Search Allegany County Death Records

Death records in Allegany County go back to the 1880s, when New York State first required towns to register vital events. The county has about 47,000 residents and its seat is in the village of Belmont. Unlike some counties, Allegany County does not keep death certificates at the county clerk level. Instead, each town clerk holds death records for their own area. That means you need to know which town the death took place in before you can request a copy. This page walks you through how to find and order Allegany County death records from the right office.

Where to Find Allegany County Death Records

The Allegany County Clerk has no records of births or deaths. The clerk's office at 7 Court Street in Belmont handles property records, court records, and some marriage records from 1908 to 1935. But death certificates are a different story. You have to go to the town or village clerk where the death happened. Allegany County has over 30 towns and villages, each with their own clerk. The Allegany GenWeb vital records page has a list of all town clerks and their contact details.

This setup is standard across much of New York State. Town clerks are the local registrars of vital statistics. When someone dies, the death gets reported and filed in that town. The town clerk keeps a copy, and another copy goes to the NYS Department of Health in Albany. So you have two paths to get a certified copy of a death certificate: the local town clerk or the state. Most people find the town clerk faster, especially since the state is dealing with long delays.

The Archives.com Allegany County page also notes that the County Clerk's office is in Room 18 of the courthouse at 7 Court Street. Hours are 9 AM to 5 PM, with summer hours of 8:30 AM to 4 PM. You can reach them at (585) 268-9270.

Allegany County Death Certificate Fees

Certified copies from Allegany County town clerks cost $10 each. That is the standard fee across most towns in the county. You pay by check or money order made out to the specific town clerk. Some offices also take cash for walk-in requests. Each town sets its own payment rules, so call ahead if you are not sure.

If you go through the NYS Department of Health instead, the fees are higher. Mail orders cost $30 per copy. Online and phone orders run $45 plus a processing fee from the vendor. The state accepts credit cards, personal checks, and money orders. Given the price gap between $10 at the town level and $30 or more at the state level, the town clerk is usually the better deal if you know where the death happened.

Death Record Restrictions in Allegany County

New York State puts a 50-year restriction on death records. For the first 50 years after a death, only certain people can get a certified copy. That list includes the spouse, parent, child, or sibling of the person who died. Others need to show a documented legal right, a medical need, or a court order. After 50 years, the record becomes open to the public and can be requested by anyone for genealogy or other purposes.

Birth records carry a 75-year restriction. This comes up a lot when people are doing family research and need both a birth and death certificate for the same person. The death record may be open while the birth record is still restricted.

Note: Allegany County town clerks follow the same restriction rules as the rest of New York State.

Historical Death Records in Allegany County

Before 1880, there was a brief period when New York tried to collect vital records at the local level. The state legislature passed a law in 1847 that told school district clerks to record births, marriages, and deaths. That law was hard to enforce and got repealed around 1852. Any records that were made during those five years are now held by the town clerks. They are rare but they do exist in some Allegany County towns. The Allegany GenWeb site has more details on these early records.

Statewide registration picked up again in 1880 for deaths and 1881 for births. By 1890, most Allegany County towns were complying with the law and filing death records. The State Archives in Albany has microfiche indexes to deaths from 1880 through 1943. These are free to search in person at the archives on the 11th floor of the Cultural Education Center. The archives will also search the indexes for you for a fee if you cannot visit in person.

The Allegany County Historical Society runs out of the David A. Howe Public Library at 155 North Main Street in Wellsville, Room 201. They may have additional local records and can help with genealogical research in Allegany County.

Allegany County Town Clerks

Allegany County has a large number of towns and villages. Each one has its own clerk who keeps death records for their area. Some of the more commonly searched towns include Wellsville, Alfred, Cuba, Bolivar, and Angelica. If you are not sure which town to contact, think about where the death happened or where the person lived. If they died at home, that town clerk will have the record. If they died in a hospital, you need the town where the hospital sits.

The full list of Allegany County towns with clerks includes Alfred, Allen, Alma, Almond, Amity, Andover, Angelica, Belfast, Belmont, Birdsall, Bolivar, Burns, Canaseraga, Caneadea, Centerville, Clarksville, Cuba, Friendship, Genesee, Granger, Grove, Hume, Independence, New Hudson, Richburg, Rushford, Scio, Ward, Wellsville, West Almond, Willing, and Wirt. You can find the address for each one on the VitalRec.com Allegany County directory.

Allegany County Death Records Screenshots

The Allegany GenWeb vital records page has useful details about town clerk addresses and historical record dates for the county.

This page lists the town clerks and explains the 1847 to 1852 early vital records collection effort in Allegany County.

The VitalRec directory for Allegany County is another good starting point for finding where to send your request.

The directory confirms that the Allegany County Clerk does not hold birth or death records and directs you to the town clerks instead.

For additional genealogy tools, the Archives.com Allegany County page provides an overview of available records and research links.

Archives.com lists the county clerk's hours, contact info, and links to the historical society in Wellsville for deeper research.

Nearby Counties

Allegany County is in the western part of New York State. It borders Cattaraugus County to the west, Steuben County to the east, and Livingston County to the north. Wyoming County also shares a border to the northwest. If you are not sure which county a town falls in, check the town clerk listing or call the Allegany County Clerk at (585) 268-9270 for guidance.