Order a Birth Certificate in New York State

Start by confirming whether the birth occurred inside or outside New York City’s 5 boroughs. Your current address does not determine the issuing office. For example, a person born in Queens needs an NYC record even if they now live in Albany.

For births outside NYC, request your copy from the New York State Department of Health or the local registrar where the birth occurred. State orders are available by mail or through VitalChek online and by phone. Complete your application, include identification, and prepare payment for the selected route.

For a standard state mail order, send your documents and payment to the following address:

New York State Department of Health Vital Records Certification Unit P.O. Box 2602 Albany, NY 12220-2602

For an NYC birth, apply through the NYC Health Department’s online, mail, or appointment-based in-person service. VitalChek is NYC’s only authorized online ordering vendor. EaseGov offers separate preparation assistance and does not replace either health department’s official process.

If you are working out how to get a birth certificate in NY from another state, you can prepare a remote request. Choose the correct jurisdiction first, then follow its identification and submission instructions.

For a standard certified record from New York State outside NYC, the eligible requesters are the following people:

• Person named on the birth certificate.
• Parent whose name appears on the certificate.
• Spouse, child, or another person with an order from a New York State court authorizing access.

A family relationship alone does not qualify a spouse, adult child, or sibling to obtain someone else’s state birth record. Follow the court-order requirements if you are not the person named or a listed parent.

For NYC records, you generally must be at least 18 and listed as the person born or as a parent. Attorneys and other eligible representatives must follow the city’s specific documentation procedures. Requests involving a deceased person or a pre-adoption record have separate requirements.

Have the following ready:

• Full name on the birth record
• Date and place of birth
• Parents’ names

Include the mother or parent’s birth or pre-marriage name as recorded. You will also need your contact details, relationship to the person, reason for requesting the record, and mailing address.

For a state request outside NYC, submit a copy of a valid driver’s license, state photo ID, passport, or U.S. military photo ID. Alternatively, provide 2 qualifying documents showing your name and address, such as utility or telephone bills or a recent government-agency letter. Government letters must be dated within the last 6 months.

For NYC mail or in-person requests, the identification rules differ. You can use an accepted, unexpired photo-and-signature ID or 2 qualifying address documents dated within the last 60 days. With address documents, the certificate is mailed to the address they show.

Sign your application and complete any required notarization. NYC mail applications require notarization; state mail requests have additional requirements for delivery to a P.O. box or a third party. Include a court order or representation documents when your eligibility depends on them.

If applying to the state office from a foreign country that requires a U.S. passport for travel, include a passport copy with your other identification. For mailed payment, use the payee and payment method specified by the issuing agency. Do not mail cash.

New York State and New York City charge different fees. These are the published certificate and processing charges for standard copy requests:

For state online or phone orders, the vendor processing fee is charged per transaction. Check the amount shown when ordering. Local registrars outside NYC may have different charges, and optional shipping can add to your total.

EaseGov charges a separate preparation fee. Review the service price, government fees, and any delivery charges before completing your request.

The state Department of Health currently warns of significant processing delays. Confirm the current estimate for your ordering route before relying on a delivery date, especially for travel or citizenship deadlines. Local registrars may have different availability and turnaround times.

NYC’s dedicated fees page lists 2 to 3 weeks for online certificate processing, plus up to 2 additional weeks for regular-mail delivery. Allow an additional 2 weeks for long-form certificates and records requiring extra searching.

For NYC premium mail service, the listed processing estimate is approximately 2 to 3 weeks. Non-premium mail requests take approximately 8–12 weeks. Allow mailing time in addition to processing.

NYC express shipping speeds delivery after the certificate is prepared; it does not expedite the agency’s processing. In-person NYC orders require an appointment, and older or non-electronic records are not issued the same day. Applying through EaseGov does not guarantee a government processing date.

If you need a long form birth certificate in New York, tell the issuing office what the document will be used for. The state identifies this format as a long form, full copy, or vault copy. It specifically advises selecting the long form when ordering online or by phone for an apostille.

NYC offers both short-form and long-form certificates. The short form serves most domestic purposes, while the long form includes additional information and is commonly used for international matters. Examples include dual citizenship, overseas marriage, and requests for time-of-birth information.

When requesting a long form birth certificate from NYC for an apostille, select the apostille or authentication reason. You also need a Letter of Exemplification, which accompanies the certificate for the next authentication step. A long-form certificate alone is not a completed apostille.

The New York State Department of State issues apostilles for New York public documents used in participating Hague Convention countries. The steps depend on who issued your birth certificate. Check the destination country’s requirements before ordering the record.

For a certificate issued directly by the NYS Department of Health, check for the signature of the Director of Vital Statistics or NYS Registrar. Qualifying state-issued certificates can go directly to the Department of State without county clerk certification. Certificates issued by a local registrar must first be certified by the county clerk in the county of issuance.

For an NYC birth certificate, obtain the long form and a Letter of Exemplification from NYC Health. Have them authenticated by the New York County Clerk in Manhattan, then submit the documents to the Department of State. The county clerk step costs $3; the apostille costs $10 per document, in addition to the certificate fee.

Include the authentication request, destination country, required certifications, and payment with your submission. The Department of State returns documents by first-class mail, or you can include an acceptable prepaid label for overnight return. Countries outside the convention may require a Certificate of Authentication and further legalization.

If you need an apostille for a New York birth certificate, plan for both certificate issuance and authentication. A standard certified-copy order does not automatically include the apostille process.