Need an apostilled Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island birth, marriage or death certificate from New York City Municipal Archives? We can help.
Why would anyone need a copy of his/her grandgrandparents' birth certificate, marriage license, or death certificate? The most common answer is applying for dual citizenship. The processes and requirements for applying for citizenship are developed by each county and bary from country to country. Many countries require apostilled certified copies of vital events in order to verify an applicant's claim of lineage.
How does it work?
Our staff member will go to the New York City Municipal Archives, and look through the catalogs. The records are arranged by year, and by borough where the license was issued. The first and most important task is to find the film and the certificate number. We will do this. Then, we will look through the actual film, and find the certificate. After that, the certificate can be printed out and exemplified by the staff of the Municipal Archives. Some experience is required for working with the archived materials.
What documents are available?
Birth, death and marriage records are filed and indexed according to the locality (borough) in which the event occurred.
Birth Records
| Borough | Dates Available |
|---|---|
| Manhattan |
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| Brooklyn |
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| Bronx |
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| Queens |
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| Richmond (Staten Island) |
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 Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island birth certificate from NYC Municipal Archives (before 1909), exemplified, with an apostille / embassy legalization. Order online. We ship internationally. | |
Death Records
| Borough | Dates Available |
|---|---|
| Manhattan |
|
| Brooklyn |
|
| Bronx |
|
| Queens |
|
| Richmond (Staten Island) |
|
| Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island death certificate from NYC Municipal Archives (before 1948), exemplified, with an apostille / embassy legalization. Order online. We ship internationally. | |
Marriage Records
| Borough | Dates Available |
|---|---|
| Manhattan |
|
| Brooklyn |
|
| Bronx |
|
| Queens |
|
| Richmond (Staten Island) |
|
| Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island marriage certificate from NYC Municipal Archives (before 1949), exemplified, with an apostille / embassy legalization. Order online. We ship internationally. | |
This is how a certified copy of the document from the NYC Municipal Archives might look (marriage certificate registered in 1930s):
The back of the certificate will look like this:
If you have a certificate like this, it does not mean that it is ready for an apostille or embassy legalization. The document will need a Letter of Exemplification.
Our staff member will go to the Municipal Archives, find the certificate, order an exemplified copy of the certificate, and then we will get it apostilled or legalized by a foreign embassy.
What is an "exemplified copy" of a vital record?
An exemplified copy is an official copy of the document issued by a the New York City Municipal Archives with a Letter of Exemplification as shown above. Upon request, the Municipal Archives will issue an exemplified copy of a birth, death or marriage certificate.
Please note...
Notarized copies of vital records are not acceptable! In fact, New York notaries by law cannot notarize copies of vital records.
Copies certified as true copies by the document custodian (you) are not acceptable! You do need the original document.
Some foreign countries require that certified copies of vital records are recent, e.g. were issued within the last six or twelve months.
