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  • Records Requests
      • Missouri
        • Missouri Birth Index, 1910-2015They tried to charge us $1.5 million for a public records request. Then they decided to ignore the state Sunshine Law altogether.
          Litigation in progress! Case filed November 23, 2016.
        • Missouri Death Index, 1965-2015They tried to charge us $1.5 million for a public records request. Then they decided to ignore the state Sunshine Law altogether.
          Litigation in progress! Case filed November 23, 2016.
        • Close
      • Nationwide
        • Beneficiary Identification Records Locator Subsystem (BIRLS) Death FileWhen a veteran dies, why is their basic service data locked up forever behind a $300/year commercial website's paywall?
          Litigation in progress! FOIA lawsuit filed in United States District Court (SDNY) on September 17, 2018.
        • Social Security Applications and Claims IndexAlmost 100,000,000 public records have been available only through a $300/year paywalled commercial website. We're gonna change that.
          FOIA request filed with Social Security Administration on September 20, 2017
        • Close
      • New Jersey
        • New Jersey Birth, Marriage, and Death Indices, 1901-1903 and 1901-1914We acquired and published the first public twentieth century vital records indices for New Jersey.
          No litigation needed! All records online.
        • New Jersey Death Index, 1904-2017Why should these records be available if you're onsite at the state archives, but not available on the Internet?
          Legal wrangling but no litigation needed! All records online.
        • New Jersey Marriage Index, 1901-2016We acquired and published the first-ever data set of everyone married in the Garden State
          Legal wrangling, but no litigation needed! All records online.
        • Close
      • New York City
        • Brooklyn (Kings County) “Old Town” RecordsWelcome to the single stupidest lawsuit we've ever had to file against a government agency
          Litigation in progress! Case filed October 15, 2016.
        • Geographical Index to New York City Births, late 19th century – early 20th centuryHey, remember how the NYC Dept of Health "retroactively classified" the NYC birth index, removing it from the public? Well, they forgot one of them. But we didn't!
          No litigation needed! Microfilms being digitally scanned right now.
        • Index to New York City domestic partnership records, 1993-2017🌈All people and all families deserve to have their genealogical records available to them.
          NY FOIL request in planning stage against NYC Clerk's Office
        • Index to New York City Marriage Licenses, 1908-1929What do you do when a city archive won’t share its records with the public? Fight back. Read about our pilot project that started it all.
          Litigation successful! All records online.
        • Index to New York City Marriage Licenses, 1930-1995Yes, you can fight city hall — and win! Of course, it helps if the city refuses to return your e-mails and calls until you take them to court.
          Litigation successful! All records online (minus Queens 1971-72 images)
        • Index to New York City Marriage Licenses, 1996-2017Wait, you mean we’re gonna have to sue the same city agency again? Over the same records set? After they lost to us last time?
          Litigation successful! All records online
        • List of Registered Voters in New York City for 1924Historical voter data is often covered by Freedom of Information laws. We were the first to publish this often-overlooked resource online.
          No litigation needed! All records online.
        • New York City Birth Certificates, 1910-1917They're more than 100 years old, but NYC won't let us see them.
          NY FOIL request in planning stage against NYC DOH
        • Close
      • New York State
        • Index to Deaths in Albany, New York, 1880-1915Corruption's such an old song that we can sing along in harmony, And nowhere is it stronger than in Albany
          NY FOIL request filed with Albany City Clerk's Office on September 6, 2017
        • Index to Deaths in Buffalo, New York, 1852-1944These records were sitting on a hard drive in a city government's Inactive Records Center, not online for public use. We fixed that.
          No litigation needed! All records online.
        • Index to Deaths in Yonkers, New York, c. 1870-1915"Out there, there's a world outside of Yonkers..."
          NY FOIL request filed with Yonkers City Clerk's Office on September 6, 2017. FOIL Appeal (constructive denial) in progress, likely to be launched February 2019.
        • Index to New York State Births (Outside of New York City), 1881-1942Finally, New York researchers can ditch the microfiche sheets and join the twenty-first century.
          No litigation needed! All records online.
        • Index to New York State Deaths (Outside of New York City), 1880-1956It took us seventeen months of fighting with the government just to get a list of the names of dead people.
          Legal wrangling but no litigation needed! All records online.
        • Index to New York State Marriages (Outside of New York City), 1881-2017This FOIL request has so far taken nine months and counting, proving that even babies are faster than the New York State government.
          Litigation in progress! Case filed August 24, 2018
        • Close
      • Washington
        • Washington State Marriage, Divorce, and Death Indices, c. 1907-2017The legislature now wants to lock away indices that have always been public. Nuh-uh.
          Washington PRA request filed with Dept. of Health, Secretary of State, and State Archives on January 30, 2019.
        • Close
      • Wyoming
        • Wyoming Marriage, Death, and Divorce Indices, 1900-1965Frozen in a snowbank outside of Laramie? We got your record. Thrown off your wagon team in Cheyenne? We got your record too.
          Coming soon...
        • Close
    • Close
  • Donate
Public data for public use
Skip NavigationMenu
  • About
    • Our Board of Directors
    • Our Activism
    • Presentations, Slides, Videos, and Webinars
    • Press
    • Close
  • Our “To-Do” List
  • Records Survey
  • Records Requests
      • Missouri
        • Missouri Birth Index, 1910-2015They tried to charge us $1.5 million for a public records request. Then they decided to ignore the state Sunshine Law altogether.
          Litigation in progress! Case filed November 23, 2016.
        • Missouri Death Index, 1965-2015They tried to charge us $1.5 million for a public records request. Then they decided to ignore the state Sunshine Law altogether.
          Litigation in progress! Case filed November 23, 2016.
        • Close
      • Nationwide
        • Beneficiary Identification Records Locator Subsystem (BIRLS) Death FileWhen a veteran dies, why is their basic service data locked up forever behind a $300/year commercial website's paywall?
          Litigation in progress! FOIA lawsuit filed in United States District Court (SDNY) on September 17, 2018.
        • Social Security Applications and Claims IndexAlmost 100,000,000 public records have been available only through a $300/year paywalled commercial website. We're gonna change that.
          FOIA request filed with Social Security Administration on September 20, 2017
        • Close
      • New Jersey
        • New Jersey Birth, Marriage, and Death Indices, 1901-1903 and 1901-1914We acquired and published the first public twentieth century vital records indices for New Jersey.
          No litigation needed! All records online.
        • New Jersey Death Index, 1904-2017Why should these records be available if you're onsite at the state archives, but not available on the Internet?
          Legal wrangling but no litigation needed! All records online.
        • New Jersey Marriage Index, 1901-2016We acquired and published the first-ever data set of everyone married in the Garden State
          Legal wrangling, but no litigation needed! All records online.
        • Close
      • New York City
        • Brooklyn (Kings County) “Old Town” RecordsWelcome to the single stupidest lawsuit we've ever had to file against a government agency
          Litigation in progress! Case filed October 15, 2016.
        • Geographical Index to New York City Births, late 19th century – early 20th centuryHey, remember how the NYC Dept of Health "retroactively classified" the NYC birth index, removing it from the public? Well, they forgot one of them. But we didn't!
          No litigation needed! Microfilms being digitally scanned right now.
        • Index to New York City domestic partnership records, 1993-2017🌈All people and all families deserve to have their genealogical records available to them.
          NY FOIL request in planning stage against NYC Clerk's Office
        • Index to New York City Marriage Licenses, 1908-1929What do you do when a city archive won’t share its records with the public? Fight back. Read about our pilot project that started it all.
          Litigation successful! All records online.
        • Index to New York City Marriage Licenses, 1930-1995Yes, you can fight city hall — and win! Of course, it helps if the city refuses to return your e-mails and calls until you take them to court.
          Litigation successful! All records online (minus Queens 1971-72 images)
        • Index to New York City Marriage Licenses, 1996-2017Wait, you mean we’re gonna have to sue the same city agency again? Over the same records set? After they lost to us last time?
          Litigation successful! All records online
        • List of Registered Voters in New York City for 1924Historical voter data is often covered by Freedom of Information laws. We were the first to publish this often-overlooked resource online.
          No litigation needed! All records online.
        • New York City Birth Certificates, 1910-1917They're more than 100 years old, but NYC won't let us see them.
          NY FOIL request in planning stage against NYC DOH
        • Close
      • New York State
        • Index to Deaths in Albany, New York, 1880-1915Corruption's such an old song that we can sing along in harmony, And nowhere is it stronger than in Albany
          NY FOIL request filed with Albany City Clerk's Office on September 6, 2017
        • Index to Deaths in Buffalo, New York, 1852-1944These records were sitting on a hard drive in a city government's Inactive Records Center, not online for public use. We fixed that.
          No litigation needed! All records online.
        • Index to Deaths in Yonkers, New York, c. 1870-1915"Out there, there's a world outside of Yonkers..."
          NY FOIL request filed with Yonkers City Clerk's Office on September 6, 2017. FOIL Appeal (constructive denial) in progress, likely to be launched February 2019.
        • Index to New York State Births (Outside of New York City), 1881-1942Finally, New York researchers can ditch the microfiche sheets and join the twenty-first century.
          No litigation needed! All records online.
        • Index to New York State Deaths (Outside of New York City), 1880-1956It took us seventeen months of fighting with the government just to get a list of the names of dead people.
          Legal wrangling but no litigation needed! All records online.
        • Index to New York State Marriages (Outside of New York City), 1881-2017This FOIL request has so far taken nine months and counting, proving that even babies are faster than the New York State government.
          Litigation in progress! Case filed August 24, 2018
        • Close
      • Washington
        • Washington State Marriage, Divorce, and Death Indices, c. 1907-2017The legislature now wants to lock away indices that have always been public. Nuh-uh.
          Washington PRA request filed with Dept. of Health, Secretary of State, and State Archives on January 30, 2019.
        • Close
      • Wyoming
        • Wyoming Marriage, Death, and Divorce Indices, 1900-1965Frozen in a snowbank outside of Laramie? We got your record. Thrown off your wagon team in Cheyenne? We got your record too.
          Coming soon...
        • Close
    • Close
  • Donate

Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)

Beneficiary Identification Records Locator Subsystem (BIRLS) Death File

Beneficiary Identification Records Locator Subsystem (BIRLS) Death File

READ MORE
Social Security Applications and Claims Index

Social Security Applications and Claims Index

READ MORE
@ReclaimTheRecs on Twitter
Retweet on TwitterReclaim The Records Retweeted
FindYesterdaysHeather Murphy@FindYesterdays·

Another example of why it is so important to look at the actual image. I can't quite understand how the indexer got "Cocoon Sorter" from "Lock & Gunsmith".
#familyhistory #genealogy

Retweet on TwitterReclaim The Records Retweeted
adopteelawAdoptee Rights Law@adopteelaw·

Thread. I love reading about the work @ReclaimTheRecs and their lawyers do. https://t.co/T06XfBGMF0

Retweet on TwitterReclaim The Records Retweeted
larasgenealogyLara Diamond@larasgenealogy·

Do you have ancestry from what was Hungary? @FamilySearch has been adding lots of new indexed records. And they have plenty more that aren't indexed. Here's what I've found and how you can find your own family:
https://t.co/uMF1Zph5An

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