Life paperwork · Vital records

New York vital records start with the place and the event.

New York does not keep every certificate behind one counter. The five boroughs have their own birth, death, and marriage record keepers, while the rest of the state uses local registrars, clerks, and the Department of Health. Finding that first split saves the most time.

More rules and local paths
Rules notesStarting a business in New YorkSchool enrollment after a moveAfter a death in New YorkNew child and family leaveHome & PropertyPlace directoryAdirondack ParkHome environment checklist
Outside NYC
Local or state

The place of the event points to the local registrar or clerk.

State mail order
$30 per copy

Online and phone orders cost more and add a vendor fee.

Divorce record
Certificate ≠ decree

The state and County Clerk hold different documents.

The useful order

  1. Name the record, place, and purpose.

    Write down whether you need a birth, death, marriage, or divorce record; where the event happened or the marriage license was issued; the date; and what the receiving office says it will accept. Those details decide both the record keeper and the version to order.

  2. Choose the record keeper before paying.

    Outside New York City, start with the local registrar where the birth or death happened, the town or city clerk that issued the marriage license, or New York State Vital Records. In NYC, use NYC Health for birth and death records and the NYC City Clerk for marriage records. The state keeps divorce certificates for all of New York, including NYC.

  3. Check that you are allowed to order it.

    Certified records are restricted. A birth record generally belongs to the person named or a parent named on it. Death, marriage, and divorce records each have their own family, documented-purpose, and court-order rules. Read the eligibility list for the exact record before sending money.

  4. Build the identification packet.

    Use the issuing office's current application and ID list. The state accepts one listed photo ID or two listed documents showing the applicant's name and address. A death or marriage request made for a benefit, claim, or another permitted purpose may also need the agency letter or court order that proves the need.

  5. Use the official order route.

    The state and NYC Health identify VitalChek as their authorized online vendor. Mail and in-person rules are different, and local registrars set their own hours, fees, and payment methods. Enter through the agency page so a search ad does not turn a simple certificate into an expensive middleman order.

  6. Order the version the recipient expects.

    Most domestic errands use a standard certified copy. Dual citizenship, a foreign marriage, adoption, or another overseas use may require a long form, extended certificate, Letter of Exemplification, county authentication, and an apostille. Ask the receiving agency or consulate for its list before ordering.

  7. Keep corrections on their own track.

    A new copy repeats the record already on file. If a name, date, parent, or other fact is wrong, use the issuing office's correction or amendment process and send the evidence that process requests. Do not submit a second copy order and expect it to repair the underlying record.

New York City has three current-record doors

NYC Health issues city birth certificates from 1910 forward and death certificates from 1951 forward. It offers online and mail orders, while in-person service requires an appointment and covers only the record years listed on its ordering page. Each NYC birth or death certificate currently costs $15, with a processing fee that depends on the order route.

The NYC City Clerk handles marriage records tied to city marriage licenses from 1950 forward. In-person record requests require a Project Cupid appointment; mail is also available. The Municipal Archives is the starting point for NYC births before 1910, deaths before 1951, and marriages before 1950.

Outside NYC, the local counter can be the cleanest start

New York State Vital Records has birth, death, and marriage records from 1881 forward for the state outside NYC. The local registrar where a birth or death occurred can also issue those records, and the town or city clerk that issued a marriage license can issue that marriage record. Check the local office's fee, identification list, hours, and payment method before making the trip.

State mail orders are currently $30 per copy. State online and phone orders are $45 per copy plus the vendor's transaction fee, and the Department of Health warns of significant processing delays. A nearby registrar may be a more practical route, but its own rules control the request.

A divorce certificate and decree do different jobs

The Department of Health keeps Certificates of Dissolution for divorces and civil annulments granted anywhere in New York State on or after January 1, 1963. That certificate gives basic facts. The divorce decree contains the court's terms and comes from the County Clerk where it was filed. For a divorce before 1963, the available document is the decree rather than a state Certificate of Dissolution.

Eligibility is part of the application

For an outside-NYC birth certificate, the state generally limits copies to the person named and a parent named on the record; another person needs a New York court order. A spouse, parent, child, or sibling can order an outside-NYC death certificate. Other applicants generally need to document a lawful right or claim, medical need, or court order. Marriage records are available to the spouses and to others with a documented judicial or other proper purpose or a court order. Divorce certificates are available to either spouse or someone with a court order. NYC rules use their own entitlement lists, especially for death records and confidential cause-of-death information.

Foreign use needs the right chain

A certified copy alone may not be enough outside the United States. Ask the receiving government or consulate whether it needs a long form or extended record, a Letter of Exemplification, county authentication, an apostille, and a translation. NYC and state-issued records follow different preparation routes before the New York Department of State can attach an apostille.

Official sources

Reviewed July 2026. Eligibility, fees, appointments, processing times, and accepted documents can change; confirm the issuing office's current page before ordering.

Page feedback

Send a page note

Send a note about this page. The page address will be included automatically.

Send a note