Mexico Civil Registration Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Title in the Language of the Records
Registro Civil de México

Record Description
This is a collection of civil registration records for Mexico. Records, such as birth, marriages, and deaths, are organized by state, then by municipality/city. Earlier records were handwritten in narrative style; later records were handwritten in formatted registers. The text of these records is in Spanish.

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, church registers must be used alongside the civil records. The civil records of Mexico have been preserved relatively well. Some of the older registers may have some physical damage; however, in general they are in good condition to extract genealogical information. For a list of records by localities and dates currently published in this collection, select the Browse.

The collection of the civil records for Mexico covers the inclusive years of 1867 to 1937. The Mexican civil registration was created to record the vital events of birth, marriage, death, and other civil events, which would determine and prove the civil status, existence, and condition of the population.

This is a collection of civil registration records for Mexico. 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. The text of these records is in Spanish.

Citation for This Collection
The following citation refers to the original source of the data and images published on FamilySearch.org Historical Records. It may include the author, custodian, publisher, and archive for the original records.

Suggested citation format for a record in this collection.

Record Content
The key genealogical facts found in most birth records are:




 * Date and place of the event
 * Name of the principal
 * Child’s gender
 * Child’s date of birth
 * Legitimacy
 * Parents' names, residence, and/or place of origin
 * Names of witnesses

The key genealogical facts found in most marriage records are:




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

The key genealogical facts found in most death records are:




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

How to Use the Records
To search the collection, select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page ⇒ Select the Nombre de Estado ⇒ Select the Nombre de Cuidad/Pueblo ⇒ Select the Tipo de Registro y Años which takes you to the images.

Look at the images one by one 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.

The civil registration records in Mexico are an excellent source for genealogical research after 1867. Important genealogical data can be found in these records, which may also include data of other family members to fill in another generation group.

Related Websites

 * Mexico, Civil Registration

Related Wiki Articles

 * Mexico
 * Mexico Civil Registration

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections
When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information. This will help you or others to find the record again. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records.

A suggested format for keeping track of records that you have searched is found in the wiki article Help:How to Cite FamilySearch Collections

Citation Example for a Record Found in This Collection
"Mexico, Civil Registration, 1860-1950," Images, FamiySearch (https://familysearch.org: accssed 29 May 2012), Aguascalientes&gt;Calvillo&gt;Defunciones 1950-1950&gt;image 187 of 623, Anastano Munoz, died 19 September 1950; citing Civil registry offices in Mexico, Archivo General de Registro Civil de Estado de Aguascalientes and the Archivo General de Estado de Tlaxcala.