New Rochelle Death Records

Death records for New Rochelle are held by the New Rochelle City Clerk at City Hall on North Avenue. New Rochelle is in Westchester County, just north of New York City along the Long Island Sound. The city clerk issues and maintains vital statistics records for all deaths that take place within city limits. New Rochelle has strict rules about who can get a death certificate, and mail requests require a notarized signature. This page covers how to get New Rochelle death records, what documentation you need, and what county and state resources are also available.

Where to Get New Rochelle Death Records

The New Rochelle City Clerk is at City Hall, 515 North Avenue, New Rochelle, NY 10801. The main phone number is (914) 654-2000. The City Clerk is Bennie Giles, who also serves as the Records Access Officer for FOIL requests. Email is bgiles@ci.new-rochelle.ny.us.

The city clerk's office issues and maintains vital statistics including birth certificates, death certificates, and marriage licenses. They also maintain the official record of City Council meetings and serve as the general information bureau for the city. For death certificates specifically, you need to be an eligible person and provide proper ID.

Below is the City of New Rochelle website where you can find the clerk's office page.

The city website lists department contact information and office hours for the clerk.

How to Request New Rochelle Death Records

New Rochelle has stricter procedures than many other New York cities for death certificate requests. Only the surviving spouse, children, parents, and siblings of the deceased are entitled to copies. If a parent is divorced or was never married to the deceased, they can request a copy on behalf of a minor child (under 18) but must bring the child's birth certificate.

For in-person requests, you need to complete a death certificate application and present a current photo ID. Accepted forms are a U.S. driver's license, a DMV-issued non-driver photo ID, or a passport. Children requesting a parent's death certificate must bring a long form birth certificate showing the parent's name. Siblings need a birth certificate showing shared parents' names.

Mail requests have an extra requirement. Your signature on the application must be notarized. Include the application or a written letter with the name of the deceased, date of death, your notarized signature, a copy of your photo ID, proof of relationship if needed, a stamped self-addressed return envelope, and the $10 fee. Mail to New Rochelle City Hall, City Clerk's Office, 515 North Ave., New Rochelle, NY 10801.

Attorneys can also request death certificates. They need a written letter on law firm letterhead that states the reason for the request. The letter must be addressed to the requestor and specifically say that the firm requires a copy of the death certificate. Include the application, the fee, and a self-addressed stamped envelope if ordering by mail.

Westchester County and New Rochelle Death Records

New Rochelle is in Westchester County. The Westchester County Department of Health is actually located in New Rochelle at 145 Huguenot Street, NY 10801. Phone is (914) 813-5000. They also maintain vital records including death certificates at $10 per copy. So New Rochelle residents have two local options: the city clerk and the county health department.

The Westchester County Clerk at 110 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, White Plains, NY 10601 handles land records, court records, and divorce filings. Phone is (914) 995-3080. They charge $10 for certified vital records copies, $5 per name search, and $0.25 per page for standard photocopies. The Westchester County Archives at 2199 Saw Mill River Road, Elmsford has historical records and a naturalization index.

The Westchester County Surrogate's Court at 111 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, 19th Floor, White Plains handles probate. Phone is (914) 824-5656. The Pro Se Help Center can be reached at (914) 824-5701. You can search records online through WebSurrogate.

State Options for New Rochelle Death Records

You can also get New Rochelle death records through the New York State Department of Health. The state keeps records from 1881 forward. Mail orders cost $30 per copy. Online orders through VitalChek cost $45 plus a processing fee. Mail to Vital Records Certification Unit, P.O. Box 2602, Albany, NY 12220-2602. Phone is (855) 322-1022. The state is significantly slower than local offices right now, so the city clerk or county health department are usually better choices.

For genealogy purposes, the state offers uncertified copies of death records that have been on file for 50 years or more. The base fee is $22 for a one to three year search, with higher fees for wider search windows. Processing takes about eight months at the state level. The local city clerk may be faster for genealogy searches of New Rochelle records.

New Rochelle Death Records for Genealogy

Westchester County death records date back to 1880. The county archives at Elmsford have historical records that can support genealogy research. The New York State Death Index covers 1880 to 1956 and is free to search online. The New York State Archives in Albany has death record microfiche indexes from 1880 to 1943.

The New Rochelle City Clerk serves as the FOIL officer for the city. If you need access to records that fall outside standard vital records procedures, you can submit a Freedom of Information Law request through the clerk's office. The New York Genealogical and Biographical Society publishes county guides that can help researchers navigate Westchester County records.

The NYS DOH genealogy page has full details on eligibility rules and fees for genealogy copies of death records. Direct line descendants can access records without the 50-year waiting period if they prove their relationship and that the person is deceased.

Nearby New York Cities

Other cities near New Rochelle with death records pages on this site: