Guide
New York Genealogy Search at a Glance
New York family history splits in two: New York City, whose Municipal Archives holds the city's own birth, marriage and death records from the 1800s with free online indexes, and the rest of the state, whose vital records since 1881 are held by the New York State Department of Health with an index now online for records past the privacy period. The New York State Archives in Albany holds the colonial and state records from the Dutch period, and the state censuses of 1825 through 1925 fill the gaps between federal counts.
New York has 62 counties, and the county clerks and surrogates have kept deeds and probate since the 1600s in the oldest of them.
Official sources on this page were checked on September 25, 2026.
Guide
New York Genealogy
New York statewide genealogy links
- New York State Archives Military Records
- New York State Archives
- New York State Department of HealthDepartment of Health Genealogy Resources
- Statue of Liberty Ellis Island Foundation, Inc.
- Search New York's Court RecordsSearch Court Records
- NY GenWeb ArchivesSearch USGenWeb Archives
- New York State LibraryState Library Genealogy
Guide
Vital records for New York family history
New York State began statewide birth, marriage and death registration in 1881, and the Department of Health holds the records for everywhere except New York City, with an online genealogical index to births after 75 years, marriages after 50 and deaths after 50, and copies by mail. New York City's Municipal Archives holds the city's births from 1847 to 1909, marriages to 1949 and deaths to 1948, with free online indexes and images, and the city's Department of Health and the City Clerk hold later records. Pre-1881 vital records survive in town and church registers and in the 1847 to 1849 town registrations. Divorce records sit with the county clerk of the supreme court.
- New York State Department of Health genealogy recordsIndex and copies of state vital records outside New York City from 1881, checked September 25, 2026
- New York City Municipal ArchivesFree online indexes and images of New York City births, marriages and deaths, checked September 25, 2026
- New York Vital Records guideHow to order certificates and what is public
Guide
New York archives, census and military records
The New York State Archives holds the state censuses of 1825, 1835, 1845, 1855, 1865, 1875, 1892, 1905, 1915 and 1925, most of which survive at the county clerks with copies in Albany, the Dutch and English colonial records, land patents and the Surveyor General's papers, Revolutionary War, War of 1812 and Civil War service records including the Civil War muster roll abstracts, state prison and institution records and county records on microfilm. The New York State Library and the New York Public Library's Milstein Division hold the largest genealogy collections in the state, and the National Archives at New York holds federal court, naturalization and passenger records, including Ellis Island and Castle Garden arrivals.
- New York State ArchivesState censuses, colonial records, military and county records, checked September 25, 2026
- New York Public Library Milstein DivisionGenealogy and local history collections, checked September 25, 2026
- National Archives at New YorkFederal court, naturalization and passenger arrival records, checked September 25, 2026
- FamilySearch New York research guideFree indexed New York records and state censuses, checked September 25, 2026
Guide
County courthouse records in New York
New York county clerks hold deeds, mortgages, civil and divorce files and naturalization records from each county's founding, with New York City's five county clerks and the City Register holding the city's land records, and county surrogates' courts hold wills, estates and guardianships. Most county clerks post online deed indexes, and the State Archives has microfilmed older county records. The oldest counties, New York, Kings, Queens, Richmond, Suffolk, Westchester, Albany, Ulster and Dutchess, formed in 1683, and their records reach back to the Dutch period in some cases.
Guide
Federal & National Authoritative Sources
These federal and national sources complement New York's state-level records. They are the authoritative sources you should cross-check when New York state records are incomplete or out-of-state activity matters.
NARA, National Archives The federal government's primary archive. Holds the U.S. census (1790, 1950), ship passenger lists, naturalization records, military service files, and land entry files.
FamilySearch Free online genealogy platform operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Digitized microfilm copies of many county and state records worldwide.
Library of Congress, Local History & Genealogy The LoC's research guides, city directories, newspapers, and Civil War records, most accessible free online through loc.gov.
Straight answers
New York Genealogy Search, questions
Where are New York City vital records?
At the New York City Municipal Archives, which holds births from 1847 to 1909, marriages to 1949 and deaths to 1948 with free online indexes and images. The rest of the state is held by the State Department of Health from 1881.
Did New York take state censuses?
Yes, in 1825, 1835, 1845, 1855, 1865, 1875, 1892, 1905, 1915 and 1925. The 1855 and later censuses list every person with birthplace and years in the state, and the county clerks and State Archives hold them.
Is there an index to New York State vital records?
Yes. The State Department of Health's genealogical index covers births after 75 years, marriages after 50 and deaths after 50 for everywhere outside New York City, and copies are available by mail.