Archives in New York are not run by a single office. The New York State Archives in Albany sets standards and holds state-level records, while counties, cities, towns, villages, colleges and research institutions keep their own collections. Our database lists 65 archive offices across the state, from the FIT archive on Seventh Avenue in Manhattan to the Wayne County Records Archive in Lyons. Knowing which level of government holds your record saves wasted trips and phone calls.

How the State Archives and Local Governments Share the Work

The New York State Archives is part of the State Education Department's Office of Cultural Education and works from the Cultural Education Center in Albany. It preserves the permanent records of state agencies and advises local governments on managing their own files. It does not hold your county's deeds or your town's meeting minutes.

Local records fall under Article 57 of the Arts and Cultural Affairs Law. Local governments must keep records for the periods set in retention schedules issued by the State Education Department. The best-known schedule for municipalities is called LGS-1. Each local government is expected to designate a records management officer. Counties and municipalities can also apply for state grants through the Local Government Records Management Improvement Fund, which helps smaller offices pay for storage and digitising.

Access to most government records runs through the Freedom of Information Law, found in Article 6 of the Public Officers Law. Every agency has a records access officer. The agency must acknowledge a written request within five business days. The Committee on Open Government, part of the Department of State, publishes guidance on how the law works. Agencies may charge up to 25 cents per page for photocopies up to nine by fourteen inches.

Archives in New York City, Long Island and the Hudson Valley

New York County has the most listings in our database, and many are tied to colleges, museums and city agencies. The New York Special Collections and FIT Archive on Seventh Avenue (212-217-4385) serves fashion and design researchers. City government records work differently. The Municipal Archives, run by the Department of Records and Information Services, holds historical birth, marriage and death records that predate the files kept by the city health department. The Jamaica Land Records Archive at 14406 94th Avenue in Queens (718-298-7200) is a natural starting point for property questions in that borough.

On Long Island, the Suffolk County Court Records Archive at 310 Center Drive South in Riverhead (631-852-2043) keeps court-related files. The Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Library and Archive at 1 Bungtown Road documents the history of genetics research. It works more like an institutional archive than a government counter. More offices are grouped under Suffolk County.

North of the city, the Westchester County Archive at 2199 Saw Mill River Road in Elmsford (914-592-4323) is the central county repository, and the same county includes the Harrison Police Records Archive on North Street. Browse them under Westchester County. Farther up the Hudson, you will find the Dutchess County Records Archive at 170 Washington Street in Poughkeepsie (845-486-3677), the Putnam County Records Archive at 68 Marvin Avenue in Brewster (845-278-3691), and the Ulster County Hall Of Records Archive at 300 Foxhall Avenue in Kingston (845-340-3415).

Upstate and Western New York: Smaller Offices, Different Habits

The Capital Region mixes county and village offices. The Albany County Finance Department Tax Records Archive at 112 State Street (518-447-7082) holds tax files. The Menands Vital Records Archive at 800 North Pearl Street (518-474-3055) handles vital records, and the Altamont Police Records Archive at 5209 Western Turnpike (518-452-6921) covers a village department. All sit under Albany County. The Schenectady County Records Archive at 100 Kellar Avenue (518-355-1215) is a short drive away.

In western New York, the Buffalo Lackawanna Vital Records Archive at 714 Ridge Road (716-827-6431) serves the Buffalo area. The Monroe County Vital Records Archive at 111 Westfall Road in Rochester (585-753-6000) does the same for Rochester. In Mayville, the Chautauqua County Sheriff Records Archive at 15 East Chautauqua Street (716-661-7935) shows how rural counties often label law enforcement files as a separate archive.

The Southern Tier, Finger Lakes and Mohawk Valley are dotted with county-seat offices. Examples include the Cortland Records Archive at 35 Port Watson Street, the Tompkins County Records Archive at 312 North Cayuga Street in Ithaca, and the Chemung County Records Archive at 203 Lake Street in Elmira. Others are the Cayuga County Records Archive on Court Street in Auburn, the Herkimer County Records Archive on Mary Street, and the Fonda Montgomery History & Archive at 9 Park Street. Many of these sit in or near the county clerk's building or the courthouse.

Rural offices usually have small staffs and shorter public hours than their metropolitan counterparts. Some work by appointment only. A quick phone call before you drive an hour is the single best habit for upstate research.

What Each Type of New York Archive Actually Holds

The names in our listings point to the kind of material inside. These are the main groups you will meet:

Preparing Before You Visit or Request Records

Start by identifying the right level of government. A deed belongs to the county where the land sits. A birth certificate belongs to the place of birth. A police report belongs to the department that wrote it. Then gather names, dates, addresses and any file or index numbers you already have.

Call first to confirm hours, ID requirements and whether the material is on site or in off-site storage. Ask whether you need an appointment and whether copies can be made on the day. Certified copies, which carry a seal or signature, cost more than plain photocopies. Fees for certificates and certified documents are set by the issuing office, so confirm the amount before you go. If an agency refuses a FOIL request, you may appeal in writing to the agency head within 30 days.

Government archives in New York are administered by the state archives and records management division, which is typically housed within the Secretary of State's office or a dedicated cultural affairs agency. The state archives preserves official government records while also maintaining collections of historical significance to New York residents.

Archives locations are available in 41 cities across New York. They are spread across 34 counties.

Cities with the highest concentration include New York, Albany, Poughkeepsie, which tend to have more archives facilities due to their roles as county seats, state capitals, or historic centers of government activity.

Residents of New York conducting genealogical or historical research should check whether their county or city maintains a separate archives in addition to the state repository, as many local records are held at the municipal or county level.

Archives by Counties

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Researchers in New York can often access digitized state archives records through the state library's online portal without visiting in person. For records not yet digitized, contact the archives office in advance to schedule a research appointment and confirm that the specific collection is available for public review.

Browse Archives by county across New York to find the nearest location.

Choosing the Right Office for Your New York Records Search

New York's size makes geography the first filter. A Manhattan record, a Buffalo record and a Binghamton record rarely live in the same place. Start with the county, because most local archives, clerks and historians are organised along county lines. The New York Archive at 44 Hawley Street in Binghamton and the Columbia County Clerk's Records Archive at 560 Warren Street in Hudson show how names vary even when the job is similar.

Western and central counties tend to run their own records offices, so check Erie County or Monroe County for what is available near Buffalo and Rochester. When a county has no listing in our database, the county clerk's office is usually the best first call. Ask the clerk whether older material has been moved to a records center or a county historian. Bring a photo ID, write down the exact names you are searching, and expect small copying fees.

It depends on where the birth took place. For births in the five boroughs, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene issues certificates, and older records are at the city's Municipal Archives. For births elsewhere in the state, contact the registrar in the city, town or village of birth, or the State Department of Health vital records office in Albany. Our listings include local vital records archives in Rochester and Buffalo. Bring a photo ID and, if the record is not your own, proof of your relationship. Fees vary by office, so confirm the amount first.

The Freedom of Information Law, Article 6 of the Public Officers Law, lets you request records from state and local agencies. Send a written request describing the records as precisely as you can to the agency's records access officer. The agency must acknowledge it within five business days and may then grant, deny or give a date for a decision. Photocopies up to nine by fourteen inches cost no more than 25 cents per page. If you are denied, you can appeal in writing to the agency head within 30 days. The Committee on Open Government offers guidance on the law.

Deeds and mortgages are recorded with the county clerk in the county where the land sits. In New York City, recording is handled by the city's Department of Finance through the Office of the City Register, and the Jamaica Land Records Archive in Queens is a related listing. For tax history, some counties keep separate files. The Albany County Finance Department Tax Records Archive at 112 State Street (518-447-7082) is one example. Bring the owner's name, the address and, if you have it, an old deed reference. Older deed books are often stored off site, so ask about retrieval time.

Yes, and the state's genealogy program opens older vital records that are closed to general requests. Generally, births over 75 years old and marriages and deaths over 50 years old qualify, but check current rules with the issuing office. For New York City ancestors, start with the Municipal Archives. Upstate, county records archives such as Westchester County Archive in Elmsford, Dutchess County Records Archive in Poughkeepsie and Tompkins County Records Archive in Ithaca can hold probate, court and administrative files. County and town historians are another strong source, and many will answer a specific question by phone or email.

Partly. Offices such as the Altamont Police Records Archive, the Harrison Police Records Archive and the Chautauqua County Sheriff Records Archive in Mayville receive requests under FOIL, but the law allows exemptions. Records may be withheld to protect an ongoing investigation, a person's privacy or a safe-conduct of law enforcement work. Files that were sealed after a case ended in the defendant's favor are generally not available to the public. Contact the department's records access officer, describe the incident by date and location, and expect to be asked for ID if the request concerns you personally.

Match the record to the government that created it. The New York State Archives in Albany holds permanent records of state agencies, courts and the Legislature, and it advises local governments on records care. Your county's land, court and administrative files stay with the county clerk, a county records archive or a local repository. Town and village records stay with the town or village clerk. If you are unsure, call the county clerk or the county historian, who can usually tell you which office has the material and whether it has been transferred elsewhere.