New York State Department of Health Vital Records Section Index to Delayed Birth Certificates

The index is sorted in three ways: 1) alphabetical by child's surname; 2) maiden name of mother; 3) year of birth (reverse chronological).

Registration of births in New York State outside of New York City began January 1, 1881, under supervision of the State Board of Health (now Department of Health). A birth certificate issued by a local registrar of vital statistics contained accurate, verifiable information on an individual's name, and date and place of birth. That information was useful for legal proof of age. A 1913 law made a certified copy of a birth certificate "prima facie evidence of age," for purposes of school attendance and employment certificates ("working papers") issued to minors.

This series indexes 1,048 birth certificates filed for birth events that occurred prior to the implementation of statewide registrations of births on January 1, 1881. Delayed certificates were issued for births ranging in date from 1881 back to 1823, but almost all of them document births during the 1870s. Delayed certificates were filed as early as 1900, but most were issued in the late 1930s and early 1940s so that individuals could prove their age to receive benefits under the Social Security Act of 1935.

These indexes contain the following data: district number (county); first/middle/last name of child; date of birth; first/middle/last name of father; first/middle/last name of mother (usually maiden name); and date of filing certificate. The indexes to pre-1881 delayed birth certificates contain no data on births in locations outside New York State, or in New York City (five boroughs).

Photocopy of the index is available for research use.

B1367Series B1367, Copies of selected indexes to birth, marriage, and death certificates, contains birth indexes that post-date this series.

Original certificates, as well as the master copy of the index, remain in the custody of the New York State Department of Health.

There are no restrictions regarding access to or use of the material.