Health311Search all NYC.gov websites
Print icon Print

Accessing Vital Statistics Data

Birth and death data that are deemed identifiable require permission from the Bureau of Vital Statistics at the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

We encourage you to check out the data already publicly available on our Vital Statistics Data page, as the Annual Summary, EpiQuery, and the Public Use Datasets may have information relevant to the type of data you are looking for.

Otherwise, please complete the application below to request access to data not available on these public online platforms.

Application Process for Vital Statistics Data

Supporting Documents

Prior to beginning your application process, you may need some of the following supporting documents to complete the application form:

  • If the data will be used for research/evaluation or clinical trials adjudication, you must submit an IRB approval letter.
  • If applicable, you will need to provide the name of and hyperlink (or PDF) describing the law, rule, reporting requirement, regulation or policy that authorizes the project.
  • If requesting aggregate data, please select a desired data format. You will be asked to provide a table shell along with your application.
  • If requesting PRAMS-VS linked data, ensure you have PRAMS approval from the Department’s Bureau of Maternal Infant and Reproductive Health. Contact PRAMS@health.nyc.gov for permission.
  • If requesting SPARCS-VS linked data, ensure you have SPARCS approval from the New York State Department of Health Data Governance Committee. To apply, visit the SPARCS website.
  • If requesting redacted death certificates for clinical trial adjudication, ensure you have a National Death Index approval number.

Data Use Agreement

Most external data requests require a data use agreement (DUA). Upon reviewing your application, we will contact you for next steps related to creating a DUA.

Application Review

The Health Department will review the application to make sure it is complete, can legally be fulfilled, is approved by the agency and is legally permitted by the NYC Health Code.

With all documents and approvals, we will disseminate the DUA to the appropriate parties for signature.

You may be contacted by the Health Department for additional information. Some requests may require a fee to process. These include searches for death certificates, matching/linkage and other electronic data requests requiring significant time and effort

Contact Information

If you have any questions about how to apply or access the data, contact vsdata@health.nyc.gov. We are happy to help in your application process. Please allow two to three business days for a response.