New Jersey Birth & Death Vital Records

State Bird: American Goldfinch
State Flower: Violet
State Name Language of Origin: French
State Name Meaning: Named after Jersey, the largest of the British Channel Islands
Admission to Union: December 18, 1787
Source: Wikipedia

New Jersey has the oldest collection of continuous birth and death records, dating from May 1848. However, New Jersey vital records are not public records; their release is restricted to family, with requests for 1901-present records made at the state Bureau of Vital Statistics or local municipal vital records offices. Genealogical requests are honored for New Jersey birth records after 80 years (if person of record is deceased) and New Jersey death records after 40 years. There are no online searches for recent vital records. Historical birth and death records date from colonial laws in the 1670s and 1799, but recording was inconsistent; extant records are available at the New Jersey State Archives, which also has microfilms of 1878-1929 births and 1878-1940 deaths, for use in-person only, with an online searchable index for 1878-1886 death records. The Archives will perform searches of birth and death records for 1848-1900.

For more information on New Jersey vital records, visit New Jersey Marriage & Divorce Vital Records

New Jersey Vital Records Offices

Record Type: Birth Certificates
Department of Health & Senior Svcs
Bureau of Vital Statistics
PO Box 370
Trenton, NJ 08625-0370
Phone: 609-292-4087
Fax: 609-392-4292
Website

Business Hours: 8:30AM-4PM
Note: For copies of vital records from 1848 to 1900, please contact New Jersey Dept. of State, Division of Archives and Records Management at P.O. Box 307, Trenton NJ 08625-0307, or call 609-292-6260.

Records Available: Death Records
Department of Health & Senior Svcs
Bureau of Vital Statistics
PO Box 370
Trenton, NJ 08625-0370
Phone: 609-292-4087
Fax: 609-392-4292
Website

Business Hours: 8:30AM-4PM
Note: For copies of vital records from 1848 to 1900, please contact New Jersey Dept. of State, Division of Archives and Records Management at P.O. Box 307, Trenton NJ 08625-0307, or call 609-292-6260.
Record Access Requirements: Cause of death, unless immediate family, is not released. Immediate family and those with a legal interest may obtain a record, unless death occurred over 40 years ago (then considered a genealogical search).
Note: If event is more than 40 years old, requester may provide the year of event and county of occurrence instead of exact information, parent names are preferred but not required.

Records Available: State Archives
New Jersey State Archives
PO Box 307, 225 W. State Street, L2
Trenton, NJ 08625-0307
Phone: 609-292-6260
Fax: 609-396-2454
Website

Business Hours: 8:30AM-4:30PM T-F