St. Lawrence County Death Records

St. Lawrence County death records are held by the individual town clerks throughout this large rural county. The county seat is Canton. St. Lawrence County is the largest county in New York by area, and death records are spread across more than 30 town clerk offices. The St. Lawrence County Clerk at 48 Court Street in Canton does not keep birth or death records at all. That is a function of the town clerk and registrar in each town. This page covers how to find and get death records from every source in St. Lawrence County.

Where to Get St. Lawrence County Death Records

The town clerk in each community is where death records live in St. Lawrence County. New York State mandated that towns keep vital records starting in 1880. Most towns in St. Lawrence County have records from that date forward. Some towns also have scattered records from 1847 to 1850, when a short lived state law required school district clerks to record births, marriages, and deaths before it was repealed.

The St. Lawrence County Clerk at Building #2, 48 Court Street, Canton, NY 13617 does not have birth or death records. Phone: (315) 379-2237. Fax: (315) 379-2302. Hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. The County Clerk has court records, land records from 1802, naturalization records from 1802 to 1906, marriages from 1908 to 1936, survey maps, and the 1905 state census.

To get a death certificate, you need to contact the specific town clerk where the death took place. St. Lawrence County has over 30 towns including Brasher, Canton, Clare, Clifton, Colton, De Kalb, De Peyster, Edwards, Fine, Fowler, Gouverneur, Hammond, Hermon, Hopkinton, Lawrence, Lisbon, Louisville, Macomb, Madrid, Massena, Morristown, Norfolk, Oswegatchie, Parishville, Piercefield, Pierrepont, Potsdam, Rossie, Russell, Stockholm, and Waddington.

The screenshot below shows the state death certificates page used for ordering records from St. Lawrence County.

The NYS DOH page above is another option for getting St. Lawrence County death records if you cannot reach the local town clerk.

State Department of Health Orders

The New York State Department of Health has St. Lawrence County death records from 1881 to the present. Mail orders cost $30 per copy. Online and phone orders through VitalChek cost $45 plus a processing fee. Send requests to the Vital Records Certification Unit, P.O. Box 2602, Albany, NY 12220-2602. Call (855) 322-1022 with questions.

Include a completed form, a copy of your photo ID, and payment by check or money order. The spouse, parent, child, or sibling can order. Others need a documented legal reason. The state has significant delays, so the town clerk is faster if you know where the death occurred. The genealogy fee starts at $22 for a one to three year search. Death records 50 years old or more are available for genealogy without proving a family tie.

St. Lawrence County Surrogate's Court

The St. Lawrence County Surrogate's Court is at the County Courthouse, 48 Court Street, Canton, NY 13617. Phone: (315) 379-2217. Email: StLawrenceSurrogate@nycourts.gov. Hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Probate records here go back to 1803.

The court handles wills, estate administrations, and guardianships. Many probate records are available online through the WebSurrogate system and FamilySearch. Estate files can contain the date of death, names of heirs, and property information that helps with legal work and genealogy research.

Historical Death Records in St. Lawrence County

The St. Lawrence County Historical Association at 3 East Main Street, P.O. Box 8, Canton, NY 13617 is the main genealogy resource in the county. Phone: (315) 386-8133. Fax: (315) 386-8143. Email: slcha@northnet.org. They have census records, naturalization records, land records, and town files. The County Historian can be reached through the Historical Association.

St. Lawrence University Special Collections holds the Town Clerk Vital Statistics Records from 1847 to 1850. This collection includes lists of births, deaths, and marriages recorded in all 25 town clerk offices during that early period. Contact Special Collections at (315) 229-5956 for access.

The St. Lawrence Valley Genealogical Society at P.O. Box 205, Canton, NY 13617-0205 can help with research guidance and local contacts. The New York State Death Index on FamilySearch covers St. Lawrence County deaths from 1880 to 1956 and is free to search. The state archives in Albany have death record indexes on microfiche from 1880 to 1943.

The New York State Archives at the Cultural Education Center in Albany lets you search these indexes for free in person. For researchers who cannot visit Albany, Reclaim The Records has made several New York vital records indexes available online at no charge.

Because St. Lawrence County is so large, researchers should note that some border towns have close ties to Canada. Deaths of residents who crossed to or from Ontario may have records on both sides of the border. The county also has many rural cemeteries with burial records going back to the early 1800s. These can fill in gaps when town clerk records are missing or incomplete.

St. Lawrence County Death Records Fees

• Town clerk: typically $10 per certified copy
• NYS DOH by mail: $30 per copy
• NYS DOH online or phone: $45 plus vendor processing fee
• County Clerk certified copies (other records): $5 per document
• County Clerk marriage records 1908-1936: $10 per certified copy

The town clerk is the cheapest way to get a death certificate if you know which town to contact. For the state route, include payment by check or money order payable to "NYS Department of Health." Do not send cash.

Nearby Counties

St. Lawrence County borders several other counties in northern New York. If the death happened near a county line, try these: