Onondaga County

There are several ways to obtain a new birth certificate from this office. Please click “Order a Certificate” above, choose how you would like to submit your order, and follow the instructions.

You do not need to make an appointment. Our office accepts walk-ins only, from 9:00 AM to 3:55 PM, Monday through Friday.

We are not able to stamp your old birth certificate with a raised seal. To get a raised seal copy, you will need to order a new certificate. Please click “Order a Certificate” above, for more information.

In person orders:

• We require either:
  • 1 photo ID with your picture and signature, such as:
    • Drivers license
    • Non-Driver’s ID
    • Passport
    • Photo benefit card
    • Work ID
  • 2 forms of ID with only your signature, such as:
    • Signed social security card
    • Signed credit or debit card
    • Signed benefit card without a photo
  • 2 pieces of mail:
    • These must be from utility companies or official letters from government agencies.
    • They must be addressed to you.
    • The must have been issued within the past 6 months.
    • We must mail your order to the address listed on the mail.
  • If you do not have any of the ID listed above, but you are able to get your signature notarized on your application, we can accept a notarized signature as ID.

Mail Orders:

• For mail orders we would require:
  • 1 form of ID showing your picture, signature, and your current address

OR

• 2 utility bills or pieces of official mail from government agencies:
  • Addressed to you
  • From the past 6 months
  • Showing the mailing address on your order

OR

• If you have ID which shows your photo and signature, but does not show your current address, we can accept that ID plus:
  • 2 pieces of mail from utility companies or government agencies showing your current address, OR
  • 1 completed Notarized Permission to Release Vital Records form.
• If you are requesting that we mail a certificate to a third party, or to a PO Box with no street address listed, we will always require valid ID, and the notarized permission form.

The only individuals who are able to receive certified copies of birth certificates are those listed on the original birth certificate (parents or child), the legal representative of the parents or child, a legal guardian with court ordered custody of the child listed on the birth certificate, or anybody with a court order, authorizing us to issue them a copy of the record.

If you are not a guardian or legal representative, someone may give you permission to order a certificate in person, but they must be entitled to the record, and they must provide the following:

• Completed Notarized Permission to Release Vital Records Form
• Completed Birth Certificate Request Form

The person picking up the record must provide:

• Valid identification (see above)
• Payment for the record being requested.

This only applies to records delivered in person, at our office. Anybody wishing to mail a record to a third party must order the record themselves, and provide the notarized permission form.

In order to obtain a copy of the birth certificate, you must provide court certified legal guardianship papers.

If the birth was recent (within the past year), and the hospital made an error on the birth certificate, please contact the hospital to see if they can make the correction.

The hospital birth registrars can be reached at the following phone numbers:

• Crouse: (315) 470-7795
• Community: (315) 492-5205
• St. Joseph’s: (315) 448-5161

Otherwise, please complete a correction form, and please see the New York State website for a list of documents we can accept to make a correction.

If the record was issued by our office, we will complete corrections within 2 business days. If New York State amended the record at any point, we must forward the correction request to New York State.

Genealogy searches can be requested in person or by mail. Visit our genealogy page.

Records for the City of Syracuse date back to 1873. For the rest of Onondaga County the earliest record date varies; records can go back as far as 1883.

The Onondaga County Public Library, Central Branch, houses the Local History and Genealogy Department. Because our search fee is nonrefundable, you may wish to contact them to determine if the record you are looking for exists and where it is located prior to placing your order with the Office of Vital Statistics. You can reach the library at lhg@onlib.org or 315-435-1900.