Bronx County Death Records Lookup

Bronx County death records are handled through a completely separate system from the rest of New York State. As one of the five boroughs of New York City, the Bronx falls under the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene for all vital records. The New York State Department of Health does not have Bronx death records at all. The borough has about 1.47 million residents, making it one of the most populated counties in the state. If you need a death certificate for someone who died in the Bronx, this page explains where to go and what it costs.

NYC System for Bronx Death Records

The most important thing to know about Bronx County death records is that the NYS Department of Health does not have them. Not for any year. The NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene is the only agency that issues death certificates for deaths that happen in the Bronx. This applies to all five boroughs: Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island. The state office in Albany will tell you they have no record if you ask them for a Bronx death certificate.

The NYC Health Department issues two documents when someone dies. The first is the standard certificate of death, which shows the name, gender, and date of birth of the deceased. The second is the confidential medical report showing the cause of death. Most people only need the standard certificate. There is no extra fee if you also need the cause of death report, but only certain people can request it.

Who Can Order Bronx Death Certificates

The rules for who can order a Bronx County death certificate with the cause of death are strict. Only the spouse, domestic partner, parent, child, sibling, grandparent, grandchild, the informant listed on the certificate, or the person in control of disposition can get both the standard certificate and the medical cause of death report.

A wider group can get just the standard death certificate without the cause of death. That list includes nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, great-grandchildren, great-great-grandchildren, grandnieces, and grandnephews. If you fall outside these groups, you will need a court order or other legal documentation.

When a funeral home handles the arrangements, the quickest way to get a death certificate is through the funeral director. They can order copies on the family's behalf for up to one year after the death. This is often faster than going through the city office directly.

Bronx County Death Certificate Fees

A Bronx County death certificate costs $15 per copy. On top of that, there is a processing fee. For online orders through VitalChek, the processing fee is $9.30, which brings the total to about $24.30 per certificate. In-person orders at the Office of Vital Records have a lower processing fee of $2.75. First-class mail delivery is free. Express delivery costs an extra $20.

VitalChek is the only vendor the NYC Health Department has authorized for online orders. The city has warned about unauthorized vendors who charge much higher fees. If you paid too much through a third-party site, you can file a complaint with the NYC Department of Consumer Protection or call 311.

Note: As of 2019, NYC birth and death certificates no longer have a raised seal but instead use certified paper with security features.

Historical Bronx Death Records

The Bronx became a separate county in 1914. Before that, it was part of New York County. Death records from 1898 through 1948 are held by the NYC Municipal Archives at 31 Chambers Street, Room 103, in Manhattan. You can reach them at (212) 639-9675. Their hours are Monday through Thursday from 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM and Friday from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM.

The Municipal Archives has Bronx death records from 1898 to 1948, which covers the full period from the borough's incorporation into New York City through the late 1940s. There are also some scattered records from towns and villages that existed before 1898. For records after 1948, you need to go through the NYC Department of Health. Records over 50 years old are considered public and can be accessed without proving a family relationship.

The NYC Municipal Archives also runs an online database for historical vital records at a860-historicalvitalrecords.nyc.gov. You can search indexes for free online. The archives are also working on a mass digitization project to put 13.3 million historical birth, death, and marriage records online. As of December 1, 2024, the NYC Health Department no longer accepts new requests for certified copies of 1949 death certificates, as those records are being moved to the Municipal Archives.

How to Order Bronx Death Certificates

You have three main ways to order a Bronx County death certificate. Online through VitalChek is the fastest for most people. You can also visit the Office of Vital Records in person at 125 Worth Street, CN-4, Room 119 in Manhattan. Use the Lafayette Street entrance. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 9 AM to 3:30 PM. The third option is to mail in an application with a check or money order for $15 per copy.

For mail requests, send your completed application and payment to: Office of Vital Records, 125 Worth Street, CN-4, Room 119, New York, NY 10013. Include a photocopy of your ID and proof of your relationship to the deceased person. If the cause of death is listed as "Undetermined" or "Pending further study," call the Medical Examiner's office at 212-447-2030 for more information.

Bronx County Death Records Resources

The NYC Municipal Archives holds historical vital records for all five boroughs and is a key resource for Bronx County death record research.

This page shows what types of records the archives hold for each borough, including the date ranges for Bronx death records from 1898 to 1948.

The NYC Historical Vital Records database lets you search indexes online for free.

You can look up names and dates in the database and then order copies of the actual certificates from the Municipal Archives.

The Bronx County public records system provides an overview of all public records available in the borough.

This resource explains how vital records, court records, and property records are organized in Bronx County and which offices handle each type.

Nearby Counties

Bronx County borders Westchester County to the north and New York County (Manhattan) to the south across the Harlem River. Queens County is to the southeast. The city of Yonkers in Westchester is just across the county line and has its own set of vital records procedures. If you are looking for death records and the person lived in the Bronx but died in a hospital in Westchester, you would need to contact the Westchester town clerk or NYS DOH instead of the NYC system.