Vital records, as their name suggests, are connected with central life events: birth, marriage, and death. Maintained by civil authorities, they are prime sources of genealogical information; but, unfortunately, official vital records are available only for relatively recent periods. These records, despite their recent creation in the United States, are critically important in genealogical research, often supplying details on family members well back into the nineteenth century. The Source: A Guidebook of American Genealogy, by Loretto Szucs and Sandra Luebking.
Ancestry.com New York State Database
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Vital Records Section
State Department of Health
Empire State Plaza
Albany, NY 12237-0023
Application Forms
Birth Certificate Request Form, New York State
- Instructions and forms for Completing a Birth Certificate Request
Death Certificate Request Form, New York State
- Instructions and forms for Completing a Death Certificate Request
Divorce Certificate Request Form, New York State
- and forms for Completing a Divorce Certificate Request
Marriage Certificate Request Form, New York State
- Instructions and forms for Completing a Marriage Certificate Request
Check or money order should be made payable to New York State Department of Health. Personal checks are accepted. To verify current fees, the telephone number is 
(518) 474-3075 . This will be a recorded message.
Birth $15.00
Death $15.00
Divorce $15.00
Marriage $5.00
Genealogy
- Obtaining New York State Records for Genealogy Purposes
- Obtaining Records for Genealogy – Locations in New York City
Genealogical Sources in the New York State Archives
- New York State Archives Information Leaflet #1
- Vital Records – New York State Archives Information Leaflet #2
