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Home > Vital Records > Visitors
FIRST TIME VISITORS
BEFORE YOU VISIT THE MUNICIPAL ARCHIVES TO
CONDUCT GENEALOGY RESEARCH WE SUGGEST YOU READ THE FOLLOWING
INFORMATION:
All birth, death, marriage, census, and city directory records
in the Municipal Archives are on microfilm. The fee to use
a microfilm reader machine is $5.00 per day (or any part
thereof).
You may consult as many microfilms as you wish for this fee.
Please do not remove microfilms from cabinets until you have
been assigned a machine. Be courteous to other researchers
and take only a few microfilms at a time and always re-file
them in their proper location. Do not leave them at the counter
or on the cabinets. Credit cards are now accepted for all
services and fees at the Municipal Archives.
ESSENTIALS:
All birth, death, marriage, census, and city directory records
in the Municipal Archives are on microfilm. The fee to
use a microfilm reader machine is $5.00 per day (or any
part thereof).
You may consult as many microfilms as you wish for this fee.
Please do not remove microfilms from cabinets until you have
been assigned a machine. Be courteous to other researchers
and take only a few microfilms at a time and always re-file
them in their proper location. Do not leave them at the counter
or on the cabinets. The Reference Room closes at 4:30 p.m.
Certificate copy requests are accepted until 4 p.m. Please
re-file microfilms and other materials before closing time.
Restrooms are located on the second floor.
GETTING STARTED:
Most birth, death and marriage records are in certificate
form. The certificates are filed by number. Unless you
already know the certificate number, you must use the indexes
to determine the certificate number. The indexes are generally
broken down by type (birth, death, marriage), Borough (Manhattan,
Brooklyn, etc.) and year.
INDEXES:
Births:
The birth index microfilms for all Boroughs (Manhattan, Brooklyn,
Bronx, Queens and Staten Island) 1898 to 1909, are located
in the third drawer of cabinet #5 (immediately to the left
of the entrance door). The names are indexed according to
the Soundex system. Ask for an information sheet at the desk
if you are not familiar with the Soundex system. All other
birth index microfilms are in the carousel.
Deaths:
The death index microfilms for all Boroughs, 1898 to 1948;
Manhattan 1890 to 1897 and Brooklyn 1895 to 1897, are located
in the fourth drawer of cabinet #5 (immediately to the
left of the entrance door). All other death index microfilms
are in the carousel.
Marriages:
All marriage index microfilms are located in the carousel.
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CERTIFICATES:
Births:
Brooklyn birth certificate microfilms, 1866 to 1904 are located
in the carousel; later years are in the lowest drawer of
cabinet #1. Birth certificate microfilms for all other Boroughs
are located in cabinet #1 (beneath the clock.).
Deaths:
All death certificate microfilms are located in cabinets
#1, 2, and 3 (beneath the clock).
Marriages:
Brooklyn marriages certificate microfilms, 1866 to 1879 are
located in the carousel; 1880-1907 are in cabinet #3 (beneath
the clock); later years for Brooklyn and marriage certificate
microfilms for the other Boroughs are in cabinets #4, and
5 (left of the entrance door).
SEARCH TIPS:
Births:
-Approximately 25% of all births prior to 1910 were not reported
to the city. Births often took place at home and the doctor
or midwife sometimes failed to report the event to the city.
-Manhattan births prior to 1866 were recorded in ledger
book format. The ledgers are on microfilm in the fifth drawer
of cabinet #5 (left of the entrance door).
Deaths:
-Death certificates are filed according to place of death;
not usual place of residence, or place of burial.
-Manhattan death records prior to 1866 are not indexed.
-Manhattan and Brooklyn deaths prior to 1866 were recorded
in ledger book format; the ledgers are on microfilm in the
fifth drawer of cabinet #5 (left of the entrance door).
Marriages:
-Not all marriages were reported to the city. This is most
frequently the case with marriages performed in Roman Catholic
churches. If you do not find the name in the indexes, and
the marriage took place between 1908 and 1929, you can
search for a marriage license. License index microfilms
are located in cabinet #13 (left of the photocopy machine).
Please note that the collection includes license indexes
up through 1951 for all five Boroughs; however, the license
record documents are available only through 1929, only.
-Manhattan marriage records prior to 1866 are not indexed.
-Manhattan marriage records prior to 1866 were recorded
in ledger book format; the ledgers are on microfilm in the
fifth drawer of cabinet #5 (left of the entrance door).
BRONX VITAL RECORDS:
The Bronx did not exist as a separate Borough until 1898.
New York City (Manhattan) annexed the area west of the
Bronx River in 1874 and annexed the area east of the Bronx
River in 1895. For vital records in those areas after the
date of annexation, through 1897, search Manhattan records.
CENSUS RECORDS:
There are geographic (by Street name) indexes for the 1892
Kings County Census and the 1890 New York City (Police)
Census (see booklets at front desk). The other census records
are not indexed . To locate a family or individual in a
census, first determine the home address in the census
year. Then locate the address in the appropriate ward or
assembly district map (there are ward and assembly district
maps available for some census years; they are located
on the table near the photocopy machine). The census microfilm
is located in cabinet #5 (left of the entrance door). Archives
staff are generally not able to provide assistance with
census searches.
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HERE FOR LOCATION AND HOURS OF OPERATION
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