New York, vital records
The New York State Department of Health, Vital Records, issues birth, death and marriage records for the state outside New York City, and divorce certificates for the whole state. City births, deaths and marriages come from New York City offices.
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Vital records
State office for birth, death and marriage certificates outside New York City and divorce certificates statewide, with genealogy and apostille services and a call center at 855-322-1022.
Open official site New York State Department of Health, Vital RecordsVital records
Who may get a New York State birth certificate, such as the person named or a parent named on it. Copies also come from the local registrar where the birth occurred.
Open official site New York State birth certificatesVital records
Copies go to the spouse, parent, child or sibling, or to someone with a documented lawful right or medical need. Local registrars issue them too.
Open official site New York State death certificatesVital records
How to order a New York State marriage certificate and how to revise one for a change of name or gender designation, with the documents required.
Open official site New York State marriage certificatesVital records
Microfiche index at the State Archives to state births 1881 to 1935, marriages 1881 to 1960 and deaths 1880 to 1960, by event, year and surname.
Open official site New York State Archives, vital records indexVital records
Online access to digitized New York City birth, death and marriage records held by the Municipal Archives, part of a project covering 13.3 million records.
Open official site NYC Municipal Archives, historical vital recordsVital records
National Center for Health Statistics links to every state and territory vital records office, with fees and mailing addresses. The federal government itself issues no certificates.
Open official site CDC, Where to Write for Vital RecordsVital records
National Center for Health Statistics data on births and deaths in the United States, such as leading causes of death and life tables. It publishes statistics, not copies of records.
Open official site CDC, National Vital Statistics SystemFederal
Social Security Administration form to apply for an original or replacement card or to correct your record. It generally asks for your birth certificate as proof of age.
Open official site SSA, Form SS-5, Social Security card applicationGuide
The New York State Department of Health, Vital Records, issues the Divorce Certificate for divorces granted on or after January 1, 1963, and only to either spouse or to a person holding a New York State court order. The divorce decree, the judgment signed by the justice and filed with the County Clerk, is obtained by a party or the party's attorney from the County Clerk of the county where the action was brought, and under Domestic Relations Law 235 it is closed to anyone else for 100 years unless a court orders access. The Department's page is at health.ny.gov.
Guide
Record guide
At a glance
More New York records on this site: New York public records, Free Background Checks.
Straight answers
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No. The CDC is explicit: 'The Federal Government does not maintain files or indexes of these records.' Every U.S. vital record is kept by the state where the event occurred.
A certified copy has a raised seal and is accepted by SSA, passport offices, and courts. An informational copy is marked 'Informational, Not a Valid Document to Establish Identity' and cannot be used for legal ID.
It varies by state, but a mail order to a state vital records office is typically 4, 8 weeks. Walk-in county clerk requests can be same-day. Online orders through VitalChek add a separate processing time on top of the state's.
Most states limit certified copies to the registrant, immediate family, and legal representatives. Informational copies are generally available to anyone after a waiting period defined by state law.
You should have a Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA, form FS-240). Replacements come from the U.S. Department of State, not from a state vital records office.
All states
Every state page lists that state's official vital record sources, each opened and verified.