Guatemala Civil Registration - FamilySearch Historical Records

Title in the Language of the Records
Registro Civil de Guatemala

Record Description
This collection of civil registration records from Guatemala covers the years 1877 to 2008 and includes birth, marriage, and death records.

For a list of collections available for each department, see the section "FamilySearch Historical Records Collections" below.

The first records were handwritten in narrative style. Later ones were created in formatted records. The text of all these records is written in Spanish; for translation help, see the section "For Help Reading These Records" below.

Guatemala established the civil registry on September 9, 1877, and set the regulations of the institution. With the civil code of 1933, the same regulations were kept with a few modifications. With the civil code of 1964 and decree number 106, a few amendments were made which set the civil registration as it currently exists. The entire population must be registered at birth; there is a registration office in each municipality.

Most of the records are in relatively good preservation. However, some of the older registers may have some physical damage, but in general they are in good condition for the extraction of genealogical information. Additional images will be published as they become available.

The civil registry registers all the principal events in the life of the people of Guatemala, from their birth to their death. A unique code is assigned to each citizen at the time of the birth registration. This code includes the department and municipality codes of the place where the person was born. These codes are determined by the board of directors of the National Registry of the People (RENAP – Registro Nacional de las Personas). RENAP is an institution under the Judicial Department, with the seat in Guatemala City.

The link to the Guatemala, Civil Registration, 1877-2008 collection covers all of Guatemala, but is not a complete collection. For a list of all the departments and cities contained in this collection, see the Provinces of Guatemala - Civil Registration coverage table.

If you're looking for an ancestor in Guatemala prior to 1877, try searching the collection Guatemala Catholic Church Records (FamilySearch Historical Records).

FamilySearch Historical Records Collections
Click on the name of the department or the department itself to see what civil records are available for that area.

Record Content
Birth records generally contain the following information:
 * Date and place of the birth
 * Name of the child
 * Child’s gender
 * Child’s date of birth
 * Legitimacy
 * Parents' names, residence, or places of origin
 * Names of the witnesses

Marriage records generally contain the following information:
 * Date and place of the event
 * Names of the bride and groom
 * Their civil statuses (widowed, single, divorced) at the time of the marriage
 * Places of origin and residence of the bride and groom
 * Names of the parents
 * Names of the witnesses

Death records generally contain the following information:
 * Place and date of death
 * Name of the deceased
 * Civil status of the deceased at the time of death
 * Civil status and the name of the spouse, if married at the time of death
 * Names of the parents
 * Sometimes the place of burial

How to Use the Records
When searching: As you are searching it is helpful to know such information as your ancestor's given name and surname, some identifying information such as residence, age, an estimated event year, and one or both of the parents' names.

Search the Collection
If part or all of the collection has been indexed: Fill in the requested information in the initial search page. This search will return a list of possible matches. Compare the information about the ancestors in the list to what you already know about your ancestors to determine if this is the correct family or person. You may need to compare the information about more than one person to find your ancestor.

To search by image: To search the collection you will need to follow this series of links: ⇒Select the "Browse" link in the initial search page ⇒Select the "Province" category ⇒Select the "City or Municipality" category ⇒Select the "Record type and year range" category which takes you to the images

Search the collection by image comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine if the image relates to them. You may need to look at several images and compare the information about the individuals listed in those images to your ancestors to make this determination.

For Help Reading These Records
These records are in Spanish. For help reading the records, see the following resources:
 * Spanish Genealogical Word List
 * BYU Spanish Script Tutorial
 * FamilySearch Learning Center videos:
 * Reading Spanish Handwritten Records, Lesson 1
 * Reading Spanish Handwritten Records, Lesson 2
 * Reading Spanish Handwritten Records, Lesson 3

Using the Information
The civil registration records of Guatemala are an excellent source for genealogical research after 1877. Important genealogical data can be found in these records, which may also include data about other generations of ancestors.

Tips to Keep in Mind

 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.
 * Remember that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name as your ancestor and that your ancestor may have used nicknames or different names at different times.
 * Titles may be clues to property ownership, occupations, rank, or status within the community.
 * Continue to search the index and records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives who may have served in the same unit or a nearby unit.
 * Be aware that, as with any index, transcription errors may occur.

Unable to Find Your Ancestor?
It is suggested to search the indexes, whenever possible, for the surnames of ancestors.

Check for variant spellings of the names.

It's possible that some images/records may be missing; check the section "Known Issues" below by clicking on the text in the right-hand box for ways to view missing images.

Known Issues with This Collection
For a full list of all known issues associated with this collection, please read the attached Wiki article. If you encounter additional problems, feel free to report them at [mailto:support@familysearch.org support@familysearch.org]. Please include the full path to the link and a description of the problem in your e-mail. Your assistance will help ensure that future reworks will be considered.

Related Websites

 * Guatemala Maps
 * Guatemala History

Related Wiki Articles

 * Guatemala, Guatemala City, Census, 1877 (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * Guatemala
 * Guatemala Civil Registration
 * If looking for an ancestor in Guatemala prior to 1877, try searching the collection Guatemala Catholic Church Records (FamilySearch Historical Records).

Citations for This Collection
When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information; that is, cite your sources. This will help people find the record again and evaluate the reliability of the source. 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. Citations are available for the collection as a whole and each record or image individually.

Collection Citation:

Record Citation (or citation for the index entry):

Image Citation: