If your write to the NYS Health Dept in Albany to obtain a vital records, make a longggggggggggggg list of things you would like to do while you wait. They are always at least 6 months in returning your vital record (or that they don't have it) but they cash your check upon receipt. Their current statement is that it could be 6 months to two years. If you write to a town clerk, there are some who may look them up and some who will not. There are some who will sell you a copy and some who will not. They charge anywhere from $1.00 to the standard $11. Some have charged $15. These are not certified and to be stamped "for genealogical purposes only". Most get them back to you in about two weeks or less but some could be a couple of months. According to Robert Freeman, from the Freedom of Information Law, they are to sell them to you and should provide that service to you with a two week period. There are some clerks who are overwhelmed and cannot get all of their work done in a few days. In the Concourse in Empire Plaza in Albany which adjoins the NYC Library and Archives is ANOTHER office of the NYC Health Dept. If you hand deliver your form with the info and the ID# and pay the $11. per vital record, you get them within about 10 days (and less) although they are instructed to tell you it could be 30 days. The vital records index are located in the Archives on the 11th floor of the NYC Ed building and the genealogy floor in the NYC Library is located on the 7th floor. Museum is on the 1st floor or ground level. If you look up the vital records and find the person, you fill in the form, spelling the name JUST as you found it even if it is different from what you know or have. Take the 4-5 digit number as well. It looks like this Born, died or married: Smith John 18 Jan Saratoga Springs 12345 This means the event for John Smith happened in Saratoga Springs on 18 Jan and when it was sent by the Saratoga Springs clerk to NYC Health Dept, they assigned it the next number of the day which was 12345. NOW you must be told, as I recently learned, that this may not be true in all cases. A marriage I looked up was in Waterford and that is what the record said. I looked it up in the newspaper as well as I went to the Waterford clerk to purchase it. It wasn't there. They purchased the license in Troy, were married at a minister's home in Waterford and he sent it back to the place it was obtained - Troy. BUT the place of marriage was in Waterford. Only after purchasing it did we find it was issued and returned in Troy. But for the most part, these are located in the town where the event happened 99% of the time anyway. JUST remember. They could live anywhere but many circumstances could place the vital record in another town, not the one they reside in. They could have an accident anywhere and die instantly and brought home for burial. Some babies are not born at home but come along rather quickly while mother is away or maybe she went to a relative's home to have them help her after delivery so the birth takes place some other place but not in the town of residence. There are many tricks to the vital records and I must tell you that some records do get lost to fire and floods but if the courthouse was standing and they sent them to Albany, then Albany would still have them. Whitney Point in Broome County had a fire and it burned the whole town down. Rebuilt and a flood wiped it out many years later. When my cousin tried to obtain his ancestor's vital records, we really did not believe them when they told us that. At Binghamton Library, in the history of Whitney Point, are numerous pictures of the remains of the fire and numerous picture of the town under water. Oh, Oh! Do I owe the clerk an apology for what I thought!!. I order a lot of vital records AFTER looking them up and getting that ID#. The Health Dept could not find one, even though I found it on their microfiche index in the Archives. They owe me a refund of $11. When I asked how soon I might expect it, they said up to 15 weeks. So that was the end of October and I have not received it yet. All they need to do is make out a check but even that takes that other office a long time to get out. That ID# has nothing to do with the town clerk so do not use it when writing to them if you have located it on the microfiche index. God Bless Ruth Ann [email protected] ________________________________________________________________ YOU'RE PAYING TOO MUCH FOR THE INTERNET! Juno now offers FREE Internet Access! Try it today - there's no risk! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/tagj.