Quick And Easy Certificates
Ordering a vital certificate through our secure online ordering service is quick and easy. We also provide expert assistance and thorough review of all pertinent information to ensure compliance with government rules and regulations resulting in you receiving your certificate without additional delays. Both first time applying and replacement NY birth certificates are available to order. How to get a birth certificate from New York? Simply click Order My Certificate Now to start your order.
MyVitalCertificates.org prides ourselves on exceptional customer service and expertise to make the process of obtaining your vital certificate quick and easy. We know exactly where, how and what to submit in order to obtain that vital certificate or certificate without error, minimizing the chance that your application will be rejected.
State Processing
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New York State Death Certificates
To find a death certificate, researchers should begin by searching New York State’s index to all deaths beginning in 1880. Death indexes are made available after 50 years.
The NYG& B eLibrary contains images of the New York State Death Index, and images can also be found at Internet Archive.
The images in these collections are not searchable, but they are easy to browse by year, though the image quality of some years makes it difficult to read certain images.
Ancestry.com has a searchable database that also contains the same images as the collections above.
For more recent deaths, researchers should use New York State’s Interactive Ancestry/Genealogical Research Death Index, which begins with 1957 and contains deaths up to the current legal limit .
Again, these indexes do not cover several notable locations. New York City death records 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 death 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 death certificate number, you’re ready to request a copy.
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 .
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Getting The Birth Certificate By Telephone
Born In New York State But Not In Nyc

To change the name of someone born in New York State, but outside NYC) you will have to bring an original or certified copy of the birth certificate to Court. You can get a certified copy of the birth certificate over the internet, by phone or by mail from the New York State Department of Health Vital Records section. If no birth certificate exists, bring a certificate from the Commissioner of the local Board of Health saying that no birth certificate is available.
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Are There Exceptions To The Types Of Records Generally Available From The New York State Department Of Health
There are three exceptions.
New York Vital Records: Key Facts
There are a couple of crucial facts all researchers should know about locating vital records in New York State.
Fact #1: New York State did not require local governments to report births, marriages, and deaths until 1880.
The history of New York State vital record-keeping is complex and convoluted. For the most part, New York State did not force local governments to track birth, marriage, and death events until the 1880seven after that, many smaller municipalities were not stellar in their compliance.
If you’re looking for a birth, marriage, or death record prior to 1880, you should check with local records offices first, but you may need to ultimately seek a vital record substitute.
Fact #2: Where you look for a vital record will change depending on the year and location of the event you’re investigating.
New York vital records are not all stored in the same location or by the same authority. You will need to investigate sets of vital records in Albany, New York City, or other locations depending on the time period of the event you’re investigating.
This guide includes the following sections:
For an even more comprehensive overview of New York State vital records, see the NYG& B Guide to Birth, Marriage & Death Records available in print in our online store.
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Documents Required To Order A Birth Certificate Online
In order to complete the online application, the Health Department requires applicants to prove their identity by including a photocopy of their ID. It varies depending on the state, but commonly people can use the drivers license or a state ID.Check the acceptable IDs of the state you need your vital record here.
If you have lost all your IDs,we prepare a quick guide to know what to do in those cases.
Where To Get A Birth Certificate In New York
You can get a certified copy of your birth certificate online or by visiting the birth certificate office where the person on record was born. Ordering your birth certificate online is the easiest way to order birth records.
You might be asking yourself, Are there any vital records offices who can provide me with a birth certificate near me? You will find the answer of that question inthe first vital records office public database online.
Note: Due to the spread of the COVID-19, some vital record agencies are closed or they are only processing by mail or online applications.Check the current status here.
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Requesting A New York City Birth Certificate In Person
Introduction To New York Birth Marriage And Death Records
Official birth, marriage, and death recordsalso called vital recordsare crucial family history sources that every researcher should seek.
These deep and rich sources can provide names, relationships, locations, dates of events, and other essential details about your family.
Many states in the U.S. have well-organized and complete collections of vital recordsbut not New York!
For many reasons, finding vital records in New York State can be confusing and challenging. The purpose of this guide is to help clarify:
- Where to look for vital records, which depends on the time and place of the event
- How to find the vital record certificate number
- How to locate or request a copy of the vital record
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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
What Is A Certified Birth Certificate

A certified copy of a birth certificate is a legal document that people can use as identification proof. It is totally different from the certificate of live birth. A certified copy can be used to apply for the first drivers licenses, social security cards, passports, visas, marriage certificates, death certificates, genealogy and many other crucial documents and services in the United States.
Real ID deadline update to October 1st of 2021.Read the complete article.
To order a copy of your lost birth certificate, the vital statistics office will require the following information to fill the application:
- Birth information of the person in record.
- Information about the parents of the person in record.
- Name and contact information of the person filing the application.
If there is no father on your birth certificate,you can check this article to see what it means.
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Certified Copies Of Birth And Death Records
For important information about what records are available and who is eligible to receive copies of records, visit the following:
Genealogy copies are not available for same day pick up at the Vital Records Office. However, we can accept your payment and application at the counter. Your record will be mailed to you when the research has been completed.
Death Of A Us Citizen Abroad: How To Get Death Records
When a U.S. citizen dies in another country, the U.S. embassy or consulate should get a death certificate or notification from the foreign government. It will then issue a Consular Report of Death Abroad . Use the CRDA in the U.S. as proof of death for closing accounts and handling legal tasks.
- You can get up to 20 certified copies at the time of death for free.
- Order more copies of the CRDA from the State Department.
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Mailing Certificate To A Po Box Or Third Party
If the applicants return address is a Post Office Box, with no street address, or the return address is to a third party, notarized signed consent of the person named on the birth certificate or other person eligible to obtain the copy is required.
Births From 1851 Thru 1880
Try: |
New York, Church and Civil Births and Baptisms, 1704-1962 | FREE at FamilySearch.org. Index and images. |
Starting in 1881, New York required that village, town, and city clerks record births. Copies of these births were then filed with the State Department of Health. Due to earlier city laws, births recorded in Albany, Buffalo, and Yonkers were not copied to the State between 1881 and 1914.
Births in New York State
STEP ONE – Search the Index
The New York Archives as well as nine other repositories in New York hold copies of microfiche indexes to birth certificates. Contact one of these ten repositories to search the index.
STEP TWO – Obtain the Certificate
With an exact date , you can order a copy of the birth record for a fee from the following locations:
To Order Birth Certificates |
New York, Church and Civil Births and Baptisms, 1704-1962 | FREE at FamilySearch.org. Index and images. |
After 1914, copies of all birth records were filed with the New York Department of Health. Copies can be obtained either through the village, town, or city clerk where the birth took place or by contacting the Department of Health.
STEP ONE – Search the Index
The New York Archives as well as nine other repositories in New York hold copies of microfiche indexes to birth certificates. Contact one of these ten repositories to search the index.
STEP TWO – Obtain the Certificate
With an exact date , you can order a copy of the birth record for a fee from the following locations:
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Do You Need An Attorney To File An Article 78 Proceeding
No, but Article 78 proceedings are usually filed by attorneys so it may be difficult to file the papers you need by yourself. You can do an Article 78 proceeding on your own, but we strongly recommend you hire us to help.
Genealogy copies
Without a court order, New York State only issues genealogy copies of deceased individuals birth certificates. Additionally, genealogy copies cannot be apostilled. As a consequence, Italy will not accept genealogy copies.
Therefore, if you need a certified copy of a restricted record, you must obtain a court order. Do not trust any service provider that promises they can obtain such a birth certificate without a court order.
New York State vs. NYC
New York State has some of the most restrictive laws in the nation regarding vital records. However, the five boroughs of New York City are more lenient. Therefore, if your documents are from New York City you most likely will not need a court order.
If your documents are from New York City, you have an easier time. When you require the birth certificate of a deceased individual, you do not need a court order. Simply provide a copy of the death certificate when making the request.
New York City Birth Certificate Cost
The advantage of applying for a birth certificate online, is that you can do it at any time. If you need to obtain a certified or an informational copy of a birth certificate, you will need to pay a fee for each copy you request. The fee for a certified copy of your birth certificate in New York City is $15 per copy.
If you require more than one certified copy of an New York City birth certificate, you may request them by paying the fee of $15 for each extra copy you need.
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Government Issued Vital Certificates
A certified New York Birth Certificate can typically be used for travel, passport, proof of citizenship, social security, driver’s license, school registration, personal identification and other legal purposes.
A certified New York Death Record can typically be used to obtain death benefits, claim insurance proceeds, notify social security and other legal purposes.
A certified New York Divorce Certificate can typically be used as proof of divorce and other legal purposes.