There was a story on the front page of the Albany Times Union for May 9, 2026. “Health department backlog leaves families in limbo. Frankly, it surprised me because anyone who has attempted to work on genealogy would likely already know that Health Department records take forever.
“The department’s vital records office, where requests for birth certificates, death records, and marriage documents have languished for years. Last year, the state stopped accepting new requests for some of these public records altogether…
Moreover, “genealogists said they are further troubled by a proposed increase in the embargo on certain records. Currently, birth certificates at least 75 years old are eligible for review; the new proposal would increase that requirement to 125 years. Death certificates would similarly have to be 75 years old instead of 50, while marriage records could only be accessed if they were 100 years old instead of 50.”
“The proposed changes have roiled both professional and amateur genealogists. And they come as some genealogists have pointed to ongoing court battles over the full disclosure of all death records the state has access to as one reason behind the attempted reshaping of the Bureau of Vital Statistics’ work. “
NYG&B
Alternatively, I’m quite fond of the New York Genealogical & Biographical Society. The NYG&B’s online records and collections contain thousands of pages ranging from county histories, immigration records, vital record substitutes, and much more from all over New York State and New York City.
“We’re continuously adding records to both new and existing collections, many of which aren’t available online anywhere else. So even if you’ve searched our databases in the past, there’s always something new to discover.”
“Anyone can go to our website and search our collections, free of charge. But you do need to be a member to open and access most of the records. To help you better understand the kind of information we have available, we have unlocked the following collections for you to explore: