Find Essex County Death Records
Death records in Essex County are held by local town clerks and the New York State Department of Health. The county seat is Elizabethtown, deep in the Adirondack Mountains of northern New York. Essex County was formed from Clinton County in 1799 and has some of the most rugged land in the state, including Mount Marcy, the highest point in New York. Despite its remote setting, death records here follow the same state system as every other county. Town clerks have records from 1880, and some have earlier files from 1847 to 1850. This guide covers where to find death records in Essex County and how to get copies.
Essex County Death Records Overview
Essex County Death Records at the Clerk Office
The Essex County Clerk is at 7559 Court Street, PO Box 247, Elizabethtown, NY 12932. Phone: (518) 873-3601. The clerk holds court records, deed records from the 1800s, marriage records from 1909 to 1912, and naturalization records from 1799 to 1956. Death certificates are not kept at the county clerk office. Those are filed with the town clerk where the death took place.
The Essex County research guide has contact details and record dates for the clerk office.
The screenshot above shows the Essex County Clerk page with details on available records and contact information in Elizabethtown.
The clerk also has early vital records from 1847 to 1850 for the towns of Crown Point, Keene, Moriah, Schroon, Ticonderoga, Westport, and Willsboro. These are from New York's first attempt at vital records collection. They are not complete, but they can be useful for researchers looking at that time period. State census records on file include 1855, 1865, 1875, 1892, 1905, 1915, and 1925.
A selection of recent documents may be viewed through the IQS website at www.searchiqs.com. No subscription is needed for Essex County records. This can save a trip to Elizabethtown for some document types, though death certificates are not included in the online system.
How to Get Essex County Death Records
Death certificates in Essex County are on file with the town clerk where the death happened. Most clerks charge $10 for a certified copy. You need valid photo ID and must show you are eligible. The spouse, parent, child, or sibling of the person who died can get a copy. Others need proof of a legal right or a court order.
You can also get death records from the New York State Department of Health. Mail orders cost $30 per copy. Online and phone orders through VitalChek cost $45 plus a processing fee. The state has death records for Essex County from 1881 to the present. Processing delays at the state level are common right now, so the local town clerk is often the faster option.
Essex County is part of the Clinton-Essex-Franklin Library System. Several local libraries hold genealogy and local history collections that can help with death record research. The Wadhams Library, Wilmington E. M. Cooper Memorial Library, Hammond Library, Keene Public Library, Lake Placid Public Library, and Sherman Free Library in Port Henry all have useful materials.
Essex County Surrogate's Court
The Essex County Surrogate's Court is at 7559 Court Street, PO Box 217, Elizabethtown, NY 12932. Phone: (518) 873-3384. Hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. The court has wills, estates, and property files from 1803.
Probate records from 1915 onward are at the Surrogate's Court. Records from before 1915 are kept in the county clerk office. The court handles probate of wills, estate administration, guardianships, and adoptions. All adoption records are sealed. Guardianships of infants are open to the public, but 17A guardianships for mentally disabled individuals are not.
The court has bilingual English and Spanish staff on site. Estate records are searchable through the statewide WebSurrogate system. For older probate records, check FamilySearch and Ancestry, which have digitized many early files from Essex County.
Genealogy Death Records in Essex County
Death records over 50 years old are available for genealogy research through the NYS DOH genealogy program. Fees start at $22. Direct line descendants can get copies without the 50 year wait. The New York State Archives has free microfiche death indexes from 1880 to 1943.
Essex County has no known history of courthouse disasters. That means the record preservation here is generally good. The county clerk, Surrogate's Court, and town clerks all have intact files going back to the county's early years. For death records before 1880, you will need to check church records, cemetery records, and newspaper obituaries. The local historical societies and libraries are the best sources for these.
The New York State Archives in Albany is one more place to look. They hold death indexes on microfiche that cover 1880 to 1943. You can search them for free in person at the Cultural Education Center. Staff can also do a mail search for a fee. For records past the 50 year mark, the state archives and local clerks are your two main paths. The NYS DOH genealogy fee is $22 for a one to three year search window. Wider date ranges cost more. Processing can take eight months or longer, so plan ahead if you are doing family research in Essex County.
Cemetery records are useful for deaths before 1880. Many Essex County cemeteries have been transcribed by local volunteers. The Adirondack Genealogical-Historical Society can help point you to the right resources. Check with the Essex County Historical Society in Elizabethtown as well. They hold files on local families, church records, and newspapers from the 1800s that may include death notices.
Nearby Counties
Essex County sits in the Adirondack Mountains and borders several counties. If you need death records from a neighboring area, check these pages: