Latvia Civil Registration

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Latvia

Civil Registration

Online Resources

• 1600s-1900s Latvia Birth Records(*) at FamilySearch Explore Historical Images
• 1600s-1900s Latvia Death Certificates(*) at FamilySearch Explore Historical Images
• 1900s Latvia Civil Registration Records(*) at FamilySearch Explore Historical Images

Background

Beginning in the late seventeenth-century, civil registration was the responsibility of the church. To learn about church records in Latvia, see the Latvia Church Records page.

In 1921, Latvijas Satversmes Sapulce (The Latvian Constitutional Assembly) passed a law on civil status registration that required that births, marriages, and deaths must also be recorded at a local civil registration office. Civil registration offices began to be established in 1922. If you are looking for records prior to 1922, please see Latvia Church Records.

Under Soviet rule, civil registration was also required.

Accessing the Records

All records created after 1910 are available through the Registry Office Archives of the Ministry of Justice. If your ancestor was from the City of Riga, records after 1921 can be obtained from the Riga civil registration office.

Registry Office Archives of the Ministry of Justice

Contains records post 1910

Website	https://www.tm.gov.lv/lv/pakalpojumi-0
Address	Aleksandra Čaka iela 38A Latgales priekšpilsēta Rīga, LV-1011, Latvia
Email	dzimts.dep@tm.gov.lv

In some cases, you may need to work with the U.S. Embassy in Latvia to order records. Visit their website here.

Riga City Civil Registry Office

Contains records for residents of the City of Riga post 1921

Website	https://pasvaldiba.riga.lv/EN/Channels/Riga_Municipality/Executive_authority/ Special_Status_Institutions/dzimsrakstu_nodala/default.htm
Address	Aglonas iela 4B Latgales priekšpilsēta Rīga, LV-1057, Latvia
Email	dzn@riga.lv

Online Collections

If your ancestor was a British citizen, you may be able to find records in the 1850-1940 - Great Britain, Consulate (Riga, Latvia), Consulate register, 1850-1940

Information Recorded in Civil Records

Records may contain the following information:

Birth Records

• Name and surname of the child
• Date, time and place of birth
• Names and surnames of child’s parents
• Confession
• Social status or occupation (in some cases place of origin)
• Whether the child was born in wedlock
• Names of godparents
• Name and surname of person who performed the baptism
• Place of baptism

Marriage Records

• Names and surnames of groom and bride
• Ages
• Social status and occupation
• Birth places and confession
• Previous family status
• Date of engagement
• Date of marriage
• Names and surnames of groom’s and bride’s parents
• Whether alive or deceased
• Social status and occupation
• Information about the clergyman

Death registers

• Name and surname of the deceased person
• Place of birth
• Age
• Family status
• Date and place of death
• Cause of death
• Date of funeral (in some cases also the place)