Updated 10 September 2020

"The Offices of the City Register maintain the New York City public records for the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens. These records include Real and Personal Property transfers, interest, and ownership information." - City of New York

Recently, I needed to check out the history of ownership for a property in Manhattan, so I took a trip to 66 John Street to look at the records in person. Some of the City Register's records are accessible online, however, you can save a lot of time by browsing the originals or microfilmed versions at their locations around the city.

I've also visited the City Register in Brooklyn to examine mid-19th century mortgages, which are not available online. Strangely, the Brooklyn office only has microfilmed versions of many Kings County records. The originals live at the Office of the City Register in... Queens! Makes total sense when you think about it.

Actually no, it makes no sense, why do people do these things?

Land records can be super valuable for genealogy research in general and New York City genealogy research specifically. If your ancestors owned land in New York City, check out their county's City Register office (addresses at the link). Here's a map showing the Manhattan location (double-click to open in Google Maps):

How Do I Get There?

The Manhattan City Register Office is open Monday through Friday from 8:30am to 4:30pm. During the pandemic, you need to make an appointment to do research at the Manhattan City Register Office. Click here to make an appointment and review safety protocols.

The office is located at 66 John Street. The building is easily accessible by subway. The Fulton Street stations (2, 3, 4, 5, A, C) and Fulton Center station (J, Z) are closest. There is also a Citi Bike station about two blocks away.

The building is currently across from an H&R Block.

Once you get inside, you’ll go through security. Then, go straight ahead, turn right, and right again to reach the elevators. You’ll want to go to the 13th Floor.

When you reach the 13th floor, you can head through the set of glass doors that say, “Land Records.” There is an identical set of glass doors that leads to the the other side of the building, so make sure you’re going through the Land Records door!

Once You’re There

Make a right and another right, and you’ll find yourself in the library. It’s a big, bright room with lots of windows, and it tends to be a little on the warm side. If you come on a sunny day or during the summertime, bring sunglasses! I’m not even joking—it gets super bright in there.

There are microfilm machines with printers near the entrance, and hard-bound indexes on the far end of the room by the windows. Printed copies of microfilmed records cost $1 per page. They accept cash, debit cards, and credit cards.

If you’re planning a visit, I highly recommend reading Molly Charboneau’s excellent article about how to use the different indexes. It’s behind a paywall, which is why it looks like there’s an error message when you click the link. If you’re already a member of the New York Genealogical & Biographical Society (NYG&B), the publisher, the article is a great resource.

If you’re not a NYG&B member, you can always ask the staff for help when you get there. They’re genuinely friendly and helpful, and will walk you through whatever you need to do.

I hope this article has helped you plan for your next visit to the Manhattan City Register Office. If you live far away or would like some help with your research, you can hire me to visit the City Register for you.

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