2017 New York Laws
CPL - Criminal Procedure
Part 2 - The Principal Proceedings
Title H - Preliminary Proceedings in Local Criminal Court
Article 100 - Commencement of Action in Local Criminal Courtor Youth Part of a Superior Cour T--Accusatory Instruments
100.05 - Commencement of Action; in General.

100.05 Commencement of action; in general.
* A  criminal  action  is  commenced  by  the  filing of an accusatory
  instrument with a criminal court, and if more than one  such  instrument
  is  filed  in  the  course  of  the  same  criminal  action, such action
  commences when the first of such instruments is filed. The only  way  in
  which  a  criminal action can be commenced in a superior court is by the
  filing therewith by a grand jury of an indictment  against  a  defendant
  who has never been held by a local criminal court for the action of such
  grand  jury  with  respect  to  any charge contained in such indictment.
  Otherwise, a criminal action can be commenced only in a  local  criminal
  court,  by  the  filing  therewith  of a local criminal court accusatory
  instrument, namely:
* NB Effective until October 1, 2018
* A criminal action is  commenced  by  the  filing  of  an  accusatory
  instrument with a criminal court, or, in the case of a juvenile offender
  or  adolescent  offender, other than an adolescent offender charged with
  only a violation or traffic infraction, the youth part of  the  superior
  court,  and  if  more than one such instrument is filed in the course of
  the same criminal action, such action commences when the first  of  such
  instruments  is  filed.  The  only way in which a criminal action can be
  commenced in a superior court, other than a criminal  action  against  a
  juvenile offender or adolescent offender is by the filing therewith by a
  grand  jury of an indictment against a defendant who has never been held
  by a local criminal court for the action of such grand jury with respect
  to any charge contained in such indictment. Otherwise, a criminal action
  can be commenced only in a local criminal court, by the filing therewith
  of a local criminal court accusatory instrument, namely:
* NB Effective October 1, 2018; see ch. 59/2017 Pt. WWW  106 sb b for
  further contingencies for 10/1/2019
1. An information; or
2. A simplified information; or
3. A prosecutor's information; or
4. A misdemeanor complaint; or
5. A felony complaint.