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New York · Western New York · Great Lakes · #91 Most Populous County in the US
Monroe County, New York
Home to Rochester - the birthplace of Kodak, Xerox, and Wegmans. New York's optical, imaging, and photonics capital on the south shore of Lake Ontario. Property tax, courts, public records, probate, and senior services for Monroe County residents.
Affiliate disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you use them, at no extra cost to you. Our editorial recommendations are independent of these relationships.
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Monroe County's assessment ratio means effective tax rates are low — but incorrect appraisals still cost money. Ownwell manages the appeal with no upfront cost.
Office: Monroe County Office of Emergency Management – Rochester, NY | Accredited by the New York State Emergency Management Association (NYSEMA) since February 2023, valid for five years
Services: Maintains the Monroe County Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan and hazard-specific annexes (hazardous materials, railroad, marine, aircraft, terrorism); administers the Monroe County Radiological Emergency Preparedness Plan for the Ginna Nuclear Power Plant.
Related: Monroe County 911 Center – 321 W. Main Street, Rochester, NY 14608, (585) 528-2200, one of the largest combined emergency services PSAPs in the country, handling over one million dispatches annually.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: I-490, I-390, and I-590 converge in Rochester, the county seat, on the shore of Lake Ontario
Transit: RTS (Rochester-Genesee Regional Transportation Authority) provides bus service throughout the county; Greater Rochester International Airport offers commercial air service; Rochester Amtrak station.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: City of Rochester Building Permits – accessible via cityofrochester.gov
Notes: Individual towns issue their own separate building permits outside city limits.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
County VSO: Monroe County Veterans Service Agency – Rochester, NY
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Central Library of Rochester & Monroe County – 115 South Ave, Rochester, NY 14604 | (585) 428-7300
Services: Serves as the central library for both the City of Rochester and Monroe County library systems, part of a multi-branch network including the Frederick Douglass Community Library and Phillis Wheatley Community Library, named for two of the city’s most significant historical residents.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Monroe County’s seat, Rochester, genuinely carries the nickname “The Flower City,” reflecting its 19th-century transformation into a national center for plant nurseries after its earlier flour-milling boom (“Flour City”) faded as wheat production shifted west; the city is genuinely one of the most historically significant centers of American social progressivism – abolitionist Frederick Douglass made Rochester his home for many years, publishing his influential newspaper “The North Star” there beginning in 1847, and women’s suffrage leader Susan B. Anthony was a lifelong Rochester resident whose home is preserved today as a National Historic Landmark; both are buried in the city’s Victorian-era Mount Hope Cemetery, alongside Rochester’s founder Nathaniel Rochester, and their graves – particularly Anthony’s – remain genuine sites of pilgrimage, especially on Election Day; Rochester also became a global center for photography and optics in the late 19th and 20th centuries, home to George Eastman, founder of the Eastman Kodak Company, whose 35,000-square-foot mansion is preserved as the George Eastman Museum, as well as Bausch & Lomb and Xerox, both founded or headquartered in the city
Notes: Rochester’s genuine status as home to Frederick Douglass and Susan B. Anthony during pivotal eras of the abolitionist and women’s suffrage movements, combined with its role as the birthplace of Eastman Kodak, makes Monroe County one of the most historically significant counties found anywhere in this project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Monroe County GIS – accessible via monroecounty.gov
Parcel Search: Monroe County Real Property Tax Service – Rochester, NY
Addressing/911: Coordinated through Monroe County Office of Emergency Management
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Facility: Lollypop Farm, the Humane Society of Greater Rochester – 99 Victor Rd, Fairport, NY 14450 | (585) 223-1330 | Hours: Mon–Fri 11 AM–5:30 PM, Sat–Sun 10 AM–4:30 PM
Services: Genuinely serving the Rochester area since 1873, the largest animal welfare organization in Greater Rochester; roughly 115 staff and 800+ volunteers care for around 10,000 animals annually; independent nonprofit receiving no government funding; offers Humane Law Enforcement, dog training, low-cost spay/neuter, pet-assisted therapy, and a save rate over 90% for cats and dogs; additional adoption center located at the Mall at Greece Ridge.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Environmental Complaints: NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) – dec.ny.gov
Notes: Contact your specific municipality directly for current refuse collection and recycling program details.
NOTES
Rochester, Monroe County’s seat, is genuinely the historic home of both Frederick Douglass and Susan B. Anthony, and the birthplace of Eastman Kodak. All contact information above was sourced from official county, city, library, and shelter pages as of this writing; phone numbers and hours should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit.
About Monroe County
Monroe County is the heart of the Rochester metropolitan area – a 1,367-square-mile county on the south shore of Lake Ontario containing Rochester (New York’s third-largest city), as well as the towns of Brighton, Penfield, Pittsford, Webster, Greece, Gates, Chili, Henrietta, Rush, Mendon, and Victor, plus the villages of Fairport, Brockport, and East Rochester. Rochester’s economic identity was forged by three companies: Eastman Kodak (film and imaging), Xerox (photocopying technology), and Bausch & Lomb (optical products) – each founded or headquartered in Rochester, each transformative to 20th-century technology. Today Rochester’s economy has diversified into optics and photonics (a global cluster), healthcare and life sciences (University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester Regional Health), higher education (University of Rochester, RIT, SUNY Brockport), and advanced manufacturing.
Monroe County government is led by an elected County Executive and a 29-member Legislature, with separately elected offices for the Sheriff, District Attorney, County Clerk, and Comptroller. New York State assessment is done at the municipal level – each of Monroe County’s cities and towns has its own assessor.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
New York property tax assessment in Monroe County is done at the municipal level – each city and town has its own elected or appointed assessor who determines assessed values. The Monroe County Real Property Tax Service (304 County Office Building, 39 W. Main Street, Rochester, 585-753-1125) supports local assessors, calculates tax rates, and provides technical assistance, but does not assess property directly.
New York State requires all properties in each municipality to be assessed at a uniform percentage of market value – the level of assessment (equalization rate) applies consistently within each jurisdiction. In some Monroe County municipalities, properties are assessed at 100% of full value; in others, at a lower uniform fraction. The state publishes equalization rates annually.
The appeal process – Grievance Day:
Assessment grievance in New York follows an annual calendar:
Step 1: Assess your property’s tentative assessment on the tentative assessment roll (typically available March 1 in most towns). Contact your local assessor with questions or to request an informal review.
Step 2: File a complaint with the local Board of Assessment Review (BAR) on or before Grievance Day – the fourth Tuesday in May. File in person or by mail; many municipalities also accept online filing. The BAR is an independent citizen board.
Step 3: If unsatisfied with the BAR decision, file with the Small Claims Assessment Review (SCAR) – available for owner-occupied one- to three-family residences with an assessed value of $150,000 or less (at 100% assessment). SCAR is heard before a state-appointed referee; filing fee is $30. This is one of the most accessible assessment review processes in New York.
Step 4: For larger or commercial properties, or if ineligible for SCAR, file a Tax Certiorari petition in Monroe County Supreme Court within 30 days of the BAR’s final determination (or within 30 days after the final assessment roll is filed).
Important: You must file a grievance with the BAR on Grievance Day to preserve your right to further appeals. Paying your tax bill – even under protest – does not substitute for filing a grievance.
Monroe County tax bill mechanics: Property owners who do not escrow their taxes receive bills at the beginning of the calendar year. Full payment is due by February 10, or pay in four installments in February, March, and April. Monroe County Treasury (585-753-1200) handles county-level billing; city and town tax collectors handle local bills.
Senior exemptions: New York’s Enhanced STAR (School Tax Relief) program provides significant school tax savings for homeowners 65 or older with income below the annually adjusted threshold. New York also offers a Senior Citizens Exemption (locally adopted) providing 50% reduction in assessed value for qualifying seniors – check with your local assessor for eligibility and deadlines (typically March 1). The Disability Exemption and Veterans Exemption are additional locally administered programs.
New York State imposes an estate tax above $7.16 million (2025, indexed annually) at rates up to 16%. New York has no state inheritance tax. The “cliff effect” in New York estate tax is a notable planning issue – if an estate exceeds the threshold by more than 5%, the entire estate (not just the excess) becomes taxable.
OWNWELL CTA: Monroe County Grievance Day is the fourth Tuesday in May – file with your local Board of Assessment Review by that date to preserve all further appeal rights. Each of Monroe County’s cities and towns has its own assessor and deadline. Ownwell manages the grievance process with no upfront cost.
Recommended
Monroe County Grievance Day is the fourth Tuesday in May - file with your local Board of Assessment Review by that date to preserve all further appeal rights. Each of Monroe County's cities and towns has its own assessor and deadline. Ownwell manages the grievance process with no upfront cost.
Courts & Legal
Courts & Legal
The Monroe County Supreme Court at 99 Exchange Blvd, Rochester (585-371-3850) handles major civil, criminal, and family matters. The Monroe County Surrogate’s Court at 99 Exchange Blvd, Rochester (585-371-3289) handles all probate – wills, estates, guardianships, trusts, and adoptions. The Monroe County Surrogate is an elected constitutional officer. The Monroe County Clerk at 39 W. Main Street, Rochester (585-753-1601) maintains all land records – deeds, mortgages, and recorded documents.
New York probate is governed by the Surrogate’s Court Procedure Act (SCPA). New York’s estate tax applies above $7.16 million (2025) at rates up to 16%, with the “cliff effect” making planning above and near the threshold particularly important. New York has no inheritance tax.
Senior Services: The Monroe County Office for the Aging (OFA) (585-753-6280) coordinates senior programming, home-delivered meals, transportation, EISEP (Expanded In-home Services for the Elderly Program), HIICAP (Medicare counseling), caregiver support, and Long-Term Care Ombudsman services. New York’s NHTD (Nursing Home Transition and Diversion) and TBI Medicaid waivers provide in-home care for qualifying seniors.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
39 W Main St, Rochester, NY 14614
(585) 753-1600
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Monroe County Surrogate’s Court, Rochester (probate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Monroe County genealogical society was confirmed in available directories.
Probate & Estate
Losing someone and having to deal with courts and paperwork at the same time is hard. This section won’t make that easier, but it should tell you what to expect, what it costs, and where to go – so at least you’re not walking in blind.
Where to go
Monroe County Surrogate’s Court Hall of Justice, 99 Exchange Boulevard, Room 541, Rochester, NY 14614 (585) 371-3310
Monroe County is in Western New York on Lake Ontario, seated in Rochester, one of New York’s most populous counties outside NYC.
Step 1: figure out which path applies
New York probate and estate administration is governed by the Surrogate’s Court Procedure Act (SCPA) and handled by the Surrogate’s Court in the county where the decedent was domiciled. New York has 62 counties, each with its own Surrogate’s Court.
Voluntary Administration / Small Estate Affidavit (SCPA Article 13) – available when the decedent’s PERSONAL property (not real property) has a gross value of $50,000 or less, excluding certain property automatically set aside for a surviving spouse or children under 21 (EPTL 5-3.1). Owning real property does NOT disqualify an estate from this process – only the personal property counts toward the $50,000 cap. The filing fee is just $1.00.
Probate – required when there’s a valid will and the estate exceeds the small-estate threshold or involves real property.
Administration – required when the decedent died intestate (no will); the Surrogate’s Court appoints an administrator following the statutory priority order under SCPA 1001.
Step 2: filing for probate or administration
File the will (if any) with the Surrogate’s Court in the county where the decedent was domiciled, along with a probate or administration petition.
The court issues Letters Testamentary (with a will) or Letters of Administration (without a will) to the appointed fiduciary.
The fiduciary notifies creditors and beneficiaries and inventories the estate’s assets.
Debts, expenses, and any required New York State Estate Tax are paid.
The fiduciary distributes the remaining assets according to the will or New York’s intestacy law and files a final accounting to close the estate.
What it costs
Voluntary Administration filing fee: $1.00.
Full probate/administration filing fees vary and generally scale with estate value.
UNIQUE TO NEW YORK: New York imposes its own separate state ESTATE TAX. For 2026, the New York basic exclusion amount is $7,350,000 – estates at or below that owe no state estate tax. New York has an unusual “cliff”: if the estate’s value exceeds the exclusion by more than 5% (over $7,717,500 in 2026), the ENTIRE estate becomes taxable from the first dollar. No portability between spouses. Rates range from about 3.06% to 16%.
New York has no separate state inheritance tax.
Probate filings, estate administration, and guardianship matters are handled by the following office(s):
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
130 Plymouth Ave, Rochester, NY 14614
(585) 753-4700
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
BOARD OF ELECTIONS
39 W Main St, Rochester, NY 14614
(585) 753-1550
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Public Health
111 Westfall Rd, Rochester, NY 14620
(585) 753-5000
Human Services
111 Westfall Rd, Rochester, NY 14620
(585) 753-6000
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Monroe County Department of Public Health – Rochester, NY
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