In New York, there’s a key distinction between birth certificates issued in New York City (NYC) and those issued in the rest of New York State. The city and the state maintain separate vital records offices, systems, and procedures for ordering birth certificates. For residents of New York State, the line between New York City and everywhere else in the state isn’t just geographic—it’s administrative, legal, and deeply rooted in history.
This article breaks down the significant differences between ordering a birth certificate in NYC versus the rest of New York State, including historical context, jurisdiction, and explains what types of records each office holds. It also offers guidance on how to research which agency maintains your record before you place an order.
What Areas Are Included in NYC When It Comes to Birth Certificates?
When it comes to birth certificates, the jurisdiction of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) is strictly limited to the five boroughs that make up New York City. If a birth occurred within the city limits—regardless of the hospital or address—the birth record is maintained by NYC’s Office of Vital Records, not the New York State Department of Health in Albany.
The five boroughs of NYC, each functioning as a separate county, include:
- Manhattan (New York County): Central area including neighborhoods like Harlem, Upper West Side, Lower East Side, Midtown, and Wall Street.
- Brooklyn (Kings County): Covers areas like Williamsburg, Bedford-Stuyvesant, Park Slope, Flatbush, and Coney Island.
- Queens (Queens County): Includes Flushing, Astoria, Jamaica, Long Island City, and Forest Hills.
- The Bronx (Bronx County): Contains neighborhoods such as Riverdale, Fordham, Pelham Bay, and Hunts Point.
- Staten Island (Richmond County): It encompasses areas like St. George, Tottenville, and Great Kills.
If the hospital or home birth took place within any of these five boroughs, your birth certificate is filed exclusively with NYC’s Office of Vital Records, not with the state of New York. Even if you were later raised in another part of the state or moved out of NYC, your birth record remains under the jurisdiction of NYC.
If your birth certificate lists “New York” as the place of birth, it’s important to verify whether that means New York City or somewhere else in the state (like New York State outside NYC). Many people mistakenly request their certificate from the wrong agency based on this confusion. It’s also crucial to note that nearby counties, such as Nassau, Suffolk, and Westchester, are not part of NYC, even though they’re within the broader New York metropolitan area.
Who Holds Birth Certificates in NYC and New York State?
For anyone born in the five boroughs of NYC, the Office of Vital Records under the NYC Department of Health maintains and issues all birth certificates. This office is entirely separate from the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH), which handles vital records for the rest of the state.
Ordering a Birth Certificate in NYC:
- Agency: NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene – Office of Vital Records
- Website: www.nyc.gov/vitalrecords
- Methods: Online (via third-party vendors), by mail, or in person
- Eligibility: The person named on the certificate (18+), a parent named on the certificate, or a legal representative with documentation
- Processing Time: Typically 2–4 weeks by mail; faster for online or in-person requests
If you were born outside the five boroughs of NYC, anywhere else in the state, your birth certificate is maintained by the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH), Vital Records Section, located in Albany. This includes birth records for cities such as Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Albany, Yonkers, Schenectady, Ithaca, and all other towns and counties in the state.
Ordering a Birth Certificate in New York State (Outside NYC):
- Agency: New York State Department of Health – Vital Records Section
- Website: www.health.ny.gov/vital_records
- Methods: Online (via third-party vendors), by mail, or in person at the local registrar’s office
- Eligibility: Similar to NYC, applicants must be the person named, a parent named on the record, or someone with legal authorization
- Processing Time: Generally 8–10 weeks by mail; faster if ordering online or in person
Can You Order Birth Certificates from a Local NY Office?
Yes. For those born outside NYC, you may also be able to obtain your birth certificate from the local registrar’s office in the city or town where you were born. This can sometimes be faster than ordering through the state office, especially for recent births.
However, if you were born in NYC, you must go through the NYC Department of Health, regardless of your current residence.
A Tale of Two Systems: The Historical Divide
The division between New York City and New York State’s vital records systems reflects a long-standing legal and administrative separation that dates back over a century.
In the late 1800s, the growing complexity of public health administration in large urban centers prompted many cities to establish their health departments and vital statistics offices. New York City, already the most populous city in the United States by that time, took an especially independent route. The city’s Board of Health began maintaining its records of births and deaths as early as 1866, decades before the state of New York established centralized vital records through the Department of Health in Albany.
This historical split remains intact today, creating two parallel systems that govern birth certificates, each with its own protocols, databases, and legal authorities. Knowing which one applies to you depends entirely on your place of birth, not your current residence.
What makes this even more complex is that New York State has a dual-level recordkeeping system outside of NYC. Birth records are first filed with the local registrar in the municipality where the birth took place, then forwarded to the NYSDOH. While NYC has a single, centralized city database, the rest of the state employs a distributed model, where vital records may exist at both the local and state levels, and those records are not always identical.
How to Know Where Your Record Is
If you’re unsure whether you were born in NYC or elsewhere in New York State, you’ll need to do a bit of research before requesting your birth certificate. Ordering from the incorrect office can result in delays, rejection notices, and wasted fees.
Start by looking for clues in your existing documents. A prior birth certificate, Social Security application, school enrollment record, or even your driver’s license might list your city or borough of birth. Pay close attention to details: “Brooklyn” or “Queens” means your record is in NYC, whereas “Yonkers” or “Buffalo” would mean NYSDOH or a local registrar holds it.
If you don’t have older documents, consider asking a family member, such as a parent, if they remember the hospital name or the town where you were born. Hospitals located within the five boroughs of New York City fall under the city’s vital records system. A quick search of the hospital name and address can confirm this for you.
What If You Were Born Near NYC?
A common point of confusion arises for people born in cities and counties that border New York City, such as Mount Vernon, New Rochelle, or towns on Long Island in Nassau and Suffolk counties. Although geographically close to the city, these areas are not part of NYC’s five boroughs and are therefore managed by the state and local registrar system.
It’s important not to assume that being born on Long Island automatically means an NYC birth certificate. Towns like Hempstead, Islip, Babylon, or Huntington all fall under Suffolk or Nassau County, and their records are either managed locally or forwarded to NYSDOH.
Similarly, Westchester County towns and cities, such as White Plains or Peekskill, operate independently of New York City and are not included in the NYC Bureau of Vital Records. Even births that occurred in hospitals with “New York” in the name—such as New York Presbyterian Hudson Valley Hospital in Cortlandt Manor—are not NYC births if the hospital is located outside the five boroughs.
Know Before You Order
While it might seem like all birth certificates in New York come from the same place, there’s a crucial administrative split between New York City and the rest of the state. Each has its own vital records system, offices, rules, and ordering process.
Understanding the difference between the NYC Office of Vital Records and the New York State Department of Health can save you time, money, and frustration. Whether you’re applying for a passport, enrolling in school, or verifying your identity for legal purposes, knowing where your birth record is stored is the first step toward obtaining the necessary documentation.
If you were born in one of the five boroughs of NYC, your birth certificate is permanently housed by the NYC Department of Health and will never be available from the state. If you were born anywhere else in the state, your record is held by the NYS Department of Health in Albany or by a local town or city registrar, and those local versions may be more detailed or accessible.
