FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Status of request for vital record or photograph order Did not receive complete order Credit card denied Date of birth, death or marriage record not known. Certificate number not known Birth certificate from 1910 to present Death certificate from 1949 to present Marriage record from 1930 to present Requesting records of birth, death or marriage that took place in New York State outside of the City of New York Divorce records Requesting a correction or amendment to information on a birth, death or marriage record Letter of Exemplification Using a camera or portable scanner in the Municipal Archives and City Hall Library. WiFi service Copy services House and building photographs

Status of request for vital record or photograph Please do not request status updates or "tracking" information about a vital record or photograph search/copy request unless it has been more than six weeks since the request was submitted. Top of Page

Did not receive complete order The Municipal Archives often ships vital record copies separately even when ordered at the same time. Top of Page

Credit card denied Many of our patrons outside the U.S. have difficulty with the credit card processing service that we use. Please contact us for further instructions if your credit card has been denied. Contact us Top of Page

Date of Birth, death or marriage not known and/or certificate number not known. Patrons can now search indexes to most vital records on-line, for free, courtesy of the local genealogy organizations www.italiangen.org and www.germangeneologygroup.com. Click on vital record databases. Top of Page

Birth record from 1910 to present. All inquiries regarding a birth certificate from 1910 to present – copies of certificates, amending the certificate, "long-form" certificate, etc. must be directed to the Department of Health: http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/vr/vrbappl.shtml Top of Page

Death record from 1949 to present All inquiries regarding a death certificate from 1949 to present – copies of certificates, amending the certificate, "long-form" certificate, etc. must be directed to the Department of Health: http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/vr/vrbappl.shtml Top of Page

Marriage record from 1930 to present All inquiries regarding a marriage record from 1930 to present – copies of certificates, amending the certificate, "long-form" certificate, etc. must be directed to the City Clerk: http://www.cityclerk.nyc.gov/html/marriage/records.shtml Top of Page

Requesting records of birth, death, or marriage that took place in New York State outside of the City of New York Contact the New York State Department of Health for vital records outside New York City: http://www.health.ny.gov/vital_records/ Top of Page

Divorce records For information about divorce records contact the County Clerk in the County where the divorce action was heard, or, contact the New York State Department of Health (divorce after 1963): http://www.health.ny.gov/vital_records/ Top of Page

Requesting a correction or amendment to information on a birth, death or marriage record Birth records prior to 1910, death records prior to 1949, and marriage records prior to 1930 cannot be amended or corrected. All inquiries regarding amending a birth from 1910 to present, or death certificate from 1949 to present must be directed to the Department of Health: http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/vr/vrbappl.shtml Contact the City Clerk, www.cityclerk.nyc.gov for all inquiries regarding amending a marriage record from 1930 to present. Top of Page

Letter of exemplification The letter of exemplification is only required for dual citizenship applications. If required, check the appropriate box on the application form (the fee for the letter is $5.00). Top of Page

Using a camera or portable scanner in the Municipal Archives and City Hall Library. WiFi services The use of a camera or portable scanner in the Municipal Archives reference room is not permitted. City Hall Library patrons may use a camera or scanner to copy documents upon payment of $15.00 per day fee. We regret that WiFi service is currently unavailable in the Municipal Archives reference room, or City Hall Library. Top of Page

Copy services When visiting the Archives, patrons may request certified paper copies of vital records over-the-counter for a charge of $11.00 each. There is not a self-service option for vital records. Patrons researching collections other than vital records may use the coin-operated self-service copy machine in the reference room. The charge is $.25 per copy. Self-service microfilm copies are $.50 per page (not available for vital records). The City Hall Library has a coin-operated self-service copier. The charge is $.25 per copy. Top of Page

House and building photographs In 1939/40 and again in the mid-1980s the City photographed every house and building in all five boroughs. For information about the collection and how to view and/or order copies go to: http://www.nyc.gov/html/records/html/taxphotos/home.shtml Top of Page

Is it true that the Municipal Archives has photographs of every house in the city, taken around 1940? How can I see them and/or order copies? Yes, between 1939 and 1940, New York City photographed every house and building in the five Boroughs for property tax assessment purposes. The photographs are not currently available on-line, but you view them on microfilm at the Municipal Archives during their regular opening hours . You can order copies of these photographs at the Municipal Archives, or by mail . Top of Page