All 78 municipalities with parish and civil registry information. Use this guide to identify where records were kept and how far back they extend before searching.
Civil registration began in 1885 for all municipalities existing before that year. For records before 1885, consult the parish. If parish records start after the founding year, earlier records are typically held in the mother town's parish.
Municipality Table
Look up any of the 78 municipalities by name, parish, or mother town.
Go to table ↓Mother-Town Relationships
Find where pre-founding records were kept before your town existed.
Go to tree ↓| Municipality | Founded | Parish | Diocese | Par. Records |
Civil Rec. |
Mother Town(s) |
Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adjuntas | 1815 | San Joaquín y Santa Ana | Ponce | 1815 | 1885 | Utuado, Coamo | Central |
| Aguada | 1639 | San Francisco de Asís | Mayagüez | 1690 | 1885 | San Germán | West |
| Aguadilla | 1775 | San Carlos Borromeo | Mayagüez | 1780 | 1885 | Aguada | West |
| Aguas Buenas | 1838 | Los Santos Reyes | Caguas | 1845 | 1885 | Caguas | Central |
| Aibonito | 1824 | San José | Caguas | 1831 | 1885 | Coamo | Central |
| Añasco | 1733 | San Antonio Abad | Mayagüez | 1733 | 1885 | San Germán, Aguada | West |
| Arecibo | 1616 | Catedral San Felipe Apóstol | Arecibo | 1708 | 1885 | Original Settlement | North |
| Arroyo | 1855 | Nuestra Señora del Carmen | Ponce | 1855 | 1885 | Guayama | Southeast |
| Barceloneta | 1881 | Nuestra Señora del Carmen | Arecibo | 1881 | 1885 | Manatí | North |
| Barranquitas | 1803 | San Antonio de Padua | Caguas | 1803 | 1885 | Coamo | Central |
| Bayamón | 1772 | Invención de la Santa Cruz | San Juan | 1772 | 1885 | San Juan | Metro |
| Cabo Rojo | 1771 | San Miguel Arcángel | Mayagüez | 1771 | 1885 | San Germán | West |
| Caguas | 1775 | Catedral Dulce Nombre de Jesús | Caguas | 1730 | 1885 | San Juan | Metro |
| Camuy | 1807 | San José | Arecibo | 1836 | 1885 | Arecibo | Northwest |
| Canóvanas | 1909 | Nuestra Señora del Pilar | Fajardo-Humacao | 1903 | 1885 | Loíza | Metro |
| Carolina | 1816 | San Fernando | San Juan | 1816 | 1885 | Trujillo Alto | Metro |
| Cataño | 1927 | Nuestra Señora del Carmen | San Juan | 1779 | 1885 | Bayamón | Metro |
| Cayey | 1773 | Nuestra Señora de la Asunción | Caguas | 1774 | 1885 | Coamo | Central |
| Ceiba | 1838 | San Antonio de Padua | Fajardo-Humacao | 1838 | 1885 | Fajardo | East |
| Ciales | 1820 | Nuestra Señora del Carmen | Arecibo | 1820 | 1885 | Manatí | Central |
| Cidra | 1809 | Nuestra Señora del Carmen | Caguas | 1818 | 1885 | Cayey | Central |
| Coamo | 1579 | Parroquia San Blas de Illescas | Ponce | 1701 | 1885 | San Germán | South |
| Comerío | 1826 | Santo Cristo de la Salud | Caguas | 1832 | 1885 | Bayamón, Cidra, Barranquitas | Central |
| Corozal | 1795 | La Sagrada Familia | Arecibo | 1795 | 1885 | Toa Alta | Central |
| Culebra | 1880 | Nuestra Señora del Carmen | Fajardo-Humacao | 1891 | 1885 | Vieques | Island Municipality |
| Dorado | 1842 | San Antonio de Padua | San Juan | 1865 | 1885 | Toa Baja | North |
| Fajardo | 1772 | Santiago Apóstol | Fajardo-Humacao | 1774 | 1885 | Loíza | East |
| Florida | 1971 | Nuestra Señora de la Merced | Arecibo | 1884 | 1885 | Barceloneta | North |
| Guánica | 1914 | San Antonio Abad | Ponce | 1885 | 1885 | Yauco | South |
| Guayama | 1736 | San Antonio de Padua | Ponce | 1813 | 1885 | Coamo | Southeast |
| Guayanilla | 1833 | Inmaculada Concepción | Ponce | 1841 | 1885 | Yauco | South |
| Guaynabo | 1769 | San Pedro Mártir de Verona | San Juan | 1765 | 1886 | Bayamón, San Juan | Metro |
| Gurabo | 1815 | San José | Caguas | 1822 | 1885 | Caguas | East |
| Hatillo | 1823 | Nuestra Señora del Carmen | Arecibo | 1823 | 1885 | Arecibo | North |
| Hormigueros | 1874 | Parroquia Nuestra Señora de la Monserrate | Mayagüez | 1874 | 1885 | San Germán | West |
| Humacao | 1722 | Dulce Nombre de Jesús | Fajardo-Humacao | 1784 | 1885 | Loíza | East |
| Isabela | 1819 | San Antonio de Padua | Arecibo | 1818 | 1885 | Aguadilla | Northwest |
| Jayuya | 1911 | Nuestra Señora de la Monserrate | Ponce | 1883 | 1885 | Utuado | Central |
| Juana Díaz | 1798 | San Ramón Nonato | Ponce | 1787 | 1885 | Ponce | South |
| Juncos | 1797 | Inmaculada Concepción | Caguas | 1797 | 1885 | Humacao | East |
| Lajas | 1883 | San José | Mayagüez | 1885 | 1885 | San Germán | West |
| Lares | 1827 | San José | Arecibo | 1827 | 1885 | San Sebastián | Central |
| Las Marías | 1871 | Nuestra Señora de la Monserrate | Mayagüez | 1842 | 1885 | Mayagüez | West |
| Las Piedras | 1773 | Nuestra Señora de la Inmaculada Concepción | Caguas | 1773 | 1885 | Humacao | East |
| Loíza | 1719 | Espíritu Santo y San Patricio | Fajardo-Humacao | 1792 | 1885 | San Juan | Northeast |
| Luquillo | 1797 | San José | Fajardo-Humacao | 1797 | 1885 | Fajardo | East |
| Manatí | 1738 | Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria y San Matías | Arecibo | 1758 | 1885 | Arecibo | North |
| Maricao | 1874 | San Juan Bautista | Mayagüez | 1864 | 1885 | San Germán | West |
| Maunabo | 1799 | San Isidro Labrador | Caguas | 1800 | 1885 | Yabucoa | Southeast |
| Mayagüez * | 1760 | Catedral Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria | Mayagüez | 1760 | 1885 | Añasco, San Germán | West |
| Moca | 1772 | Nuestra Señora de la Monserrate | Mayagüez | 1775 | 1885 | Aguada | Northwest |
| Morovis | 1818 | Nuestra Señora del Carmen | Arecibo | 1818 | 1885 | Manatí | Central |
| Naguabo | 1821 | Nuestra Señora del Rosario | Fajardo-Humacao | 1798 | 1885 | Humacao | East |
| Naranjito | 1824 | San Miguel el Arcángel | Caguas | 1831 | 1885 | Bayamón | Central |
| Orocovis | 1825 | San Juan Bautista de Barros | Arecibo | 1825 | 1885 | Barranquitas, Coamo | Central |
| Patillas | 1811 | San Benito Abad y Santa Bárbara | Ponce | 1810 | 1885 | Guayama | Southeast |
| Peñuelas | 1793 | Parroquia San José | Ponce | 1845 | 1885 | Ponce | South |
| Ponce | 1692 | Catedral Nuestra Señora de la Guadalupe | Ponce | 1754 | 1885 | San Germán | South |
| Quebradillas | 1823 | San Rafael Arcángel | Arecibo | 1823 | 1885 | Camuy | North |
| Rincón | 1771 | Santa Rosa de Lima | Mayagüez | 1771 | 1885 | Aguada | West |
| Río Grande | 1840 | Nuestra Señora del Carmen | Fajardo-Humacao | 1840 | 1885 | Loíza | East |
| Sabana Grande | 1813 | San Isidro Labrador y Santa María de la Cabeza | Mayagüez | 1808 | 1885 | San Germán | Southwest |
| Salinas | 1820 | Nuestra Señora de la Monserrate | Ponce | 1854 | 1885 | Coamo | South |
| San Germán | 1573 | San Germán de Auxerre | Mayagüez | 1731 | 1885 | Original Settlement | West |
| San Juan | 1521 | Catedral de San Juan Bautista | San Juan | 1625 | 1885 | Original Settlement | Metro |
| San Lorenzo | 1811 | Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes | Caguas | 1811 | 1885 | Caguas | East |
| San Sebastián | 1752 | Parroquia San Sebastián Mártir | Mayagüez | 1765 | 1885 | Aguada | West |
| Santa Isabel | 1842 | Santiago Apóstol | Ponce | 1852 | 1885 | Coamo | South |
| Toa Alta | 1751 | San Fernando Rey | San Juan | 1752 | 1885 | San Juan | Metro |
| Toa Baja | 1745 | San Pedro Apóstol | San Juan | 1781 | 1885 | San Juan | Metro |
| Trujillo Alto | 1801 | Santa Cruz de Trujillo Alto | San Juan | 1840 | 1885 | San Juan | Metro |
| Utuado | 1739 | Parroquia San Miguel Arcángel | Arecibo | 1792 | 1885 | Arecibo | Central |
| Vega Alta | 1775 | Inmaculada Concepción | Arecibo | 1777 | 1885 | Vega Baja | North |
| Vega Baja | 1776 | Nuestra Señora del Rosario | Arecibo | 1779 | 1885 | Manatí | North |
| Vieques | 1852 | Inmaculada Concepción | Fajardo-Humacao | 1844 | 1885 | Humacao | Island Municipality |
| Villalba | 1917 | Nuestra Señora del Carmen | Ponce | 1895 | 1885 | Juana Díaz | Central |
| Yabucoa | 1793 | Santos Ángeles Custodios | Caguas | 1813 | 1885 | Humacao | Southeast |
| Yauco | 1756 | Nuestra Señora del Rosario | Ponce | 1751 | 1885 | San Germán | Southwest |
* Mayagüez records have gaps from the 1918 earthquake and fire. Check FamilySearch for available volumes.
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Mother-Town Relationships
Before a new municipality existed, its residents recorded baptisms, marriages, and burials in the mother town's parish. If you cannot find a record in your town, check the mother town, especially for events before or near the founding year.
Towns with multiple mother towns appear under each parent. Founding year shown in parentheses.