New York Vital Records

Records of Births and Deaths
Statewide registration of vital statistics began in 1880 and was usually complied with by 1890 for deaths and by 1915 for births. In some areas of Long Island and the lower Hudson Valley, some births, marriages, and deaths were recorded in town records as early as about 1665. For example, Amenia, Dutchess County, has vital records beginning in 1749.

Births, marriages, and deaths were also recorded for a short time in most counties from 1847 to about 1850. The state legislature passed a law in 1847 requiring school district clerks to send information to the Secretary of State. The law was difficult to enforce, and most school districts stopped doing this by 1852. Historical societies have some of these records, but most are still in the possession of town and county clerks. The very few 1847–1850 vital records that were once on deposit in the New York State Archives have been returned to the towns that deposited them at the archives.

Some cities had pre-1880 registration, such as :

You can learn more about the history and availability of vital records in Guide to Public Vital Statistics Records in New York State (Including New York City), three Volumes. (Albany, New York: Historical Records Survey, 1942; Family History Library book 974.7 V23h; film 928101; fiche 6046676). The Family History Library has vital records for a few counties, mostly from 1847–1850 and marriages from 1908 to the 1930s.

Births and deaths are recorded in the town, village, or city where the event took place. A copy is sent to the New York Bureau of Vital Statistics. If you know the birth or death place, write to the town, village, or city clerk to obtain a copy of the certificate or record. A microfiche index to births 1881–1918 and deaths 1880–1943 is available for public use at the state archives. The indexes do not cover New York City. The archives will search and abstract the indexes for a fee. You can obtain births and deaths since 1880 (except New York City) for a fee by writing to:

New York State Department of Health Bureau of Vital Records Empire State Plaza, Tower Building Albany, New York 12237-0023 Telephone: 518-474-3077 or 518-474-3030 Internet: http://www.health.state.ny.us/vital_records/

There is a 50-year restriction on death records and a 75-year restriction on birth records. The state fees and restrictions apply also to records held by the local clerks.

Birth and death records for Albany, Buffalo, and Yonkers to 1914 are filed with local registrars, and the state restrictions apply.

Albany births and deaths 1848, births 1866 to the present, and deaths 1870 to the present can be obtained for a fee from:

Registrar of Vital Statistics City Hall, Room 107 24 Eagle Street Albany, NY 12207 Internet: http://www.health.state.ny.us/vital_records/mailrequests.htm

Buffalo births 1878–1914, and deaths 1852–1914, can be obtained for a fee from:

Bureau of Vital Statistics City Hall, Room 613 Niagara Square Buffalo, NY 14202 Telephone: 716-851-5848 Internet: http://www.buffaloresearch.com/vital.html

Yonkers births and deaths 1875 to the present can be obtained for a fee from:

Registrar of Vital Statistics City Hall Yonkers, NY 10701 Telephone: 914-964-3066 Internet: http://www.rootsweb.com/~nysuffol/vroi.html

New York City. The New York City counties of Kings, Queens, Richmond, and New York were established in 1683. The Bronx was made a separate borough when the five boroughs were created in 1898, and in 1914 it was made a separate county as well. Between 1898 and 1914 the Bronx was part of New York County but not part of the Borough of Manhattan. Vital records may be listed in the Family History Library Catalog Place Search under the borough (for example, NEW YORK, KINGS, BROOKLYN - VITAL RECORDS), or they may be under NEW YORK, NEW YORK (CITY) - VITAL RECORDS.

Birth Records
The Family History Library has microfilms of some New York City births to 1909, deaths to 1919, and indexes to both to 1965. The New York Public Library has the indexes to the present, but it does not search them in response to mail or telephone inquiries. Birth records to 1909 and death records to 1948 for the five boroughs of New York City are at the New York City Municipal Archives. Microfilms at the Family History Library include:

Brooklyn (Kings County)
Births 1847–1851, 1880–1895 (years vary) for the towns of Flatbush, Flatlands, Gravesend, New Lots, and New Utrecht are found in the Family History Library Catalog Locality Search under NEW YORK, KINGS, [TOWN] - VITAL RECORDS.

Queens (Queens County)
Births 1847–1898 (years vary) for the towns of College Point, Far Rockaway, Flushing, Jamaica, Long Island City, Newtown, Richmond Hill, Rockaway, and Whitestone are listed in the Family History Library Catalog Place Search under NEW YORK, QUEENS, [TOWN] - VITAL RECORDS

Staten Island (Richmond County)
Births 1847–1853, 1881–1897 (years vary) for the towns of Castleton, Edgewater, Middletown, Northfield, Port Richmond, Southfield, Tottenville, and Westfield are listed in the Family History Library Catalog Place Search under NEW YORK, RICHMOND, [TOWN] - VITAL RECORDS

Brooklyn (Kings County)

 * Deaths 1847–1851, 1880–1895 (years vary) for the towns of Flatbush, Flatlands, Gravesend, New Lots, and New Utrecht are found in the Family History Library Catalog Place Search under NEW YORK, KINGS, [TOWN] - VITAL RECORDS

Queens (Queens County)
Deaths 1847–1898 (years vary) for the towns of College Point, Far Rockaway, Flushing, Jamaica, Long Island City, Newtown, Richmond Hill, Rockaway, and Whitestone are listed in the Family History Library Catalog Place Search under NEW YORK, QUEENS, [TOWN] - VITAL RECORDS

Staten Island (Richmond County)
Deaths 1847–1853, 1881–1897 (years vary) for the towns of Castleton, Edgewater, Middletown, Northfield, Port Richmond, Southfield, Tottenville, and Westfield are listed in the Family History Library Catalog Place Search under NEW YORK, RICHMOND, [TOWN] - VITAL RECORDS.

You can obtain New York City birth (1910 to the present) and death (1949 to the present) certificates for a fee from:

New York City Department of Health Bureau of Vital Records 125 Worth Street, Room 133 New York, NY 10013-0046 Telephone: 212-788-4500 Internet: http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/vr/vr.shtml

Mailing Address: Division of Vital Records City of New York, Department of Health P.O. Box 3776 Church Street Station New York, NY 10007

For birth records through 1909 and death records through 1948, write to:

New York City Department of Records and Information Services Municipal Archives 31 Chambers Street, Room 103 New York, NY 10007 Telephone: 212-788-8580 or 212-566-5292 Fax: 212-385-4253 Internet: http://www.nyc.gov/html/records/html/about/archives.shtml

New York City Birth and Death Records are available using a credit card. Write to the New York City Department of Health, 125 Worth Street, New York, NY 10013. A "Hotline" telephone number, 212-788-4505, is available for information and for ordering birth and death certificates using a credit card. You can order birth records from 1910 to the present or death records from 1949 to the present. Using a credit card the cost is $15.00. Five to seven business days are required for delivery. You can also order by sending a fax of the application to 212-962-6105. They can fax a copy of the application to your fax machine. The fee is also $15.00. Five to seven business days are required for delivery.

The records are not available for genealogical purposes and are subject to certain other restrictions.

All other local registrars sent copies of their records to the State Department of Health. Most New York deaths after 1962 are in the Social Security Death Index.

Kronman, Barbara. The Guide to New York City Public Records, Fourth Edition. New York, New York: Public Interest Clearinghouse, 1992. (Family History Library book 974.71 A3k.) Includes chapters on city government, courts, libraries, and personal information. Shows how to obtain vital records, name change records, and naturalizations.

Provincial Marriage Licenses
Marriages in colonial times were initiated either by publishing the banns in church on three successive Sundays or by obtaining a civil marriage bond and license. The Prerogative Court granted marriage licenses between 1753 and 1783. Most people published the banns since buying a license could cost a month's wages.

Marriage bonds, 1753–1783, that were recorded at the Secretary of State's Office in Albany appear in New York Marriages Previous to 1784 (1860; reprint, Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1984; Family History Library book 974.7 V28n 1968; film 514675 has the 1860 edition). The book lists names of brides and grooms, date of the bond (not the marriage), bond volume, and page numbers. Many marriage bonds were destroyed in a fire in 1911. Those that survived are at the state archives. The full data from these remaining bonds is transcribed in Kenneth Scott's New York Marriage Bonds, 1753–1783 (New York, New York: St. Nicholas Society of the City of New York, 1972; not at Family History Library).

About 152,000 individuals are indexed in Marriage Index: Selected Areas of New York, 1639–1916 ([Novato, California]: Brøderbund Software, 1996; Family History Library compact disc number 9 part 401 [does not circulate to Family History Centers]). These marriages were originally indexed by Knshp publishers. The index is especially good for the years prior to 1810 and in the Hudson and Mohawk valleys from 1810–1899.

County Marriage Records
New York is one of the few states that does not have county marriage records dating back to the time when each county was formed. From 1908–1935, county clerks kept copies of marriages filed with the town clerks and also sent copies to Albany. Some counties, though, recorded marriages only to 1916 or 1926. The Family History Library has county marriage records on microfilm for all upstate counties except Albany, Dutchess, and Erie.

Town and State Marriage Records
Town and city clerks generally began registering marriages in 1881. Copies are sent to the state capital in Albany. Between 1847 and about 1850, before the state began registering vital statistics, some marriages were recorded by justices of the peace, and some were recorded by school districts. Some justice of the peace registers have been published in the periodicals Tree Talks and The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record.

If you know where a marriage took place, you can write to the town, village, or city clerk to request a copy of the certificate or record. A microfiche index to marriages, 1881–1943, is available for public use at the New York State Archives. This index does not include New York City. The archives will search and abstract the index for a fee. If you do not know the exact place of marriage and are willing to wait six or seven months for a reply, you can get marriage records (including those from Albany, Buffalo, and Yonkers, 1908 to the present) for a fee by writing to the State Department of Health.

There is a 75-year restriction on marriage information needed for genealogical purposes. The state fees and restrictions apply when obtaining records from the village, town, and city clerks. For more information, go to http://www.health.state.ny.us/vital_records/genealogy.htm

For marriage records for Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Richmond through 1937, write:

New York City Department of Records and Information Services Municipal Archives 31 Chambers Street, Room 103 New York, NY 10007 Telephone: 212-788-8580 or 212-566-5292 Fax: 212-385-4253 Internet: http://www.nyc.gov/html/records/html/about/archives.shtml

Pre-1938 New York City marriages, some as early as 1830, are found at the Municipal Archives. The Family History Library has microfilmed marriages of:

Staten Island (Richmond County)
The Family History Library has not filmed the city marriages of Albany, Buffalo, or Yonkers. Albany city marriages 1848 and 1870–1917 and county marriages 1908–1936 are available at:

Albany County Hall of Records 250 South Pearl Street Albany, NY 12202 Telephone: 518-447-4500 Internet: http://www.albanycounty.com/achor/

Albany city marriages, 1920 to the present, are also available at the Albany City Clerk's office (24 Eagle Street, Albany, NY 12207; Telephone: 518-434-5081). You can get Buffalo marriages 1837–1935 by writing to the Erie County Clerk's offices. Buffalo marriages 1935 to the present and Yonkers marriages 1900 to the present can be obtained from the respective city registrars of vital statistics.

Published Newspaper Notices of Marriages and Deaths
For New York City's five boroughs and some other counties, many newspaper notices of births, marriages, and deaths have been published. See the "Newspapers" section of this outline for a partial list. In the Place Search of the Family History Library Catalog, these notices are listed under:

NEW YORK, [COUNTY], [TOWN] - NEWSPAPERS

NEW YORK, [COUNTY], [TOWN] - OBITUARIES

Check also under the state and county levels.

You will also find that many church marriage records have been published or have been microfilmed for the five boroughs. You can look for these in the Family History Library Catalog Place Search under:

NEW YORK, [COUNTY], [TOWN] - CHURCH RECORDS

An example is:

Fisher, William Scott, compiler. New York City Methodist Marriages, 1785–1893. Camden, Maine: Picton Press, 1994. (FHL book 974.71 K2fn vols. 1–2.) This contains a groom index and a bride index, each of which has about 41,000 names.

Divorce Records
Before 1787, divorce was practically nonexistent in New York. Some petitions for divorce were made to the governor or legislature, but only a few were granted. Records of divorces granted by acts of the legislature consist both of the legislative act and petitions that were sent to the legislature. Acts of divorce are indexed in the index mentioned under the "Law and Legislation" section of this outline.

From 1787–1847, divorces were recorded in chancery court records. Chancery court divorces are at the state archives or for the New York City area at:

New York County Clerk's Office Division of Old Records 31 Chambers Street 7th floor New York, NY 10007 Telephone: 212-788-8580 or 212-566-5292 Fax: 212-385-4253 Internet: http://www.newyorkfamilyhistory.org/modules.php?name=sections&amp;op=viewarticle&amp;artid=61

Since 1846, the supreme court has recorded divorce proceedings. Many people before 1966 found it easier to obtain a divorce out of state. Access to supreme court divorce records less than 100 years old is prohibited without judicial permission. You must obtain a court order to see a file. The actual trial records are sealed.

The Family History Library has microfilmed very few divorce judgments. For New York County, only the index to divorce records has been microfilmed:

New York County (New York). County Clerk. Index to Matrimonial Actions, 1784–1910. Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1977. (Family History Library films 1017465–67.)

Web Sites

 * http://www.nysl.nysed.gov/genealogy/vitrec.htm
 * http://www.rootsweb.com/~nysuffol/vroi.html