New York Death Certificates

Ordering New York Death Certificates Online

Order Death Certificates Here

General Information on Ordering New York Death Certificates

The Vital Records Section of the New York State Department of Health files certificates for births, deaths and marriages that occurred in New York State outside of New York City since 1881. Also on file are divorce records for all of New York State since 1963. The Vital Records Section provides qualified applicants with certified copies of the certificates associated with these events. Uncertified copies of older certificates are available for genealogy research.

Birth and Death records are also available from the Local Registrar of the municipality where the event occurred. Marriage records are available from the Town or City Clerk of the municipality where the Marriage License was issued. For further information about these services, please contact the appropriate office of the municipality involved. Telephone numbers are available from the local phone directory or telephone information.

The Vital Records Section operates the Adoption Information Registry. The Registry helps adoptees obtain available non-identifying information about their birth parents and enables the reunion of registered adoptees with their birth parents and biological siblings. Finally, the Registry provides a place for birth parents to file medical information updates which may be shared with registered adoptees.

Information for Genealogists

For assistance with your family history research, please do not contact the State of New York. Instead please refer to the following websites for help:

• New York Birth, Marriage and Death Records - online databases of primary records.

• New York Adoption Registry - for help with locating adoptees and birth families from New York.

• New York Obituaries - find obituaries from New York newspapers.

• Social Security Death Index - National database of deaths dating back to the 1940's.