A Letter of Exemplification in New York is a stacked certification that proves a New York record is authentic enough to be used in another state or country. The name covers two separate processes. For a New York City birth or death certificate, the “Letter of Exemplification” is a specific letter issued by the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene that accompanies the certificate. For a New York court record, the equivalent document is an “exemplified copy” issued by the County Clerk in the county where the case was filed. Both add layers of certification on top of a standard certified copy, and both are typically the step you complete before requesting an apostille or embassy legalization.
How an Exemplified Copy Differs From a Certified Copy
A certified copy is a photocopy that a clerk stamps as a true reproduction. An exemplified copy adds signatures on top: the clerk certifies the document, and a judge or additional official then confirms the clerk’s signature is genuine and that the clerk had authority to issue it. That layered form is what out-of-state courts, foreign governments, and immigration authorities expect when a plain certified copy won’t do. If someone has told you to get an apostille on a New York document, an exemplified copy or Letter of Exemplification is almost always the prerequisite.
NYC Birth and Death Certificates
If you need a Letter of Exemplification for a New York City birth or death certificate, the request starts with the NYC Department of Health, not any court.
Order the Letter With the Certificate
The letter has to be requested at the same time you order the certificate. You cannot add it later to a certificate you already hold. When you apply, mark the request as being for apostille or authentication purposes:
- Online through VitalChek: choose “Apostille/Authentication” from the reasons drop-down.
- By mail: for birth certificates, select “Apostille” on page 4 of the application. For death certificates, answer “Yes” to question 10 and have the completed application notarized before mailing.
- In person: book an appointment online, and at the kiosk select “Apostille/Authentication.”
The Department of Health charges $15 per certificate plus a $40 nonrefundable application processing fee on most applications.1NYC Health. Birth and Death Records Fees and Processing Times The Letter of Exemplification itself is a separate $12 fee.2NYC.gov. Fee Schedule What you receive is a long-form certificate with the Letter of Exemplification attached, and those two pieces together are what you carry into the next step.3NYC Health. Birth Certificates
Then Take Both to the County Clerk
Bring the certificate and the Letter of Exemplification to the New York County Clerk’s office in Manhattan so the clerk can authenticate the signature on the record. The fee is $3 per document. You can go in person to 60 Centre Street, Room 141B, or send the documents by mail with a money order, attorney’s check, or certified bank check for $3 per document and a self-addressed stamped envelope. Personal and company checks are not accepted by mail.4NYCOURTS.GOV. Notary
Court Records: Exemplified Copies From the County Clerk
For judgments, divorce decrees, custody orders, wills admitted to probate, and other filings, the request goes to the County Clerk in the county where the case was filed. This is a different process from vital records, with different fees.
What to Have Ready
- The full case name as it appears on the record.
- The index number. If you don’t have it, some clerks will search by names and a year range, at added cost and time.5NYCOURTS.GOV. Obtaining Certified Copies
- The specific document you need exemplified (judgment, decree, petition).
- The court and county: Supreme Court, Surrogate’s Court, Family Court, or another division.
Errors on any of these delay the request. If details are uncertain, call the clerk’s office before submitting.
Fees
There is no single statewide fee. Published examples:
- New York County (Manhattan) County Clerk: $33 for exemplification, plus $0.25 per page for in-person requests.6NYCOURTS.GOV. Filing Fees
- Kings County (Brooklyn) Supreme Court Clerk: $25 for exemplification on top of the certified copy fee.5NYCOURTS.GOV. Obtaining Certified Copies
- Kings County Surrogate’s Court: $20 for exemplification plus $6 per page.7New York State Courts. Exemplification Information – Kings County Surrogates Court Fees
You also pay for the underlying certified copy. In Manhattan, a certified copy of a Supreme Court action is $8.8NYCOURTS.GOV. Fees Confirm the exact total with the clerk before sending payment.
Payment
Most County Clerk offices take U.S. postal money orders, certified checks, and New York attorney’s checks. Many accept Visa and Mastercard (sometimes American Express) in person and through the electronic filing system.8NYCOURTS.GOV. Fees Personal checks generally are not accepted. Cash rules vary: the Manhattan Supreme Court clerk accepts cash in person; Kings County Surrogate’s Court does not accept cash at all.7New York State Courts. Exemplification Information – Kings County Surrogates Court Fees Check the office’s own rules first.
Ways to Submit
In person: visit the County Clerk in the filing county with your case details and payment. Some straightforward requests are processed the same day, but exemplifications at the Kings County Supreme Court Clerk require a 48-hour wait even for in-person submissions.5NYCOURTS.GOV. Obtaining Certified Copies
By mail: send a written request or the county’s application form, acceptable payment, and a self-addressed stamped envelope with enough postage for the return. Clerk offices typically don’t use express services for returns. Kings County divorce decree requests by mail must be notarized.5NYCOURTS.GOV. Obtaining Certified Copies
Electronically: the Unified Court System’s Electronic Document Delivery System (EDDS) lets you submit documents and pay by credit card online, but not every county and court type participates.9NYS Unified Court System. Electronic Document Delivery System Supreme Court – Civil User Guide for Document Submitters Confirm availability for your case before relying on it.
How Long It Takes
- In-person Supreme Court requests: sometimes same day, but expect up to 48 hours in Kings County.5NYCOURTS.GOV. Obtaining Certified Copies
- Divorce decrees: about two weeks in Kings County, whether requested in person or by mail.5NYCOURTS.GOV. Obtaining Certified Copies
- Mail-in generally: budget three weeks or more in busy counties like Manhattan.
Kings County Surrogate’s Court returns exemplified documents by mail only, with no pickup option, so factor that in when planning.7New York State Courts. Exemplification Information – Kings County Surrogates Court Fees
Surrogate’s Court Has Extra Rules
Wills, probate decrees, and letters testamentary are handled by Surrogate’s Court, not the Supreme Court side of the County Clerk. Who can ask is limited. In Queens County, only the fiduciary of the estate, the attorney of record, or an authorized agent with a signed and notarized letter from the fiduciary may request an exemplification.10Queens County Surrogate’s Court. Exemplifications Queens County Surrogates Court A beneficiary without fiduciary authority has to go through the executor or their attorney.
You also have to name exactly which documents from the estate file you want. The court will not tell you what another jurisdiction requires, so ask the receiving court or agency first. Death certificates, marriage certificates, divorce decrees, and incomplete records are not included in exemplified packets from Surrogate’s Court, and you must tell the court which state or country the documents are going to.10Queens County Surrogate’s Court. Exemplifications Queens County Surrogates Court
After You Have the Document: Apostille or Legalization
An exemplified copy alone usually isn’t enough for use abroad. Most foreign governments want another layer from the New York State Department of State, and the form of that layer depends on the destination country.
Hague Convention Countries
If the receiving country is a Hague Apostille Convention member, submit your exemplified copy (or your NYC vital record with Letter of Exemplification, once authenticated by the County Clerk) to the New York State Department of State with a completed Apostille/Certificate of Authentication Request Form and $10 per document.11New York State Department of State. Apostille or Certificate of Authentication Include a prepaid express envelope if you want faster return.
Mailing address: NYS Department of State, Division of Licensing Services, P.O. Box 22001, Albany, NY 12201-2001. For UPS, FedEx, or DHL, use 1 Commerce Plaza, 99 Washington Avenue, 6th Floor, Albany, NY 12231.12The Official Website of the City of New York. Apostille Document Authentication
Non-Hague Countries
If the destination country is not a Hague member, an apostille is not the right form. You will generally need state authentication from the New York Department of State, then federal authentication from the U.S. Department of State, then legalization by the destination country’s embassy or consulate. Each step verifies the signature from the one before. Fees and timelines add up, and requirements vary by country, so contact the embassy before you start.
The Kings County Surrogate’s Court makes the split explicit: it notes that an apostille will be needed after exemplification for foreign use, and that the court itself does not provide apostille services.7New York State Courts. Exemplification Information – Kings County Surrogates Court Fees The court handles the exemplification. Everything after that is on you.