Hello List, It's even more challenging than Stan describes. Knowing the state or even the county may not be enough. Some states and counties have centralized their records but others have not, and the early records are in a book in the village clerk's basement. Many vital records departments don't see genealogy research as part of their jobs and either direct you to local history volunteers or charge very high fees for searches and copies. I've learned more about my 19th century UK ancestors than about my early 20th century Pennsylvania families (miners from Stanhope and Washington areas). I've found the IGI to be a useful research tool, just to pin down a general area. A big obstacle in the USA is the lack of the 1890 federal census, destroyed in a fire. Military records help bridge the gap because men had to register for WWI and WWII. Best wishes, Carol Bradford Syracuse, Onondaga, New York, USA Durham: CARTER, WATSON, COXON, PATTISON, DUNN, BOOTH, ANDERSON, FORSTER, JAMES, THOMPSON and counting. > There is no uniform birth certificate issued in the US as there is > in the > UK. Every state, and sometimes Counties, issues their own and > covering > different period of times. One must know in which State the birth > took place and then > general resources such as "The Handbook for Genealogists" will > guide you to > the locations of the records. > > > Regards Stan Mapstone