Vital records — birth, marriage and death — are the foundations of genealogical research. Divorce records are sometimes classified as vital records, but more often, as court records. We are also including under this section records of "Marriage Dispensations" and "Widow's Pensions" only because we feel they are related to the marriage and death records respectively.

As you begin your research in vital records it is important to realize that in the early days of registration, not all births, marriages and deaths were reported. People living in rural areas often found it a real inconvenience to take a day from work to travel many miles to the local registrar. Some people were suspicious of the government's reasons for wanting such information and simply refused to register. Others may have registered the birth of one child, but not others.

The demographic registrars are official repositories of vital records in the Island since 1885. Prior to that time these events can be found recorded in the registers of christenings, marriages and burials maintained by parish churches.

• Baptismal Records, Juana Díaz - 1878/1879
• Baptismal Records, Juana Díaz - 1882/1883
• Baptismal Records, Juana Díaz - 1883/1884
• Baptismal Records, Juana Díaz - 1885/1886
• Baptismal Records, Juana Díaz - 1893-1894
• Baptismal Records, Toa Alta
• Birth Records, Ponce - 1838
• Death Records, Mayagüez, 1840  [offsite link]
• Funeral Cards Index
• Index of Nieves Surname, Ponce - (1850-1948)
• Marriage Annoucements
• Marriage Dispensations (1848-1860)
• Marriage Records, Cabo Rojo
• Marriage Records, Parroquia Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria, Mayagüez
• Marriage Records, Toa Alta
• Marriage Records, Toa Baja

Our members can also review the following files:

• Altas por Nacimientos, Comerío 1840-1841
• Baptismal Records, Comerío - 1880
• Birth Records, Cabo Rojo
• Death Records, Bayamón, Oct-Dec 1884
• Death Records, Cabo Rojo
• Disminución por Muerte, Comerío - 1840
• Divorce Annoucements
• Marriage Index, Adjuntas -  1900/1952
• Marriage Index, Nevada, USA, 1956-2005