New York Background Checks

The first thing to be aware of when looking for vital records for New York background checks, is that the contact sources are divided into New York City’s five boroughs and the rest of the state of New York. The second thing to note is that for records that you aren’t personally connected to or have a lawful right to obtain, you will need a court order for access.

Copies of birth, death, marriage and divorce documents also require copies of: valid photo ID, a recent utility bill and a government agency letter not dated past six months from the time of your application.

Here are the pricing, processing times and contact information currently in effect in New York State for obtaining copies of vital records. This is followed by the same information for events occurring in New York City:

New York State
*Birth, death, marriage or divorce document
Request by mail – regular — $30 – 10-12 weeks after request received
Request by mail – Priority Handling — $30 + $15 = $45 – 2-4 weeks after request received
Request by Internet or phone – Priority Handling — $30 + $15 + $7.25 vendor fee = $52.25
5-10 business days after request received

For regular mail handling:
New York State District of Health
Vital Records Certification Unit
PO Box 2602
Albany, NY 12220-2602

For Priority Handling mail:
New York State District of Health
Vital Records Certifications Unit
800 North Pearl Street
Menands, NY 12204

For Priority Handling phone:
1-877-854-4481

New York City
(The five boroughs of Manhattan, Kings County (Brooklyn), Queens, The Bronx and Staten Island)

*Birth, death, marriage and divorce document copies are available for $15 with additional copies at $10. Processing times vary.

*Birth certificates issued in New York City before 1910 must be searched for at the Municipal Archives. The same procedure for New York City background checks is used for death certificates issued before 1949 and marriage certificates issued before 1930.

Municipal Archives
The Department of Records and Services
Surrogate’s Court Building, Room 103
31 Chambers St.
New York, NY 1007

*More recent birth, death, marriage and divorce documents are avialable at NYC City Clerks Offices. Marriage doccuments dated from 1996 – present are only available at the Manhattan City Clerk Office which is open Monday through Friday 8:30am to 3:45pm:

Office of the City Clerk
141 Worth Street
New York, NY 10013

*The New York City Health Department also provides access to copies of vital records. To mail order records, an $8.50 charge is to be added to the $15 document copy fee. When visiting the Department in person, using the lobby kiosks with a credit or debit card is the fastest paying method. Checks and money orders are also accepted. The office hours are Monday through Friday 9am to 3:30pm.

New York City Health Department
Office of Vital Records
Room 133
125 Worth Street
New York, NY 10013

The Office of Court Administration (OCA) serves as the central repository for all criminal records in the 62 counties of New York state. Access to these records through a database search, except those that are sealed, is available for New York background checks for $55 plus the date of birth (DOB) of the individual. The New York State Division of Criminal Justice cannot provide access to another person’s criminal record, so only the OCA must be contacted when other records are being sought rather than just your own personal history.

NY Background Check

A drop off criminal records request at the OCA in person usually means results are in by the following day. Mail in requests to the OCA for criminal records in New York background checks may take a few days or longer once the request is received. It should be noted that each name or alias searched is billed at $55 and counted as a separate search.

The New York State Office of Court Administration (OCA)
Office of Administrative Services
Criminal History Record Search
Room 840, Front Desk
25 Beaver St.
New York, NY 10004

Phone: (212) 428-2943