Search Niagara County Death Records
Niagara County death records are kept by the town and village clerks across this western New York county. The county seat is Lockport, and the county has around 212,000 residents. Niagara County sits along the Canadian border with the Niagara River and Lake Ontario forming parts of its boundary. Death certificates here go back to the 1880s when New York started statewide registration. The Niagara County Clerk does not hold death records. Instead, each town and city clerk keeps the records for deaths in their area. If you need a death certificate from Niagara County, you start by figuring out which municipality the death took place in.
Niagara County Quick Facts
Where Niagara County Death Records Are Kept
The Niagara County Clerk at First Floor, PO Box 461, Lockport, NY 14095-0461 handles marriage records (1908-1935), divorce records, court records, and land records going back to 1808. But the County Clerk does not maintain birth or death certificates. Those must come from the local town or village clerk where the event happened. The County Clerk phone is (716) 439-7025 and email is niagaracounty.clerk@niagaracounty.com. Hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
Key town and city clerks in Niagara County include the Town of Lockport Clerk at One Locks Plaza, Lockport, NY 14094, phone (716) 439-9513. The City of Niagara Falls Clerk is at City Hall, 745 Main Street, Niagara Falls, NY 14301, phone (716) 286-4301. The Town of Lewiston Clerk is at 1375 Ridge Road, Lewiston, NY 14092, phone (716) 754-8213. North Tonawanda Clerk is at 216 Payne Avenue, North Tonawanda, NY 14120, phone (716) 695-8555.
Death certificates from local clerks cost $30 per certified copy. That matches the state fee for mail orders. The local clerk will often process your request faster than the state, sometimes within days instead of weeks.
Niagara County Death Records from the State
The New York State Department of Health has Niagara County death records from 1881 to the present. Mail orders cost $30. Send forms to the Vital Records Certification Unit, P.O. Box 2602, Albany, NY 12220-2602. Online orders through VitalChek cost $45 plus a processing fee. Phone orders use the same VitalChek system at (855) 322-1022.
You need valid photo ID to apply. A driver's license, passport, state ID, or military ID works. Without photo ID, two documents showing your name and address will do. The spouse, parent, child, or sibling of the deceased can request a copy. Others need a documented lawful right or a court order. The state warns of significant processing delays. Go through the local clerk if you need a record fast.
Niagara County Death Records for Genealogy
The Niagara County Historian is at the Civil Defense Building, 139 Niagara Street, Lockport, NY 14094. Phone is (716) 439-7324, email historian@niagaracounty.com. The historian has obituaries from the 1840s to the present, marriage records from 1908 to 1928, an index of wills prior to 1800, naturalization records from 1833 to 1954, city directories from 1856 to present, veterans' files going back to the French and Indian War, church records, and family scrapbooks. They also have New York State census records for Niagara County from 1855 to 1925.
The Niagara County Genealogical Society at 215 Niagara Street, Second Floor, Lockport, NY 14094 holds cemetery records, census records, and family genealogies. Phone is (716) 433-1033, email genealogy@niagaracounty.org. They publish a newsletter each quarter. The Niagara County Historical Society at the same address, phone (716) 434-7433, has research materials on county history and the Erie Canal.
The Niagara County Clerk's website provides information about available records and services. The Niagara County Clerk page explains which records are at the county level.
The page above shows the Niagara County Clerk's office information. Death certificates are not handled here but must be obtained from local town clerks or the state.
Niagara County Library Resources
Several public libraries in Niagara County have genealogy and local history collections useful for death record research. The Lewiston Public Library Genealogy/History Room at 305 South 8th Street, Lewiston, NY 14092, phone (716) 754-4720, has local records. The Lockport Public Library Local History Room at 23 East Avenue, Lockport, NY 14094, phone (716) 433-5935, holds historical materials. The Niagara Falls Public Library Local History Department at 1425 Main Street, Third Floor, Niagara Falls, NY 14305, phone (716) 286-4899, also has genealogy resources.
The NYS DOH genealogy program offers uncertified copies of death records at least 50 years old. Fees start at $22. The New York State Death Index on FamilySearch covers Niagara County deaths from 1880 to 1956 for free. FamilySearch probate records include Niagara County wills and letters of administration from 1808 to 1971.
Niagara County Death Records and Surrogate's Court
The Niagara County Surrogate's Court at 175 Hawley Street, Lockport, NY 14094, phone (716) 439-7130, handles probate cases. They have probate records from 1821 to the present. Earlier records from 1808 to 1821 are held in Erie County. The court handles wills, letters testamentary, estate inventories, and guardianship records. Hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. You can also search records online through WebSurrogate.
Nearby Counties and Cities
Niagara County borders Erie County to the south. Orleans County is to the east. Lake Ontario is to the north, and the Niagara River and Canada form the western boundary. The closest qualifying city is Buffalo in Erie County, just south of the Niagara County line. Tonawanda is also nearby in Erie County.
There are no cities in Niagara County that meet the population threshold for a separate page. The largest communities are Niagara Falls and North Tonawanda. For death records in either of those cities, contact the local city clerk directly.