Capítulo I. Disposiciones generales

The National Registry of Persons, hereinafter RENAP, is hereby created as an autonomous public-law entity with legal personality, its own patrimony, and full capacity to acquire rights and assume obligations. The seat of RENAP is in the capital of the Republic; however, for the performance of its functions, it shall establish offices in all municipalities of the Republic, and it may implement mobile units anywhere in the national territory, and abroad, through consular offices.

The RENAP is the entity responsible for organizing and maintaining the sole register for the identification of natural persons, registering the events and acts relating to their civil status, civil capacity and other identifying data from birth until death, as well as issuing the Personal Identification Document. To that end, it shall implement and develop automated strategies, techniques and procedures that allow for integrated and effective management of information, unifying the registration procedures for the same.

The provisions of this law are of public order and shall take precedence over any others that deal with the same subject matter. In case of doubt, ambiguity or contradiction between one or more of its provisions and other legal rules, those contained in this law shall be applied.

Registrations in the RENAP shall be carried out under simplified criteria, through the use of unified forms and an automated data processing system, which allows the integration of a single identification register of all natural persons, as well as the assignment to each of them, from the moment their birth is registered, of a Unique Identification Code - CUI -, which shall be invariable.

The Unique Identification Code -CUI- to be assigned to each natural person shall consist of thirteen (13) digits, comprising: eight (8) assigned digits, one (1) check digit, two (2) digits identifying the department of birth, and two (2) digits identifying the municipality of birth. These thirteen (13) digits are unique and non-repeatable.

In the case of consular registrations, registrations by naturalization, registrations of foreign residents, or others, as applicable, the boxes corresponding to the department and municipality identification codes shall be used, as established by the Board of Directors of the RENAP.

For purposes of personal identification, the thirteen (13) digits that make up the Unique Identification Code shall be valid.

The Board of Directors of the RENAP shall guarantee mechanisms of certainty and security for the assignment of all Unique Identification Codes -CUI-.