New York City Vital Records

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New York

New York City

Vital Records

New York City Records
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Vital Records

How to Find Information about New York Ancestors
New York City: 1. New York City Birth Information 2. New York City Marriage Information 3. New York City Death Information New York State: 1. NY State Birth Information 2. NY State Marriage Information 3. NY State Death Information

Online Resources

Births

1846-1909 New York, New York City Births, 1846-1909 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index only 1866-1909 New York City Births, 1866-1909 at NYC Dept of Records - index and images; has some earlier dates starting in 1760s 1866-1909 New York, New York, U.S., Index to Birth Certificates, 1866-1909 at Ancestry - index only ($) 1878-1909 New York, New York, U.S., Extracted Birth Index, 1878-1909 at Ancestry - index only ($); Also at MyHeritage index ($) 1910-1965 New York, New York, U.S., Birth Index, 1910-1965 at Ancestry - index & images ($)

Marriages

• 1600s-1800s New York City, Compiled Marriage Index, 1600s-1800s at Ancestry - index only ($)
• 1829-1940 New York, New York City Marriage Records, 1829-1940 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index only ($)
• 1864-1937 New York City Grooms Index at German Genealogy Group - index only
• 1866-1937 New York, New York, U.S., Extracted Marriage Index, 1866-1937 at Ancestry - index only ($); Also at MyHeritage ($)
• 1866-1937 New York City Brides Index at German Genealogy Group - index only
• 1866-1949 New York City Marriages, 1866-1949 NYC Dept of Records; index and images - has some earlier dates
• 1907-2018 New York, New York, U.S., Marriage License Indexes, 1907-2018 at Ancestry - index only ($)
• 1908-1910, 1938-1940 New York, New York, Index to Marriage Licenses, 1908-1910, 1938-1940 at Ancestry - index only ($)
• 1950-2017 New York City Marriages, 1950-2017 at MyHeritage - index only ($)
• New York City marriage index at Internet Archive - index & images

Deaths

• 1795-1949 New York, New York City Municipal Deaths, 1795-1949 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index only
• 1814-1816 New York City, Compiled Death Index, 1814-1816 at Ancestry - index only ($)
• 1862-1948 New York, New York, U.S., Extracted Death Index, 1862-1948 at Ancestry - index only ($); Also at MyHeritage ($)
• 1862-1948 New York, New York, U.S., Index to Death Certificates, 1862-1948 at Ancestry - index only ($)
• 1866-1948 New York City Deaths, 1866-1948 NYC Dept of Records; index and images - has some earlier dates
• 1949-1965 New York, New York, U.S., Death Index, 1949-1965 at Ancestry - index & images ($)
• New York City Death Index at German Genealogy Group - index only

New York City Vital Records

New York City Birth Records

Birth records from as early as 1847 (depending on the borough) to as late to 1909 are held at the New York City Municipal Archives. They are also available on microfilm at the FamilySearch Library. Birth records from 1909 to the present can be obtained from the New York City Department of Health ($).

Microfilms at the FamilySearch Library include:

Birth Records	All Boroughs (All of New York City)
Birth index books	1881–1965 (a D means Delayed, and a S means Special. An entry with one of these codes means that the certificates must be ordered from the NYC Municipal Archives.)
FS Library films 1322457–86	(only for Manhattan and Brooklyn from 1881–1897)

Bronx (Bronx County)

Birth records 1898–1909	30 FS Library films beginning with film 2022836
Wakefield births 1890–1895	FS Library film 1398783
Westchester births 1881–1895	FS Library film 1398783

Brooklyn (Kings County)

Birth card index 1866–1897	34 FS Library films beginning with film 1324701
Birth returns 1866–1868, 1870–1906	104 FS Library films beginning with film 1380499
Birth register 1869	FS Library film 1315322 item 2

Births 1847–1851, 1880–1895 (years vary) for the towns of Flatbush, Flatlands, Gravesend, New Lots, and New Utrecht are found in the FamilySearch Catalog Place Search under NEW YORK, KINGS, [TOWN] - VITAL RECORDS.

Manhattan (New York County)

Birth records card index 1830–1865	19 FS Library films beginning with film 1378956
Birth returns card index 1866–1897	153 FS Library films beginning with 1323501
Birth registers 1846–1848, 1851–1873	(missing Liber 3, 1854–1856, E–Z, and Liber 4, 1856–1857 A–J)
Birth returns 1866–1897	393 FS Library films beginning with film 1322001
Birth records 1898–1909	8 FS Library films beginning with film 1953076

One study concludes there was a significant amount of under-registration of births in Manhattan. In 1855, 13% were recorded; in 1875, 33%; in 1896, 35%; in 1935, 80%; and by 1955, 91%.

Queens (Queens County)

Birth records 1898–1909

21 FS Library films beginning with film 1992977

Births 1847–1898 (years vary) for the towns of College Point, Far Rockaway, Flushing, Jamaica, Long Island City, Newtown, Richmond Hill, Rockaway, and Whitestone are listed in the FamilySearch Catalog Place Search under NEW YORK, QUEENS, [TOWN] - VITAL RECORDS

Staten Island (Richmond County)

Birth index 1600–1900s	FS Library films 539053–71
Birth index 1847–1897	FS Library films 1324935–37
Birth records 1898–1909	10 FS Library films beginning with film 1984042

Births 1847–1853, 1881–1897 (years vary) for the towns of Castleton, Edgewater, Middletown, Northfield, Port Richmond, Southfield, Tottenville, and Westfield are listed in the FamilySearch Catalog Place Search under NEW YORK, RICHMOND, [TOWN] - VITAL RECORDS

New York City Death Records

Online Records

• 1862–1948 New York City Death Index, 1862–1948 - index ($)

Death records from as early as 1795 (depending on the borough) to 1948 are held at the New York City Municipal Archives. They are also available on microfilm at the FamilySearch Library. Death records from 1948 to the present can be obtained from the New York City Department of Health ($).

• 1680-1684 - Sypher, Francis J. "New York City Coroner's Reports, 1680-1684," The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, Vol. 136, No. 4 (Oct. 2005):261-271. Digital version at New York Family History ($); FS Library Book 974.7 B2n v. 136.

• 1792-1793 - Moorhouse, Ann. "A 1792/3 New York City Coroner's Bill," The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, Vol. 117, No. 1 (Jan. 1986):16-17. Digital version at New York Family History ($); FS Library Book 974.7 B2n v. 117.
  

• 1795 - "New York City Deaths," The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, 1795: Vol. 81, No. 3 (Jul. 1950):146-155; 1795: Vol. 81, No. 4 (Oct. 1950):203-206. Digital version at New York Family History ($); FS Library Book 974.7 B2n v. 81.
  

• 1795-1820 - Scott, Kenneth. "Early New York City Coroner's Reports," The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, 1795-1798: Vol. 119, No. 2 (Apr. 1988):76-79; 1802-1805: Vol. 119, No. 3 (Jul. 1988):145-150; 1806-1807, 1819: Vol. 119, No. 4 (Oct. 1988):217-219; 1819: Vol. 120, No. 1 (Jan. 1989):18-20; 1819-1820: Vol. 120, No. 2 (Apr. 1989):88-92. Digital version at New York Family History ($); FS Library Book 974.7 B2n v. 119. Records from 1808 to 1818 have not been located.

• 1799 - Farrell, Charles. "Deaths from Fever in New York City 1799," The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, Vol. 131, No. 2 (Apr. 2000):117-124. Digital version at New York Family History ($); FS Library Book 974.7 B2n v. 131.

• 1803 - Farrell, Charles. "Deaths from Fever in New York City 1803," The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, Vol. 129, No. 1 (Jan. 1998):13-20. Digital version at New York Family History ($); FS Library Book 974.7 B2n v. 129.

• 1857-1868 Marriage & Death Notices The New York Society Library.

A vaulable tool to search for death records in the five boroughs is One-Step Webpages by Steve Morse.It includes indexes for: Brooklyn, 1862-1890; Brooklyn and Manhatten, 1891-1897; All boroughs, 1898-1948.

All Boroughs	(All of New York City)
Death index books 1888–1965	FS Library films 1324914–31 (only for Manhattan and Brooklyn from 1888–1897)

Bronx (Bronx County)

Death records 1898–1919	91 FS Library films beginning with film 1322702
Wakefield deaths 1878–1881, 1890–1895	FS Library film 1398783
Westchester births 1887–1895	FS Library film 1398783

Brooklyn (Kings County)

Death ledger card index 1848–1866	FS Library films 1378813–19
Death certificate index 1862–1898	78 FS Library films beginning with film 1378830
Death records 1847–1853, 1857–1861	FS Library films 1315321–22
Death register 1847–1853, 1857–1858	FS Library films 447542
Death certificates 1862–1897	339 FS Library films beginning with film 1323651
Coroner's reports 1897–1914	16 FS Library films beginning with film 1435709
Death certificates 1898–1920	FS Library films 1324001–342
Coroner's reports, death records 1898–1916	FS Library films 1435700-08

• Deaths 1847–1851, 1880–1895 (years vary) for the towns of Flatbush, Flatlands, Gravesend, New Lots, and New Utrecht are found in the FamilySearch Catalog Place Search under NEW YORK, KINGS, [TOWN] - VITAL RECORDS

Manhattan (New York County)

Death certificates card index 1868–1890	4 FS Library films beginning with film 1324809
Death registers 1795, 1801–1804, 1808, 1811–1865	FS Library films 447544–68 (by first letter of surname)
Death certificates 1866–1919	1,069 FS Library films beginning with film 1323352
Cholera cases 1866	FS Library films 1324501–502
Coroner inquests 1797–1820, 1862–1864, 1868–1918	9 FS Library films beginning with film 514332
Coroner inquests 1823–1898	101 FS Library films beginning with film 1318155
Coroner reports 1839	FS Library film 1255743
Bodies-in-transit 1859–1894	3 FS Library films beginning with film 1671686

Queens (Queens County)

Death certificates 1898–1919

FS Library films 1323384–472

Deaths 1847–1898 (years vary) for the towns of College Point, Far Rockaway, Flushing, Jamaica, Long Island City, Newtown, Richmond Hill, Rockaway, and Whitestone are listed in the FamilySearch Catalog Place Search under NEW YORK, QUEENS, [TOWN] - VITAL RECORDS

Staten Island (Richmond County)

Death index 1600–1900s	FS Library films 539053–71
Death register card index 1847–1897	FS Library films 1324932–34
Death certificates 1898–1920	FS Library films 1322793–81

Deaths 1847–1853, 1881–1897 (years vary) for the towns of Castleton, Edgewater, Middletown, Northfield, Port Richmond, Southfield, Tottenville, and Westfield are listed in the FamilySearch Catalog Place Search under NEW YORK, RICHMOND, [TOWN] - VITAL RECORDS.

You can obtain New York City birth (1910 to the present) and death (1949
to the present) certificates for a fee from:

New York City Department of Health
Bureau of Vital Records
125 Worth Street, Room 133
New York, NY 10013-0046
Telephone: 212-788-4500
Internet: http://www1.nyc.gov/site/doh/about/about-doh.page

Mailing Address:
Division of Vital Records
City of New York, Department of Health
P.O. Box 3776
Church Street Station
New York, NY 10007

For birth records through 1909 and death records through 1948, write to:

New York City Department of Records
and Information Services
Municipal Archives
31 Chambers Street, Room 103
New York, NY 10007
Telephone: 212-788-8580 or 212-566-5292
Fax: 212-385-4253
Internet: http://www1.nyc.gov/site/doh/index.page

New York City Birth and Death Records are available using a credit card. Write to the New York City Department of Health, 125 Worth Street, New York, NY 10013. A "Hotline" telephone number, 212-788-4505, is available for information and for ordering birth and death certificates using a credit card. You can order birth records from 1910 to the present or death records from 1949 to the present. Using a credit card the cost is $15.00. Five to seven business days are required for delivery. You can also order by sending a fax of the application to 212-962-6105. They can fax a copy of the application to your fax machine. The fee is also $15.00. Five to seven business days are required for delivery.

The records are not available for genealogical purposes and are subject to certain other restrictions.

All other local registrars sent copies of their records to the State Department of Health. Most New York deaths after 1962 are in the Social Security Death Index.

• Barbara Kronman, Guide to New York City Public Records, 4th ed. (New York: Public Interest Clearinghouse, 1992). FS Library Book 974.71 A3k. Includes chapters on city government, courts, libraries, and personal information. Shows how to obtain vital records, name change records, and naturalizations.

New York City Marriage Records

Marriage records from as early as 1848 (depending on the borough) to 1937 are held at the New York City Municipal Archives. They are also available on microfilm at the FamilySearch Library. A digital version of the FamilySearch Library's guide to New York City marriages is available at FamilySearch Digital Library. Marriage records from 1929 to the present can be obtained from the City Clerk of New York City ($). NYC Marriage & Death Notices 1857-1868 can be found at The New York Society Library.

A bride and groom index is available through One-Step Webpages by Stephen P. Morse. The groom index includes: Manhatten, 1866-1907; Brooklyn, 1864-1907; All Boroughs, 1908-1937. The bride index includes: Manhatten, 1866-1937; Brooklyn, 1871-1918, 1928-1937; Queens, 1905-1937; Bronx, 1899-1937 and Richmond, 1898-1937.

• 1833-1834 - Christoph, Peter R. "Marriages Solemnized by Gideon Lee, Mayor of New York City, 1833-1834," The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, Vol. 110, No. 2 (Apr. 1979):111-113. Digital version at New York Family History ($); FS Library Book 974.7 B2n v. 110.

• 1847–1848 and 1908–1936 New York, County Marriages, 1847-1848; 1908-1936 at FamilySearch — index and images
  

• 1865-1937 New York City Grooms Index and New York City Brides Index at German Genealogy Group.

Marriage Licenses and Certificates

For marriage records for Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Richmond through 1937, write:

New York City Department of Records
and Information Services
Municipal Archives
31 Chambers Street, Room 103
New York, NY 10007
Telephone: 212-788-8580 or 212-566-5292
Fax: 212-385-4253
Website

Pre-1938 New York City marriages, some as early as 1830, are found at the Municipal Archives. The FamilySearch Library has microfilmed marriages of:

All Boroughs	All of New York City
Groom marriage index books 1888–1937 (to Health Department marriages but not City Clerk marriages)	12 FS Library films beginning with film 1543903 (only for Manhattan from 1888–1893, and only for Manhattan and Brooklyn from 1894–1897)

Some eighteenth-century New York City marriage licenses survive and have been published:

• 1770s-1780s - Kelby, Robert H. "New York Marriage Licenses," The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, Surnames A-D: Vol. 46, No. 3 (Jul. 1915):279-289; Surnames D-H: Vol. 46, No. 4 (Oct. 1915):337-342; Surnames H-L: Vol. 47, No. 1 (Jan. 1916):68-72; Surnames L-R: Vol. 47, No. 2 (Apr. 1916):176-185; Surnames R-W: Vol. 47, No. 3 (Jul. 1916):286-296. Digital version at New York Family History ($); FS Library Book 974.7 B2n v. 46-47. Internet Archive has digitized Vol. 46, but not Vol. 47.
  

Bronx (Bronx County)

Bride marriage indexes 1898–1937	4 FS Library films beginning with film 1983782
Health Dept. Groom index 1898–1937	FS Library film 1976292–93
Health Dept. marriage certificates 1897–1938	FS Library film 1939720

Brooklyn (Kings County)

Health Dept. marriage certificates 1866–1937	203 FS Library films beginning with film 1543711
Manhattan	New York County
Marriage register 1823–1853 (Mariners' Church)	FS Library film 017785 item 5
Mayor's marriage records and index 1830–1854	FS Library film 017776
Marriage register and index 1829–1887	FS Library films 1671673–85
Health Dept. marriage records and indexes 1866–1937	1447 FS Library films beginning with film 1522995
Marriage indexes 1898–1937	4 FS Library films beginning with film 1983782

Queens (Queens County)

Health Dept. groom index 1881–1937, bride index 1905–1937, marriage certificates 1898–1937	56 FS Library films beginning with film 1908328
Marriages 1847–1897 (years vary) for the towns of Far Rockaway, Flushing, Jamaica, and Newtown	Listed in the FamilySearch Catalog Locality Search under NEW YORK, QUEENS, [TOWN] - VITAL RECORDS

Staten Island (Richmond County)

Marriage index and records 1600s–1900s	FS Library films 539053–71
Marriages after 1937	In the borough offices of the city clerk

City Clerk Licenses

For marriages between 1908 and 1929, there is a source of more detailed genealogical information than the certificates issued by the Department of Health: the "Application, Affidavit, and License" records issued by the Clerk's office in each borough.

Unique information

Not in regular certificates, this additional information can be found in clerk's licenses:

• Bride’s occupation (sometimes includes employer name and address for both spouses, too)
• Specific town of birth for bride and groom
• Country of birth for each spouse's parents
• Addresses of Witnesses (possible family members)
• Names of former spouses, living or dead
• If divorced, lists when and where divorce or divorces were granted
• 3 different sets of handwriting (helps with legibility or creative spelling issues)

Document parts

A typical Marriage License includes three parts:

• Affidavit for License to Marry. If they could write, the bride and groom usually filled out this form — an exciting primary source document in their handwriting. The form contains the unique information described above. On the reverse side of the affidavit is the Certificate of Consent, signed by parents or guardians of minors who wished to marry.
• Marriage License. The information is similar to that of the affidavit. The City Clerk signed this form, empowering authorized persons to marry the applicants. Attachments, such as the divorce decree for the first marriage, birth certificate, and baptismal certificate, can sometimes be found with licenses. (Attachments will be photocopied with licenses found at the NYC Municipal Archives. However, it is not the policy of the City Clerk to photocopy attachments or otherwise provide them to researchers.)
• Marriage Certificate. This is the City Clerk's marriage certificate, not the Health Department's marriage certificate. The person who performed the marriage was instructed to return the signed license and certificate to the City Clerk for filing.

Search instructions

The index to these licenses is free online at the Internet Archive thanks to Reclaim the Records. In the NYG&B Newsletter, Leslie Corn recommends this search process:

• If possible, determine the exact marriage date and location/borough. Searching the Health department certificate indexes is a good first step, although you may not always find a certificate to match to a clerk's license.
• Determine the borough(s) to search: licenses were supposed to be filed in bride's county of residence, but may be in a different county (such as where the marriage certificate was registered). Also, Bronx licenses were issued in Manhattan until 1914 (when Bronx county was created).
• Determine the year and month(s) to search: licenses were usually filed immediately before the marriage certificate date, but could sometimes be weeks or months ahead.
• Determine a volume: each volume in the free online index is for both a specific year and specific borough.
• Search within a volume: each volume is organized in increments of 2-4 months and then, within that increment, by the first two letters of the surname (groom on the left side of a page, bride on the right side).

Request a copy

Currently microfilm copies of New York City marriage licenses are not available at any library. All requests must be made to NYC Records & Information Services (for licenses prior to 1949) or the Office of the City Clerk (after 1949). Instructions and links for each option are on the website. If you require a marriage certificate for legal purposes, please follow the special instructions on the website.

Other New York City Records of Marriages and Deaths

Newspapers

For New York City's five boroughs and some other counties, many newspaper notices of births, marriages, and deaths have been published. See New York Newspapers for a partial list. In the Place Search of the FamilySearch Catalog, these notices are listed under:

NEW YORK, [COUNTY], [TOWN] - NEWSPAPERS

NEW YORK, [COUNTY], [TOWN] - OBITUARIES

Different jurisdictions

Check also under the state and county levels.

Religious institutions

Some church marriage records have been published or have been microfilmed for the five boroughs. An example from the FamilySearch Library collection is:

• William Scott Fisher, New York City Methodist Marriages, 1785–1893, 2 vols. (Camden, Maine: Picton Press, 1994). At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 974.71 K2fn. Contains a groom index and a bride index, each of which has about 41,000 names.

New York City Divorce records

Divorce records may be obtained from the County Clerk in the County where the divorce decree was granted. For information on how to obtain a copy of a divorce record in New York City boroughs:

• New York County, Manhattan call (646) 386-5955.
• Kings County Brooklyn call (718) 643-5894.
• Queens County call (718) 298-0601
• Bronx call (718) 590-3638
• Staten Island call (718) 390-5389

(The Office of the County Clerk does not have a web site.)

To access available information, first log into FamilySearch.

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