Chemung County Death Records

Death records in Chemung County work differently than in most other New York counties. Chemung is one of only four consolidated counties in the state, which means all vital records are held at the county level rather than by individual town clerks. The county seat is Elmira and the population is about 84,000. The Chemung County Office of Vital Records is the single office that handles all death certificate requests. However, extensive flooding has damaged many of the county's historical records, making some files permanently lost. This page explains what is available and how to get it.

The Consolidated System in Chemung County

Chemung County is one of four New York counties with a consolidated vital records system. The other three are Monroe, Onondaga, and Tompkins. In a consolidated county, birth and death records were collected from the towns, cities, and villages and are now on file with one central office. For Chemung County, that office is the Office of Vital Records at 103 Washington Street in Elmira, NY 14902. Call (607) 737-2018 for questions.

This is different from most New York counties where you have to contact the specific town clerk where the death happened. In Chemung County, every death record from across the county should be at that one office. The word "should" matters here though. Flooding has destroyed some records, and not every file survived.

The City of Elmira confirms that for any death certificate questions, you should contact the Chemung County Health Department at 103 Washington Street, phone 607-737-2018. The city itself does not handle vital records.

Flood Damage to Chemung County Death Records

Extensive flooding has damaged many Chemung County vital records. The Chemung River runs through Elmira and has flooded repeatedly over the years, with some of the worst events causing real damage to paper records stored at the county level. If you request a Chemung County death record and the office tells you they cannot find it, the flood damage may be the reason.

When a local record has been destroyed, your backup option is the NYS Department of Health in Albany. The state keeps a second copy of all vital records filed since 1881 for areas outside of New York City. So even if the Chemung County copy was lost to water damage, the state copy may still exist. Contact the state at (855) 322-1022 or write to P.O. Box 2602, Albany, NY 12220-2602.

Ordering Chemung County Death Certificates

Surviving Chemung County death records must be requested by mail from the Office of Vital Records. Fees apply for both the record search and for the document copy itself. The office charges for the search even if no record is found, which is standard practice. Contact the office at (607) 737-2018 for the current fee schedule.

The 50-year restriction applies to Chemung County death records just like the rest of the state. Only spouses, parents, children, siblings, and people with documented legal needs can get copies of records from the past 50 years. After that, the records are open to the public. Birth records have a 75-year restriction.

The Chemung County public records office notes that the county typically responds to records requests within five business days. The Records Access Officer is at 203 Lake Street, Elmira, NY 14901, phone (607) 737-2837.

Chemung County Death Records at the Clerk's Office

The Chemung County Clerk's office is separate from the vital records office. The clerk is at 210 Lake Street, Elmira, NY 14902-0588, phone (607) 737-2920. The clerk handles court records, land records, and some marriage records. The Surrogate's Court is in the Hazlett Building at 203-205 Lake Street, phone (607) 873-9400. Probate records from the Surrogate's Court can contain death date information that helps fill in gaps when a death certificate has been lost.

Probate records are useful as a secondary source for death information. When someone dies and their estate goes through probate, the court file usually includes the date of death, names of heirs, and other details. You can search Chemung County estate records through WebSurrogate online.

Historical Death Records in Chemung County

Some early Chemung County death records survive despite the flooding. Deaths recorded in Elmira from 1867 to 1881 are available on the NYGenWeb site for free. These predate the official state registration that started in 1880. Limited consolidated marriage records from 1908 to 1935 are also at the FamilySearch Library.

The county was formed in 1836 from Tioga County. It was named after a town called Chemung, which was a Seneca settlement. The New York State Archives has microfiche indexes to deaths from 1880 through 1943 that can be searched for free in person at the Cultural Education Center in Albany. This is a good option if the county-level copy was damaged by flooding.

Note: Some Chemung County death records may only be available from the NYS Department of Health due to local flood damage.

Chemung County Death Records Resources

The City of Elmira services page directs residents to the Chemung County Health Department for all death certificate needs.

This page confirms that the city does not issue death certificates and sends everyone to the county health department at 103 Washington Street.

The Chemung County public records office provides details on all record types maintained by county departments.

This resource explains the five-day response time for records requests and lists the contact information for the Records Access Officer and County Clerk.

Nearby Counties

Chemung County borders Steuben County to the west, Schuyler County to the north, and Tioga County to the east. The Pennsylvania state line is to the south. If you are searching for a death that may have occurred in a neighboring county, remember that Chemung's consolidated system is unusual. Most surrounding counties use the standard town clerk system for death records.