You can get a birth certificate for yourself if you are at least 18 years old, or for your child, or for a deceased relative with current identification. The Health Department mails birth certificates for newborns to parents about a month after the child’s birth at no charge. Birth certificates from 1910 to the present are available through the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. For immediate assistance call 311 or 212-639-9675
For records earlier than 1910, contact the Municipal Archives at 311 or 212-NEW-YORK if outside of New York City. Their address is 31 Chambers Street, Room 103, New York, NY 10007. You may also access the Municipal Archives’ Web site at www.nyc.gov/records.
The fastest, most convenient way to get a birth certificate is to order it online if your name appears on the record. Online orders are processed within 24 hours on weekdays. UPS express mail delivery is available. Birth certificates ordered online cannot be mailed to PO Box addresses.
If you’re ordering a birth certificate for a deceased relative, you most do so by mail or in person.
It takes an additional 10 business days to process orders for letters of exemplification and long-form birth certificates. These are required for overseas transactions such as applying for dual citizenship, marrying on foreign soil, adopting a child from another country, or purchasing foreign real estate.
If you need a standard birth certificate immediately, please call the number above for instructions.
Acknowledgments of Paternity
Certified copies of acknowledgments of paternity are available free of charge. Complete this form (PDF) and place your order by mail or in person.
- If ordering in person, avoid standing in line by bringing your completed form and a self-addressed envelope with you. Lobby staff at 125 Worth Street in Lower Manhattan can direct you to the appropriate window in Room 133.
- Allow 2 weeks for delivery.
