How to get a New York birth certificate
In New York, order a certified birth certificate from the New York State Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Records.1 Each certified copy costs $302. You can order online, by mail, at a local office or by phone. Only the people the state lists below can order a certified copy.
On this page
Born or died in the five boroughs of New York City? New York City keeps its own birth and death records, separate from New York State. Use the New York City vital records pages instead.
Ways to order
| How | Cost per copy | Processing time | Payment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Online through VitalChek Network, Inc. | $452, plus a vendor processing fee per transaction, not per copy, amount not published | – | Card and ACH2 |
| By mail | $302 | – | Check and money order2 |
| At a local office | $103 (Erie County) | – | – |
| By phone | $452, plus a vendor processing fee per transaction, not per copy, amount not published | – | Card and ACH2 |
Online through VitalChek Network, Inc.
- Vendor
- VitalChek Network, Inc.1
- Fees
- Per copy $452
- Expedited service
- DOH mail forms direct expedited order placement and processing to VitalChek (online at www.VitalChek.com or by phone at 877-854-4481)1
- Payment
- Card and ACH2
Good to know
- Do not order online for an apostille unless you select the long form4
By mail
- Run by
- New York State Department of Health2
- Expedited service
- $45. Expedited processing by mail; required when DOH forwards the certificate to the Department of State for an apostille4
- Payment
- Check and money order2
- Make payable to
- NYS Department of Health2
- Mail to
- New York State Department of Health, Vital Records Certification Unit, P.O. Box 2602, Albany, NY 12220-26022
Good to know
- Delivery to a P.O. Box or a third party requires a notarized statement and a copy of the applicant's driver license1
At a local office
By phone
- Run by
- VitalChek Network, Inc.1
- Fees
- Per copy $452
- Payment
- Card and ACH2
- Phone
- 877-854-44811
What a New York birth certificate costs
- First certified copy
- $302
- Each additional copy
- $301
- Expedite fee
- $454
- If no record is found
- The fee is kept as a search fee1
Types of copies
| Copy | Accepted for | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Certified Copy1 | – | $302 |
| Long form (full copy / vault copy)4 | Needed when an apostille is required and the copy is ordered online or by phone4 | – |
| No Record Certification1 | – | $301 |
| Genealogy copy (uncertified)6 | – | $226 |
| Original (Pre-Adoption) Birth Certificate7 | – | $457 |
Who can order a New York birth certificate
The state names these people and bodies as able to order a certified copy. Each line gives the official wording.
- The person named on the record:
The person named on the birth certificate.
2 - A parent named on the record:
A parent of the person named on the birth certificate. The requesting parent's name must be on the birth certificate.
2 - Person named in a court order:
A spouse, child or others, but only by order of a New York State court.
2
Proof: New York State court order2
Who cannot order a certified copy
- Spouse and child: only with a New York State court order2
Other kinds of copies
- Genealogy copy Genealogist or family researcher:
Birth certificates - if on file for at least 75 years and the person whose name is on the birth certificate is known to be deceased.
6
- Records open to the public after
- 75 years6
- Social Security number on the copy
- An SSN is requested on online and paper orders2
ID you need
- Photo ID
- Required2
- Accepted ID
- Driver's license
- State-issued, nondriver photo-ID card
- Passport
- U.S. Military-issued, photo-ID2
- Without that ID
- Utility or telephone bill
- Letter from a government agency dated within the last six months
- Notarization
- Required only when the certificate is to be delivered to a P.O. Box or a third party1
- ID copy with a mail order
- Include a copy of your ID1
What the application asks for
Have these details ready before you fill in the form or start an online order.1
- Name as listed on birth certificate
- Date of birth
- Town, city or village where birth occurred
- Birth certificate number (if known)
- Hospital (if known)
- Local registration number (if known)
- Birth/pre-marriage name of mother/parent
- Father/parent name
- Reason for requesting the record
- Relationship to person on record
- Applicant signature and address
Forms
- Mail-in Application for Copy of Birth Certificate (DOH-4380) revision DOH-4380 (09/19)1
Years held and older records
- Years the issuing office holds
- 1881 to today2
- Older records
- Albany, Buffalo and Yonkers records before 1914: those cities' local registrars6
Special situations
- If no record is found
- A No Record Certification is issued and the fee is kept1
- Dual citizenship
- Relatives seeking records for a foreign citizenship claim must follow DOH dual-citizenship rules (affidavits, POA or NYS court order)8 Details
- Adoption
- Adoptees 18+ (and direct-line descendants) can order the original pre-adoption birth certificate for $457 Details
- Adoptees born abroad
- Certificate of Birth Data (DOH-2538) for a foreign-born child adopted by a NYS resident; not proof of U.S. citizenship9
Warnings from the office
- Common denial reasons: Applications without proper ID; Failure to submit a copy of their U.S. passport in addition to the required identifications when applying from a foreign country that requires a passport for travel2
- Not for New York City events1
The state office
- Office
- New York State Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Records1
- Phone
- (855) 322-102212
- [email protected]13
- Mailing address
- New York State Department of Health, Vital Records Certification Unit, P.O. Box 2602, Albany, NY 12220-26022
- Walk-in address
- 800 North Pearl Street6
- Website
- Official website12
Questions people ask
Can I order a New York birth certificate online?
Yes. Online through VitalChek Network, Inc.1
Who do I make the check or money order payable to?
Write it exactly as the office prints it: NYS Department of Health.2
What ID do I need?
The state accepts: Driver's license; State-issued, nondriver photo-ID card; Passport; U.S. Military-issued, photo-ID.2
Where are older New York birth certificates kept?
Albany, Buffalo and Yonkers records before 1914: those cities' local registrars.6
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.
- Doh 4380 (PDF)New York State Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Recordsdated September 1, 2019
- Birth Certificates - New York State Department of HealthNew York State Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Recordsdated January 1, 2023
- Clerk | Town of Holland NYTown of Holland (Erie County, NY) Town Clerk
- Apostille for Vital RecordsNew York State Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Recordsdated January 1, 2023
- Clerk – Birth Certificates | Town of Eden, New YorkTown of Eden (Erie County, NY) Town Clerk
- Genealogy Records & Resources - New York State Department of HealthNew York State Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Recordsdated January 1, 2023
- Obtaining Original (Pre-Adoption) Birth Certificate for Adoptees - New York State Department of…New York State Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Recordsdated January 1, 2023
- Dual Citizenship and Vital RecordsNew York State Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Recordsdated January 1, 2023
- Public instructions for birth corrections (PDF)New York State Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Recordsdated August 1, 2020
- Gender Designation AmendmentsNew York State Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Recordsdated January 1, 2023
- Pregnancy Loss Certificate and Certificate of Still BirthNew York State Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Recordsdated September 1, 2026
- Birth, Death, Marriage & Divorce Records - New York State Department of HealthNew York State Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Recordsdated January 1, 2023
- NYS Vital Records - Birth AmendmentsNew York State Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Recordsdated July 1, 2013