Queens County Genealogy

Queens County genealogy records cover one of the most diverse places in the world. Queens became a borough of New York City in 1898, and before that it was made up of separate towns like Flushing, Jamaica, Newtown, and others with roots going back to the 1600s. The NYC Municipal Archives holds vital records for Queens from 1898 onward. The Queens Public Library Archives keeps an enormous collection of local history materials going back to the colonial period. The Queens Historical Society and the surrogate's court round out the main sources for family research here.

NYC Municipal Archives Queens Genealogy Records

The NYC Municipal Archives at 31 Chambers Street, Room 103, New York, NY 10007 holds the primary vital records for Queens County genealogy.

Queens vital records at the archives include births from 1898 to 1909, deaths from 1898 to 1948, and marriages from 1898 to 1949. These dates start when Queens joined New York City in 1898. Before that, records were kept by the individual towns.

Records are filed by borough. Indexes are available online and you can search by name, date, and certificate number. You can order copies online, by mail, or in person by appointment. PDF copies are available for records that have been digitized. Phone (212) 639-9675 for current fees and procedures. Credit cards are accepted for online orders.

One thing to keep in mind is that the NYS Department of Health does have birth records for Queens for the period 1881 through 1897, before consolidation into New York City. That is an important gap that the city archives do not cover. For records after the Municipal Archives cutoff dates, contact the NYC Department of Health.

Queens Public Library Archives for Genealogy

The Queens Public Library Archives at the Central Library, 89-11 Merrick Boulevard, Jamaica, NY 11432 holds one of the best collections for Queens County genealogy.

The archives keep books and manuscripts, city directories, court records on microfilm, family genealogies, local histories, maps, military materials, newspapers, photographs, broadsides, wills and probate on microfilm, town records on microfilm, and vertical files that document Long Island history from the 1600s to the present.

This collection is deep. The town records on microfilm are especially useful for pre-1898 research when Queens was still a collection of separate towns. City directories can help you track where a family lived and what they did for work. The court records and wills on microfilm can save you a trip to other offices. Phone (718) 990-0770 for hours and more details about their holdings.

Queens Historical Society Genealogy Collections

The Queens Historical Society at 143-13 37th Avenue, Flushing, NY 11354 keeps manuscripts from the 1700s to the present, maps from 1820 onward, and photographs from 1850 to the present.

The society is based in the Kingsland Homestead, a historic house that dates to 1785. Their manuscript collection covers the colonial and early national periods. Phone (718) 939-0647 for hours and research access.

If you are researching families who lived in Queens before it became part of New York City, the historical society is a key source. Maps from the 1800s can help you figure out exactly where a family's property was located. Photographs from the mid-1800s onward can put faces to names. The manuscripts cover Dutch, English, and early American periods of settlement in what is now Queens.

Probate Records in Queens County

The Queens County Surrogate's Court at 88-11 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica, NY 11435 holds probate records from 1787 to the present. The county was restructured in 1898 when it became part of New York City, and Nassau County was split off from the eastern part of old Queens County at the same time. Probate records here cover the area that is now the borough of Queens.

Wills, letters testamentary, letters of administration, and estate files are all on record. Probate is indexed by the name of the person who died. Send a written request by mail with the decedent's name and date of death. Call (718) 298-0400 for fees and procedures. Email requests are not accepted.

For colonial-era probate records before 1787, the New York State Archives in Albany has wills and estate papers. Many have been digitized through Ancestry.com and are free for New York residents. FamilySearch has also microfilmed probate records from Queens County Surrogate's Court that you can access online or at a local FamilySearch center.

Vital Records for Queens County Genealogy

Queens County vital records have a complicated split. The NYC Municipal Archives has records from 1898 onward (with cutoff dates varying by record type). The NYS Department of Health has birth records for Queens for 1881 through 1897, before the city consolidation. For records after the Municipal Archives cutoff dates, contact the NYC Department of Health.

Birth records at the state level open after 75 years if the person is dead. Death records open after 50 years. Marriage records need 50 years and proof both spouses have died. State fees start at $22 for a three-year search. NYC Municipal Archives fees vary. Processing times differ between the state and city offices, with the state taking up to eight months.

State Resources for Queens County Research

The New York State Archives in Albany holds vital records indexes that cover Queens for the pre-consolidation period. Military records, land grants, and colonial court papers are also available. The National Archives at New York City at One Bowling Green in Manhattan has copies of the vital records indexes on microfiche and is much closer to Queens than Albany.

The New York State Library in Albany has family histories and reference guides. FamilySearch has digitized many New York records including census rolls, probate files, and church records. For Queens County, the pre-1898 town records are especially valuable and many have been microfilmed. The Patchogue-Medford Library on Long Island also has copies of the state vital records indexes if the Manhattan or Albany locations are not convenient.

Cities in Queens County

Queens County is part of New York City. The city page has additional genealogy resources.

Nearby Counties

Counties near Queens County with their own genealogy record collections.