N.Y. EXC Law § 161

§ 161. Certain searches, the filing of papers, and certified copies,\nordered by state officers to be gratuitous. 1. Each of the following\nofficers, to wit: the secretary of state, the comptroller, the\ncommissioner of taxation and finance, the attorney general, the public\nservice commission, the commissioner of agriculture and markets, the\ncommissioner of transportation, the industrial commissioner, the\nchairman of the state labor relations board, the chairman of the state\nliquor authority, the superintendent of financial services, the state\ncommissioner of human rights, the commissioner of general services and\nthe commissioner of housing and community renewal may require search to\nbe made, in the office of any of the others, or of a county clerk or of\nthe clerk of a court of record, for any record, document, or paper,\nwhere he or she deems it necessary for the discharge of his or her\nofficial duties, and a copy thereof, or extracts therefrom, to be made\nand officially certified or exemplified, without the payment of any fee\nor charge.\n 2. No salaried officer of any city, county, or court, of this state,\nor any public officer who is required by law to deposit the fees\ncollected in his office into any city or county treasury, shall be\nentitled to receive from said state officers, or from a division or\nbureau of said state officers, any fee for entering, filing, docketing,\nregistering or recording any paper, record or document required by law\nto be filed in the office of any such city, county, court, or public\nofficer, or for a certified copy, transcript or extract of any paper,\ndocument or record on file in such office which he deems necessary for\nthe discharge of his official duties, and every such officer must, upon\napplication therefor, furnish to said state officers, or a division or\nbureau of said state officers, for such official use, a certified copy,\nextract or transcript of any paper, record or document on file in such\noffice without the payment of the fee prescribed by law therefor; nor\nshall any court clerk demand or receive from any of said state officers,\nor from a division or bureau of said state officers, any trial or jury\nfee upon filing in any court in this state a note of issue or demand for\na jury trial.\n 3. Such salaried officer shall also furnish the services herein\nspecified to any state department or a bureau or agency thereof acting\nas an agent of the state in the acquisition of real property, without\nthe payment of any fee or charge.\n