Dominican Republic Civil Registration - FamilySearch Historical Records

Foreign Language Title
Registro Civil de la República Dominicana

Collection Time Period
This collection of the civil registration from the Dominican Republic, which currently includes only civil birth records, covers the year’s 1828 to1917.

Record History
With the adoption of the Napoleonic civil code of 1804, the Dominican Republic began the practice of civil registration, creating the offices of the civil state (oficialías del estado civil) in charge of registering the events of birth, marriage, and death in the life of its citizens. However, only some civil registration books dating back to 1823 have been found in the Bayaguana Civil Registry (Oficialía del Estado Civil de Bayaguana). Before that time, the Dominican Republic was under Haitian dominion. It wasn’t until June of 1944 that the National Congress created civil registration law 659, which provided new regulations for the functionality of the civil registration institution. One of the regulations was the creation of the Central Office of the Civil State (Oficina Central del Estado Civil), with civil registration headquarters in the capital city and one or more offices in each municipality. The registration of civil records was to be made in duplicate, and one of the original registers was to be sent annually to the Central Office for preservation. The civil birth records in this collection cover several municipalities (municipios) throughout the country and may include approximately 370,000 names. The birth of a child must be registered within 30 days of the birth. After that, it is considered a late registration and has penalties. To avoid the penalties, many children were not registered.

Why This Record Was Created
Each civil registrar (Oficial del Estado Civil) is required to keep a duplicate registry of the original records of birth, marriage, divorce, and death. At the end of each year, the original registry, together with its corresponding index book, is sent to the Central Office of the Civil State. These civil registrations allow people to be identified as citizens and therefore able to receive governmental benefits in the future.

Record Reliability
The civil registration in the Dominican Republic is considered a great and reliable source for genealogical research.

Record Description
The registries of birth are written both in narrative style and in formatted records. Some records appear damaged; however, genealogical information may still be extracted.

Record Content
The key genealogical facts found in most birth records are: • Date and time of registration • Place of registration • Witnesses’ names • Name of the registrant • Date and time of birth • Name of the child • Child’s legitimacy • Parents’ names • Parents’ occupations and residence • Sometimes the names of the grandparents

How to Use the Record
The registration of birth is a great source for extracting important genealogical information such as: dates, places, given names and surnames, residence of the parents, and sometimes the residences of the grandparents. Witnesses often were relatives of the parents. In order to find a birth record, it is necessary to know the name and year of the birth of an ancestor. It is recommended to first search for the name in the corresponding birth register’s index.

Related Wiki Articles
Dominican Republic Vital Records Index

Related Websites
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Sources of This Collection
This is a collection of digital copies of original records housed at the National Archives in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

How to Cite Your Sources
For instructions about citing specific records or images within this collection