How to Find New York Death Records

Looking for a death record from New York State as part of your genealogy research? New York State briefly kept death records from 1847 to about 1850 and started recording deaths again in June 1880. Copies of all records can obtained from either the village, town, or city of death or by contacting the state archives.

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Next Step: When did the death occur?

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 * Choose a time period:
 * Before 1847
 * 1847 thru 1850
 * 1851 thru 1879
 * 1880 thru 1913
 * 1914 thru 1956
 * 1957 thru 1963
 * After 1963
 * Death year unknown


 * }

Deaths before 1847
Before 1847, no deaths were recorded by New York State. You will need to search substitute records to locate your ancestor’s death date and place. Substitutes for death record information:

Return to top: Choose another death year

Deaths from 1847 thru 1850
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 deaths after 1850 (with many discontinuing after the 1847-1848 time period). Extant records for this time period are either held by the local village, town, or city clerk or by the county clerk.

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

Try 1st: Determine if the records from your village, town, city, or county have been microfilmed by FamilySearch. Search the Catalog for both village/town/city and county and then check to see if they are available at your local family history center.

Try 2nd: Order a copy of the death record from the village, town, or city clerk. To locate contact information, search for the village, town, or city in the FamilySearch Research Wiki. Note that in some counties the county clerk holds all death records for this time period.

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

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

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

Deaths from 1851 thru 1879
After the failure of the 1847 law, no deaths were recorded by the State of New York between 1850 and May 1880 though some cities (including Albany, Buffalo, Yonkers) started recording deaths in the 1870s. Try searching substitute records to locate your ancestor's death date and place.

Learn how to access records kept by Albany, Buffalo, and Yonkers from the 1870s. Return to top: Choose another death year

Deaths from 1880 thru 1913
Starting in June 1880, New York required that village, town, and city registrars to record deaths. Copies of these deaths were then filed with the State Department of Health. Due to earlier city laws, deaths recorded in Albany, Buffalo, and Yonkers were not copied to the State between 1881 and 1914.

STEP ONE - Search the Index
The New York Archives as well as nine other repositories in New York hold copies of microfiche indexes to death certificates. Contact one of these ten repositories (listed on the State Archives website) to search the index. Online indexes are available at (FamilySearch), and New York, Death Index, 1880-1956 (Ancestry).

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

See list of restrictions for ordering death records record, you can search other records with death information.

Deaths in Albany (city), Buffalo, or Yonkers
Albany Death records for the 1870-1914 time period can be ordered from the Albany City Clerk and the Albany County Hall of Records.

Buffalo Death records for the 1878-1914 time period can be ordered from the Buffalo Registrar of Vital Statistics.

Yonkers Death records can be ordered from the City of Yonkers, NY Genealogical Research.

See list of restrictions for ordering death records Return to top: Choose another death year

Deaths from 1914 thru 1956
After 1914, copies of all death records (except New York City) were filed with the New York Department of Health. Copies can be obtained either through the village, town, or city clerk where the death took place or by contacting the Department of Health.

STEP ONE - Search the Index
The New York State Archives, as well as nine other repositories in New York hold copies of microfiche indexes to death certificates. Contact one of these ten repositories (listed on the State Archives website) to search the index.

Or try:
 * Index only. See note below.
 * Index only.
 * U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014 ($)
 * U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007, Incomplete, ($).

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

See list of restrictions for ordering death records If you do not want to order the death record, you can search other records with death information.

Note: The index New York Deaths and Burials, 1795-1952 (link above) excludes New York City and vicinity;  as death place reports cities, towns, villages, not counties;  and for some cities uses abbreviations:

Return to top: Choose another death year

Deaths from 1957 thru 1963
Death records from 1957 thru 1963 are held by the village, town, or city clerk where the death took place and the Department of Health. The New York Department of Health has also created an online index (in spreadsheet form) for many deaths taking place between 1957 and 1963.

STEP ONE - Search the Index
Or try:
 * Index only.
 * U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014 ($)
 * U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007, Incomplete, ($).

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

See list of restrictions for ordering death records If you do not want to order the death record, you can search other records with death information. Return to top: Choose another death year

Deaths after 1963
Deaths recorded less than fifty years ago are only available to direct line descendants who provide proof of their relationship to the person whose death certificate they are requesting.

Try:
 * Index only.
 * U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014 ($)
 * U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007, Incomplete, ($).

See list of restrictions for ordering death records

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

Restrictions for Obtaining Death Records
To obtain a certified copy of the death certificate for those who died within the last 50 years, you must be:


 * The spouse, parent, child, or sibling of the
 * Other persons who have a documented lawful right or claim, a documented medical need, or a New York State Court Order

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