Peru, Lambayeque Civil Registration - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in the Collection?
This collection consists of births, marriages, deaths, indexes and other records created by civil registration offices in the department of Lambayeque, Peru from 1873 to 1998. Some of these records have been indexed and are searchable as part of this collection. Additional indexed records will be published as they become available.

Earlier records are all handwritten in a narrative format. The later records are also handwritten but on a printed format.

Peru's territory, is divided into 26 units: 25 regions and the Lima Province. The regions are subdivided into provinces (provincias), which are composed of districts (distritos). Lambayeque is a region consisting of three provinces: Chiclayo, Ferrenafe, and Lambayeque.

Before the government instituted civil registration in Peru, the Catholic Church was the only institution tracking the births, marriages, and deaths of the population.

In 1852 the government instituted civil registration. This is the registration of births, marriages, and deaths in Peru and documents the civil status of the residents.

Currently, civil registration is in the hands of RENIEC, which delegates the process to municipal registrars.

As of 8 June 2017 this collection included records from the following districts or municipalities: {| style="width:60%; vertical-align:top;"
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Reading These Records
These records are written in Spanish; see the section For Help Reading these Records for translation helps.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:

How Do I Search the Collection?
You can search the index or view the images or both. Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:


 * Name of the person
 * Approximate date of the event

Search the Index
Search by name by visiting the Collection Page.
 * 1) Fill in the search boxes on the Collection Page with the information you have
 * 2) Click Search to show possible matches

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the Browse Page. br>


 * 1) Select Province
 * 2) Select District or Municiplity
 * 3) Select Record Type and Years to view the images.

For Help Reading these Records:
For help reading these Spanish records, see the following wiki articles:


 * Spanish Genealogical Word List
 * Reading Spanish handwritten records
 * Script tutorial for Spanish

To learn more about using the information in civil records, view these lessons for free:


 * Documentos esenciales para buscar a sus antepasados - Spanish

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.

I Found Who I was Looking for, What Now?

 * When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details that can lead you to other records about your ancestors. Add this new information to your records of each family.
 * Do not forget to cite the record. See below for help citing this collection.
 * If possible, use what you know to find an image of the original record. The index contains only basic identifying information for a person; the original record therefore may contain more information not found in the index.
 * Continue to search the index for family members.

I Can't Find Who I'm Looking for, What Now?

 * New information is constantly being indexed, microfilmed or updated. Periodically check back and see if your ancestor’s records have been added.


 * If you are unable to find your ancestor(s) in these civil registers, then try searching in the areas surrounding Lambayeque. These regions neighbor Lambayeque: Piura on the north, Cajamarca on the east and La Libertad on the south


 * Your ancestor may have immigrated to another country. Search the records of nearby areas or Peru Emigration and Immigration.


 * Church records are also a good substitute when birth, marriage, and death records can’t be found or are unavailable. Before the government instituted civil registration in Peru, the Catholic Church was the only institution tracking the births, marriages, and deaths of the population.

Citations for 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. Below are the proper citations to use for this whole collection as well as for individual records and images within it:

Collection Citation

Record Citation: Image Citation

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