How to Obtain Copies of New York State Vital Records for Births
If you need to obtain a birth certificate for a birth that took place in New York state, look to the New York State Department of Health to meet your need. Follow these steps to help you successfully order a New York State birth certificate.
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Instructions
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Order a New York state certified birth certificate using the Internet. In order to do this, you must pay the birth certificate fee using a major credit card. You will also have to pay a vendor processing fee per copy that you request. Birth certificates requested using the Internet typically take five to seven business days to process. You can purchase New York state birth certificates online using the New York State Department of Health's website.
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Request a New York state certified birth certificate over the phone by calling (877) 854-4481, the toll free telephone number. You will have to pay the birth certificate fee and vendor processing fee using a major credit card. Birth certificates ordered over the phone take between five and seven days to process on average.
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Obtain a New York state certified birth certificate via the mail. When ordering a birth certificate through the mail, you will have to pay using a money order or a check made payable to the New York State Department of Health. You may select regular processing to receive the birth certificate within six to eight weeks, or you may opt for priority processing to receive the birth certificate within two to three weeks.
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Go to the Vital Records Customer Service Lobby located in Menands, New York, to request a copy of a certified New York state birth certificate. You can find directions to this office on the New York State Department of Health's Internet website. You may request regular processing to receive the requested birth certificate within two weeks. Alternatively, requesting priority processing can usually get you the requested birth certificate the same day.
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Tips & Warnings
Only certain people can obtain a New York State birth certificate. In most cases, this includes the person on the certificate and a parent of the person on the birth certificate. Other people may obtain copies of birth certificates if they have a court order from the New York State Court.
Make sure that you have the appropriate identification required to obtain a birth certificate. People requesting a birth certificate must have one of the following: a passport, a military ID, a driver's license or a state-issued photo ID. Alternatively, people requesting a birth certificate can present two of the following: a government letter dated no more than 6 months prior or a utility bill. The letter or the bill must have your name and address on them in order for them to serve as proper identification.
View the fee schedule and fee information on the website of the New York State Department of Health.
You can't order birth certificates for births in New York City from the New York State Department of Health. You can only obtain such birth certificates from the New York City Department of Mental Health and Hygiene.
