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New York Marriage, Death, Birth Records

Not until the mid-nineteenth century was any attempt made by the state of New York to mandate the keeping of vital records. This makes the use of substitutes, such as church, cemetery, census, and newspaper records, that much more important. A few vital records were entered into some early town records on Long Island and later in some towns along the eastern border, the latter evidently by New England settlers bringing with them a long standing tradition of such practice. However, the mass migration into New York just after the Revolution took place at a time when vital event recording slacked off greatly, even in New England.

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.

The earliest items that might be classified as civil vital records in New York were marriage bonds, issued from 1639 to 1783. Names of the parties and the date of the bond were published in Names of Persons for Whom Marriage Licenses Were Issued by the Secretary of the Province of New York, Previous to 1784, commonly referred to as "New York Marriages." This work did not include all the important information in the bonds, many of which were destroyed or damaged in the 1911 fire at the New York State Library. Some records of marriages performed by justices of the peace have survived, of which a few have been published in Tree Talks and The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record.

In 1847 a law was enacted requiring school districts to keep records of births, marriages, and deaths. While not a complete failure, compliance was scattered, and some towns that began to record vital events quickly stopped. Those that were kept are incomplete, and the latest that records were continued was 1852, as the law was repealed in 1853. Originals of a few of these records are still with the town clerks or have been placed in historical societies. Some records have been published in Tree Talks and in the Cemetery, Church, and Town Records volumes compiled by the Daughters of the American Revolution in the State of New York. Also useful for the nineteenth century are the marriages and deaths listed in the 1865 and 1875 New York state censuses for the census period ending 31 May of those years (the 1865 census also included deaths of officers and enlisted men). Marriages and deaths were also recorded in the 1855 state census but without names. The statistics of births, marriages, and deaths for each household in the 1825, 1835, and 1845 censuses can sometimes be used to advantage.

Another attempt by the state to require the keeping of vital records was made in 1880, and this law is the basis for the recording of births, marriages, and deaths in New York today. The original record is made in the town, village, or city in which the event took place, and a copy is sent to Albany where alphabetical indexes of names are arranged by event and thereunder by year. Each index entry lists the name, date of event, place, and certificate number; no maiden names, marital status, or ages are shown. Marriages are indexed by the name of each party, but there is no cross-referencing. Indexes for marriages for 1908 through 1914 are arranged by a Soundex code. It should be kept in mind that compliance with the 1880 law was slow, and many events were not recorded.

Some cities kept vital records earlier than those sent to Albany under the 1880 law. These include Albany, Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Utica, Yonkers, and New York City. For Albany, Buffalo, and Yonkers, birth and death records before 1914 and marriages before 1908 should be sought from those cities' registrar of vital statistics, as copies were not sent to the state until those years. For the period 1908 through 1935, marriages were recorded with the county clerk, with copies sent to Albany, although some counties do not have these records for all of this time period.

Copies of vital records for New York City are not duplicated in Albany except for those areas annexed to the cities of New York or Brooklyn after 1880, such as Staten Island (Richmond County), the present Queens County, and certain parts of Bronx and Kings counties. For early vital records of New York City (Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island), contact the New York City Municipal Archives. Births through 1897, marriages through 1937 (currently only for Manhattan and Brooklyn), and deaths through 1929 can be obtained by mail, or one may visit the archives and search indexes and films of the records for a daily search fee. Marriage records for the Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island, and for Manhattan and Brooklyn after 1937 should be obtained from the appropriate borough office of the city clerk. Printed New York City vital records indexes (from 1888 for Manhattan and from 1898 for the other boroughs) are available at the New York Public Library for births and deaths to 1982 and for marriages to 1937. These are also available at the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society from about 1900 to the early 1930s.

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New York State Dept of Health, Vital Records Section, Empire State Plaza, Albany, NY 12237; (518) 474-3077, (518) 474-3038 Information, Fax: (518) 432-6286, Vital records registration started in New York State outside of New York City in 1881. Please allow up to approximately 7-8 weeks for processing of all type of certificates when ordered through the mail. Generally, the New York State Department of Health provides uncertified copies of the following types of records for genealogy research purposes:

Birth, Marriage & Death Certificates: Birth, Marriage & Death records maintained by New York State Dept of Health, since 1881 through the present. Genealogy copies are available for Birth records if on file for at least 75 years and the person whose name is on the certificate is known to be deceased. Genealogy copies are available for Marriage & Death records if on file for at least 50 years and the person whose name is on the certificate is known to be deceased.
- Cost: The cost of a birth or death record is $22.00. If no record is found or no copy is made, state law requires that we keep $22.00 for a searching fee. Please do not send cash in the mail.
- Processing Time: 7-8 weeks when ordered by MAIL or 2-5 Days when you order ELECTRONICALLY
Divorce Certificates: Divorce Certificates from Jan 1963. If the records are not available at the State office, they should be available from the County Clerk in the county where the divorce was granted. Since 1847 divorce actions in New York have been handled in the supreme court for the county in which the divorce was heard. New York divorce files, however, are sealed for one hundred years. In colonialtimes, petitions for divorce had to be made to the governor or legislature, and only a few were granted. The court of chancery granted divorces from 1787 to 1847. These older records are in the State Archives. Divorce records dating prior to July 1, 1847, are filed either at the New York State Archives (upstate counties) or the New York County Clerk's Office, 31 Chambers Street, New York, NY 10007; phone (212) 374-4376 (downstate counties).
- Cost: $30 - Fee is for verification only.
- Processing Time: 7-8 weeks when ordered by MAIL or 2-5 Days when you order ELECTRONICALLY
Exceptions: 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 Order Online or submit request to the Local Registrar of the appropriate city:
  
  City of Albany, Room 254M, City Hall, Albany, NY 12207
  
  City of Buffalo, Room 1308, 65 Niagara Square, Buffalo, NY 14202
  
  City of Yonkers, Room 107, City Hall, Yonkers, NY 10701
- For marriage record requests Order Online or submit request to the City Clerk of the appropriate city:
  
  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 10701

Order In Person: The Vital Records Office provides eligible applicants with copies of birth and death certificates for births and deaths in New York State outside of New York City (1881-present), marriage licenses obtained in New York State outside of New York City (1880-present) and dissolution of marriage certificates for all of New York State (1963-present). The certificates may be ordered by coming into this office at 800 North Pearl Street, 2nd Floor - Room 200, Menands, NY 12204. The Vital Records customer service lobby is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Eastern time, excluding holidays.
Order By Mail: Mail a check or money order (no cash) payable to the "New York Vital Records " along with the necessary information to the following address: New York State Department of Health, Vital Records Section, Genealogy Unit, P.O. Box 2602, Albany, NY 12220-2602. Please include return address on envelope and application form (Birth Certificate, Death Certificate, Marriage Certificate or Divorce Certificate.
Order On-Line: To obtain a certified copy of a vital record by on-line purchase with a credit card, please link to VitalChek.

Click Here to Search New York Birth, Marriage & Death Records! - Birth, marriage, and death records are connected with central life events. They are prime sources for genealogical information. Look also for baptism, christening, and burial records in this collection.

Below is a list of online resources for New York Vital Records.