Costa Rica Civil Registration
Introduction
General Historical Background
Information Recorded in Civil Registers
Births (nacimientos)
Marriages (matrimonios, casamientos)
- Costa Rica Marriages 1785-1910 (FamilySearch Historical Records)
- Costa Rica Civil Registration 1860-1975 (FamilySearch Historical Records)
Divorce Records
Deaths (defunciones)
- Costa Rica Civil Registration 1860-1975 (FamilySearch Historical Records)
- Costa Rica Deaths 1787-1900 (FamilySearch Historical Records)
Locating Civil Registration Records
Search Strategies
To effectively use civil records, follow these steps:
- Search for the relative or ancestor you have selected. When you find the person’s birth record, search for the births of his or her brothers and sisters.
- Search for the marriage of his or her parents. The marriage record will often give you information that leads to the parents’ birth record.
- Estimate the parents’ age and search for their birth records.
- Repeat the process for both the father and mother.
- If earlier generations are not in the record, search neighboring municipios.
- Search the death records for all family members.