Module 3 — Collect Basic Documents

Learn what documents to look for, where to find Puerto Rican records online for free, and how to read common Spanish terms.

Beginner

Part of the Getting Started in Genealogy free beginner course. ⬇ Download this module as PDF

Learning Objectives

By the end of this module, you will:

Know the five basic document types every beginner should look for
Understand where to find Puerto Rican records online for free
Recognize common Spanish terms found on Puerto Rican civil and church records
Know the difference between civil records and church records in Puerto Rico

The Five Basic Document Types

Document	What It Tells You	Spanish Term
Birth certificate	Full name, date and place of birth, parents’ names	Acta de nacimiento
Marriage certificate	Names of bride and groom, date and place, parents’ names	Acta de matrimonio
Death certificate	Name, date and place of death, age, cause of death, sometimes parents’ names	Acta de defunción
Obituary	Name, surviving family members, funeral details	Obituario
Census record	Household members, ages, birthplaces, occupations	Censo

Key insight: Marriage and death records often name the person’s parents. These records help you jump back one generation.

Puerto Rico’s Two Record Systems

Civil Records (Registro Civil / Registro Demográfico)

Started: 1885 (required by Spanish colonial law)
What they cover: Births, marriages, and deaths registered with the government
Where they are: Originally kept at the municipal level (pueblo). Many are now digitized on FamilySearch.
Online access: Browse Puerto Rico Civil Registration, 1885–2001 on FamilySearch

Church Records (Registros Parroquiales)

Started: As early as the 1700s (some parishes earlier)
What they cover: Baptisms (bautismos), marriages (matrimonios), and burials (entierros)
Where they are: Parish churches, diocesan archives, and many digitized on FamilySearch
Why they matter: Church records often predate civil records. Before 1885, they may be the only record of a birth, marriage, or death.
Online access: Browse Puerto Rico Catholic Church Records, 1645–2021 on FamilySearch

Tip: Always check both systems. A person baptized in 1890 should have both a church baptism record and a civil birth registration. Each may contain different details.

Where to Find Records for Free

Which platform should I use? This guide focuses on FamilySearch because it is free and holds the largest collection of Puerto Rican records. Ancestry.com is a paid alternative with additional tools. See the platform comparison on the intro page for a side-by-side overview before you create an account.

FamilySearch.org (Free)

FamilySearch is the single most important free resource for Puerto Rican genealogy. It holds millions of digitized Puerto Rican records.

Step 1: Create Your Free Account

Without a FamilySearch account, you can browse collection names but cannot view record images. Registration takes about 2 minutes and is completely free — no credit card, no subscription.

FamilySearch is run by a nonprofit organization. It does not sell your data or share your personal information. Your account is private by default.

Go to FamilySearch.org
Click Sign In → Create Account
Enter your name, email, and a password
Check your email and click the verification link
Sign back in — you now have full access to millions of Puerto Rican records

Step 2: Go Directly to Puerto Rico Records

Once registered, go straight to the collections that matter most:

Collection	What’s Included	Link
Civil Registration, 1885–2001	Birth, marriage, and death records for most pueblos	Browse
Catholic Church Records, 1645–2021	Baptisms, marriages, burials from parish registers	Browse
All Puerto Rico Collections	Search across all available record types	Search

Step 3: Search by Pueblo

Go to Search > Records
In the Place field, type the pueblo name (e.g., “Ponce, Puerto Rico” or “Rincon, Puerto Rico”)
Browse the available collections for that pueblo
Click a collection to open it, then search by name or browse by year

Note: Some records are only viewable at a Family History Center or affiliated library. If you see a lock icon, visit FamilySearch Family History Centers to find a center near you.

Your First Search

Try this right now:

Open the Civil Registration collection
Enter the name of the ancestor you most want to find (from your Module 1 worksheet)
Filter by the pueblo name you identified in Module 2
Log the result in your research log whether you find something or not (see Module 4 for the log format)

A “not found” result is still valuable. It tells you to try the church records collection, check neighboring pueblos, or search under a different spelling of the name.

Other Free Resources

Resource	What It Offers	Link
BYU Family History Library — Puerto Rico Research Guide	Comprehensive guide to Puerto Rico record types, repositories, and research strategies	View PDF
Ancestry (via public libraries)	Census, immigration, military records — free with a library card	Check your local library
Find A Grave	Cemetery records and burial information	FindAGrave.com
Newspapers.com (via libraries)	Historical obituaries and news	Check your local library
National Archives (NARA)	Military, immigration, and census records	Archives.gov

What to Look for in Each Record Type

Birth Record (Acta de Nacimiento)

Full name of the child (nombre del niño/a)
Date of birth (fecha de nacimiento)
Place of birth (lugar de nacimiento) — usually the pueblo and barrio
Father’s name and birthplace
Mother’s name and birthplace
Names of grandparents (nombres de los abuelos) — often the key to the next generation

Marriage Record (Acta de Matrimonio)

Full names of bride and groom (contrayentes)
Ages or dates of birth
Place of residence (vecinos de…)
Father’s and mother’s names for both parties
Names of witnesses (testigos) — often relatives or close friends

Death Record (Acta de Defunción)

Full name of the deceased
Date and place of death
Age at death or date of birth
Spouse’s name
Parents’ names (sometimes)
Cause of death (causa de la muerte)

Glossary of Common Spanish Record Terms

Spanish	English
Acta	Record, certificate
Bautismo	Baptism
Barrio	Neighborhood, rural sector within a pueblo
Contrayentes	The contracting parties (bride and groom)
Defunción	Death
Esposo / Esposa	Husband / Wife
Fecha	Date
Hijo/a legítimo/a	Legitimate child (born to married parents)
Hijo/a natural	Natural child (born to unmarried parents)
Hijo/a de crianza	Child raised by someone other than birth parents
Lugar	Place
Madrina	Godmother
Matrimonio	Marriage
Nacimiento	Birth
Natural de	Native of, born in
Nombre	Name
Padrino	Godfather
Pueblo	Town, municipality
Registro Civil	Civil registry
Testigo	Witness
Vecino/a de	Resident of
Viudo / Viuda	Widower / Widow

Reflection Questions

Do you know which pueblo your family came from? If not, that’s your top priority — ask relatives or look at migration records.
Have you checked whether your local public library offers free access to Ancestry.com?
Could church records fill gaps where civil records are missing (especially before 1885)?

What’s Next

In Module 4 — Keep a Research Log, you’ll learn how to track your searches, record what you find (and what you don’t find), and begin citing your sources.

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