Find Death Records in Steuben County

Steuben County death records are maintained by the town clerks throughout the county. The county seat is Bath. The Steuben County Clerk at 3 East Pulteney Square in Bath has some limited early vital records from 1847 to 1849, along with court records, land records, and naturalization records. For death certificates from 1880 forward, the town clerk where the death occurred is your primary source. This page covers all the options for getting Steuben County death records, from local clerks to the state health department and historical archives.

Where to Get Steuben County Death Records

The Steuben County Clerk is at 3 East Pulteney Square, Bath, NY 14810. Phone: (607) 664-2563. Fax: (607) 776-5226. The County Clerk's Office keeps civil and criminal court records for Supreme and County Courts, naturalizations, marriages from 1908 to 1935, census records, and deeds and mortgages. They have some birth and death records from 1847 to 1849, from the early state registration law that was repealed. Land records go back to 1666.

For death certificates from 1880 onward, contact the town clerk where the death took place. Each town clerk serves as the local registrar of vital statistics. The standard fee across most New York towns is $10 per certified copy. You need a valid photo ID and must be a close family member or have a documented legal reason for requesting the record.

The City of Corning Clerk at 1 Civic Center Plaza, Corning, NY 14830 handles death records for deaths in the city. Phone: (607) 962-0340 ext. 128. The Town of Corning Clerk at 20 South Maple Street, Corning, NY 14830 covers the town. Phone: (607) 936-6114. These are separate offices for separate jurisdictions, so make sure you know whether the death was in the city or the town.

The screenshot below shows the state page used for ordering death certificates from Steuben County.

The NYS DOH page above is where you can start the process for ordering a death certificate by mail or online for any death in Steuben County from 1881 forward.

Ordering Through the State

The New York State Department of Health has Steuben County death records from 1881 to the present. Mail orders cost $30 per copy. Online and phone orders cost $45 plus a processing fee. Send mail requests to the Vital Records Certification Unit, P.O. Box 2602, Albany, NY 12220-2602.

Include a completed form, a copy of your photo ID, and payment. The spouse, parent, child, or sibling of the deceased can order. Others need a documented lawful right or claim. The state has processing delays right now, so the local town clerk is faster when you know where the death occurred. Call (855) 322-1022 for questions about state orders.

The Steuben County Clerk does not do research for visitors. Staff will help you find materials, but you have to conduct your own research. The office maintains an index to naturalization records from the 1820s to the 1970s and duplicate copies of state censuses from 1825 to 1925.

Steuben County Surrogate's Court

The Steuben County Surrogate's Court is at the County Court Building, 13 Pulteney Square E, Bath, NY 14810. Phone: (607) 664-2287 or (607) 622-8221. Hours are generally Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Probate records go back to 1796.

The court handles wills, estates, guardianship appointments, adoptions, and related matters. Records include original wills, letters testamentary and administration, orders, decrees, probate petitions from 1830 (which list the death date, heirs, relationships, and residences), performance bonds, property inventories (seldom found after about 1900), and executor accountings.

The WebSurrogate system provides free online searches of estate proceedings. Probate petitions from 1830 forward are especially useful for genealogy because they list the deceased person's death date, heirs, and where each heir lived.

Steuben County Death Records for Genealogy

The Steuben County Historical Society is at One Cohocton Street, P.O. Box 349, Bath, NY 14810. Phone: (607) 776-9930. Email: steuben349@yahoo.com. The Steuben County Historian at 3 East Pulteney Square, Bath, NY 14810 can be reached at (607) 776-2199. The historian has obituaries, vital records transcriptions, church records, maps, family files, census records, naturalization records, city directories, and poorhouse records.

Municipal historians in Steuben County towns can provide historical information and research advice, though they are not authorized to answer genealogical inquiries directly. Some maintain collections and webpages with transcribed records.

The New York State Death Index on FamilySearch covers Steuben County deaths from 1880 to 1956 and is free to search. The New York State Archives has death record indexes on microfiche from 1880 to 1943. You can search them for free in person in Albany. Reclaim The Records has made several New York vital records indexes available for free online.

There is no known history of courthouse disasters in Steuben County, so records are generally complete. Death records from 1880, court records from 1796, land records from 1796, and probate records from 1796 are all available. FamilySearch and Ancestry.com have various Steuben County record collections.

Steuben County Death Records Fees

• Town clerk: $10 per certified copy
• NYS DOH by mail: $30 per copy
• NYS DOH online or phone: $45 plus vendor processing fee
• Genealogy copies from NYS DOH: $22 for a 1 to 3 year search
• Marriage licenses: $40

The town clerk is the cheapest way to get a death record. Most charge $10 for a certified copy. You need valid ID to make a request. The state charges more but works when you do not know which town to contact.

Nearby Counties

Steuben County borders several other counties in western New York. Check these if the death was near a county line: