Argentina Civil Registration: Difference between revisions

Civil registration is the vital records made by the government. Records of births, marriages, and deaths are commonly referred to as "vital records" because they refer to critical events in a person's life. Civil registration (Registros Civiles) records are an excellent source for accurate information on names, dates, and places of births, marriages, and deaths. In addition, civil registration may include divorce records.  

For birth, death, and marriage records before 1886, see [[Argentina Church Records]].  

The earliest vital records in Argentina were made by the churches. In 1886 the civil government began keeping vital records. Even though the law was passed in 1886 most of the provinces started keeping records at different times. Most had the system going by 1900.  

Although civil registration records are an important source for genealogical research in Argentina, many births, marriages, and deaths were never recorded by civil authorities and you must use church records to supplement this genealogical source.  

The information recorded in civil registration records varied over time. The later records generally give more complete  information than the earlier ones.  

The most important civil records for genealogical research are birth, marriage, and death registers. These records may be either hand or typewritten.  

Births were usually registered by the infant’s father or by a neighbor or friend of the family within a few days of the event. A birth record includes the day and time of the birth, the name of the newborn, names of parents, the town where the birth occurred, which may be different than where it was registered, and the address of the house or hospital in which the birth took place. Family information may be included, such as the age of the parents, their birthplaces or residences, marital status, professions, and the number of other children born to the mother. You may also find information about the grandparents.  

Corrections or additions to a birth record may have been added as a note in the margin.  

Early civil marriage entries simply contained the name of the bride and groom and the marriage date. Later more information was entered which may include the ages of the bride and groom, their occupations, civil status, and residence. The names of their parents and even grandparents were given at times along with the birth places for the bride and groom. In current civil marriage records even street addresses are given.  

Because the Catholic Church continued keeping records after the creation of the civil registration in 1886, two types of records are available for the marriages. Be sure to search both records.  

Divorces are not recorded with the civil registration, but rather in the courts. The Family History Library has very few divorce records in its collection. You may obtain information from divorce records by contacting the court of the town or municipality where the divorce took place.  

Early civil death records are especially helpful because they list people for whom there are no birth or marriage records, and they may provide information about the person’s birth, spouse, and/or parents. Deaths were recorded within a few days of the event in the town or city where the person died.  

Where available, indexes can help you find your ancestor more easily. The Family History Library has not microfilmed the civil registration records of Argentina. The Library's collection continues to grow as new records are microfilmed and added to the collection from numerous sources. Don't give up if records are not available yet. The Family History Library Catalog is updated periodically. Check it again every year for the records you need.  

[[Argentina Vital Records Index (FamilySearch Historical Records)]]  

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