The five-borough rule
Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island are New York City for vital-record purposes. A birth or death there follows NYC Department of Health or Municipal Archives rules depending on the year and record series.
New York County means Manhattan; Kings County means Brooklyn; Richmond County means Staten Island. Older documents may use county names even though the event belongs to the NYC system.
Official sources for this guidance
- Historical vital records and genealogy — New York City Municipal Archives
- New York City birth and death records — New York City Department of Health
- Marriage records — Office of the City Clerk, City of New York
- Dual citizenship and vital records — New York State Department of Health
- Apostille for vital records — New York State Department of Health
- Apostille or Certificate of Authentication — New York Department of State
Everything else in New York
Events in cities and towns outside the five boroughs follow New York State and local registrar rules. Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Albany, and Yonkers are state—not NYC—vital-record jurisdictions.
The state and local offices can have different ordering methods, but the applicant still must satisfy statutory access and identity requirements.
Official sources for this guidance
- Historical vital records and genealogy — New York City Municipal Archives
- New York City birth and death records — New York City Department of Health
- Marriage records — Office of the City Clerk, City of New York
- Dual citizenship and vital records — New York State Department of Health
- Apostille for vital records — New York State Department of Health
- Apostille or Certificate of Authentication — New York Department of State
Event type changes the office
- NYC birth or death: NYC Health for active records; Municipal Archives for transferred historical holdings.
- NYC marriage: City Clerk for current holdings; Municipal Archives for historical series.
- Outside-NYC birth, marriage, or death: New York State and potentially the local registrar.
- Divorce: court judgment from the granting court; state certificate route where applicable.
- Adoption or sealed parentage: court-governed access rather than a standard vital-record order.
Official sources for this guidance
- Historical vital records and genealogy — New York City Municipal Archives
- New York City birth and death records — New York City Department of Health
- Marriage records — Office of the City Clerk, City of New York
- Dual citizenship and vital records — New York State Department of Health
- Apostille for vital records — New York State Department of Health
- Apostille or Certificate of Authentication — New York Department of State
When the location is uncertain
- Extract the exact place from census, draft, church, obituary, or naturalization clues.
- Translate old county and borough names into the modern jurisdiction.
- Search indexes on both sides of the boundary only when the evidence genuinely conflicts.
- Obtain a defined negative search from the correct authority when the citizenship file requires it.
- Do not pay two agencies for identical broad searches without documenting why both are plausible.
This guide provides general information, not legal advice. Record access, certification, exemplification, and authentication rules change; verify the issuing agency's current instructions before ordering.
Official sources for this guidance
- Historical vital records and genealogy — New York City Municipal Archives
- New York City birth and death records — New York City Department of Health
- Marriage records — Office of the City Clerk, City of New York
- Dual citizenship and vital records — New York State Department of Health
- Apostille for vital records — New York State Department of Health
- Apostille or Certificate of Authentication — New York Department of State
Verify before filing
These official sources were used for the factual review. Open the live instructions before ordering a record or submitting an application.
- Historical vital records and genealogyNew York City Municipal Archives
- New York City birth and death recordsNew York City Department of Health
- Marriage recordsOffice of the City Clerk, City of New York
- Dual citizenship and vital recordsNew York State Department of Health
- Apostille for vital recordsNew York State Department of Health
- Apostille or Certificate of AuthenticationNew York Department of State