Discover Your New York Story

Millions of New Yorkers in our online databases. Hundreds of expert-authored articles. A vibrant member community. Get to know your New York family better than you ever thought possible.

Become a Member

The New York Genealogical & Biographical Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving, documenting, and sharing the stories of New York families throughout history. In turn, our award-winning publications, expert staff, professional research services, and comprehensive resources help our members become New York family history experts in their own right. Member support is what makes our work possible.

Benefits of Membership

  • Access to exclusive digital record collections, including religious records, colonial records, cemetery records, and more
  • Hundreds of New York State research help articles, authored by experts in the field
  • Priority registration and discounted tickets for NYG&B research trips, workshops, and special events
  • Subscriptions to The NYG&B Record and New York Researcher
  • Exclusive discounts on select NYG&B publications and research services
  • Free access to millions of records on Findmypast and a 63% discount on the purchase of a Findmypast Ultimate subscription
  • 10% off tuition for Boston University’s Genealogy Studies Program
  • 25% discount on the purchase of JPASS from JSTOR
  • Discounts on DNA testing through FamilyTreeDNA

Membership Levels

  • Six-Month Membership: $58
  • Annual Individual Membership: $89
  • Two-year Individual Membership: $175
  • Family Membership: $150
  • Patron Membership: $175–$500

Learn More

Page 5 of St. Luke's Evangelical Lutheran Church Marriages, 1885-1904

Trove of Online Records

As a member of the NYG&B, you will have access to the tools needed to make huge leaps in your research. Our digital records consist of more than 90 different collections and feature rich detail on millions of New Yorkers.

Some of our most popular collections include:

  • New York State Religious Records (1639–1914)
  • Every volume of The NYG&B Record, our quarterly publication since 1870
  • The New York State Death Index
  • The New York Times Obituaries Index
  • New York State Cemetery Abstracts
  • More than 25 titles in the WPA Historical Records Survey series
  • Collections focused on immigration and naturalization, probate records, and bibliographies for religious denominations and ethnic groups

Extensive Webinar Library

NYG&B members get priority registration for all live webinars and can access recordings on-demand in our webinar library. We also record all live presentations that happen at the NYG&B—so if you're unable to join us in person, you can still catch up on our lectures whenever you like.

Our webinars bring in top subject-experts to present on a variety of topics, including:

  • DNA and family history
  • Researching at the state's top repositories and archives
  • Historical study of specific ethnic or national groups, including Irish, African-American, and Jewish research
  • Approaches to research methodology

Two volunteers indexing a log

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Findmypast Access

NYG&B members receive a free subscription to Findmypast, a leading family history website with exclusive records from the United States, Ireland, Britain, and other countries around the world. Notable collections include:

  • Over 230 million United States marriage records, including over 10 million from New York
  • The largest Irish and British family history records online
  • The Catholic Heritage Archive, the most comprehensive online collection of U.S. Roman Catholic indexes
  • Every public U.S. Federal Census
  • Canadian Censuses, 1861–1911

Insight from New York's Family History Experts

The NYG&B is the leading authority on genealogy research in New York State, and the second oldest genealogical society in the country. As a member you'll have unique access to our team's expertise, from discounted one-on-one consultations to a wealth of member-only guides on approaching and contextualizing family history in New York.

Recent offerings from NYG&B staff and guest experts include:

  • On-site working sessions at the New York State Archives and Library in Albany
  • Coordination of record retrieval and access for out-of-state members
  • Virtual Q&A with President of the NYG&B and staff's lead genealogist
  • Coordination of record retrieval and access for out-of-state members

Two volunteers indexing a log

Become a Member