Delaware County Death Records
Death records in Delaware County go back to the 1880s when New York State began its statewide vital records system. The county seat is Delhi, and the clerk offices there handle most record requests for this rural part of the state. Delaware County death records are held by town clerks throughout the county, by the New York State Department of Health in Albany, and through the Surrogate's Court for estate and probate files. With more than 20 towns spread across nearly 1,500 square miles, the right office to call depends on where the death took place. This page walks you through each source so you can find what you need.
Delaware County Death Records Overview
Delaware County Clerk and Death Records
The Delaware County Clerk sits at Courthouse Square in Delhi. The office holds court records, land records from 1797, and naturalization files from 1810 to 1950. For death records, the clerk does not keep the certificates on file. You need to go to the town clerk where the death took place or to the state. The county clerk can still help point you in the right direction.
Debra Goodrich serves as County Clerk. The main phone line is (607) 832-5700. Office hours run Monday through Friday. The clerk also has early vital records from 1847 to 1848, which cover a brief period when New York first tried to collect birth and death data at the local level. These records are rare and not complete, but they can fill gaps for researchers looking at that time frame.
The Delaware County Historical Association offers extra help for death record searches.
The screenshot above shows the Delaware County Clerk page where you can find contact details and learn about records on file in Delhi.
Town Clerks and Death Certificates in Delaware County
Death certificates in Delaware County are filed with the town clerk where the death happened. Each town has its own clerk office. The fee for a certified copy is typically $10. You need to show valid photo ID and prove your relationship to the person who died. A spouse, parent, child, or sibling can get a copy. Others need a court order or proof of a legal claim.
Delaware County has more than 20 towns and villages with clerk offices. These include Andes, Bovina, Colchester, Davenport, Delhi, Deposit, Fleischmanns, Franklin, Hamden, Hancock, Harpersfield, Hobart, Kortright, Margaretville, Masonville, Meredith, Middletown, Roxbury, Sidney, Stamford, Tompkins, and Walton. If you are not sure which town to contact, call the county clerk at (607) 832-5700. They can help you figure out where the death was recorded.
Town clerks in Delaware County have had death records since 1880. Some have older records from the 1847 to 1850 period. These early files are not always complete. Up into the 1920s, the original records were sent to the NYS Health Department in Albany. The local clerk kept a handwritten copy in their books. Keep in mind that the state copy is often more accurate since the local version was a transcription. Errors could slip in when the clerk wrote the info by hand.
New York State Department of Health Records for Delaware County
The New York State Department of Health has death records for Delaware County from 1881 to the present. You can order by mail for $30 per copy. Send a filled out form, a copy of your photo ID, and a check or money order to the Vital Records Certification Unit, P.O. Box 2602, Albany, NY 12220-2602. Make the check out to "NYS Department of Health."
Online and phone orders cost $45 plus a processing fee. These go through VitalChek. The state warns of big delays right now. If you need a death certificate fast, the town clerk is usually a better bet. They can often pull the file the same day.
Only certain people can get a death certificate. The list includes the spouse, parent, child, or sibling of the deceased. Anyone else needs a documented legal right or a court order. For example, if you need the record to settle an estate or claim a life insurance benefit, bring a letter from the insurance company or court that explains why you need it.
Delaware County Surrogate's Court
The Delaware County Surrogate's Court is at 3 Court Street in Delhi. This court handles wills, probate, estate administration, and guardianship cases. When someone dies, their estate often goes through this court. The records there include wills, letters testamentary, estate inventories, and related filings. These are not death certificates, but they do contain the date of death and names of family members.
Hon. John Hubbard presides over the court. Lisa Weite is the Acting Chief Clerk. You can call (607) 376-5405 or fax 646-963-6403. The court is open Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM, but closes from noon to 1:00 PM for lunch. Email the court at delawaresurrogatecourt@nycourts.gov.
Many records are now being scanned into the public access computer at the courthouse. Older files are being digitized too. You can search estate proceedings online through WebSurrogate. The court now requires mandatory e-filing for all estate proceedings. If you can not file electronically, submit form SCM-2 to opt out.
Probate records for Delaware County go back to 1797. Many have been digitized on FamilySearch, covering the period from 1797 to the early 1900s. Abstracts of wills from 1796 to 1875 are also on FamilySearch.
Delaware County Historical Association
The Delaware County Historical Association and Suggett House Museum is at 46549 State Highway 10 in Delhi, NY 13753. Call (607) 746-3849 or email dcha@delhi.net. The Association has a research library with church records, diaries, family Bibles, genealogies, land records, newspapers, school records, town histories, and photographs from the mid-1800s onward.
The Delaware County Historical Association holds records that can help fill gaps in death record searches.
This screenshot shows the Delaware County Historical Association page with its collection details and contact info for researchers.
The County Historian is also in Delhi at One Court House Square, Suite 1. Phone: 607-832-5795. Email: hist@co.delaware.ny.us. The historian can help with local death record questions and point you to resources the state office does not have.
Death Records for Genealogy in Delaware County
Genealogy researchers can get uncertified copies of Delaware County death records through the NYS DOH genealogy program. Death records on file for 50 years or more are open to the public. Direct line descendants can get copies without waiting 50 years. Fees start at $22 for a one to three year search. A wider search costs more.
The New York Genealogical and Biographical Society has a guide for Delaware County research. It lists record dates, court records, and tips for searching. Federal census records for Delaware County are on Ancestry.com and FamilySearch.org for 1790 through 1940. State census records at the county clerk cover 1845 (Masonville only), 1855, 1865, 1875, 1892, and 1905.
In 1917, Vital Registrars were set up in Delaware County to record births and deaths. Before that, town clerks handled the task. Death certificates are filed in the town where the person was pronounced dead. Burial permit records start around 1925 but are not reliable in many places until the 1930s. Some early records from 1847 to the early 1850s do exist from New York's first try at statewide vital records collection.
The 1850 Mortality Schedules and deaths from 1847 to 1849 are on NYGenWeb. These fill gaps for researchers who need death data before 1880. The New York State Archives in Albany has microfiche death indexes from 1880 to 1943 that you can search for free in person.
Nearby Counties
Delaware County borders several other New York counties. If you are not sure where a death was recorded, check these nearby county pages for more information: