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Court Records in the State Archives
The New York State Archives holds over 10,000 cubic feet of records of trial and appellate courts, dating from the 1660s to the 1990s. The State Archives holds almost all surviving records of trial and appellate courts exercising jurisdiction throughout the colony and state of New York during the period 1665-1847. The State Archives acquires post-1847 records of certain appellate courts, including the State Court of Appeals and to a lesser extent, the Second (Brooklyn) and Third (Albany) Departments of the Supreme Court Appellate Division.
Business Regulation
Colonial and Revolutionary Governments
Genealogy
Naturalization Records
Guides
The Naturalization Pathfinder will direct you to the best sources for records of naturalizations that took place in New York from the British colonial period to the present.
Military Records
Research Tips
- GAR Records
- Town Clerks' Civil War Registers
- Civil War Service Abstracts
- World War I Service Records
Name Index
Probate & Wills
The Probate Records Leaflet identifies and discusses the various courts and offices that have filed, recorded, or maintained probate records in New York since 1665. It also describes probate records held by the State Archives and lists all known indexes and abstracts of those records.
Birth, Marriage, and Death Records
- The indexes cover the entire state outside of New York City and start in June 1880 (deaths) or 1881 (marriages and births).
- Birth indexes are made available after 75 years, marriage and death indexes after 50 years. Birth indexes have been made available through 1937 only.
- An index entry states only the name of the person, date and place of event, and State certificate number. Indexes for certain years are arranged by SOUNDEX codes.