Nassau County Death Records
Nassau County death records cover one of the most densely populated counties in New York State. With about 1.39 million residents on Long Island, Nassau County processes a large volume of death certificates each year. The county seat is Mineola. Death records here are kept by the town or city clerk where the death happened, and the state also has copies from 1881 forward. Nassau County is not part of the New York City system, even though it borders Queens. The NYC Department of Health does not issue death certificates for Nassau County. That distinction catches many people off guard, so keep it in mind when starting your search.
Nassau County Quick Facts
Where Nassau County Death Records Are Kept
Death certificates in Nassau County are maintained by the clerk of the town or city where the death occurred. Nassau County has three towns: Hempstead, North Hempstead, and Oyster Bay. It also has two small cities: Glen Cove and Long Beach. Each of these five municipalities has a clerk that holds local death records.
The Nassau County Clerk in Mineola at 240 Old Country Road handles land records, court records, and naturalization records. The County Clerk does not hold birth or death certificates. That is a common point of confusion. For death records, you need to go to the town clerk or city clerk where the death took place, or you can request copies from the state.
Since Nassau County only has three towns and two cities, narrowing down the right office is simpler than in many New York counties. Most of the county's population lives in one of the three towns. If you know the street address where the death occurred, you can figure out which town it falls in. The Town of Hempstead covers the southern and central part of the county. North Hempstead covers the northern portion. Oyster Bay is on the eastern side.
Ordering Nassau County Death Certificates
The New York State Department of Health has Nassau County death records from 1881 to the present. Mail orders are $30 per copy. Send your form, photo ID, and a check payable to "NYS Department of Health" to the Vital Records Certification Unit, P.O. Box 2602, Albany, NY 12220-2602. Online and phone orders cost $45 plus a VitalChek processing fee.
For faster service, go through the local town clerk. The Town of Hempstead Clerk, the Town of North Hempstead Clerk, and the Town of Oyster Bay Clerk all issue certified death certificates. Local clerks typically charge $10 for a certified copy, which is much less than the state fee. Turn around time is usually a few days to a week. The state can take much longer due to processing delays.
To order from any source, you need to show valid photo ID. A driver's license, state ID, passport, or military photo ID works. If you lack photo ID, two documents with your name and address will do, like a utility bill and a government letter from the last six months. Only certain people can get a certified copy. The spouse, parent, child, or sibling can request one. Others need a documented reason.
Nassau County Death Records and NYC
This is worth repeating. The NYC Department of Health does not handle Nassau County death records. Even though Nassau County borders Queens (which is part of NYC), it is a separate county with its own system. The NYC DOH specifically states on their website that they do not issue certificates for Nassau or Suffolk counties. If someone died in a Nassau County hospital or nursing home, the record is with Nassau County, not NYC.
Before 1899, Nassau County did not exist as a separate county. It was part of Queens County. So for deaths before 1899 in what is now Nassau County, you may need to check Queens County records or the state records. This can be tricky for genealogy researchers looking at the late 1800s. The split happened on January 1, 1899.
The Nassau County Clerk handles land records and court files, not death certificates. The Nassau County Clerk website shows what services they provide.
This page from the Nassau County Clerk's site explains that birth and death certificates must be obtained from the local town clerk or the state, not from the County Clerk office in Mineola.
Nassau County Death Records for Genealogy
Death records at least 50 years old can be requested as uncertified genealogy copies from the NYS DOH. Fees start at $22 for a one to three year search. The New York State Archives has microfiche death indexes from 1880 to 1943 that include Nassau County (and Queens County for the pre-1899 period).
The Nassau County Museum of Art and the Long Island Studies Institute at Hofstra University both have local history collections. The New York State Death Index on FamilySearch covers 1880 to 1956 for free. The New York Genealogical and Biographical Society has a guide specific to Nassau County research. Public libraries in Nassau County offer free access to Ancestry Library Edition and other genealogy databases.
The Nassau County Surrogate's Court handles probate and estate cases. Probate records can include the date of death and names of heirs. You can search online through WebSurrogate. Nassau County probate records go back to 1899 when the county was formed from Queens.
Nearby Counties and Cities
Nassau County sits on Long Island between Queens and Suffolk County. Queens County borders it to the west. Suffolk County is to the east. These are the only two land borders. Water surrounds the rest of the county.
Several qualifying cities are in Nassau County. Hempstead, North Hempstead, and Oyster Bay are the three towns that make up the entire county. Each town's clerk handles death records for deaths in their area. The closest city outside the county is New York City to the west, which runs its own separate death records system through the NYC Department of Health.