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Death Certificates

Go to: How to Order | Types of Death Certificates

VitalChek: Only Authorized Online Vendor

For the fastest service, order certified copies online through VitalChek, which is the only vendor authorized by the Health Department to process death certificate orders.

There are unauthorized vendors charging customers high fees for help getting a death certificate. If you ordered a certificate through an unauthorized vendor and would like to file a complaint, visit the NYC Department of Consumer Protection or call 311.

Transfer of 1949 Death Certificates

The NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s Bureau of Vital Statistics will transfer all 1949 death certificates to the NYC Municipal Archives in January 2025. Effective December 1, 2024, we will no longer accept new requests for certified copies of 1949 death certificates. We appreciate your cooperation during this transition.

Visit the Department of Records and Information Services for information about when the records will be available for in-person research and instructions to submit search and copy requests.

The NYC Health Department issues death certificates for all deaths that occur in New York City (The Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens and Staten Island). We do not issue certificates for Nassau, Suffolk or other counties in New York State. Certificates are available after a person’s death has been reported by the medical facility and the case has been registered.

You can order a certificate online, by mail or in person. You cannot order by email. We recommend ordering online through VitalChek, which is the fastest way to receive your certificate.

There are two parts to the death certificate:

The standard certificate of death, which includes the deceased's name, gender and date of birth

The confidential medical report of the cause of death

Most people need just the standard certificate of death. There is no additional fee to request the cause of death.

For someone who died outside of New York City, including elsewhere in New York State, the CDC has information on how you can order a certificate.

To request a certificate for a death that occurred before 1950, visit the NYC Department of Records Municipal Archives or call 311.

If you are a medical facility or funeral director, learn how you can report deaths and terminations of pregnancy using eVital.

How to Order

For the fastest service, order certified copies online through VitalChek.

When a funeral home is involved, the quickest way to get a death certificate is to order it from the funeral director who made the funeral arrangements. The funeral director can order death certificates for you up to one year after the death.

If there is not a funeral home involved — and even if the disposition is not final — an entitled person (for example, a spouse, child, domestic partner, informant, or person in control of the disposition) can order the death certificate.

The below application is required for all orders by mail or in person. Only death certificates for death that occurred after 1949 are available through the NYC Health Department.

Death Certificate Application (PDF)

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If you are unable to schedule an in-person appointment and have an emergency request related to travel, health care coverage, government services, military, housing or employment, call 311 or email nycdohvr@health.nyc.gov. In your email, include current photo ID and documents showing that you have an emergency, such as a paid plane ticket, letter from an employer with a job start date, or letter from a government agency with an appointment date. You will receive an email confirming whether your in-person emergency appointment to purchase the death certificate is approved.

A death certificate costs $15, plus a processing fee. For more information, see Birth and Death Records: Fees.

For more information, including what documents are required, see Birth and Death Records: Ordering.

Types of Certificate Requests and Who Can Order

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Certificate Request Without the Cause of Death

The following relations to the deceased can also request a death certificate, but not the cause of death medical report:

Niece/nephew

Aunt/uncle

Great grandchild and great-great grandchild

Grandniece/grandnephew

If you are not listed above as an entitled party, you must document your right to get a death certificate.

For information on how much this certificate would cost, see Birth and Death Records: Fees.

To order this type of certificate, complete the Death Certificate Application, leaving box #20 blank.

All Medical Examiner death certificates include the cause of death. If the cause or manner is "Undetermined" or "Pending further study," call the Medical Examiner’s office at 212-447-2030. If the cause of death shows "pending," you can exchange the death certificate within 90 days of the original issue date (noted at the bottom of the certificate) without paying the $15 fee.

Certificate Request With the Cause of Death

Only the following relations to the deceased can request both a death certificate and the confidential cause of death medical report:

Spouse

Domestic partner

Parent

Child

Sibling

Grandparent

Grandchild

Informant listed on the certificate

Person in charge of disposition

If you would like a death certificate and cause of death report and are not listed above as an eligible relation to the deceased, you must document your right to get the certificate and report.

You can order a copy of a death certificate that includes the confidential medical report by completing the Death Certificate Application and checking box #20.

Request from Entitled Party's Attorney

Only entitled parties and their attorneys may submit orders for NYC death certificates. This excludes paralegals, couriers and other substitutes. Attorneys should follow these instructions when submitting orders in person or by mail.

Death certificate orders from attorneys retained by an entitled party should include:

A letter with the attorney's official letterhead. The letter should state the eligible applicant’s name and relationship to the decedent.

A completed Death Certificate Application signed by the attorney.

A copy of the entitled party's valid, unexpired, government-issued photo identification.

An original letter from the entitled party authorizing the attorney to act on their behalf.

Applicable fees.

Proof of attorney licensure.

Copy of attorney's current photo ID.

If the applicant is not an entitled relationship, they must submit documentary evidence of why the death certificate is needed.

Spontaneous Termination of Pregnancy (Miscarriage) and Still Birth

A certificate of spontaneous termination of pregnancy certifies the death of a fetus that occurred before or during the 20th week of gestation.

A certificate of still birth and miscarriage certifies the stillbirth of a fetus that occurred after the 20th week of gestation. This certificate can only be requested by the parent(s) named on the certificate. If both parents are deceased at the time of stillbirth, the aunts, uncles and grandparents of the birth parents may also request this certificate.

Note: If your child was born with some evidence of life, such as a heartbeat or voluntary muscle movement, the infant will have both a birth certificate and a death certificate. You must apply separately for these certificates.

The following application must be submitted by mail or through the funeral director who served you, if within the past 12 months. These certificates cost $15 each and cannot be ordered online.

Certificate of Still Birth or Spontaneous Termination of Pregnancy Application (PDF)

Learn how to correct a certificate of still birth.

Stillborn Infant Burials at the City Cemetery

If private funeral arrangements are not made, remains of stillborn infants that are more than 24 weeks gestation are sent for burial to the New York City cemetery located at Hart Island in the Bronx. This cemetery is commonly known as Potter's Field.

To get information on visiting your infant’s remains at Potter's Field, visit the Hart Island website, which includes a searchable database of people buried on the island.

Certificate Security Features

As of 2019, NYC birth and death certificates no longer have a raised seal. The certificates are issued on certified paper that includes numerous security features that ensures the integrity and acceptance of the certificates. Refer to the back of the certificate, which describes several of these security features in detail.

Additional Resources

After Life: A Guide to the Death Certificate Application Process (PDF)

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FEMA and NYC Human Resource Administration: COVID-19 Burial Assistance Death Certificate Navigation Process (PDF)

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COVID-19: Requesting Death Certificates and Reporting Deaths (PDF)

Chat : Can't find an answer to your question? For more help ordering a certificate, you can chat online with an operator, Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.