NYC Announces Free On-Line Access to Historical Vital Records
March 16, 2022
NEW YORK— The NYC Department of Records & Information Services today announced
free access to more than 9.3 million historical vital records on their website. The new
online vital records platform lets visitors search and view historical New York City records
of birth (1866-1909), death (1862-1948), and marriage (1866-1949). High-quality copies
can be downloaded and printed from the site at no charge.
“These historical records will not only serve as an essential resource for family historians
across the country and around the world but will allow everyday New Yorkers to learn
more about their personal history and explore their roots,” said New York City Mayor Eric
Adams. “My administration is committed to expanding access to city resources and
providing New Yorkers with the information they need.”
“We are grateful to Mayor Adams and his administration for supporting the final phase of
our multi-year project to digitize and publish online one of the largest and most important
genealogy collections in the world. In 2013, we started digitizing the collection and despite
the challenges of the COVID pandemic, our in-house team of developers has built a robust
platform that will enable patrons to easily search, view, and download the records,”
said Pauline Toole, Commissioner, Department of Records & Information Services.
“Congratulations to the Municipal Archives on this important achievement and for using
the innovative tools that deliver high-quality images of these records to
researchers. Providing online access will enable all kinds of researchers, worldwide, to
explore a tremendously important collection of records,” said New York State Archivist
Thomas J. Ruller.
“I am delighted that Mayor Eric Adams and his administration have expanded access to
historical records preserved at the Municipal Archives by digitizing and publishing millions
of records online. It is appropriate that during Sunshine Week, which supports transparent
government, the Department of Records & Information Services will make records held in
the Archive accessible to so many,” said Council Member Gale A. Brewer (D-06).
“The unveiling of NYC's Municipal Archives new website, with early vital records available
to the public, may be one of the most exciting announcements in the last decade that will
positively affect family history researchers all over the U.S. for decades to come,”
said Terry Koch-Bostic, Chair, Education Committee for National Genealogical Society
and head of the New York Chapter for the Association of Professional Genealogists.
“The Historical Vital Records project is an absolute game-changer for those tracing New
Yorkers. This unprecedented free access to birth, marriage, and death records will help
millions discover their New York heritage. On behalf of the NYG&B, thank you to all those
involved in making these records accessible and available,” said D. Joshua Taylor,
President, New York Genealogical and Biographical Society.
“The Municipal Archives connects us to our past in so many ways. With this amazing
platform we continue our mission to open up the Archives and provide more convenient
access to all. This treasure trove of information will be invaluable to those families
searching for their New York City roots. I applaud the vision of Commissioner Toole and I
thank the staff of the Department of Records & Information Services for all of their
diligence in making this vision a reality. And I thank Mayor Adams for his leadership and
commitment to opening up government for all communities,” said Marco Carrion,
Chairman, Municipal Archives Reference and Research Advisory Board.
“Bravo, and thank you! I could never have fleshed out the bygone Harlem figure of my
biography, Boss of the Grips, without obtaining various birth, death, or marriage certificates
from the Municipal Archives. Thankfully, the digitization of such crucial records will now
spare lots of researchers from unavoidably fruitless transit hours and fares,” said Eric K.
Washington, author, Boss of the Grips: The Life of James H. Williams and the Red Caps
of Grand Central Terminal.
"This is fantastic news - by making historical vital records searchable and available free
online, the NYC Department of Records has created a major new resource for genealogists
throughout New York, and across the United States, which contributes greatly to the
democratization of family history research," said Philip Sutton, Librarian III - Instruction
and Outreach, The New York Public Library's Irma and Paul Milstein Division of
United States History, Local History and Genealogy.
“We congratulate our friends at the New York City Department of Records and Information
Services in launching their new, free Historical Vital Records database online. New York
records are always some of the most sought-after US collections for those seeking to
connect with their ancestors. There will be generations of family history researchers who
will benefit from your wonderful collections," said Manuel Sanhueza, FamilySearch
International, Field Relations Manager, Canada - US Northeast.
“Congratulations and huge thanks to NYC DORIS for creating this phenomenal database. It’s
a magnificent gift to the world!” said Leslie Corn, Fellow, New York Genealogical and
Biographical Society.
"So many people have a New York connection and at long last, now they will have a more
direct and convenient way to discover it," said Roger Joslyn, Fellow, New York
Genealogical and Biographical Society.
The Municipal Archives is one of the largest repositories of government records in North
America. The world-class collections span four centuries and include historical records of
all three branches of New York City municipal government—executive, legislative, and
judicial.
Municipal Archives highlights include 9.3 million historical vital records, more than 2
million still images and thousands of hours of film and video footage, 400 years of
legislative and mayoral documents, and the most comprehensive collection of records
pertaining to the administration of criminal justice in the English-speaking world.
Documentation of the city’s infrastructure include the exquisitely detailed drawings of the
Brooklyn Bridge and Central Park, two of the greatest public works achievements of the
19
th
century. The Archives online gallery provides research access to all digitized holdings .
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Media Contact: Kenneth R. Cobb kcobb@records.nyc.gov
