GuidedResearch:Why Can't I Find the Record - Québec Births

This page will give you additional guidance and resources to find birth information for your ancestor. Use this page after first completing the birth section of the Québec Guided Research page.

Additional Databases and Online Resources

 * 1766-1835:  Montreal, Canada, non-Catholic Baptism Index  at Ancestry ($)
 * 1828-1910:  Canada, Wesleyan Methodist Baptismal Register  at Ancestry ($)
 *  Wesleyan Methodist Baptismal Register  at RootsWeb

Online Images (Browsable Only)
Some collections have not been indexed but are available to search image by image. To find more church records online, go to the FamilySearch Catalog and search for the smaller jurisdiction (parish, town, or city).
 * 1642-1902:  Quebec Index to Civil Copy of Church Records  at FamilySearch Historical Records - undefined
 * 1763-1967:  Quebec, Non-Catholic Parish Registers  at FamilySearch Historical Records - undefined

How to Request the Record When It's Not Online
Province-wide registration for births started in 1994. Before this, most vital records were copies of church records sent to government archives. To learn more about record limitations and restrictions, see the article Quebec Vital Records.

To order civil birth records, contact:


 * Directeur de l'état civil 2535 Boulevard Laurier Québec G1V 5C5 Canada Phone: 1 418 644-0075 Email: [mailto:etatcivil@dec.gouv.qc.ca etatcivil@dec.gouv.qc.ca ]Website
 * To learn more about the process of ordering civil records, see Certificates.

NOTE: Birth records are confidential after 1900. Only a person named on the certificate, immediate family, or a legal representative may order a birth certificate during this restricted period (see Restrictions for more details).

Additional Records with Birth Information
Substitute records may contain information about more than one event and are used when records for an event are not available. Records that are used to substitute for birth events may not have been created at the time of the birth. The accuracy of the record is contingent upon when the information was recorded. Search for information in multiple substitute records to confirm the accuracy of these records.

Tips for finding births
Successfully finding birth records in online databases depends on a few key points. Try the following search suggestions:
 * Spelling variations. Your ancestor's name may be misspelled. Search with spelling variations for the first and last name of your ancestor.
 * Search parents. Search for the parents, if known, as the child's first name may not be on the birth record.
 * Search given name. Search by given name (leave out the last name) with the approximate date of birth.
 * Add information. For common names, add more information to narrow the search such as approximate birth date or parent's names if known.
 * Date range. Expand the date range of the search by 5 years.
 * Search province. Search using the province name only instead of by smaller locality.

Known Record Gaps
Records Start
 * 1679-1993 Vital records were recorded in churches (copies were sent to government archives).
 * 1926 Births could be registered with the government without church involvement.
 * 1994 Civil registration began.