Vital Records

How to Obtain a Copy of a Birth Certificate or Transcript for Someone Born in Tompkins County

By mail order:

1. Download a Request Form(PDF, 236KB)
2. Complete the form, print, and sign it
3. Send with the following:
   • Identification (provide one (1) of the Acceptable IDs listed below)
   • Applicable fee(s). Check or money order payable to “Tompkins County Health Department.” We do not accept credit or debit cards. Do not send cash.
4. Mail to:
   Tompkins County Whole Health
   Attn: Vital Records
   55 Brown Road
   Ithaca, NY 14850

Walk-in:

1. Download a Request Form(PDF, 236KB)
2. Complete the form on your computer or device, print, and sign it. Or print the form, complete it in ink, and sign it.
3. Bring it with the following:
   • Identification (provide one (1) of the Acceptable IDs listed below)
   • Applicable fee(s). Cash, Check, or Money Order payable to “Tompkins County Health Department.” We do not accept credit or debit cards
4. Come to:
   Tompkins County Whole Health
   55 Brown Road
   Ithaca, NY 14850

Who is Eligible to Obtain a Birth Certificate Copy

• The person named on the birth certificate
• A parent of the person named on the birth certificate (requesting parent's name must be on birth certificate)
• Other persons by order of a New York State Court

Fee for a Birth Certificate Copy (Per Transaction)

The fee for each certificate is $30 for the original copy, $15 for each additional copy made during that transaction. (Accepted Payment Types)

Note: If you come back a different time or place a separate mail order for that same individual, you will be charged the original copy fee of $30. To save you money, please order all the copies you need at the time you place your original order.

Type of ID Accepted

• One (1) of the following forms of valid photo-ID:
  • Driver license
  • Non-driver license
  • Passport (copy of Passport required if request is made from a foreign country that requires a U.S. Passport for travel.)
  • Naturalization Papers
  • Military ID
  • Employer’s Photo ID
  • Police report of lost or stolen ID

or

• Two (2) of the following showing the applicant's name and address:
  • Utility bill or telephone bill
  • Letter from a government agency dated within the last six (6) months

Type of Payment Accepted

• Check or money order payable to “Tompkins County Whole Health.”
• Cash accepted for walk-in customers. Do not send cash with mail orders.
• We do not accept credit or debit cards.

Notes

• For genealogy or family history copies, please see our Genealogy information.
• The Tompkins County Whole Health Vital Records Office retains only birth certificates for individuals born in Tompkins County. All others should check with their local Health Department or City, Town or Village the birth took place. You may also make a request through the New York State Health Department.

General Instructions

• Use this Application to Local Registrar for Copy of Death Record(PDF, 19KB) to submit your request only for record of a death that occurred in Tompkins County. Send completed form plus fee by postal mail or in-person at the TCHD office.
• For record of a death that occurred in another county in NYS, contact the New York State Department of Health.
• Do not use this application for genealogy requests. Please visit the genealogy section.
• Only the spouse, parent, sibling, or child of the deceased may obtain a death certificate copy.
• Other persons must submit a New York State court order or documentation demonstrating that the death certificate copy is required to establish a lawful right or claim.
• Other persons must submit a New York State court order or documentation demonstrating that the death certificate copy is required to establish a lawful right or claim.
• Download application(PDF, 19KB) and submit according to How to Get a Mail Order Copy.

Fee per one transaction:
Note: One transaction refers to one customer ordering a single record at any one time.

• $30 for the first certified copy
• $15 for each additional copy
• Do not send cash.

How to Get a Mail Order Copy

• Download a Request Form(PDF, 19KB)
• Adobe® Reader® (version 5.0 or later) will allow you to enter your information directly into the form and then print it out ready to sign and mail with check or money order.
• We recommend that you save the form to a location where you will be able to find it, before you start to enter your information.
• When completing the form, please be aware that you will not be able to save the form with any information you have entered.
• You must print the form after you complete it, then sign and mail with check or money order.
• You may also print the form and complete it by typing or printing, then sign and mail with check or money order.
• Send with the following:
  • Identification — Provide one (1) of the following:
    • Driver’s license
    • Non-driver’s license
    • Passport
    • Naturalization Papers
    • Military ID
    • Employer’s Photo ID
    • Two utility bills showing applicant’s name and address
    • Police report of lost or stolen ID
  • Applicable fee(s): $30
• Send to:
  Tompkins County Whole Health
  Attn: Vital Records
  55 Brown Road
  Ithaca, NY 14850

What is a Lawful Right or Claim?

If the applicant is not the spouse, parent, sibling, or child of the decedent, a lawful right or claim must be documented. An example of a lawful right or claim would be a death record needed by the applicant to claim a benefit. Documentation would consist of an official letter from the agency (or attorney representing estate of the deceased) verifying that to process the claim they require from the applicant a copy of the requested death record.

Fee per one transaction:
One transaction refers to one customer ordering a single record at any one time.

• $30 for the first certified copy
• $15 for each additional copy
• Do not send cash.

For deaths which occurred within Tompkins County, submit this Application to Local Registrar for Copy of Death Record(PDF, 19KB) to submit your request by Postal mail.

For deaths which occurred outside Tompkins County, visit the NYSDOH Vital Records website.

Generally, the Tompkins County Whole Health provides uncertified transcripts of the following types of records for genealogy research purposes:

• Birth certificates - if on file for at least 75 years and the person whose name is on the birth certificate is known to be deceased. Also, no information shall be released from a record of birth which has been placed in a confidential file pursuant to Public Health Law Section 4138.
• Death certificates - if on file for at least 50 years.

Birth and death records for all areas of Tompkins County are from 1880 to present with the exception of the following:

• Village of Dryden: 1887–present
• Village of Freeville: 1894–present
• Town of Ithaca Births: 1886–present
• Town of Ithaca Deaths: 1893–present
• Town of Ulysses: 1922–present
• Village of Trumansburg: 1914–present

Are The Time Periods Ever Waived?

The time periods are waived for direct-line ancestors. A direct line ancestor is a person in the direct line of descent, i.e., the child, grandchild, great grandchild of the person whose record is requested. The direct-line ancestor applicant must provide the following:

• Proof of their relationship to the person whose record they are requesting.
• Proof of the death of the person whose birth certificate they are requesting.

A person who has been designated to act on behalf of a descendant of the person whose record is being requested may also obtain the above. However, a party acting on behalf of a descendant must provide documentation that the descendant authorized the party to make such application.

What is The Fee for a Genealogy Transcript?

The standard fee for a genealogy transcript is $22. This includes a three-year search of the index, the retrieval and re-filing of the records and either a transcript of the record or a no record report. When more than a three-year search is requested, the fee is higher.

Fee schedule effective 1/1/2010

The fee applies separately to each record requested. For example, the fee for a request consisting of one birth record (1-year search @ $22), plus one death record (25-year search @ $82), is a total of $104.

Please note that a refund is made if the record is found in under the specified search period.

How Long Will It Take?

Processing a genealogy request may take from four (4) to six (6) months.

How Do I Place an Order for a Genealogy Transcript?

• Genealogy Transcript Application(PDF, 97KB)

Mail your completed application to:

Tompkins County Whole Health
Attn: Vital Records
55 Brown Road
Ithaca, NY 14850

• Birth and death records for all New York State Counties (except New York City):
  New York State Department of Health
  Bureau of Vital Records
  Empire State Plaza
  Albany, NY 12237
  
  
• Town or City Historians have varied records (all towns have town historians).
  
  
• Tompkins County Public Library (TCPL)
  TCPL subscribes to Ancestry Library Edition (only available within the library) and Heritage Quest (available from home or work to anyone with a local library card.) Additional resources include TCPL's local history collections and The Ithaca Journal back to 1876.
  
  
• County Clerk
  Land records 1819 to present, some census records, some marriage records, balloting book (land given to soldiers).
  
  
• Church Records
  
  
• DeWitt Historical Society of Tompkins County
  401 East State Street, Ithaca, NY 14850
  (They will send a pamphlet upon request.)
  
  
• Cornell University - Department of Manuscripts and Archives
  Olin Library, Ithaca, NY 14853
  
  
• Local libraries for old newspapers
  
  
• Church of Latter Day Saints - has microfilmed many old records.
  Branch libraries throughout the United States (one is located in Binghamton).
  Or visit www.familysearch.org
  
  
• New York State Census Records
  New York State Library, Albany, NY 12237. (A fee per copy may apply.)
  Also visit the NYS Library genealogy web page
  
  
• National Archives, Washington, D.C.
  Records on microfilm regarding military service, immigrant arrivals, pension and bounty land (up to 1917).