Thursday 20 March 2014

New York Free Death Records

By Ben Kingsley


Public records such as birth, marriage and death records are wonderful sources of information that might come handy in certain situations. New York death records are especially important because it can affect the loved one's situation after the person dies. Access to death records in New York can be quite confusing, as records are not kept in one location; all records are kept in the county clerk. However, it is indexed in two main repositories - The New York Department of Health and the New York Municipal Archives so one can actually go to the two locations to save time. For those who need death records prior to 1949, they can head to the Municipal Archives; for the succeeding years, records can be found at the NY Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

To obtain death records, applicants must (1) be a relative of the deceased - sibling, parents or spouse, (2) have legal rights to do so including being a legal guardian (3) have a court order to do so and (4) the record contains medical information crucial to the health and welfare of those left behind. For those whose loved ones died outside of the city, they can get the death certificate from the clerk of the county where the person died.

For family history or genealogical purposes, researchers can get copies of death records that happened prior to 1949 from the NY Municipal Archives. Getting the information is relatively easy as individuals can order through online, walk in or mail. The Municipal office does not accept any phone in requests. Each record costs about $15 and individuals who walk in can obtain a copy for $11. Additional fees are charged: (a) $2 for each borough for one year (b) $2 each borough for a year (c) $5 for "letter of exemplification" which will be appended in the certified copy and (d) $10 for each additional copy.

Records, which date after 1949, are available from the New York Department of Health Office. To be able to request for records, one must present either (a) valid id with photo and/or (b) billing statement under the individual's name. Those who request records for travelling to visa-required countries should present a copy of their passport to the office.

The cost of one death record is $30. For those who order through telephone and mail order, the office will send the reports via priority handling. The Office charges $15 for priority handling for a total of $45. Additional charge amounting to $8 is added for vendor processing fee. Processing will take about a week although those who want a faster transaction can ask for overnight delivery of the report. The Office will charge additional $15.50 for UPS overnight delivery.

All death records and death notices under the New York Department of Health are available through the affiliated partner VitalChek Network. The company processes credit card and online orders. For general information, one can check out several online websites that offer free services for public records. This is the fastest and easiest way to search for records without having to wait for weeks.




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