NY · State vital records

New York Vital Records

Official birth, death, and marriage certificate request information for New York, with a directory of all 62 counties and county-equivalents.

How New York issues vital records

Statewide vital records in New York are administered by the New York State Department of Health, Vital Records Section. The office maintains certified records of births and deaths from approximately 1881 onward and is the primary issuing authority for certified copies of those records anywhere in the state. New York State (excluding New York City) vital records since 1881. New York City records — Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, Staten Island — are kept by the NYC Department of Health and the NYC City Clerk.

For events that pre-date statewide registration, or for marriage records in jurisdictions where the state office only maintains verifications, the official custodian is generally the county clerk, probate judge, register of deeds, or court that originally recorded the event. Use the county directory below to identify the right office for your request, then follow the certificate-specific guides for the documentation each county will require.

Fees and what to expect

  • Certified birth certificate: $30.00 per copy at the state office.
  • Certified death certificate: $30.00 per copy at the state office.
  • Certified marriage certificate: $30.00 per copy at the state office (county-issued copies may carry a separate fee).

Most counties in New York accept requests in person, by mail, and increasingly online through a state-approved third-party processor. Mail-in requests typically include a completed application, a legible photocopy of a government-issued photo ID, the applicable fee paid by check or money order, and a self-addressed stamped return envelope. Counties may add their own service charge on top of the state base fee and may require notarized identification for restricted records.

Eligibility for restricted records

Birth and death records in New York are not public during the restricted-access window that applies to most U.S. vital records. Certified copies are released only to the registrant, an immediate family member, a legal guardian, the surviving spouse, an executor or administrator of an estate, or an attorney representing one of the above. Genealogy researchers may obtain non-certified informational copies once a record is old enough to leave the restricted window, typically 75 years for births and 25–50 years for deaths depending on jurisdiction.

Browse counties in New York

The directory below lists every county and county-equivalent in New York recognized by the U.S. Census Bureau in its 2020 county codes file. Click through to a county for its certified copy request page, broken down by certificate type.