Peru, Lambayeque Civil Registration - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection consists of births, marriages, deaths, indexes and other records created by civil registration offices in the department of Lambayeque, Peru from 1873 to 1998. Some of these records have been indexed and are searchable as part of this collection.

Earlier records are all handwritten in a narrative format. The later records are also handwritten but on a printed format.

Peru's territory, is divided into 26 units: 25 regions and the Lima Province. The regions are subdivided into provinces (provincias), which are composed of districts (distritos). Lambayeque is a region consisting of three provinces: Chiclayo, Ferrenafe, and Lambayeque.

Before the government instituted civil registration in Peru, the Catholic Church was the only institution tracking the births, marriages, and deaths of the population.

In 1852 the government instituted civil registration. This is the registration of births, marriages, and deaths in Peru and documents the civil status of the residents.

Currently, civil registration is in the hands of RENIEC, which delegates the process to municipal registrars.

As of 8 June 2017 this collection included records from the following districts or municipalities:

Reading These Records
These records are written in Spanish. For help reading these records see the following guides:
 * Spanish Genealogical Word List
 * BYU Spanish Script Tutorial
 * FamilySearch Learning Center videos:
 * Reading Spanish Handwritten Records, Lesson 1
 * Reading Spanish Handwritten Records, Lesson 2

If you speak Spanish, the following free online lesson may be helpful to learn how to use the information in these records:
 * Registros Civiles y Parroquiales – Spanish

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

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:


 * Name of the person
 * Approximate date of the event

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

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?

 * When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details that can lead you to other records about your ancestors. Add this new information to your records of each family
 * Do not forget to cite the record. See below for help citing this collection
 * If possible, use what you know to find an image of the original record. The index contains only basic identifying information for a person; the original record therefore may contain more information not found in the index
 * Continue to search the index for family members

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

 * New information is constantly being indexed, microfilmed or updated. Periodically check back and see if your ancestor’s records have been added


 * If you are unable to find your ancestor(s) in these civil registers, then try searching in the areas surrounding Lambayeque. These regions neighbor Lambayeque: Piura on the north, Cajamarca on the east and La Libertad on the south


 * Your ancestor may have immigrated to another country. Search the records of nearby areas or Peru Emigration and Immigration
 * 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


 * Church records are also a good substitute when birth, marriage, and death records can’t be found or are unavailable. Before the government instituted civil registration in Peru, the Catholic Church was the only institution tracking the births, marriages, and deaths of the population

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in Peru.
 * Record Finder
 * Research Tips and Strategies

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.