Mexico, Sinaloa, Civil Registration - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This is a collection of civil registration records for Sinaloa, 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. These records are written in Spanish. 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, they are generally in good condition to extract genealogical information.

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.

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:

Birth 
 * Place and date of the baptism or confirmation
 * Given name
 * Gender
 * Place and date of birth or age at baptism or confirmation
 * Parents' names, sometimes their residence and/or place of birth
 * Names of maternal and paternal grandparents
 * Names' of godparents

Marriage 
 * Place and date of the marriage
 * Name of the groom
 * Age, place of birth, and/or residence of groom
 * Names of the groom’s parents
 * Name of the bride
 * Age, place of birth, and/or residence of bride
 * Names of the bride’s parents
 * Sometimes the parent’s place of origin and/or civil status
 * Names of witnesses

Death 
 * Place and date of the burial
 * Burial place
 * Name of the principal
 * Place and date of birth or age at time of death
 * Cause of death
 * Residence of the deceased
 * Place of death
 * Civil status of the principal
 * If married, may give the name of the spouse

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?

 * Use the birth date or age along with the place of birth to find the family in 1930, Mexico National Census.
 * Church records are also a good source of genealogical information. You should obtain copies of both church records and civil registration, when possible, since they do not necessarily provide the same information. For example, baptismal registers sometimes provide the names of the fathers of illegitimate children when the civil registration does not.
 * Continue to search the records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives who may have moved or lived nearby. This can help you identify other generations of your family. Repeat this process for each new generation you identify

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

 * The 1930, Mexico National Census can tell you if you ancestors were married civilly, by the Catholic Church or both
 * 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
 * Also, consider looking at collections for surrounding localities. Sonora is to the northwest, Chihuahua to the north east, Durango to the east, and Nayarit to the southeast.

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in Mexico.
 * 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.