Broome County Death Records

Death records in Broome County go back to 1880 and are available through both local offices and the state. The county seat is Binghamton, which sits in the southern tier of New York near the Pennsylvania border. Broome County has about 198,000 residents and was formed in 1806. The Broome County Health Department is the main source for death certificates here, though town and city clerks also keep copies. If you are trying to find a Broome County death record, understanding which office to contact can save you weeks of waiting.

Where Broome County Death Records Are Filed

The Broome County Health Department handles birth and death certificates for the county. That is where you go for a certified copy of a Broome County death record. The Broome County Clerk's Office at 60 Hawley Street on the 3rd floor of the Edwin L. Crawford County Office Building handles court records, divorce records, and land records. But death certificates come from the health department, not the clerk.

The Broome County Clerk can be reached at (607) 778-2000. They can help with marriage records, Supreme Court filings, and judgments going back to 1946. For death records specifically, they will direct you to the health department. The Binghamton City Clerk at 38 Hawley Street, phone (607) 772-7005, will also tell you the same thing.

Town and city clerks across Broome County do keep their own copies of death records too. Vital records were first recorded at the local level in each town clerk's ledger book starting in 1880. If you know the town where the death took place, reaching out to that clerk is another option.

Broome County Death Certificate Costs

Certified copies of death certificates in Broome County cost $10 each. That is a standard rate across the county. Paper copies of other records run $0.25 per page. Certified copies of court records are $8 per document. The Broome County public records office lists all fees for different types of documents.

Payment methods include cash, checks, money orders, and major credit cards for most transactions. If you order through the NYS Department of Health instead, the fees go up to $30 by mail or $45 online. Sticking with the local Broome County office is cheaper and usually faster.

Who Can Request Broome County Death Records

Anyone can request public records from Broome County government agencies under the New York Freedom of Information Law. That is the broad rule. But death certificates are an exception. Birth and death records are restricted to people who have a direct relationship to the person named on the record, or who can show a lawful right to get a copy. The state spells this out clearly. Spouses, parents, children, and siblings can get copies. Others need documentation.

You do not have to show ID or state your reason for most other public records in Broome County. Property records, court filings, and tax information are open to everyone. Vital records are the one area where they check your eligibility before handing over a copy. After 50 years, death records become open to the public for genealogy and research purposes.

Broome County Death Records History

Statewide registration for births and deaths in New York started in 1880. Most Broome County towns were complying with the law and recording deaths by 1890. Births took longer to reach full compliance, around 1915. The known start dates for Broome County government records are 1880 for births, marriages, and deaths. Court records go back to 1806 when the county was formed. Land records start at 1790, and probate records date to 1806.

Vital records were first written in the village, town, or city clerk's ledger book at the local level. Starting in 1880, a copy of each death record was also sent to the New York State Department of Health. Marriage records were handled by the county clerk from 1908 through 1935. Divorce files in New York are sealed for 100 years, which is worth knowing if you are doing broader family research.

There is no known history of courthouse disasters in Broome County. That is good news for record seekers. It means the historical files are relatively intact compared to some other New York counties where fires or floods have destroyed records.

Broome County Court and Probate Records

The Broome County Clerk's office maintains civil, criminal, family court, and surrogate court records. These include judgments, liens, and court filings dating back to 1946. The Surrogate's Court handles probate records, which can be useful when researching a deceased person. Probate files typically list the date of death, family members, and estate details. You can search some of these records through WebSurrogate, the state court system's online tool.

The Broome County Courthouse is at 65 Hawley Street in Binghamton. Phone (607) 240-5800. The courthouse holds both the clerk's office and the Surrogate's Court under one roof, which makes it easy to check multiple types of records in one trip.

Broome County Death Records Resources

The Broome County public records office gives an overview of all record types available in the county and lists the fees for each.

This site explains the different offices that handle various records and who is eligible to request them.

The Broome County Clerk's official site provides details on court records, land records, and marriage records maintained at the county level.

While the clerk does not have death certificates, this is the right office for divorce records, judgments, and other county-level filings that may relate to estate and death matters.

Nearby Counties

Broome County borders Tioga County to the west, Chenango County to the north, Delaware County to the northeast, and Cortland County to the northwest. The Pennsylvania state line runs along the southern edge of the county. If a death occurred in a neighboring county, you will need to go through that county's local clerks or the NYS Department of Health for records.