Mexico, Sonora, Civil Registration - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection of civil records for Sonora covers the years 1861 to 1995.

These vital records, such as birth, marriages, and deaths, 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 percent 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, church registers must be used alongside the civil records. 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 to extract genealogical information.

Reading These Records
These records are written in Spanish; also see the section For Help Reading These Records for translation helps

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:

Birth Records
 * Date and place of birth
 * Name and gender of child
 * Legitimacy
 * Parents' names, residence, and/or place of origin
 * Names of witnesses

Marriage Records
 * Date and place of marriage
 * Names of the bride and groom
 * Their civil statuses (widowed, single, divorced) at the time of the event
 * Places of origin and residence of the bride and groom
 * Names of parents
 * Name of witnesses

Death Records
 * Place and date of death
 * Name of the deceased
 * Civil status of principal at time of death
 * Civil status and name of spouse, if married at time of death
 * Parents’ names
 * Sometimes included place of burial

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before using this collection it is helpful to know:
 * Your ancestor's given name and surname
 * Identifying information such as residence
 * Estimated marriage or birth year
 * Family relationships

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the 
 * 1) Select the "City or Municipality"
 * 2) Select the "Record Type and Years" which takes you to the images.

For Help Reading These Records
For help reading these Spanish records, see the following resources:


 * 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

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 the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * 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. Repeat this process for each new generation you identify.

I Can’t Find the Person I’m Looking For, What Now?

 * Unable to find your ancestor? Try looking through records in the surrounding localities. Baja California is to the northwest, Arizona to the north (and a little bit of New Mexico), Chihuahua to the east, and Sinaloa to the southeast.
 * New information is constantly being indexed, microfilmed or updated. Periodically check back and 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 and notice the asterisk for recently added or updated records.
 * Use the birth date or age along with the place of birth to find the family in 1930, Mexico National Census.
 * Use the residence and names of the parents to locate Sonora Catholic Church records.
 * 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

Known Issues with This Collection
For a full list of all known issues associated with this collection see the attached article. If you encounter additional problems, please email them to [mailto:support@familysearch.org support@familysearch.org]. Please include the full path to the link and a description of the problem in your e-mail. Your assistance will help ensure that future reworks will be considered.

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.


 * Collection Citation:

"Mexico, Sonora, Civil Registration, 1861-1995." Images. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : accessed 2017. Archivo General del Registro Civil del Estado Sonara (Sonora Civil Registry State Archives).}}

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