Birth Certificates

Vital Records has birth records (since 1881) for all of New York State except New York City. It does not have these records for New York City (the boroughs of Manhattan, Kings (Brooklyn), Queens, Bronx, and Richmond (Staten Island)).

Birth records are also available from the local Registrar of Vital Statistics where the event occurred.

Questions or comments?

Contact the Vital Records Call Center at (855) 322-1022.

Requirements

Who is eligible to get a copy of a birth certificate?

• The person named on the birth certificate.
• A parent of the person named on the birth certificate. The requesting parent's name must be on the birth certificate.
• A spouse, child or others, but only by order of a New York State court.

What identification needs to be submitted by the applicant?

Application must be submitted with copies of either A or B:

1. One of the following forms of valid photo-ID:
   • Driver's license
   • State-issued, nondriver photo-ID card
   • Passport
   • U.S. Military-issued, photo-ID

OR

1. Two of the following showing the applicant's name and address:
   • Utility or telephone bill
   • Letter from a government agency dated within the last six months

Please submit a copy of your U.S. passport in addition to the above ID if you are applying from a foreign country that requires a passport for travel.

Common Denial Reasons:

• Applications without proper ID
• Failure to submit a copy of their U.S. passport in addition to the required identifications when applying from a foreign country that requires a passport for travel

Fees

We are currently experiencing significant delays in order processing.

Mail forms to:

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

Payment Options:

• Online / Phone – MasterCard/Visa, Discover, American Express, ACH (Electronic Check)
• Mail – Personal Check, Postal Money Order, or Certified Check made payable to NYS Department of Health. Payment for orders from foreign countries must be made by a check drawn on a United States bank or by international money order - Do not send cash

Birth Certificate Corrections

Refer to the linked document below for answers to basic questions about the birth certificate correction process, including which form to submit, required supporting documentary evidence for the requested change, how to submit a correction, and other frequently asked questions.

NOTE: If your child is under 12 months of age, and the hospital where your child was born made a mistake on the birth certificate, you should contact the hospital, or see the "How do I make a correction/amendment?" section of the linked document for other options.

• Birth Record Corrections/Amendments (PDF)

Correction Forms

• DOH-297 Application For Correction of Certificate of Birth (PDF)
  Use this form for parent or child name spellings, correcting parent(s) last name, child's date of birth, or child's gender at birth.
• DOH-51 Supplemental Report of Given Name (PDF)
  Use this form for adding a child's given name.
• DOH-4092 Affidavit (PDF)
  Use this form for adding the father's name if married at the time of birth and the father's name was omitted. The child's surname can be changed with this same form.
• DOH-1862 Affidavit for Conforming Name Change (PDF)
  Use this form for changing the child's surname from a Family Court order.
• DOH-1927 Conforming Name Change (PDF)
  Use this form for changing the child's surname following the biological parent's marriage after birth with Acknowledgment of Paternity.

The Child Parent Security Act: Surrogacy Agreements, Acknowledgment of Parentage and Orders of Parentage

For more information on how to amend a birth certificate using documents created by the Child Parent Security Act, please see The Child Parent Security Act.

Gender Designation Corrections

Foreign Born Child Adoptions

For information on obtaining a birth certificate for a foreign both child being adopted by a NYS resident, follow the instructions on DOH-2538 Information for Certificate of Birth Data.

Questions or comments: contact the Vital Records Call Center at (855) 322-1022.