Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
As mentioned before, NYC has its own Vital Records separate from the State which is very clear on their website. It's a City agency. It's not splitting hairs if you sent your application to the wrong one. You would get your check returned to you. The two agencies are not connected. I've had to use both for birth and death certificates depending on where the event took place. Since your mother was born in Manhattan, the State Vital Records in Albany would not have her BC.
Also worth noting that NYC Vital Records is much slower at fulfilling requests than the State. You may have a long wait.
All true - I sent in a written request for my grandfather's death certificate over two months ago and haven't received any information.
NYC Vital Records is merciless. For my mother's Brooklyn, NY birth certificate, I definitely needed a copy of her NJ death certificate.
BUT - Long after my father-in-law died, we wanted a copy of his death certificate. We went to his NJ town with my husband's birth certificate and had no problems getting a long copy of his death certificate. I wonder if the OP sent a second request to CA with a copy of her birth certificate, she could get a copy of her mother's death certificate.
I think fewer people worked during covid so all records have long processing times. I applied for my father-in-law's immigration papers. The process is you apply for the file/index number. When you receive it, you apply a second time for the documents associated with the file/index number. Usually the whole process take a year or less. Six months for the number and six months for the documents. I received a noticed that the processing time to receive only the file/index number is 254 days - nearly nine months. It will take another nine months to receive the documents - if I'm lucky!
All true - I sent in a written request for my grandfather's death certificate over two months ago and haven't received any information.
NYC Vital Records is merciless. For my mother's Brooklyn, NY birth certificate, I definitely needed a copy of her NJ death certificate.
BUT - Long after my father-in-law died, we wanted a copy of his death certificate. We went to his NJ town with my husband's birth certificate and had no problems getting a long copy of his death certificate. I wonder if the OP sent a second request to CA with a copy of her birth certificate, she could get a copy of her mother's death certificate.
I think fewer people worked during covid so all records have long processing times. I applied for my father-in-law's immigration papers. The process is you apply for the file/index number. When you receive it, you apply a second time for the documents associated with the file/index number. Usually the whole process take a year or less. Six months for the number and six months for the documents. I received a noticed that the processing time to receive only the file/index number is 254 days - nearly nine months. It will take another nine months to receive the documents - if I'm lucky!
I found the form to use for CA death cert, the one where I was advised I didn't need the birth cert and that is indeed the case. Now I just need to get some ink for the printer to print that out. I'll send the $24 for the informational copy (you don't need a notarized statement for that one).
I wanted her NY BC (she was born in Manhattan) to find out her parents' names. I'm not sure she was 'abandoned,' but she was a ward of the state when she was 11 and then fostered. I can see and find all that info.....her BC may not even contain her parents' names - although I don't know why not unless they did give her up. She was not adopted.
As for NY....there IS a place on Vital Records where you can check where in the process your application for the BC is (on someone's desk, nowhere yet (LOL), and (probably) fulfilled.
BUT - Long after my father-in-law died, we wanted a copy of his death certificate. We went to his NJ town with my husband's birth certificate and had no problems getting a long copy of his death certificate. I wonder if the OP sent a second request to CA with a copy of her birth certificate, she could get a copy of her mother's death certificate.
Once again-- it had been REPEATEDLY pointed out in this thread that you do NOT need a birth certificate to request a death certificate, and REPEATEDLY ignored.
It almost seems like all the advice given here has been deliberately disregarded or the opposite was done, or just never sank in to begin with, and so here we are back at the drawing board.
It's as easy as 1-2-3, but it got misinterpreted as 3-1-2, or some other combination that won't work.
Well, I sent my request for Mother's NYC birth certificate. I sent a copy of her death certificate along with it.
Two months later, the application was sent back! I needed to send the original death certificate, instead of a copy of it. I have the original death certificate, but I don't want to part with it! Hopefully, NYC Vital Records will return her death certificate when they issue her birth certificate.
Death certificates are easier as long as you can prove you are a child of the deceased. Once fifty/hundred years has passed, then it is considered genealogy research which is much easier. I think all bets are off with California! It seems to be a more difficult.
The message still isn't getting through: You don't need to prove anything to get a death certificate. You don't have to be a relative to get a death certificate. I've received death certificates for lots of people not related to me, from various states. The 50-year requirement is only if you want the cause of death portion attached (at least in NY).
The message still isn't getting through: You don't need to prove anything to get a death certificate. You don't have to be a relative to get a death certificate. I've received death certificates for lots of people not related to me, from various states. The 50-year requirement is only if you want the cause of death portion attached (at least in NY).
So how do you order a death certificate for people not related to you? Bigger question is why would you?
In NYC:
Quote:
Certificate Request Without the Cause of Death
The following relations to the deceased can also request a death certificate, but not the cause of death medical report:
Niece/nephew
Aunt/uncle
Great grandchild and great-great grandchild
Grandniece/grandnephew
If you are not listed above as an entitled party, you must document your right to get a death certificate.
For information on how much this certificate would cost, see Birth and Death Records: Fees.
To order this type of certificate, complete the Death Certificate Application, leaving box #20 blank.
Who is eligible to get a copy of a death certificate?
The spouse, parent, child or sibling of the deceased
Other people who have a:
documented lawful right or claim
documented medical need
New York State Court Order
If you are not the spouse, parent, child or sibling of the deceased you must document a lawful right or claim. For example, you may need a death certificate to claim a benefit. You would need an official letter from the agency saying you need the death record to process the claim.
What identification needs to be submitted by the applicant?
Application must be submitted with copies of either A or B:
One of the following forms of valid photo-ID:
Driver's license
State-issued, nondriver photo-ID card
Passport
U.S. Military-issued, photo-ID
OR
Two of the following showing the applicant's name and address:
Utility or telephone bill
Letter from a government agency dated within the last six months
Please submit a copy of your U.S. passport in addition to the above ID if you are applying from a foreign country that requires a passport for travel.
non immediate family members can receive a VERIFICATION OF DEATHif they have a direct and tangible interest for the certificate. The VERIFICATION OF DEATH will show the name of the decedent, date of death, place of death, date of birth and the last four (4) digits of the Social Security Number.
California law defines individuals who can obtain an authorized copy of a birth, death, and marriage certificate as:
The registrant or a parent, legal guardian, child, grandparent, grandchild, sibling, spouse, or domestic partner of the registrant.
A party entitled to receive the record as a result of court order or an attorney or licensed adoption agency seeking the birth record in order to comply with the requirements of Section 3140 or 7603 of the Family Code. (Please include a copy of the court order.)
A member of a law enforcement agency or a representative of another governmental agency, as provided by law, who is conducting official business. (Companies representing a government agency must provide authorization from the government agency.
Any person or agency empowered by statute or appointed by a court to act on behalf of the registrant or the registrant's estate (Include a copy of the power of attorney or documentation identifying you as executor.)
An attorney representing the registrant or the registrant's estate.
Any agent or employee of a funeral establishment who acts within the course and scope of employment and on behalf of persons specified in HSC § 7100 (a) (1)-(8).
Surviving next of kin (As specified in HSC § 7100).
Informational Copy
If you cannot obtain an authorized copy under California law, you can obtain an informational copy. An informational copy contains the same information as an authorized copy, but will have a legend across the face with the statement "Informational, Not a Valid Document to Establish Identity." Certain items may be redacted and an informational copy may not be used to obtain identification.
I got informational copies, not certified ones since I didn't need to make a claim or prove anything. Almost all were more than 50 years old and included the cause of death.
Why: I was requesting death certificates of biological ancestors whose relationship to me I couldn't prove because I was adopted. But I also made requests on behalf of a friend and had no problem receiving them.
According to what you quoted, CA will send the child of the deceased an authorized copy of a DC.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
