New York Vital Records
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Search free New York state vital records, including, birth, marriage and death records and information on how and where to obtain copies.
New York State Vital Records Online
Statewide New York State Vital Records
The following is a list of resources useful for locating New York Vital Records online.
- New York Marriage Licenses Previous To 1784 - Names Of Persons For Whom Marriage Licenses Were Issued By The Secretary Of The Province Of New York.
- American Marriage Records Before 1699 - This compilation contains the marriage records of many early colonists of New England, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, and the Carolinas. Its 12,000 recorded marriages constitute a directory of the earliest residents in America.
- 1847 - 1849 New York Vital Records - New York State enacted a law in 1847 to require school districts to record Vital Records including birth, marriage and death records within their districts. However, some areas completely ignored the law and others adhered to it, but generally did not keep complete records, even for the years that were recorded. Unfortinately this law was terminated in 1849.
- New York Mortality Schedules - were completed in the federal census records in 1850, 1860, 1870, and 1880. The New York State census records included mortality schedules in their 1855, 1865, and 1875 census records. In addition, New York State included veteran's mortality schedules in their 1865 state census records and marriage records in their 1865 and 1875 state census records.
- New York Church Records - are on of the richest sources for information on birth, marriage and death for the periods before the official registration of vital records in New York state.
U.S. Vital Records Collections That Include New York
- American Marriage Records Before 1699 - American Marriage Records Before 1699, edited and compiled by William Montgomery Clemens, editor of Genealogy Magazine.
New York Vital Records By County
- Albany County Vital Records
- Allegany County Vital Records
- Bronx County Vital Records
- Broome County Vital Records
- Cattaraugus County Vital Records
- Cayuga County Vital Records
- Charlotte County Vital Records
- Chautauqua County Vital Records
- Chemung County Vital Records
- Chenango County Vital Records
- Clinton County Vital Records
- Columbia County Vital Records
- Cortland County Vital Records
- Delaware County Vital Records
- Dutchess County Vital Records
- Erie County Vital Records
- Essex County Vital Records
- Franklin County Vital Records
- Fulton County Vital Records
- Genesee County Vital Records
- Greene County Vital Records
- Hamilton County Vital Records
- Herkimer County Vital Records
- Jefferson County Vital Records
- Kings County Vital Records
- Lewis County Vital Records
- Livingston County Vital Records
- Madison County Vital Records
- Monroe County Vital Records
- Montgomery County Vital Records
- Nassau County Vital Records
- New York County Vital Records
- Niagara County Vital Records
- Oneida County Vital Records
- Onondaga County Vital Records
- Ontario County Vital Records
- Orange County Vital Records
- Orleans County Vital Records
- Oswego County Vital Records
- Otsego County Vital Records
- Putnam County Vital Records
- Queens County Vital Records
- Rensselaer County Vital Records
- Richmond County Vital Records
- Rockland County Vital Records
- St. Lawrence County Vital Records
- Saratoga County Vital Records
- Schenectady County Vital Records
- Schoharie County Vital Records
- Schuyler County Vital Records
- Seneca County Vital Records
- Steuben County Vital Records
- Suffolk County Vital Records
- Sullivan County Vital Records
- Tioga County Vital Records
- Tompkins County Vital Records
- Tryon County Vital Records
- Ulster County Vital Records
- Warren County Vital Records
- Washington County Vital Records
- Wayne County Vital Records
- Westchester County Vital Records
- Wyoming County Vital Records
- Yates County Vital Records
New York Vital Records Books for Sale
- 10,000 Vital Records of Western New York, 1809-1850
- 10,000 Vital Records of Central New York, 1813-1850
- 10,000 Vital Records of Eastern New York, 1777-1834
- Index to Marriages and Deaths in the New York Herald, Volume I: 1835-1855
1880 - Current New York State Vital Records
The Vital Records Section of the New York State Department of Health files certificates for births and deaths that occur in New York State outside of New York City and for marriage licenses issued in New York State outside of New York City. 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.
New York State Vital Records Index
The official New York state vital records index is held on microfiche at select libraries in New York. According to state law this index cannot be copied. Therefore it cannot be put online and cannot be viewed out of state.
The New York State Vital Records Index may be viewed at the following libraries:
- New York State Archives - Cultural Education Center, Empire State Plaza, Albany 12230.
- National Archives - Northeast Region, 201 Varick Street, New York, NY 10014; telephone (212) 401-1620, email newyork.archives@nara.gov; website www.archives.gov/nyc/
- Rochester Public Library - 115 South Avenue, Rochester, NY 14604; telephone (585) 428-8440, website www3.libraryweb.org
- Onondaga County Public Library - 447 South Salina Street, Syracuse, NY 13202; telephone (315) 435-1900; website www.onlib.org
- Buffalo & Erie County Public Library - Grosvenor Room, 1 Lafayette Square, Buffalo, NY 14203; telephone (716) 858-8900; website www.buffalolib.org/
- Steele Memorial Library - 101 East Church Street, Elmira, NY 14901; telephone (607) 733-8603; website www.steele.lib.ny.us
- Crandall Public Library - Center for Folklife, History & Cultural Programs—251 Glen Street, Glens Falls, NY 12801; telephone (518) 792-6508; website www.crandalllibrary.org
- Patchogue-Medford Library - 54 E. Main Street, Patchogue, NY 11772; telephone (631) 654-4700; website www.pmlib.org
- Flower Memorial Library - 229 Washington Street, Watertown, NY 13601; telephone (315) 785-7705; website www.flowerlibrary.org
- Broome County Public Library - 185 Court Street, Binghamton, NY 13901; telephone (607) 778-6400; website www.bclibrary.info/index.html
What types of records are available from the New York State Department of Health for genealogy research?
Vital records registration started in New York State outside of New York City in 1881. Generally, the New York State Department of Health provides uncertified copies of the following types of records for genealogy research:
- Birth certificates - if on file for at least 75 years and the person whose name is on the birth certificate is known to be deceased.
- Death certificates - if on file for at least 50 years.
- Marriage certificates - if on file for at least 50 years and both spouses are known to be deceased.
Are there exceptions to the types of records generally available from the New York State Department of Health?
There are three (3) exceptions.
1. The New York State Department of Health does not file records of births and deaths that occurred in New York City and marriage licenses that were obtained in New York City. To obtain information about genealogy services available for New York City records, please visit the New York City Municipal Archives web page.
2. The New York State Department of Health does not file records of birth, death and marriage from the Cities of Albany, Buffalo and Yonkers prior to January 1, 1914. To obtain records from these municipalities contact the Local Registrar for birth and death record requests or the City Clerk for marriage record requests. The addresses follow:
For birth and death record requests submit request to the Local Registrar of the appropriate city:For marriage record requests submit request to the City Clerk of the appropriate city:
- Local Registrar
City of Albany
Room 254M
City Hall
Albany, NY 12207- Local Registrar
City of Buffalo
Room 1308
65 Niagara Square
Buffalo, NY 14202- Local Registrar
City of Yonkers
Room 107
City Hall
Yonkers, NY 10701
- City Clerk
City of Albany
Room 202
City Hall
Albany, NY 12207- City Clerk
City of Buffalo
Room 1308
65 Niagara Square
Buffalo, NY 14202- City Clerk
City of Yonkers
Room 107
City Hall
Yonkers, NY 107013. For the period 1881 through 1897 the New York State Department of Health does have records of birth for the City of New York boroughs of Queens and Richmond.
For more information please contact New York State Department of Health
County Marriage Records
From 1908–1935, county clerks kept copies of marriages filed with the town clerks and also sent copies to Albany. Some counties recorded marriages only to 1916 or 1926.