New York · 62 counties
When someone dies in New York
Two things matter first: getting certified death certificates, and, if money is short, reaching the burial assistance program in the county where the death happened. Pick your county below for exact contacts.
The paperwork
Death certificates in New York
Certified copies come from the New York State Department of Health, Vital Records Section (official site).
Mail requests cost $30 per copy and go to the Vital Records Certification Unit, P.O. Box 2602, Albany, NY 12220-2602. Be careful with the timing: mail requests take ten to twelve WEEKS, while online or phone orders through VitalChek get priority handling and take five to ten business days. VitalChek costs $45 per certificate, which includes a $15 priority fee, plus an $8 processing charge per order. If you need copies to settle accounts soon, the extra cost buys you about two months. The Vital Records Call Center is 855-322-1022. Note that New York City deaths are handled separately by the NYC Health Department, not the state.
Planning ahead
Nobody has died yet? Set up a power of attorney
If someone you love is aging or ill, the cheapest protection your family can get is a power of attorney, and it must happen while they can still sign. We cover New York's exact rules and official forms.
New York power of attorney rulesPick your county
New York counties (62)
Albany CountyAllegany CountyBronx CountyBroome CountyCattaraugus CountyCayuga CountyChautauqua CountyChemung CountyChenango CountyClinton CountyColumbia CountyCortland CountyDelaware CountyDutchess CountyErie CountyEssex CountyFranklin CountyFulton CountyGenesee CountyGreene CountyHamilton CountyHerkimer CountyJefferson CountyKings CountyLewis CountyLivingston CountyMadison CountyMonroe CountyMontgomery CountyNassau CountyNew York CountyNiagara CountyOneida CountyOnondaga CountyOntario CountyOrange CountyOrleans CountyOswego CountyOtsego CountyPutnam CountyQueens CountyRensselaer CountyRichmond CountyRockland CountySaratoga CountySchenectady CountySchoharie CountySchuyler CountySeneca CountySt. Lawrence CountySteuben CountySuffolk CountySullivan CountyTioga CountyTompkins CountyUlster CountyWarren CountyWashington CountyWayne CountyWestchester CountyWyoming CountyYates County