Discovering NYC Historical Vital Records on FamilySearch

Discovering NYC Historical Vital Records on FamilySearch

This guide provides step-by-step instructions for locating historical New York City vital records, such as birth, marriage, and death records, on FamilySearch.org.

Step 1: Access FamilySearch and Navigate to Records

• Open your web browser and go to FamilySearch.org. You do not need to be logged in to search records, but logging in allows you to save discoveries.
• From the top navigation menu, hover over "Search".
• Click on "Records" from the dropdown menu. This will take you to the global record search page.

Step 2: Find New York City Collections

• On the "Find Historical Records" page, locate the search bar labeled "Find a Collection" on the right side of the screen.
• In this search bar, type "New York City" and press Enter or click the magnifying glass icon.
• A list of collections related to New York City will appear. Scroll through this list to identify vital record collections. You'll typically see titles like:
  • "New York, New York City Marriage Records, 1822-1939"
  • "New York, New York City Births, 1846-1909"
  • "New York, New York City Municipal Deaths, 1795-1949"
  (Note: Collection names and date ranges may vary slightly or be updated over time.)

Step 3: Select and Search Within a Specific Collection

• Click on the title of the specific vital record collection you wish to explore (e.g., "New York, New York City Marriage Records, 1822-1939"). This will open the collection's dedicated search page.
• On this page, you will see a search form tailored to the collection. Enter the information you know:
  • First Name and Last Name of the individual.
  • Event Year Range (e.g., "1900-1905" for a marriage).
  • You may also find fields for parent names or spouse names depending on the record type.
• Click the "Search" button to view your results.

Step 4: Review Search Results and View Images

• A list of matching records will appear. Each result will typically show key information like name, event type, date, and sometimes parents or spouse.
• To view the original record image, click the camera icon (usually on the right side of the record entry). If there's no camera icon, the record may only be indexed, or you might need to try browsing (see optional step below).
• The image viewer will open, allowing you to examine the historical document. Use the zoom, rotate, and print tools as needed.

Step 5 (Optional): Browse Images if Search is Unsuccessful or for Unindexed Records

• If your initial search doesn't yield results, or if the collection is partially or entirely unindexed, you might find a "Browse through [Number] images" link on the collection's main page (under the search form).
• Clicking this link will allow you to navigate through the digitized microfilm images reel by reel, often organized by borough, year, and certificate number. This requires more patience but can be effective for finding records not yet indexed.