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 years from 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.

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)

Search the Collection
To browse the collection by image: ⇒ 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.

Search the collection by image 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.

Using the Information
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 resources:


 * Mexico Language and Languages
 * 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

Surrounding Localities
Unable to find your ancestor? Try looking through records in the surrounding localities. Tabasco is on the western border, Yucatán on the northeastern, Quintana Roo on the southeastern, and Guatemala on the south.

Related Websites

 * Campeche Maps
 * Campeche History

Related Wiki Articles

 * Mexico
 * Campeche
 * Mexico Civil Registration

Citations for This Collection
Citing your sources makes it easy for others to find and evaluate the records you used. When you copy information from a record, list where you found that information. Here you can find citations already created for the entire collection and for each individual record or image. Collection Citation:  Image Citation: