New York birth records are housed in county, parish, or borough vital statistics offices. These offices maintain the strictest security standards in order to protect the privileged and confidential personal information entrusted to them. Officials working in these offices must take this responsibility very seriously, for any breach for these rules could result in severe violations to not only individuals, but also national security.
Each vital records office in America is different from the next as far as the little details go. Fees for retrieving and delivering birth records, as well as delivery times, vary from state to state. They can also be different from county to county, and borough to borough.
General New York Birth Record Security Policies
Fortunately or unfortunately, this is just the way it is, as there is little standardization between vital records offices. The one thing that each office has in common, however, is a strict security policy. That is why no lay citizen, save the one listed on the birth certificate, may have access to New York birth records.
The exceptions to this policy involve the family of the person named. Generally speaking, a person's immediate family, such as their parents or their spouse, and sometimes their designated legal representative, may also access their New York birth record. If you need more information on birth records in New York state, the New York State Department of Vital Records in Albany is a good resource to help answer your questions.
