To get a Certificate from NYS, (I just hand delivered 4 requests today) you can mail in a request and wait 12 months or hand deliver in Albany or Menands, NY and get it in under 3 weeks. I got the last group I requested in 10 days. Very important to have the exact certificate number also. (These are for records found on the index of births, marriages and deaths.) Index years for Births are 1881 - 1930, Marriages & Deaths from 1881 - 1955. Note not all towns or cities complied with the law to file with the State until closer to 1900. so the record may not be filed with the State, only with the local area. The Certificate Copy you get from NYS is a photocopy of the original. Most Counties, Towns, Cities, etc., provide a typed transcript. Many errors are made when someone tries to interpret information on your ancestor's record. I have a great great uncle who according to NYS died of 'fatty degeneration of the heart.' That's reasonable. However, the Town of Warsaw typed it as 'fatty degeneration of the head.' that's very possible too (I've met many fat-headed men who end up dead due to their stupidity!) NYS charges $22 a piece, but sometimes it is worth it! Anne Ruggeri Brewerton, NY