Mexico, Nayarit, Civil Registration - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection of civil records for Nayarit covers the years 1868 to 2001.

The civil registration records for Mexico cover the vital events of birth, marriages, and deaths. They are organized by state and then by municipality/city. Earlier records were handwritten in narrative style; later records were handwritten in formatted registers. Civil records in Mexico cover about 90 to 95 % of the population. Beginning in 1859, the Mexican government began requiring births, marriages, and deaths to be recorded by civil authorities on a municipality/district level. Although these records are a great source of genealogical information, they are not complete as civil registration wasn't strictly enforced in Mexico until 1867 and people did not always comply. For this reason, it is suggested to use church registers alongside the civil records to help in your research. The civil records of Mexico have been preserved relatively well. Only some of the older registers may have some physical damage; however, in general they are in good condition and are a reliable source to extract genealogical information.

For Help Reading These Records
These records are in Spanish. For help reading the records, see the following guides:


 * Mexico Language and Languages
 * Spanish Genealogical Word List
 * BYU Spanish Script Tutorial
 * FamilySearch Learning Center videos:
 * Reading Spanish Handwritten Records, Lesson 1
 * Reading Spanish Handwritten Records, Lesson 2
 * Reading Spanish Handwritten Records, Lesson 3

Sample Images
Birth records usually contain the following information:


 * Date and place of record
 * Presenter's name, age, civil status, origin and residence
 * Name and gender of child
 * Child’s date and place of birth
 * Parents' names
 * Witnesses' names, age, occupation and residence

Marriage records usually contain the following information:


 * Date and place of marriage
 * Names of the bride and groom
 * Groom's age, civil status, occupation, nationality and residence
 * Names of groom's parents and years since death if deceased
 * Groom's parents' age, civil status, occupation and residence
 * Bride's age, civil status, occupation, nationality and residence
 * Names of bride's parents and years since death if deceased
 * Bride's parents' age, civil status, occupation and residence
 * Names of witnesses

Death records usually contain the following information:


 * Name and age of deceased
 * Date, time and place of death
 * Cause of death
 * Deceased's name, age, occupation, origin and residence
 * Witnesses' names, age, civil status, occupation and residence
 * Sometimes, burial information

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The given and surname of the person
 * What type of event
 * The estimated date of the event

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the :
 * 1) Select City or Municipality
 * 2) Select Record Type and Years to view the images.

Search the collection by image comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine which one is your ancestor. You may need to compare the information about more than one person to make this determination.

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

I Found Who I was Looking for, What Now?

 * Add any new information to your records
 * Use the information to find more. For instance, use the age listed in the record to estimate a year of birth, if that is yet undetermined
 * Use the birth date or age along with the place of birth to find the family in 1930, Mexico National Census
 * Compile information for every person who has the same surname as your ancestor; this is especially helpful in rural areas or if the surname is unusual
 * Continue to search the records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives in the same county or nearby. This can help you identify other generations of your family or even the second marriage of a parent

I Can’t Find the Person I’m Looking For, What Now?
New information is constantly being indexed, microfilmed or updated. Periodically check back to see if your ancestor’s records have been added. You can see if the area you’ve been looking in has been recently updated by going to Historical Records Collections. Watch for an asterisk for recently added or updated records.
 * Consult the Mexico Record Finder to find other records marriages, and deaths cannot be found or are unavailable
 * Check for variants of given names, surnames, and place names. Transcription errors could occur in any handwritten record; also, it was not uncommon for an individual be listed under a nickname or an abbreviation of their name. Click here for a list of Spanish name abbreviations
 * If you are unable to find your ancestor try looking through records in the surrounding localities. Sinaloa is to the northwest, Durango to the north, and Jalisco to the east and south.
 * Consult the Mexico Record Finder to find other records

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.

"Mexico, Nayarit, Civil Registration, 1868-2001." Images. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : accessed 17 January 2018. Citing Civil Registration State Archives, Nayarit.
 * Collection Citation:

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