How to Find New York City Birth Records

United States US Vital Records  How to Find United States Births  New York  Vital Records  New York State Births  New York City Births

Looking for a birth record from New York City as part of your genealogy research? On January 1, 1898, the towns located in four counties (New York, Richmond, Queens, and Kings) were consolidated into the five boroughs of New York City (Brooklyn, the Bronx, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island). Prior to this time, New York City referred primarily to Manhattan. Records for the towns that became New York City do exist, many of which are held by New York City's Municipal Archives. Later records are held by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

According to New York State law, birth records for New York City are not filed with the state of New York. Learn how to find birth records outside New York City

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Next Step: When and where did the birth occur?

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 * Choose a borough and time period:


 * Manhattan:
 * Before 1847
 * 1847 thru 1849
 * 1850 thru 1852
 * 1853 thru 1897


 * Brooklyn:
 * Before 1866
 * 1866 thru 1897


 * Queens and Staten Island:
 * Before 1847
 * 1847 thru 1849
 * 1850 thru 1880
 * 1881 thru 1897


 * The Bronx:
 * All Years


 * All Boroughs:
 * 1898 thru 1909
 * 1910 thru 1965
 * After 1965
 * Birth year unknown


 * }

Births before 1847
Before 1847, no births were recorded by either the state of New York or by New York City. You will need to search substitute records to locate your ancestor’s birth date and place. Substitutes for birth record information:

Return to top: Choose another birth year

Births from 1847 thru 1849
In 1847, New York State passed a law requiring that doctors and midwives report births, marriages, and deaths to the trustees of local school districts. Due to the complexities of this law, it quickly fell into disfavor and few communities reported births after 1850 (with many discontinuing after the 1847-1848 year). Most records that exist for this time period have been collected by the New York City Municipal Archives.

PART A: You know the village, town, or city of birth

Try 1st: Most of the records for Manhattan as well as the towns in Kings, Queens, and Richmond counties have been microfilmed by FamilySearch. Search the Catalog for the name of village, town, or city and then order copies of the associated microfilm to your local FamilySearch Center.

Try 2nd: Order a copy of the birth record from New York City Municipal Archives.

If you do not want to order the birth record, you can search other records with birth information.

PART B: You do not know the village, town, or city of birth

If you do not know the village, town, or city of birth, learn more about the family using census, land, probate, and church records. Return to top: Choose another birth year

Births from 1850 thru 1852 (Manhattan)
After the failure of the 1847 law, no births were recorded in the towns comprising present-day New York City. For births in Manhattan between 1850 and 1852, in Brooklyn and the towns of Kings county before 1866, and in the towns of Queens and Richmond (Staten Island) Counties before 1881, try searching substitute records to locate your ancestor's birth date and place.

Return to top: Choose another birth year

Births from 1850 thru 1880 (Queens and Staten Island)
After the failure of the 1847 law, no births were recorded in the towns comprising present-day New York City. For births in Manhattan between 1850 and 1852, in Brooklyn and the towns of Kings county before 1866, and in the towns of Queens and Richmond (Staten Island) Counties before 1881, try searching substitute records to locate your ancestor's birth date and place.

Return to top: Choose another birth year

Births from 1853 thru 1897 (Manhattan)
Manhattan started keeping some birth records in 1853. In 1866, a more complete law was passed requiring that all births be recorded. Records from this time period have been microfilm by FamilySearch and the original records are held by the New York Municipal Archives.

STEP ONE: Find Birth Information
An online index for Manhattan births from 1880 thru 1897 does exist. Births from earlier time periods are available on microfilm. If you do not find your ancestor's birth or if you want order a copy of the certificate, contact the New York City Municipal Archives.

STEP TWO: Obtain the Certificate
PART A: You know the year and have a certificate number

With a year and a certificate number, you can either order a copy of the FamilySearch microfilm or order a copy of the birth record from the New York City Municipal Archives for a fee

See list of restrictions for ordering birth records

If you do not want to order the birth record, you can search other records with birth information.  

PART B: You don't know the year or have a certificate number 

If you do not know the exact year and certificate number, the New York City Municipal Archives will search for the record for a fee.

See list of restrictions for ordering birth records

If you do not want to order the birth record, you can search other records with birth information. Return to top: Choose another birth year

Births before 1866 (Brooklyn)
After the failure of the 1847 law, no births were recorded in the towns comprising present-day New York City. For births in Manhattan between 1850 and 1852, in Brooklyn and the towns of Kings county before 1866, and in the towns of Queens and Richmond (Staten Island) Counties before 1881, try searching substitute records to locate your ancestor's birth date and place.

Return to top: Choose another birth year

Births from 1866 thru 1897 (Brooklyn)
The city of Brooklyn started keeping birth records in 1866. At the time, the towns of Flatbush, Flatlands, Gravesend, New Lots, and New Utrecht were not a part of Brooklyn. These towns reported their births starting in 1881 (when New York State passed a law) to the New York State Department of Health until they were annexed by Brooklyn.

STEP ONE: Find Birth Information
An online index for Brooklyn births from 1880 thru 1897 does exist. Births from earlier time periods are available on microfilm. If you do not find your ancestor's birth or if you want order a copy of the certificate, contact the New York City Municipal Archives.

STEP TWO: Obtain the Certificate
PART A: You know the year and have a certificate number

With a year and a certificate number, you can either order a copy of the FamilySearch microfilm or order a copy of the birth record from the New York City Municipal Archives for a fee

See list of restrictions for ordering birth records

If you do not want to order the birth record, you can search other records with birth information.  

PART B: You don't know the year or have a certificate number 

If you do not know the exact year and certificate number, the New York City Municipal Archives will search for the record for a fee.

See list of restrictions for ordering birth records

If you do not want to order the birth record, you can search other records with birth information.

STEP ONE: Find Birth Information
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 (listed on the State Archives website) to search the index. If you do not find your ancestor's birth or if you want order a copy of the certificate, contact the New York City Municipal Archives.

STEP TWO: Obtain the Certificate
With an exact date (from your records or the index above), you can order a copy of the birth record for a fee from the following locations:

See list of restrictions for ordering birth records

If you do not want to order the birth record, you can search other records with birth information.   Return to top: Choose another birth year

Births from 1881 thru 1897 (Queens and Staten Island)
Prior to 1898, the towns in the counties of Queens (Queens Borough) and Richmond (Staten Island Borough) kept birth records according to New York State laws. Starting in 1881, New York required that village, town, and city clerks record births. After New York City consolidated in 1898, many of these records were sent to the New York City Municipal Archives.

STEP ONE: Find Birth Information
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 (listed on the State Archives website) to search the index. If you do not find your ancestor's birth or if you want order a copy of the certificate, contact the New York City Municipal Archives.

STEP TWO: Obtain the Certificate
With an exact date (from your records or the index above), you can order a copy of the birth record for a fee from the following locations:

See list of restrictions for ordering birth records

If you do not want to order the birth record, you can search other records with birth information.   Return to top: Choose another birth year

Births from 1898 thru 1909
After 1898, birth records for New York City are available from the New York City Municipal Archives and are organized by Borough. Record for this time period are also available on microfilm from FamilySearch.

STEP ONE: Find Birth Information
Many New York City births have been indexed in the following databases. If you do not find your ancestor's birth or if you want order a copy of the certificate, contact the New York City Municipal Archives.

STEP TWO: Obtain the Certificate
PART A: You know the borough and year and have a certificate number

With a year and a certificate number, you can either order a copy of the FamilySearch microfilm or order a copy of the birth record from the New York City Municipal Archives for a fee

See list of restrictions for ordering birth records

If you do not want to order the birth record, you can search other records with birth information.  

PART B: You don't know the borough and year and have a certificate number 

If you do not know the exact borough, year, and certificate number, the New York City Municipal Archives will search for the record for a fee.

See list of restrictions for ordering birth records

If you do not want to order the birth record, you can search other records with birth information.  Return to top: Choose another birth year

Births from 1910 thru 1965
Records after 1909 are held by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. An index for the 1910-1965 time period is available on microfilm from FamilySearch.

STEP ONE: Find Birth Information
Many New York City births from 1910-1965 have been indexed by FamilySearch. If you do not find your ancestor's birth or if you want order a copy of the certificate, contact the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

STEP TWO: Obtain the Certificate
Birth Certificates for this time period are held by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and can be ordered for a fee.

See list of restrictions for ordering birth records

If you do not want to order the birth record, you can search other records with birth information. Return to top: Choose another birth year

Births after 1965
Birth Certificates for this time period are held by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and can be ordered for a fee.

See list of restrictions for ordering birth records

If you do not want to order the birth record, you can search other records with birth information. Return to top: Choose another birth year

The Bronx
The Bronx did not exist as an independent borough prior to the consolidation of New York City in 1898 and did not exist as a separate county until 1914. In 1874, Manhattan annexed several towns from Westchester County located on the west side of the Bronx River. In 1895, Manhattan annexed the remaining area of present-day Bronx county. To locate birth records for towns locate in The Bronx:

Return to top: Choose another birth year
 * Before 1874
 * From 1874 thru 1894 (towns west side of the Bronx river, including Westchester, part of Eastchester, and part of Pellham)
 * From 1874 thru 1894 (towns east side of the Bronx river, including Kingsbridge, West Farms, and Morrisania)
 * From 1895 thru 1897

Restrictions for Obtaining Birth Records
To obtain a certified copy of the birth certificate for those born within the last 75 years, you must be:


 * The person named on the birth certificate
 * A parent of the person named on the birth certificate (requesting parent's name must be on birth certificate)
 * Spouse, child, or other person by order of a New York State Court

An uncertified copy of a birth certificate issued within the last seventy-five years is available to a direct-line descendant who provides


 * Proof of their relationship to the person whose birth certificate they are requesting
 * Proof of the death of the person whose birth certificate they are requesting