Search Wyoming County Death Records

Wyoming County death records are held by the town and village clerks across the county. The county seat is Warsaw, in western New York. Wyoming County was created in 1841 from Genesee County. Death records here go back to 1880 when statewide registration began, though some towns have earlier records from 1847 to 1849. According to the New York State Death Index, over 50,000 deaths were recorded in Wyoming County from 1881 to 2017. The town clerk where the death took place is your first stop for getting a certified copy of a death certificate.

Wyoming County Clerk's Office

The Wyoming County Clerk is at 143 North Main Street, Suite 104, Warsaw, NY 14569. Call (585) 786-8810. Email county.clerk@wyomingco.net. The clerk does not directly maintain birth and death records. Those are kept by the town and village clerks. The county clerk handles divorce records, court records, land records, and state census records.

If you need a divorce decree from Wyoming County, the clerk is the place to go. Divorce records can only be obtained by the record subject or someone with a court order. The clerk can also direct you to the right town clerk for death records.

The Wyoming County death statistics page from the New York State Death Index gives you a sense of the records available for this county.

The data above shows that 50,053 deaths were recorded in Wyoming County from 1881 to 2017, and 6,091 Wyoming County residents died in a different New York county between 1957 and 2017.

Town and Village Clerks in Wyoming County

Wyoming County has 16 towns: Arcade, Attica, Bennington, Castile, Covington, Eagle, Gainesville, Genesee Falls, Java, Middlebury, Orangeville, Perry, Pike, Sheldon, Warsaw, and Wethersfield. There are also five villages: Arcade, Attica, Castile, Perry, and Warsaw. Each clerk keeps death records for deaths that happened in their area.

The standard fee is $10 per certified copy of a death certificate. The Sheldon Town Clerk charges the same rate. You can reach them through the county at 585-786-8820. The Bennington Town Clerk is at 905 Old Alleghany Road, Attica, NY 14011. Call 585-591-2157. Hours are Monday and Wednesday from 5:00 PM to 7:30 PM and Saturday from 9:00 AM to noon. The Perry Town Clerk is at 46 North Main Street, Perry, NY 14530, phone 585-237-2149. The Attica Town Clerk is at 9 Water Street, Attica, NY 14011, phone 585-591-4613.

Some towns have early death records from 1847 to 1849. Attica has 1847 records. Bennington has records from 1847 to 1850. Castile covers 1847 to 1849. Covington has some records from 1847 to 1849 too. These early records are rare and valuable for genealogy research.

Who Can Get Wyoming County Death Records

Certified death certificates can be issued to the spouse, child, sibling, or parent of the deceased. Others need documented proof of a lawful right or claim, or a medical or legal need. You must provide your full name, the name of the deceased, the date of death, and the place of death (town or village).

For mail requests, you need a completed form, a notarized letter, a copy of your photo ID, payment by check or money order, and a self-addressed stamped envelope. In person, you need a photo ID, the completed form, and payment. Many clerks do not take credit cards, so bring cash or a check.

Genealogy requests follow different rules. Birth records are available after 75 years (if the person is known to be deceased). Death records are available after 50 years. Marriage records are available after 50 years if both spouses are deceased. Direct-line descendants can get records before these time periods with proof of relationship.

Wyoming County Surrogate's Court

The Wyoming County Surrogate's Court is at 147 North Main Street, Warsaw, NY 14569. Call (585) 228-3217. Email wyomingsurrogate@nycourts.gov. Hours are Monday through Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM. The chief clerk is Rhonda Schell. Judges are Hon. Michael Mohun and Hon. Keith Kibler.

Probate records go back to 1841. The court keeps wills, estate administration records, letters testamentary, probate petitions, estate inventories, guardianship papers, and trust documents. Probate records are important for death research because they list the date of death, names of family members, addresses, and property details.

The WebSurrogate system lets you search Wyoming County court filings for free. You can search by name, file number, or browse index book pages. To probate a will in Wyoming County, you need the original will, a certified death certificate, names and addresses of next of kin, and funds for the fees. You must wait at least 10 days after the death before filing.

The NYGenWeb site for Wyoming County has transcribed vital records and indexes. Here is a look at that resource.

The NYGenWeb page at wyoming.nygenweb.net has free transcribed vital records that can help you find Wyoming County death records without visiting the clerk's office.

State Death Records for Wyoming County

The New York State Department of Health has Wyoming County death records from 1880 forward. Mail orders cost $30 per copy. Online orders are $45 plus a vendor fee. Send requests to P.O. Box 2602, Albany, NY 12220-2602. A walk-in office is at 800 North Pearl Street, 2nd Floor, Menands, NY 12204. Call (855) 322-1022.

State processing takes at least eight months right now. Local town clerks are much faster. For genealogy copies of death records over 50 years old, the state charges $22 for a three-year search. You need proof of relationship and proof of death.

Wyoming County Historian and Historical Societies

The Wyoming County Historian is at 26 Linwood Avenue, Warsaw, NY 14569. Call (585) 786-8818. The historian has census records, cemetery records, local history collections, land records, military records, and newspaper archives. The Warsaw Public Library at 130 North Main Street, Warsaw, NY 14569 (phone 585-786-5650) has local history and genealogy resources too.

Several historical societies operate in the county. The Warsaw Historical Society and Gates House Museum is at 15 Perry Avenue, Warsaw, phone 585-786-5240. The Attica Historical Society and Museum is at 130 Main Street, Attica, phone 585-591-2161. The Arcade Historical Society at 331 West Main Street, Arcade, phone 585-492-4466. The Castile Historical Society at 17 East Park Road, Castile, phone 585-493-5370. The Sheldon Historical Society at 3859 Main Street, Strykersville, phone 716-863-1474.

There is no known history of courthouse disasters in Wyoming County, so records from 1841 are generally intact. For events before 1841, check Genesee County records since that was the parent county.

Free Online Death Record Searches

The New York State Death Index covers 1880 to 1956 for free. FamilySearch has free collections including the state death index, New York Deaths and Burials (1795-1952), Church and Civil Deaths (1824-1962), and the Genealogical Research Death Index (1957-1963). The Wyoming County NYGenWeb site has transcribed vital records and indexes.

The New York State Archives has death record indexes from 1880 to 1943 on microfiche. Ancestry.com has paid collections for Wyoming County including death records, wills, and probate records.

Nearby Counties

If the death you are looking for happened near the Wyoming County border, check these neighboring counties.