France Archives and Libraries

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France

Archives and Libraries

• Archives collect and preserve original documents of organizations such as churches or governments. Libraries generally collect published sources such as books, maps, and microfilm.
• If you plan to visit a repository, contact them and ask for information about their collection, hours, services, and fees. Ask if they require you to have a reader’s ticket (a paper indicating you are a responsible researcher) to view the records, and ask how to obtain one.
• Although the records you need may be in an archive or library, the Family History Library may have microfilmed and/or digitized copies of them.

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France has three major types of genealogical repositories: Departmental archives Town registrars Other libraries, networks, and archives

Departmental Archives

In France each department has its own archive [Archives départementales] that is separate from those of the national government. Most French records of genealogical value are kept at these archives. Their collections include:

• Civil registration birth, marriage, and death records.

Copies of civil registers that are more than 100 years old are deposited at the departmental archives, except in extremely large towns, which have their own municipal archives.

• Church records (before 1792)
• Census records
• Some notarial records
• Military conscription records

Visiting the Archives

• The departmental archives of France are open to the public. They are usually located in the largest town of the department.
• The archivists or staff members will answer general correspondence inquiries, such as those about the availability of records, but they do not have time to do research for you. They do not make photocopies of records.
• All departmental archives have a reading room in which researchers can do their own research.
• You may want to hire a researcher through a nearby genealogical society to search records at the departmental archives. See the "Societies" section.