Mexico, Campeche, Civil Registration - FamilySearch Historical Records

Title in the Language of the Record
Registro Civil del Estado de Campeche, México.

Record Description
This collection of civil records for Campeche covers the inclusive years of 1860 to 1926.

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. Early 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. Only some of the older registers may have some physical damage. However, in general they are in good condition to extract genealogical information.

The civil registration records of Mexico are a reliable source for doing genealogical research.

For a list of records by localities and dates currently published in this collection, select the Browse link from the collection landing page.

Citation for This Collection
The following citation refers to the original source of the information published in FamilySearch.org Historical Records collections. Sources include the author, custodian, publisher, and archive for the original records.

Suggested citation format for a record in this collection.

Record Content
Birth records usually contain the following information:


 * Date and place of event
 * Name of presenter
 * Name of child
 * Child’s gender
 * Child’s date and place of birth
 * Parents' names
 * Parents' origin and current residence
 * Names of witnesses

Marriage records usually contain the following information:


 * Date and place of marriage
 * Names of the bride and groom
 * Groom's age, occupation and civil status
 * Groom's origin and current residence
 * Names of groom's parents
 * Bride's age, occupation and civil status
 * Bride's origin and current residence
 * Names of bride's parents
 * Names of witnesses
 * Witnesses' age, occupation and civil status

Death records usually contain the following information:


 * Date and place of death
 * Name and age of deceased
 * Civil status and occupation of deceased
 * Origin and current residence
 * Witness' names, age and place of residence
 * Place of internment (sometimes)

How to Use Record
To search the collection, select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page ⇒ Select the "City or Municipality" ⇒ Select the "Record Type and Years" 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. Begin your search by finding your ancestors in the index of birth, marriage, or death. Use the locator information in the index (such as page, entry, or certificate number) to locate your ancestors in the records. Compare the information in the record to what you already know about your ancestors to determine if this is the correct person. You may need to compare the information of more than one person to make this determination. Be aware that as with any index, transcription errors may occur.

For Help Reading These Records
These records are in Spanish. For help reading the records, see the following wiki articles:
 * Mexico Language and Languages
 * Spanish Genealogical Word List

Related Websites

 * Mexico Civil Registration PDF document
 * Dirección General del Registro Civil del Distrito Federal

Related Wiki Articles

 * Campeche
 * 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, Campeche, Civil Registration, 1860 - 1926,” images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org: accessed 22 May 2012, Campeche &gt; Defunctiones 1904 - 1905 &gt; Image 34 of 497, Maria de los Santo Manzanilla, 2 Jan 1904; citing Registro Civil Campeche, Registros civiles del municipio de Champoton, Campeche, 1860 - 1926, Archivo General del Registro Civil del Estado de Campeche, Campeche, México.