Vital Records Attorney Rules

Information Needed for A Birth Certificate Request

• Registrant’s first and last name
• Registrant’s birth date
• Registrant’s mother’s first and maiden name
• Registrant’s father’s first and last name (if applicable)
• Borough or hospital of birth (if known)
• If requesting a birth certificate of a deceased person, submit the person’s death certificate.
  • If is an NYC death, you may submit a photocopy.  
  • If it is not an NYC death, you must submit an original certified copy. Original death records will be returned.

Information Needed for A Death Certificate Request

Required:

• Decedent’s first and last name
• Date of death

Generally needed to identify the record:

• Mother’s first and maiden name
• Father’s first and last name
• Social Security number

A letter from the attorney on letterhead, with the following, is required:

• A completed and signed application by the attorney (application is available on the Vital Records website)

• An original letter from the entitled party authorizing the attorney to act on his or her behalf

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

• Appropriate payment

• Proof you are a licensed attorney, such as a printout of your attorney number from the New York State Unified Court System webpage, the New Jersey Courts webpage, or the State of Connecticut Judicial Branch webpage

• In the case of process servers and other agents, representation that the attorney represents in an action involving a mortgage or estate settlement and employs to serve as its agent to request the record

Mail Orders

You may mail the application as well as the required materials to the following address (make sure to include the line labeled “ATTN:  Attorney Requests”):

NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
Office of Vital Records 
ATTN: Attorney Requests
125 Worth Street, Room 133
New York, NY 10013