New And Expectant Parents
Parents receive a free birth certificate for newborns about four weeks after birth. Your baby’s birth certificate will be based on information you provide at the hospital when you deliver. It will be automatically mailed to the parents listed on the certificate.
At the hospital, you will be asked to fill out a Mother/Parent Worksheet . You can complete this ahead of time and bring it to the hospital or give it to your midwife. The worksheet collects important information and helps your baby get a Social Security Card.
Be careful when you fill out your babys full name and your mailing address. Correcting a birth certificate can cost money or even require a trip to court. A mistake in the mailing address can delay delivery.
An Acknowledgment of Parentage is a document that unmarried parents must both sign voluntarily to establish the child’s legal father/parent.
Certified copies of an Acknowledgment of Parentage are free of charge. Complete the New York State Acknowledgment of Parentage application and submit by mail or in person.
Two: Authentication By The County Clerk
The County Clerk must authenticate new York City issued Birth Certificate to be submitted for apostille or certificate of authentication. A birth certificate must bear a letter of exemplification .
Due to the volume of matters received, the County Clerk of New York County generally requires three to four weeks to process applications for authentication submitted by mail. Documents presented in proper form in person are processed immediately.
Who Is Eligible To Get A Copy Of A Pre
- An adoptee who is 18 years of age or older
- Direct Line Descendants – A Direct Line Descendant is a child, grandchild, or great grandchild, etc. of the adoptee
- A lawful representative of the adopted person
- A lawful representative of a deceased adopted persons Direct Line Descendant
What identification needs to be submitted by the applicant?
Application must be submitted with copies of either A or B:
New York State Department of HealthBureau of Vital Records, PAC UnitP.O. Box 2602
Walk-in Services ARE CANCELLED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE
Third Party Pickup
We do not encourage third party pickups. If you are unable to come to our office yourself, we recommend that you order your certificate by mail or via internet or telephone. More information about third party pickup.
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New York Vital Records Offices
Below you will find a complete list of all County Clerks and Health Department offices who can provide Birth Certificate copies in New York State. Note that County Recorder Offices may not be near you, although they can sometimes process the requests faster than the CDPH-VR.
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85 River Rock Drive Suite 301 Buffalo, NY 14207
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NYC Office of Vital Records125 Worth Street, CN4, Rm. 133 New York, NY 10013
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110 Dr.Martin Luther King Jr Blvd,White Plains, NY 10601
Short Form Birth Certificate Format

A short-form birth certificate contains almost all of the important information that is on a long-form birth certificate except it may not have signatures or detailed parents information on it depending on the state location.
With a birth certificate, you can use it for several purposes, for example, renew a drivers license registry at school, proves your American citizenship, proves your identity.
To see if your state accepts a short-form birth certificate as proof of identity or citizenship, you can contact your local governing body such as city hall.
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Who Is Eligible To Get A Copy Of A Birth Certificate
- The person named on the birth certificate.
- A parent of the person named on the birth certificate. The requesting parent’s name must be on the birth certificate.
- A spouse, child or others, but only by order of a New York State court.
What identification needs to be submitted by the applicant?
Application must be submitted with copies of either A or B:
Please submit a copy of your U.S. passport in addition to the above ID if you are applying from a foreign country that requires a passport for travel.
When To Use A Certified Copy Or A Photocopy
You will need to purchase a certified copy of the death certificate for tasks such as:
- Notifying the Social Security Administration and other government agencies
- Closing or transferring credit cards and bank accounts
- Claiming a persons life insurance or pension
You may only need a photocopy for other tasks, such as canceling a subscription. Check with the agency or organization handling each account.
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Us Birth Certificates Will Continue Operating During The Covid
Some government offices remain closed, or are only open for appointments, however online and mail applications are accepted as normal. This allows our vital records services to continue without interruption. Processing times have improved and most vital records offices are now operating as usual. Your vital record request will be processed and delivered as quickly as possible. We will keep you updated on any changes.
Legal Disclaimer: US Birth Certificates is a privately owned website that is not affiliated with, not owned or operated by any government agency. US Birth Certificates is an independent preparer that provides vital records application preparation assistance services. If you are looking for blank forms, you can get them for free at the relevant state office.
- Your mothers name or parents name prior to first marriage
- Your fathers name or parents name prior to first marriage
Before applying for a birth certificate, it is also essential that you know that there is more than one type of certificate. You can apply for either an authorized copy or an informational copy.
The difference between the two is as follows:
An if you wish to apply for a U.S. passport, get married, or get a drivers license. When registering a child in school, it is also necessary to provide an authorized copy of the certificate. If you need to prove your identity, you will need to apply for an authorized birth certificate.
Which Method Should You Choose
Two Ways to Get a Birth Certificate in New YorkThe Old-Fashioned Way:For birth certificates in New York City :online applicationone
- Drivers license or non-drivers ID from any U.S. state or territory
- U.S. or foreign passport
- Employee ID w/ photo, verifiable employer, & recent paystub
- Student ID and current transcript from accredited, verifiable institution
- Inmate photo ID w/ release papers
- MTA reduced-fare Metro Card
The document must be unexpired and bear your photo as well as your signatureFor New York state birth certificates outside NYC:ororandThe New Way:FastBirthCertificates.com
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About Vital Records From Ny State Vital Records
NEW YORK VITAL RECORDSThe New York State Division of Vital Records issues certified copies of New York birth certificates, New York death certificates, New York marriage records for events which occurred in the State of New York boroughs of New York City) and New Hyde Park. New York State Vital Records issues copies of New York divorce certificates for events that occurred anywhere in the State of New York, including New York City. You may order copies of New York Vital Records through VitalChek on an expedited basis.
NOTICE
Although VitalChek attempts to include accurate and up-to-date information on this site, state and agency information is subject to change without notice. VitalChek makes no representations or warranties as to the accuracy, completeness or timeliness of the information herein and assumes no liability with respect to such information.
Requesting A New York City Birth Certificate Through The Mail
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Divorce Decrees And Certificates
A divorce decree is an official document from the court that grants the termination of a marriage. It includes specific details of the divorce.
A divorce certificate is issued by a state vital records office. It shows that a divorce occurred but not all the same information as a divorce decree. You can save time and money by determining which document you need before requesting a copy.
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How To Create An Electronic Signature For The Trinidad And Tobago Birth Certificate Form From Your Smart Phone

Get birth paper appointment signed right from your smartphone using these six tips:
The whole procedure can take less than a minute. You can download the signed to your device or share it with other parties involved with a link or by email, as a result. Because of its cross-platform nature, signNow is compatible with any gadget and any operating system. Select our eSignature tool and leave behind the old days with efficiency, security and affordability.
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Getting The Birth Certificate By Telephone
New York State Birth Certificates
Those seeking New York birth certificates should begin with the state’s index to all birth certificates from 1881. Birth indexes are made available after 75 years, but not all indexes are entirely up to date, and may only go up to the mid-1930s. Another limitation to keep in mind is that not all births were reported in the earlier years of the index – compliance grew over time, and before 1913 was often incomplete in many areas.
The vital records chapter of our New York Family History Research Guide and Gazetteer goes into detail on when compliance started in every area of New York State, and how researchers should handle research in all areas and time periods.
Fortunately, the New York State Birth Index from 1881 – 1942 was recently added as a searchable database on Ancestry.com. Images are also available to browse for free on Internet Archive.
Again, these indexes do not cover several notable locations. New York City birth certificates have always been kept completely separate from vital records of other locations in New York State. See the New York City section of this guide for more information.
Additionally, New York State does not have birth records for Albany, Buffalo, or Yonkers before 1914. Click the name of each municipality to find out about obtaining vital records for your ancestors in these cities.
Once you have found the birth certificate number, you’re ready to request a copy.
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New York Birth Certificate Processing Times
To prevent any delays with the processing time of your New York State Birth Certificate make sure to fill in the application with accurate details. Remember that you must include a valid copy of an official photo ID such as your drivers license, military ID, work ID, or passport.
The New York Department of Health Office of Vital Statistics will generally take between 10-12 weeks to process your application from the moment it has been received. You can always pay an additional fee for the rush service if you need your vital record urgently .
New York City Department Of Health And Mental Hygiene: More Recent Birth And Death Certificates
More recent collections of birth and death certificates in New York City are maintained by the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene .
After a certain period of time, these records are transferred from DOHMH to the DORIS and stored at the Municipal Archives, where they can be accessed by any member of the public.
Currently, records are transferred to DORIS and made fully public on the following schedule:
- Birth Certificates: 125 years after the event
- Death Certificates: 75 years after the event
Researchers should note that this is a new rule that was passed relatively recently and took effect in 2019if youre interested, read more about our efforts to fight against it, and how we were able to secure an amendment to the rule.
Vital certificates that are still at the Department of Health can be accessed, but not by everyone.
Individuals with one of the following relationships to the subject of the certificate can obtain copies of birth records from DOHMH :
- Spouse/domestic partner
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New York Birth Certificate Cost
Anyone can apply for their New York State birth certificate at any time. When requesting a certified or an informational copy of a birth certificate, applicants must cover the cost of each copy they request. The fee for a certified copy of your birth certificate is $30 per copy.
If you require an extra copy or your New York State birth certificate, you may request them by paying the fee of $30 for each copy you need. Keep in mind the benefit of applying for a birth certificate online. You can obtain it without having to visit the vital records office not wait in long lines.
Ordering A New York State Birth Certificate By Mail
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Early New York City Vital Records
Where to look and what methods to use can vary depending on the county or borough you’re looking in, as well as the exact year.
If you’re looking for a birth, marriage, or death certificate from the early 1800s or before, a good place to start is Harry Macy’s detailed New York Knowledge Base guide to New York City vital records.
This guide provides comprehensive information on locating vital records in New Netherland, colonial New York, and in the five boroughs of New York City. His suggested repositories and record sets also include many vital record substitutes for periods and locations when official city copies are unavailable.