Are birth certificates public or private?

Question:

Are birth certificates public or private?

My father walked out from my famiy when I was 5. No contact. I wish to find out his mother's maiden name which would be on his birth certificate. If I contacted the New York records office would they be allowed to show me the birth certificate without my father's permission?

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: You've gotten a whole lot of bad answers.

Reality: Birth certificates are public records that are sealed from public viewing for 72 years. "Anyone" can NOT get your birth certificate...but CERTAIN people can get it. That list is limited to spouse, parents, children, grandchildren, the executor of an estate and, in some states, siblings.

YOU are the legal child of your father. With or without his knowledge or permission, you are entitled to a copy of his birth certificate. If you contact the State, you will have to provide a copy of your drivers license (and sometimes your birth certificate showing him as your father), but yes they will send you a copy. If you know where he was born, you can contact the county office that handles birth records and request a non-certified "genealogy" copy for a fraction of the cost.