France Civil Registration: Difference between revisions

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*'''1970-2019''' {{RecordSearch|3658994|France, Insee Social Security Death Index, 1970-2019}} at FamilySearch - [[France, Insee Social Security Death Index – FamilySearch Historical Records|How to Use this Collection]]; index  

Civil records are crucial for research in France. Civil authorities began registering births, marriages, and deaths in 1792. After this date, all individuals who lived in France are recorded. Because these records cover all the population, are indexed, are easily accessible, provide more information than church records, and include persons of all denominations, they are the most important source for genealogical research in France. Other significant genealogical sources, such as church records, are not easily available after 1792, not complete, not necessarily accurate and not considered as reliable a source as the civil registers. For many families, civil registers are often the only valuable source of information after 1792.  

For baptism, death, and marriage records before 1792, see the "[[France Church Records|Church Records]]" section.  

The earliest vital records in France were made by the churches at the request of the French kings. In 1792, the revolutionary government made civil officers responsible for keeping vital records. Civil registration was accomplished by requiring the people to report all births, marriages, and deaths to a civil registration office [bureau de l'état civil], usually at the town hall [mairie]. Civil registration was well received, and nearly all of the people were recorded.  

Most French civil registers are written in French, with the exception of areas under a foreign influence. In Alsace-Lorraine, some civil registers are in German. In Nice and Corse, some are in Italian.  

Birth records usually give:

You may also find birth information in the "Family civil registration booklets" described in the following marriage section.

When you cannot find a marriage record, search records of intent to marry.  

You may find records that show a couple's "intent to marry" in addition to or instead of the records of the actual marriage. Various records may have been created that show a couple's intent to marry.  

'''Contracts (contracts de mariage)''' are documents created for the protection of property. These are notarial documents. Sometimes the marriage certificate will show the name and town of the notary who wrote the contract and the date it was written. But these contracts are not usually on microfilm at the FamilySearch Library and are not always deposited at the departmental archives. They may have remained in the office of the notary's successors.

You may find the following records that document the actual marriage.  

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'''Family civil registration booklets (livrets de famille).''' After 1877 the civil registrar gave a booklet to each couple he married. This booklet includes an extract of the marriage record and references to the marriage contract. The couple was responsible for taking the booklet to the registrar as each of their children was born. The registrar would update the booklet with the child's birth information and return the booklet to the parents. The registrar also recorded deaths in this booklet. Families keep possession of their family civil registration booklets and often hand them down to their children.

Divorce was permitted in France from 1792 to 1816 and after 1884. A few divorce records may be found with the marriages in the early period. A marginal note referring to the divorce was noted on the couple's birth certificates in more recent years.  

The FamilySearch Library has a few of the earlier divorce records in its collection of French civil registration. You can also obtain information from divorce records by contacting the civil registration office [bureau de l'état civil] at the town hall [mairie] where the divorce took place.

Death records are especially helpful because they may provide important information on a person's birth, spouse, parents, age, and birthplace. Civil death records often exist for individuals for whom there are no birth or marriage records. Deaths were usually registered within a day or two of the death in the town or city where the person died.  

The death of a soldier who died away from home is usually noted in the death records of the town where the soldier was born. Such an entry may be listed in the records a year or two after the soldier died.

In each town's civil registration office [bureau de l'état civil] births, marriages, and deaths were written in the registers as they occurred and thus are arranged chronologically. Yearly indexes and ten-year indexes to civil registers can help you find your ancestor more easily.  

Yearly indexes and ten-year indexes have several characteristics in common. The registrar usually indexed births, marriages, and deaths separately. The indexes are alphabetical by surname. They usually list the given name(s), document number, and date of the civil register entry. In marriage indexes, the groom's name is usually in alphabetical order, with the bride's maiden surname listed after the groom. In some indexes, only the first letter of the surname is in alphabetical order.

Two civil registers were created for each event. One register is kept at the registrar's office [bureau de l'état civil], usually in the town hall [mairie]. The other register is made available to the public at the departmental archive after it is 100 years old.  

In addition, it helps to know the approximate year in which the birth, marriage, divorce, or death occurred. Records less than 100 years old are confidential. This means the registrar will issue a birth or marriage certificate less than 100 years old only to direct relatives.

For the past few years France has been digitizing its archives (both Civil registers and Parish registers) and making them available online from a variety of Departmental links.  

[https://francearchives.fr/map/b2b076144a3c4392a34b14bb5e364c95 '''Archives en ligne''']

The FamilySearch Library has microfilmed civil registration records from about half the departments of France to the 1870s, and some departments up to 1890. Most of these records are from the northern, eastern, and southern areas of France. Fewer are from central France.  

If the reply does not have the information you request, try to get help from the local genealogical society.

'''Savoie and Nice'''. France controlled the Duchy of Savoie and the County [comté] of Nice from 1792 to 1814 and permanently after 1860. Use the church records of Savoie or Nice for the periods when they belonged to Sardinia and civil registration was suspended. These church records were given to the local community [commune] in 1906, but the ten-year indexes are often missing before 1882. French civil registers were usually made for towns in Savoie from 1792 to 1814 or 1815, and starting again in 1863.  

'''Consulates'''. After 1792 the consuls, like the town registrars in France, had the responsibility of recording the births, marriages, and deaths of French citizens in foreign nations, when it was requested. These records are kept in duplicate. One copy is sent each year to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The following extract forms were created by Dr. George Ryskamp, JD, AG®. These forms can be used for research in France. Click on the type of record form you would like to use and print it for your own files.  

These forms are designed to help you quickly analyze and organize your documents. They can become a personal index for your family records.

Effective use of civil registers includes the following strategies, in addition to the general strategies in the "French Search Strategies" section:  

*Search the civil registers completely before starting to search in the parish registers.

[[Category:France Civil Registration]][[Category:Civil Registration]]