If someone close to you has died, we are sorry. If a funeral home is handling arrangements, the city says "the quickest way to get a death certificate is to order it from the funeral director who made the funeral arrangements." This guide is general information about an NYC death certificate, not legal advice.
Which office has the death record?
It depends on where and when the death happened.
Deaths in the five boroughs in 1951 or later: NYC Health Department
The Health Department's Office of Vital Records issues certificates only for deaths in the five boroughs, not for Nassau, Suffolk or other counties.
Deaths in 1950 or earlier: NYC Municipal Archives
The Municipal Archives, part of the Department of Records and Information Services (DORIS), holds older records, now including 1950. The Health Department says: "Effective December 1, 2025, we no longer accept new requests for certified copies of 1950 death certificates." See old records.
Deaths elsewhere in New York State
The New York State Department of Health "has death records (since 1881) for all of New York State except New York City," and the local registrar where the death happened also has them. The state lists $30 by mail, or $45 online or by phone plus a vendor fee (page revised January 2023).
Who can order an NYC death certificate?
The city lists close family for the certificate with the cause of death, more distant relatives for the certificate without it, and others with proof of a legal right by mail only. The premium form says applicants must be at least 18.
| Relationship | Certificate | Cause of death report | Proof | How to order |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spouse, domestic partner, parent, child, sibling, grandparent, grandchild, informant, person in charge of disposition | Yes | Yes | Photo ID | Online, mail or in person |
| Niece, nephew, aunt, uncle, great or great great grandchild, grandniece, grandnephew | Yes | No | Photo ID | Mail or in person. The premium form also lists online, but NYC311 and VR 66 limit online orders to the first row. |
| Not related, with a legal right | Yes | Only with a documented right, per the city's page; VR 66 says listed relatives only | Photo ID plus one of: original letters testamentary, an insurance policy naming you as beneficiary, or a current bank book, bank statement or property deed listing both names | Mail only |
| Funeral director | Up to one year after the death | Not stated | Through the funeral home | Through the funeral home |
| Attorney for an entitled person | Yes | Not stated | Attorney protocol (below) | In person or mail |
Funeral directors, attorneys and others
The city says that with no funeral home involved, an entitled person can order even if the disposition is not final. NYC311 says: "Only entitled parties and their attorneys may submit orders for NYC death certificates." Couriers and paralegals cannot. An attorney submits, in person or by mail, a letter on letterhead, the application signed by the attorney, the client's photo ID copy and original authorization letter, the fees, and the attorney's proof of licensure and photo ID. By mail, it goes to Attention: Attorney Protocol Request, 125 Worth Street, Room 119, CN 4, New York, NY 10013. For estate questions, ask an attorney or the court.
With or without the cause of death: which certificate to ask for
The city issues "the standard certificate of death, which includes the deceased's name, gender and date of birth," and, for the people in the first row above, "the confidential medical report of the cause of death," at "no additional fee."
Medical Examiner cases and "pending" causes
If the cause shows "pending," the city says you can exchange the certificate "within 90 days of the original issue date" without paying the $15 fee. For "Undetermined" or "Pending further study," it says to call the Medical Examiner's office at (212) 447 2030.
Which version does the bank or insurer need?
No official source says, and none sets a number of copies. Ask each bank, insurer or court which version it needs. Also, "As of 2019, NYC birth and death certificates no longer have a raised seal."
What changed on October 29, 2026?
Health Code changes adopted on September 17, 2026 took effect on October 29, 2026. The city's pages and forms have not all caught up, so check with the Health Department before you apply.
- Medical Examiner certificates without the cause of death. The Health Code now allows relatives on its family list to request a Medical Examiner death certificate that does not include the manner or cause of death. The Health Department's page still says "All Medical Examiner death certificates include the cause of death." Ask the Health Department (call 311) how to request this version.
- Corrections. The list of who may correct a certificate changed. See corrections.
- Stillbirth and pregnancy loss. If you have lost a pregnancy, we are very sorry. The rule removes the $15 fee for a certificate of still birth or pregnancy loss. The city's page still lists $15, so ask 311 how this is handled now.
How to order a death certificate in NYC
There are three ways: online through VitalChek, by mail, or in person by appointment.
| Item | Online (VitalChek) | Mail: premium (VR 220) | Mail: standard (VR 66) | In person |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Each copy | $15 | $15 | $15 | $15 |
| Processing fee | $9.30 | $7.50 per application | None | $2.75 |
| Payment | Checking account, credit or debit card | Check or money order; no cash or starter checks | Check or money order; no cash | Card, check or money order; no cash |
| Delivery | Free U.S. mail; UPS Express $21 (NYC311 lists $20) | Your stamped, self addressed envelope | Same day for some records | |
| Notarized | Not called for | Yes | Yes | Not called for |
| Years of death | 1951 or later | 1951 or later | 1951 or later | 1970 or later |
| Applicants not related | No | Yes | Yes | No |
Online through VitalChek
The city calls VitalChek "the only vendor authorized by the Health Department to process death certificate orders." You answer identity questions; if that fails, you can fax ID documents.
By mail: premium (VR 220) or standard (VR 66)
Both forms must be notarized. The city asks for the form, payment and a photocopy of your photo ID.
- VR 220, premium: pay to "NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene" and mail to Attention: Premium Death Certificate Request, 125 Worth Street, Room CN 4, Room 119, New York, NY 10013. Certificates cannot go to an "in care of" address.
- VR 66, standard: include a self addressed stamped envelope and mail to Office of Vital Records, 125 Worth Street, CN 4, Room 119, New York, NY 10013.
In person at 125 Worth Street
For deaths in 1970 or later, by appointment only, Monday to Friday, 9am to 3:30pm, at 125 Worth Street, Room 119 (use the 45 Lafayette Street entrance). Some certificates are issued the same day, but not older records, records that are not electronic, or records from before an adoption.
Emergencies, help and order status
If you can't get an in person appointment and have an emergency tied to travel, health coverage, government services, the military, housing or a job, call 311 or email [email protected] to ask for an emergency appointment, with your photo ID and proof of the emergency. The Tremont Neighborhood Health Action Center in the Bronx, (347) 665 0213, helps with orders and corrections. Track an order on the city's order status page.
How much does an NYC death certificate cost?
$15 a copy plus the processing fee for your method. On the standard form (VR 66), each copy includes a search of two consecutive years, and each extra year searched adds $3.
| Order | Math | Total |
|---|---|---|
| 1 copy online, U.S. mail | $15 + $9.30 | $24.30 |
| 3 copies online, U.S. mail | 3 × $15 + $9.30 | $54.30 |
| 3 copies online, UPS | $54.30 + $21 | $75.30 ($74.30 at NYC311's $20) |
| 3 copies, premium mail | 3 × $15 + $7.50 | $52.50 |
| 3 copies, standard mail | 3 × $15 | $45.00 |
| 3 copies, in person | 3 × $15 + $2.75 | $47.75 |
The fees page lists the online and in person fees as a processing fee "plus $15 per certificate," which reads as one fee per order, so the table counts it once. A notary visit is a separate cost; see what a mobile notary visit costs.
How long does it take to get a death certificate in NYC?
Online orders usually take two to three weeks, plus mailing time. Mail orders can take from a few weeks to about three months. The city's own pages give different estimates, so check the Health Department's site before you rely on a date.
| Method | Health Department fees page | Health Department main page | NYC311 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Online | 2 to 3 weeks, plus 2 for mail; 2 more for deaths from 1951 to 1970 | 2 to 3 weeks, plus 2 for mail | 2 weeks (1970 on); 4 weeks (1951 to 1970); mail adds 10 to 15 business days |
| Premium mail | About 2 to 3 weeks | About 12 weeks (mail in general) | 6 to 8 weeks (mail in general), plus about 2 for delivery |
| Standard mail | 8 to 12 weeks | ||
| In person | Not stated; same day for some records (ordering page) | Not stated | Same day in some cases |
| Corrections | About 12 weeks, plus 2 for delivery | About 12 weeks | Not stated |
What ID do you need?
An unexpired photo ID with your signature, such as a driver license or non driver ID, a passport or IDNYC; the forms list more. Without one, the city accepts two proof of address documents "dated within the last 60 days" and showing your name and address, such as a utility bill or official government mail, and mails the certificate to that address. With neither, call 311 or email [email protected].
Does the NYC death certificate application need to be notarized?
Yes, if you order by mail. Both the standard VR 66 and the premium VR 220 must be signed in front of a notary. Online orders have no notary step. In person, NYC311 describes ordering at a kiosk at your appointment with photo ID, and lists no notary step.
What the forms say
- VR 66: "Applications submitted by mail must be signed in the presence of a Notary Public." Its notary block says "SUBSCRIBED AND SWORN BEFORE ME:"
- VR 220: "This application must be notarized." "Step 2: Notarize Page 5. Make sure to sign and date the form."
What signing in front of a notary means
Both notary blocks are jurats. In plain words, you sign in front of the notary, under an oath or affirmation that what you wrote is true. So wait to sign until you are with the notary.
What to bring to the notary
- The form, filled in by you but not signed
- Your unexpired photo ID, matching the name on the form
- A photocopy of that ID to mail with the form
- A check or money order for the exact amount
- Proof of a legal right, if you are not related
- A self addressed stamped envelope, for VR 66
What a notary can and cannot do
A notary can check your ID, give the oath or affirmation, watch you sign and complete the notary block, but cannot give legal advice, decide whether you qualify, fill in or choose your form, make a copy count as an original, or order or speed up a certificate. For corrections, the city does not accept "notarized copies without the original documents." See also which documents need a notary in New York.
Also need the deceased person's NYC birth certificate? The city's form for it, VR 70, must be notarized too.
A notary who comes to you We come to your home, a hospital or nursing home, or wherever you are in the five boroughs: Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island, 7am to midnight, every day. We do not order certificates. We notarize your application: you sign in front of our notary, then you mail it.
Book a notaryCall (917) 203 9894How do you correct an NYC death certificate?
Corrections go on form VR 62 with original documents. Most cost a nonrefundable $40 plus $15 per corrected copy, take about 12 weeks and cannot be done online. The current form (Rev. 4/26) has no notary section. There is no fee when the facility or doctor submits the change, or when a funeral home adds missing information within 12 months.
Who can request a correction?
The current form lists the spouse or registered domestic partner, child, parent, sibling, informant, a court appointed guardian, a fiduciary, an estate beneficiary and the person in control of disposition. The Health Code, as amended effective October 29, 2026, lists the informant (within six months of the death), the spouse, domestic partner, parent, sibling or child (at any time), "a duly appointed executor or fiduciary of the decedent's estate," and a beneficiary of benefits or property due to the death. It no longer lists the person in control of disposition, and unlike the form it does not list a court appointed guardian, so check with the Health Department before applying.
Documents and deadlines
The corrections page says: "We will not accept photocopies, altered documents or notarized copies without the original documents." If the facility or doctor made an error in the legal name and it is within 12 months of the death, the city says to contact them; they can submit the correction electronically. After 12 months, the city requires a letter from the facility or doctor listed on the certificate. Mail to Corrections Unit, Attention: Death Certificate Correction, 125 Worth Street, Room 144, CN 4, New York, NY 10013. The Municipal Archives says "death records prior to 1951 cannot be amended or corrected."
How do you get an apostille for an NYC death certificate?
It takes three steps, which add $13 for a death in 1951 or later.
- Letter of Exemplification. The Department of State says to request it when you order the record; from the Health Department there is "no extra cost." The city's instructions: online, pick "Apostille/Authentication" as the reason; on VR 66, answer yes to question 10. For deaths before 1951, the Municipal Archives charges $12. More on the Letter of Exemplification.
- New York County Clerk. $3 per document at 60 Centre Street, Room 141B. The clerk "does not accept personal or company checks."
- Department of State. $10 per document, in person at 123 William Street, 2nd floor, Monday to Friday, 9am to 4pm (same day, up to 10 documents), or by mail to PO Box 22001, Albany, NY 12201.
The same steps apply to NYC birth certificates. See also the apostille from the NYS Department of State and our Hague apostille countries list.
NYC death records: old certificates, free online records and indexes
Many NYC death certificates from 1862 to 1948 are free to view and download on the Municipal Archives' Historical Vital Records site (DORIS, 2022).
| Borough | Free online | Held by the Archives |
|---|---|---|
| Bronx | 1898 to 1948 | 1898 to 1950 |
| Brooklyn | 1862 to 1948 | 1862 to 1950 |
| Manhattan | 1866 to 1867, 1871 to 1875, 1920 to 1948 | 1866 to 1877, 1881 to 1950 |
| Queens | 1881 to 1892, 1898 to 1948 | 1898 to 1950 |
| Staten Island | 1898 to 1948 | 1898 to 1950 |
Death indexes
The site's 1949 Death Index lists 1949 deaths in all five boroughs by surname, to find the certificate number. NYC Open Data has an index to digitized certificates from 1862 to 1948.
Certified copies from the Municipal Archives
Order online or with the mail form: $18 with the certificate number, $25 if the Archives must search, $23 for a raised seal copy with the certificate number ($30 with a search) and $12 for a Letter of Exemplification. Checks go to "NYC Department of Records," 31 Chambers Street, Suite 103, New York, NY 10007. The mail form states no notary requirement.
Are NYC death records public?
Not at first. Under the Health Code, a death record becomes public "on January 31st of the year following 75 years after the date of death" and moves to the Municipal Archives.
Can you get an NYC death certificate for free?
Sometimes. The Health Code waives fees for official City or State agency requests, Veterans Administration benefit applications "if written proof of the application is first submitted," some armed forces purposes, and when the Commissioner, "for good cause, so directs." The city does not say how to claim this for a death certificate, so ask 311. Online records through 1948, a "pending" exchange within 90 days and some corrections are also free.
Watch out for unofficial ordering sites
VitalChek is the only vendor the Health Department authorizes, and the city warns that unauthorized vendors charge high fees. Complaints go to the NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection or 311. Sealed NYC is not a vendor and does not order certificates.
Need your mail application notarized? Our notary comes to you anywhere in the five boroughs, 7am to midnight, every day. Bring the unsigned form and your photo ID, sign in front of the notary, and mail it the same day.
Book a notaryCall (917) 203 9894Questions about NYC death certificates
How much is a death certificate in NYC?
$15 per copy plus a processing fee: $9.30 online through VitalChek, $7.50 per premium mail application (VR 220), $2.75 in person, and none on the standard mail form (VR 66). The cause of death costs nothing extra. UPS delivery adds $21 (NYC311 lists $20).
How long does it take to get a death certificate in NYC?
Online orders usually take two to three weeks plus mailing time, longer for deaths from 1951 to 1970. Mail orders can take from a few weeks to about 12 weeks. The city's pages give different estimates, so check the Health Department's site first.
Who can get a death certificate in NYC?
The city lists the spouse, domestic partner, parent, child, sibling, grandparent, grandchild, informant and person in charge of disposition for a certificate with the cause of death. Nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles and some other relatives can get one without it. Others with a documented legal right can order by mail.
Does the NYC death certificate application need to be notarized?
Yes, if you order by mail. Both the standard form (VR 66) and the premium form (VR 220) must be signed in front of a notary public, under oath or affirmation. Online orders have no notary step. In person, NYC311 describes ordering at a kiosk at your appointment with photo ID, and lists no notary step.
Can I get a death certificate in person in NYC?
Yes, for deaths in 1970 or later, by appointment only, at 125 Worth Street, Room 119, in Manhattan (use the 45 Lafayette Street entrance), Monday to Friday, 9am to 3:30pm. Some certificates are issued the same day. The fee is $15 a copy plus $2.75.
How do I get a death certificate for someone who died before 1951?
Contact the NYC Municipal Archives. The Health Department stopped taking 1950 requests on December 1, 2025 and is moving those records to the Archives, whose 2026 order form lists 1950 among its holdings. Many certificates from 1862 to 1948 are free to view and download on its Historical Vital Records website. Certified copies start at $18 when you know the certificate number.
Are NYC death certificates public records?
Not at first. Under the NYC Health Code, a death record becomes public on January 31 of the year after the 75th anniversary of the death, then moves to the Municipal Archives. Until then, only the people the city lists can order a certified copy.
How do I correct a death certificate in NYC?
The Health Department takes corrections on form VR 62 with original documents. Most cost a nonrefundable $40 plus $15 per corrected copy and take about 12 weeks. Who may apply changed on October 29, 2026, so check with the Health Department first.
How do I use an NYC death certificate in another country?
The Department of State says to request a Letter of Exemplification when you order; the Health Department charges nothing extra for it. Then the New York County Clerk authenticates it for $3, and the New York State Department of State issues the apostille or certificate of authentication for $10.
Can I get a Medical Examiner death certificate without the cause of death?
Since October 29, 2026, the NYC Health Code allows relatives on its family list to request a Medical Examiner certificate without the manner or cause of death. The Health Department's page had not caught up as of November 5, 2026, so ask 311 how to request one.
Official sources
Last checked November 5, 2026.
- NYC Health: Birth and death records: scope, emergencies, times
- NYC Health: Death certificates: eligibility, cause of death, 1950
- NYC Health: Ordering: in person, ID
- NYC Health: Fees: fees, times
- NYC Health: Death corrections: documents
- Form VR 220: notary lines, fees
- Form VR 66: notary lines
- Form VR 62: corrections
- Form VR 70: birth certificate request
- NYC311: Death certificate: eligibility, times
- NYC Health Code § 207.11: who can get records
- NYC Health Code § 207.13: fee waivers
- NYC Health Code Article 207: 75 year rule
- NYC Rules: vital records amendment: dates, summary
- Notice of adoption: amended text
- Notice of intention: still birth fee
- Municipal Archives mail order form: holdings, fees, address
- Municipal Archives FAQ: no corrections before 1951
- Municipal Archives ordering: online and mail orders
- Historical Vital Records: free records
- Historical Vital Records: digitized records: years by borough
- 1949 Death Index: 1949 index
- Municipal Archives, March 16, 2022: free downloads
- NYC Open Data death index: 1862 to 1948
- New York State Department of Health: deaths outside NYC
- NYS Department of State: Apostille: County Clerk step
- NYS Department of State: Obtain an apostille: fee, office, payment
- New York County Clerk: $3, Room 141B
- VitalChek: authorized online vendor