Clarkstown Death Records Search

Death records for the Town of Clarkstown are kept by the Clarkstown Town Clerk in New City. Clarkstown is the largest town in Rockland County, sitting just northwest of New York City across the Hudson River. The town clerk maintains vital statistics for all births, deaths, and marriages that happen in Clarkstown. This page explains where to get Clarkstown death records, the process for mail and in-person requests, what Rockland County resources are available, and how to search for older records for genealogy.

Where to Get Clarkstown Death Records

The Clarkstown Town Clerk is your primary source for death records in Clarkstown. The office is at 10 Maple Avenue, New City, NY 10956. Phone is (845) 639-2010. Email is clerk@clarkstown.org. The current Town Clerk is Lauren Marie Wohl. Hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

The clerk's office maintains records of births, deaths, and marriages occurring in Clarkstown. To get a death certificate, you need to contact the office, provide proof of identity, and pay the fee. The office may require additional documentation depending on your situation. A court order or notarized affidavit could be needed for some requests.

Below is the Town of Clarkstown website where you can find clerk office details and forms.

The town site lists department contact info and current office hours for the clerk.

Rockland County and Clarkstown Death Records

Clarkstown is in Rockland County. The county has five towns: Clarkstown, Haverstraw, Orangetown, Ramapo, and Stony Point. Each town clerk acts as the local registrar for deaths in their area. The Rockland County Department of Health at Pomona Health Complex, 50 Sanatorium Road, Pomona, NY 10970 can also help with vital records questions. Phone is (845) 364-2600.

One thing to note about Rockland County: if a death took place at a hospital, the death record goes to the village clerk where the hospital is located, not necessarily the town clerk. For example, births and deaths at Nyack Hospital go to the Village Clerk of Nyack. Deaths at Good Samaritan or Community Hospital go to the village clerk of Suffern or Spring Valley. Keep this in mind if you are having trouble finding a record at the Clarkstown clerk.

The Rockland County Clerk is at the courthouse, 1 South Main Street, Suite 100, New City, NY 10956. Phone is (845) 638-5070. They keep court records, land records from 1798, naturalization records, and marriage records from 1903 to 1935. They do not handle death certificates.

How to Get Clarkstown Death Records

For in-person requests, go to 10 Maple Avenue during business hours. Bring your photo ID and the fee. The clerk should be able to process your request while you wait. For mail requests, send a letter to the Clarkstown Town Clerk, 10 Maple Avenue, New City, NY 10956. Include the name of the deceased, the date of death, your relationship, a copy of your photo ID, and a check for the fee.

You can also use the New York State Department of Health. The state has death records from 1881 onward. Mail orders to the state cost $30 per copy. Online orders through VitalChek cost $45 plus a processing fee. The state address is P.O. Box 2602, Albany, NY 12220-2602. Call (855) 322-1022 for questions. The state office has major delays right now, so the local town clerk is usually a better choice for speed.

Only the spouse, parent, child, or sibling of the person who died can get a certified copy. Others need to show proof of a lawful reason. You can also get death records through a New York State Court Order if you do not qualify through any other route.

Clarkstown Death Records for Genealogy

The Rockland County Archives at Pomona Health Complex, Building S, 50 Sanatorium Road, Pomona, NY 10970 has an extensive collection. Phone is (845) 364-3670. Their digitized holdings include marriage records from 1908 to 1935, naturalization records from 1812 to 1991, Surrogate Court estate files from 1800 to 1939, and wills from 1798 to 1965. They also have deeds from 1798 to 1936 and census records from 1855 to 1920. An onsite search kiosk is available for indexes.

The Clarkstown Town Historian, Martin L. Cohen, is at 6 Plains Drive, New City, NY 10956. He can help with historical research. Early Dutch Reformed Church records from Tappan and Clarkstown are available and can contain burial and death information from before official registration began.

The Rockland County Surrogate's Court at 1 South Main Street, New City has probate records from 1798 to the present. Phone is (845) 483-8300. You can search some of these online through the WebSurrogate system. The New York State Death Index covers 1880 to 1956 and is free to search. The New York State Archives has microfiche death indexes from 1880 to 1943.

The Genealogical Society of Rockland County provides guidance on using vital records indexes at the State Archives and the National Archives Northeast Region. They can help you navigate the various sources available for Rockland County death records research.

Clarkstown Death Records Fees and Tips

A certified death certificate from the Clarkstown Town Clerk costs about $10. Fees for other vital records are similar. The Rockland County town clerks generally charge $10 to $15 per certified copy. The state charges $30 by mail and $45 online. So the local route is always cheaper in Clarkstown.

If you are not sure whether a death happened in Clarkstown or in a nearby village, keep in mind that hospital location matters in Rockland County. Deaths at Nyack Hospital get filed with the Village Clerk of Nyack. Deaths at Good Samaritan Hospital go to the Village Clerk of Suffern or Spring Valley. If you call the Clarkstown clerk and they do not have the record, ask which village or town might have it based on the hospital where the death was pronounced.

Rockland County has five towns. If a death occurred somewhere else in the county, you would need to contact the clerk for that town. Haverstraw, Orangetown, Ramapo, and Stony Point each have their own town clerk who handles death records for their area. You can reach the Rockland County Department of Health at (845) 364-2600 for guidance on which office to try.

Nearby New York Cities

Other cities near Clarkstown with death records pages on this site: