How to get a New York City birth certificate

In New York City, order a certified birth certificate from the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Office of Vital Records.¹ Births in the five boroughs only; births elsewhere in New York State are handled by NY State DOH or local registrars.¹ Each certified copy costs $15². You can order online, by mail or in person. Only the people the city lists below can order a certified copy.

Last checked November 5, 2026 against official sources.

On this page

Ways to order
What a New York City birth certificate costs
How long it takes
Who can order a New York City birth certificate
ID you need
What the application asks for
Forms
Years held and older records
Special situations
Warnings from the office
The vital records office
Questions people ask
Sources

Not in the five boroughs? Births and deaths elsewhere in the state are filed with New York State. See New York State vital records.

Ways to order

How	Cost per copy	Processing time	Payment
Online through VitalChek	$24.30 for one copy ($15² plus $9.30² process fee) + one extra charge	–	Card and check²
By mail (premium mail service)	$22.50 for one copy ($15² plus $7.50³ processing fee)	–	Check and money order³
By mail (non-premium mail)	$15²	8 to 12 weeks²	Check and money order⁴
In person	$17.75 for one copy ($15² plus $2.75² processing fee)	–	Card, check and money order²

Online through VitalChek

Vendor: VitalChek²
Vendor status: The city's only authorized vendor²
Fees: Per copy $15²
Process fee $9.30²
Shipping option $21²
Payment: Card and check²
Appointment: Not required⁵

Good to know

Online ordering only for the person or parent(s) named on the birth certificate³
Online orders only if your name is on the record²
Add two weeks for long form birth certificates, births 1910-1919, or records that need searching²

Go to the ordering site⁵

By mail (premium mail service)

Run by: NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (premium mail service)⁵
Fees: Per copy $15²
Processing fee $7.50³
Payment: Check and money order³
Make payable to: NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene³
Mail to: NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, 125 Worth Street, CN-4, Room 119, New York, NY 10013
⁶
Appointment: Not required⁵

Good to know

Application must be notarized³
Maximum of three copies per application³
Certificates cannot be mailed to "in care of" addresses³

Open the application or mail instructions⁵

By mail (non-premium mail)

Run by: NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (non-premium mail)²
Fees: Per copy $15²
Processing time: 8 to 12 weeks²
Payment: Check and money order⁴
Make payable to: NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene⁴
Mail to: NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, 125 Worth Street, CN-4, Room 119, New York, NY 10013
⁶
Appointment: Not required⁵

Good to know

Processed manually; takes longer than premium mail¹
Veteran fee waiver is claimed on this form (Section Four)⁵

Open the application or mail instructions¹

In person

Run by: NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Office of Vital Records⁷
Fees: Per copy $15²
Processing fee $2.75²
Payment: Card, check and money order²
Make payable to: NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene²
Hours: Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.⁵
Appointment: Required⁵

Good to know

In person only for birth records 1920-present (if named on the record) and death records 1970-present⁵
Pre-adoption, non-electronic and older records are not issued the same day⁵

Open the official page⁵

What a New York City birth certificate costs

First certified copy: $15²
Each additional copy: $15³
If no record is found: The fee is kept as a search fee²

Types of copies

Copy	Accepted for	Fee
Short form birth certificate¹	Most domestic purposes within the U.S., such as a driver's license or U.S. passport³	$15³
Long form birth certificate¹	International purposes: dual citizenship, international adoption or marriage, time of birth, apostille³	$15³
Not Found Statement²	–	$15⁸
Pre-adoption long-form birth certificate⁹	Marked as a record from a sealed file; comes with adoption documents on file⁹	$15⁹

No-fee copies

U.S. veterans born in NYC: one free birth certificate for VA benefits, enlistment, NYS veteran bonus, or dependents' allowances⁵
Free newborn certificate mailed to parents about four weeks after birth¹
No charge for official requests by City/State agencies and certain veteran and armed-forces purposes⁸

How long it takes

These are the office's own published times. They do not include shipping. Mail and shipping time is extra unless the office says otherwise.

How you order	Processing time
By mail (non-premium mail)	8 to 12 weeks²

Who can order a New York City birth certificate

The city names these people and bodies as able to order a certified copy. Each line gives the official wording.

Registrant, 18 or older³
A parent named on the record¹
Legal guardian: I have legal guardianship/custody of the person named on the birth certificate.⁴
Proof: Original guardianship or custody court order⁴
Attorney for the registrant (18+) or a parent named on the certificate¹
Proof: Attorney Protocol form signed by the client, notarized premium application, client ID, attorney photo ID and proof of licensure¹
Spouse of a deceased registrant¹
Domestic partner of a deceased registrant¹
Child of a deceased registrant¹
Sibling of a deceased registrant¹
Grandchild of a deceased registrant¹
Niece/nephew, aunt/uncle, grandniece/grandnephew, great-grandchild, or parent (if the deceased was 18 or younger) of a deceased registrant¹
Proof for each of the 6 lines above: Family Tree/Link to Decedent document plus the death certificate (copy or certificate number if died in NYC; original if died outside NYC)⁴
Nonprofit / human services organization for a minor child or developmentally disabled adult¹
Proof: Letter on letterhead, SSA payee award letter if applicable, evidence of legal standing, employee ID¹

Records open to the public after: 125 years⁸

ID you need

Photo ID: Required³
Accepted ID: Driver's license or non-driver's ID card
NYS benefit card
U.S. or foreign passport with a signature
IDNYC municipal ID
U.S. certificate of naturalization (must be the original)
University or college ID with a current transcript
Inmate ID with current release papers
Job ID with a current pay stub
NYC Access-A-Ride card
NYC MTA Reduced-Fare Metro Card
Military ID card (must be for the person whose birth certificate is being requested)⁵
Without that ID: Two proof-of-address documents dated within the last 60 days (utility bill, telephone bill, official government mail, rent invoice or mortgage/lease letter, medical bill); certificate is mailed to that address⁵
Notarization: Required³
ID copy with a mail order: Include a copy of your ID³

What the application asks for

Have these details ready before you fill in the form or start an online order.³

Name on the birth certificate as it currently appears
Date of birth (or a date range to search)
Sex on the birth certificate
Borough where born
Mother/parent's maiden name
Father/parent's name
Place of birth (hospital, birthing center or home address)
Reason for request
Number of copies (maximum three)

Forms

Years held and older records

Years the issuing office holds: 1910 to today¹⁰
Older records: NYC Municipal Archives (Department of Records and Information Services): births 1866-1909 (Manhattan, Brooklyn), 1898-1909 (Bronx, Queens, Staten Island)¹¹

Special situations

Adoption: Pre-adoption certificates take six weeks by any channel; only the adoptee may order online⁹ Details
If the person has died: Birth certificate of a deceased person: mail only, $15 per copy, with death certificate and relationship proof¹ Details
Use abroad: For an apostille, request the long form; it comes with a Letter of Exemplification, which the County Clerk must authenticate before NYS Department of State issues the apostille³ Details
Military and veterans: Veterans born in NYC may get a free birth certificate (and the $40 correction fee may be waived) for VA, enlistment or veteran-bonus purposes⁵ Details
If no record is found: Not Found Statement mailed; no refund; free re-search with new information within three months² Details
Sex marker: Gender marker can be changed to M, F or X by application; no provider letter needed¹² Details
Paternity: Certified copies of an existing Acknowledgment of Parentage are free¹ Details

Warnings from the office

NYC Health warns that unauthorized vendors charge high fees; VitalChek is the only authorized online vendor¹
Since 2019 NYC birth and death certificates have no raised seal; they are printed on security paper¹
Births outside the five boroughs (including elsewhere in New York State) are not issued by NYC¹

The vital records office

Office: NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Office of Vital Records⁷
Phone: 311; 212-NEW-YORK (212-639-9675) from outside NYC⁷
Email: [email protected] (orders); [email protected] (corrections)⁷
Mailing address: NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, 125 Worth Street, CN-4, Room 119, New York, NY 10013
⁶
Hours: Office: Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.; online chat Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.⁵
Appointments: Required⁵
Website: Official website⁷

Questions people ask

How much is a certified New York City birth certificate?

Each certified copy costs $15.²³

How long does it take to get a New York City birth certificate?

By mail: 8 to 12 weeks.²

Can I order a New York City birth certificate online?

Yes. Online through VitalChek.²

Who do I make the check or money order payable to?

Write it exactly as the office prints it: NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.³

What ID do I need?

The city accepts: Driver's license or non-driver's ID card; NYS benefit card; U.S. or foreign passport with a signature; IDNYC municipal ID; U.S. certificate of naturalization (must be the original); University or college ID with a current transcript; and the other documents listed above.⁵

Where are older New York City birth certificates kept?

NYC Municipal Archives (Department of Records and Information Services): births 1866-1909 (Manhattan, Brooklyn), 1898-1909 (Bronx, Queens, Staten Island).¹¹

Sources

Every fact on this page comes from these official sources, checked on November 5, 2026. Tap a source number next to a fact to read the exact words.

Birth Certificates - NYC HealthNYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
Birth and Death Records Fees and Processing Times - NYC HealthNYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
Premium Mail Service ApplicationNYC Department of Health and Mental Hygienedated April 1, 2025
Application To Request an NYC Birth CertificateNYC Department of Health and Mental Hygienedated April 1, 2025
How to Order Birth and Death Records - NYC HealthNYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
VR 66 (Rev. 12.23)NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygienedated December 1, 2023
Birth and Death Records - NYC HealthNYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
Health code article207 (PDF)NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (NYC Health Code)
Pre-adoption Birth Certificates - NYC HealthNYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
Genealogy - RecordsNYC Department of Records and Information Services (Municipal Archives)
Application for Vital RecordsNYC Department of Records and Information Services (Municipal Archives)
Birth Certificates: Corrections - NYC HealthNYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene