close to 280,000 people. Erie County runs the jail and keeps all booking records. The sheriff's office maintains mugshots, charge sheets, and custody status for each person booked. You can check the online inmate roster or file a FOIL request for past records.
Buffalo Overview
Erie County Handles Buffalo Jail Mugshots
The Erie County Sheriff's Office operates two jail facilities that process Buffalo arrests. The main Holding Center is at 10 Delaware Avenue in downtown Buffalo, just blocks from City Hall. Staff there handle intake, take the mugshot, and log all charges. The second facility is the Erie County Correctional Facility at 11581 Walden Avenue in Alden, which holds sentenced inmates.
Buffalo is the county seat and by far the largest city in Erie County. It accounts for a big share of all bookings at the Holding Center. The county also processes arrests from Amherst, Cheektowaga, Tonawanda, Hamburg, and dozens of smaller towns. All of these flow through the same county jail system.
| Holding Center | 10 Delaware Ave, Buffalo, NY 14202 Phone: (716) 858-7638 |
|---|---|
| Sheriff | erie.gov/sheriff |
| Inmate Roster | erie.gov/sheriff/inmate-in-custody |
| Buffalo Police | 74 Franklin St, Buffalo, NY 14202 Phone: (716) 851-4444 |
The Erie County Sheriff posts an inmate roster at erie.gov/sheriff/inmate-in-custody. This list shows people currently in custody with booking info and charges. It is the fastest way to check on recent Buffalo arrests.
How to Search Buffalo Jail Mugshots
Start with the Erie County inmate roster. Go to erie.gov/sheriff/inmate-in-custody and look up the person by name. The system shows current inmates at both the Holding Center and the Correctional Facility. You can see charges, booking date, and bond info.
If the person is no longer in custody, the online roster will not show them. For past bookings, you need to file a records request. Call the Erie County Sheriff at (716) 858-7638 or submit a FOIL request. The Buffalo Police Department at (716) 851-4444 keeps separate arrest reports for incidents in the city.
Buffalo City Court at buffalony.gov/city-court handles arraignments and misdemeanors. Court records can fill in gaps when jail records are limited. For people sent to state prison, use the DOCCS lookup at nysdoccslookup.doccs.ny.gov to find them in the state system.
The Commission of Correction keeps a directory of all county jails in New York. The NYS DCJS handles state-level criminal history checks if you need a broader search.
Buffalo Police Department
The Buffalo Police Department is headquartered at 74 Franklin Street. It is the main law enforcement agency for the city. The department handles all patrol, investigation, and arrest activity within Buffalo's borders. Once an arrest is made, the person is transported to the Erie County Holding Center for booking.
For police records from Buffalo incidents, contact the department through their website at buffalony.gov/police-department or call (716) 851-4444. The police keep arrest reports and incident records. These are separate from the jail mugshots held by the sheriff. If you want the booking photo, go through Erie County. If you want the arrest details, go through Buffalo PD.
Buffalo PD also works with the Erie Crime Analysis Center and shares data across agencies in western New York. The city sees a steady volume of arrests that feed into the county jail system throughout the year.
FOIL Requests for Buffalo Jail Mugshots
New York's Freedom of Information Law lets anyone request jail mugshots. FOIL is part of Public Officers Law Article 6. You do not need to give a reason for your request.
Buffalo has a records office that handles FOIL at buffalony.gov/Records-Management for city police records. For jail mugshots from the county facility, send your FOIL request to the Erie County Sheriff using their form at erie.gov/foil. Include the full name of the person, the approximate date of arrest, and what records you need.
Agencies must respond within five business days. Mugshots are generally public in New York. If your request is denied, they must cite a specific legal reason. You can appeal to the agency head and then to the state Committee on Open Government.
Buffalo Jail Mugshots Online Access
The image below shows the Erie County Sheriff's website. Buffalo arrests are processed at the Erie County Holding Center downtown. The sheriff posts a current inmate roster online.
Erie County is the largest county in western New York. The Holding Center at 10 Delaware Avenue processes bookings from Buffalo and surrounding communities. The Correctional Facility in Alden holds sentenced inmates serving county time.
Legal Framework for Jail Mugshots in Buffalo
NY Correction Law Section 9 requires every county jail to keep records on people in custody. This covers booking photos, personal data, and charge details. The Erie County Holding Center follows this law for every Buffalo arrest that results in a jail booking.
Correction Law Section 752 limits how criminal records can be used in certain contexts. It does not block public access to jail mugshots, but it affects how some agencies process release requests. FOIL remains the primary legal tool for getting booking photos from the Erie County Sheriff or the Buffalo Police Department.
Erie County Jail Mugshots
Buffalo is the county seat of Erie County. All city bookings go through the Erie County Holding Center. For full details on the county jail system and how to access records, visit the Erie County page.
Nearby Cities
These cities are near Buffalo in the western New York region.