Dominican Republic Civil Registration - FamilySearch Historical Records

Title in the Language of the Records
Registro Civil de la República Dominicana

Collection Time Period
This collection of the civil registration from the Dominican Republic covers the years 1801 to 2006.

Record Description
The records are written both in narrative style and in formatted records. Some records appear damaged; however, genealogical information may still be extracted.

Record Content
The key genealogical facts found in most birth records are: 


 * Date and time of registration
 * Place of registration
 * Witnesses’ names
 * Name of the registrant
 * Date and time of birth
 * Name of the child
 * Child’s legitimacy
 * Parents’ names
 * Parents’ occupations and residence [[Image:Dominican Republic Civil Registration (10-0144) (10-0145) Marriage DGS 4553123 622.jpg|thumb|right]]
 * Sometimes the names of the grandparents

The key genealogical facts found in most marriage records are:


 * Place and date of registration
 * Registrant names (in this case the couple)
 * Groom’s age, marital status, and occupation
 * Groom’s legitimacy and parents' names
 * Bride’s age and marital status [[Image:Dominican Republic Civil Registration (10-0144) (10-0145) Marriage DGS 4553123 622 page 2.jpg|thumb|right]]
 * Bride’s legitimacy and parents' names
 * Residence of parents
 * Witnesses’ names
 * Witnesses’ age, marital status, and occupation
 * Date of the betrothal promise
 * Marriage date

The key genealogical facts found in most death records are:


 * Place of registration
 * Date of registration
 * Time of registration
 * Registrant name
 * Registrant’s age, marital status, occupation, origin, and residence
 * Date, time, and place of death
 * Deceased name
 * Deceased age, marital status, and legitimacy
 * Deceased parents
 * Parents' origin and residence
 * Cause of death
 * Witnesses' names

How to Use the Records
The registration of birth, marriage, and death are a great source for extracting important genealogical information such as: dates, places, given names and surnames, residence of the parents, and sometimes the residences of the grandparents. Witnesses often were relatives of the parents. In order to find a record, it is necessary to know the name and year of the event of an ancestor. It is recommended to first search for the name in the corresponding register’s index.

Record History
With the adoption of the Napoleonic civil code of 1804, the Dominican Republic began the practice of civil registration, creating the offices of the civil state (oficialías del estado civil) in charge of registering the events of birth, marriage, and death in the life of its citizens. However, only some civil registration books dating back to 1823 have been found in the Bayaguana Civil Registry (Oficialía del Estado Civil de Bayaguana). Before that time, the Dominican Republic was under Haitian dominion. It wasn’t until June of 1944 that the National Congress created civil registration law 659, which provided new regulations for the functionality of the civil registration institution. One of the regulations was the creation of the Central Office of the Civil State (Oficina Central del Estado Civil), with civil registration headquarters in the capital city and one or more offices in each municipality. The registration of civil records was to be made in duplicate, and one of the original registers was to be sent annually to the Central Office for preservation. The civil records in this collection cover several municipalities (municipios) throughout the country and may include approximately 370,000 names. The birth of a child must be registered within 30 days of the birth. After that, it is considered a late registration and has penalties. However, to avoid the penalties, many children were not registered.

Why the Record Was Created
Each civil registrar (Oficial del Estado Civil) is required to keep a duplicate registry of the original records of birth, marriage, divorce, and death. At the end of each year, the original registry, together with its corresponding index book, is sent to the Central Office of the Civil State. These civil registrations allow people to be identified as citizens and therefore able to receive governmental benefits in the future.

Record Reliability
The civil registration in the Dominican Republic is considered a great and reliable source for genealogical research.

Related Web Sites
Dominican Republic Genealogy GenWeb Project

Related Wiki Articles
Dominican Republic

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections
When you copy information from a record, you should also 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 Create Source Citations For FamilySearch Historical Records Collections.

Examples of Source Citations for a Record in This Collection

 * “Delaware Marriage Records,” index and images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org: accessed 4 March 2011), entry for William Anderson and Elizabeth Baynard Henry, married 23 November 1913; citing marriage certificate no. 859; FHL microfilm 2,025,063; Delaware Bureau of Archives and Records Management, Dover.


 * “El Salvador Civil Registration,” index and images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org: accessed 21 March 2011), entry for Jose Maria Antonio del Carmen, born 9 April 1880; citing La Libertad, San Juan Opico, Nacimientos 1879-1893, image 50; Ministerio Archivo Civil de la Alcaldia Municipal de San Salvador.

Sources of Information for This Collection:
"Dominican Republic Civil Registration", images, FamilySearch, 2010 from the National Archive, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Dominican Republic Civil Registration. National Archive, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. FHL microfilms. Family History Library, Salt lake City, Utah, USA.

The format for citing FamilySearch Historical Collections, including how to cite individual archives is found in the following link: How to Create Source Citations for FamilySearch Historical Records Collections