Lebanon Civil Registration

Historical Background
Lebanon has kept civil records since about 1920. Before that, they were part of the Ottoman Record, where records were kept as well.

Information Recorded in the Records
We have found four differing instructions for how to obtain information from birth, marriage, and death records.


 * Organisation of the civil registration system. The civil registration system in Lebanon is centralized. The General Directorate of Civil Affairs (under the Ministry of Interior and Municipalities) is responsible for the registration of vital events such as births, deaths, marriages and divorces.... There are 52 registry offices working under the central office through regional departments in 6 provinces. The primary registration unit is the mayor’s office in the village. The appointed civil registrars records vital events and issue certificate or permit (burial permit for deaths). The local registrar also reports civil registration data to higher level offices.


 * "If you know the Arabic names and the appropriate dates, you may be able to obtain birth and death certificates from district or central offices of the Bureau of the Census. Address your inquiry to the Census Office in the community (i.e., village, city, county) where your ancestor lived."


 * Each village within Lebanon has a Mukhtar that is in charge of keeping records. See Mukhtar Records to learn more about Mukhtars and how to contact them for birth, marriage, death, and residency records.


 * Birth, death and marriage records are also kept at the Office of the Registrar in each governate (called muhafazat). Copies can be obtained by submitting an application and paying a nominal fee, according to the U.S. Embassy for Lebanon. Contact information for the Office of the Registrar in each district can be found on the appropriate district page, seen below.