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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fee for a certified copy of a birth or death certificate from the City of Albany?
The fee is $10 per copy or $22 for a genealogy copy from the City of Albany Vital Statistics. Payment is accepted in the form of a certified bank’s check or money order payable to the City of Albany or cash. Cash can only be accepted in person at our office, not through the mail.
How long will it take to get the certified copy from the City of Albany?
If you come in person to Vital Statistics in Albany City Hall, in most cases you will receive the certificate immediately.
U.S. Postal Express, UPS Overnight, FedEx, etc. gets sent out immediately
Regular first class mail requests are usually sent out within 2 days.
Genealogy requests may take up to 2 weeks
Note: Processing times are approximate and may vary with current workload volumes as well as circumstances beyond our control.
Where do I obtain a birth certificate copy for someone born in New York City?
For births in one of the five (5) boroughs of New York City (Manhattan, Kings, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island), please visit the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene web site. Please note that the borough of Kings is sometimes referred to as Brooklyn and the borough of Staten Island is sometimes referred to as Richmond.
Where do I obtain a birth certificate copy for someone born in New York State but not in the City of Albany or New York City?
A birth certificate may be obtained from the local registrar of the city you were born in or from the New York State Department of Health. You may apply online at http://www.health.state.ny.us/nysdoh/vr/forms/birth.htm
Who is eligible to obtain a birth certificate copy?
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The person named on the birth certificate
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A parent of the person named on the birth certificate (requesting parent's name must be on birth certificate)
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A spouse, child or other persons only by order of a New York State Court
Identification Requirements - application must be submitted with copies of either A or B:
A.One (1) of the following forms of valid photo-ID:
- Driver license
- State issued non-driver photo-ID card
- Passport
- U.S. Military issued photo-ID
B.Two (2) of the following showing the applicant's name and address:
- Utility or telephone bills
- Letter from a government agency dated within the last six (6) months
Important Notes:
Failure to include necessary identification will result in rejection of your application.
Copy of Passport required in addition to the above ID if request is made from a foreign country that requires a U.S. Passport for travel.
If I wasn't born in New York State, how do I get a copy of my birth certificate?
To obtain a copy of any certificate, write or go to the Vital Statistics office in the state or area the event occurred.
A complete listing of all state offices is available online at the National Center for Health Statistics.
Where can I obtain information from my birth record if I am adopted?
NYS Department of Health Vital Records Section operates the Adoption Information Registry. The Registry helps the adoptee, born in New York State, obtain available non-identifying information about their birth parents and enables the reunion of registered the adoptee with their birth parents and biological siblings. Finally, the Registry provides a place for birth parents to file medical information updates, which may be shared with the registered adoptee.
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