When I attempted to obtain the death cert. of my older sister who died last year, my request was returned with a form letter that said I could not receive it as she had not been dead 75 years & I am not one of her children nor parent nor husband. So, if you are a direct descendant of the person AND it has been 75 years or better, you then can obtain the information from the State of NY. Not even the hospital or the funeral parlor can give you the information as it is against the State law, or so I was told. Charles Matheson, Sr. matheson@texas.net