The California State Archives has some original and microfilm local government records from 28 California counties. Types of records include: Probate (primarily indexes and case files), Courts (County, District, Judicial, and Superior Court case files, judgments, registers, and fee books), Bonds, Letters and Wills, Naturalization, Deeds, Homesteads (may include Homestead declarations and indexes), Birth (may include indexes to births, registers of births, and delayed certificates of births), Death (may include indexes and registers of death), Marriage (may include indexes, and affidavits for marriage licenses), Great Registers (voter registration), Declaration of Intention (related to Naturalization), and Miscellaneous (may include records from the following county offices: Assessor, Clerk/Recorder, Treasurer, and Auditor).

Most of the county records available at the California State Archives are microfilm copies produced by the Genealogical Society of Utah and are also available through local Church of Jesus Christ of Latter–day Saints (LDS) Family History Centers. These records do not always include name indexes. Researchers should also contact or visit the county clerk or recorder's office where the record was filed.

For a history of California's county archives, see Owen C. Coy, Guide to the County Archives of California (PDF) (Sacramento, 1919).

Inventory of County and City Records Available at the California State Archives

Inventory Key

  • * Microfilmed records produced by the Genealogical Society of Utah available at the California State Archives and through local LDS Family History Centers.
  • ** Uncataloged records – dates and types of records only generally accurate.
  • # Check with California State Archives reference staff for actual holdings.

Records bearing no notations are available in hard copy or microfilm only at the California State Archives.

  • Alameda County – Marriage, 1854–1955*
  • Amador County – Probate, 1854–1921*; Naturalization, 1854–1950*; Deeds, 1886–1901*; Homesteads, 1860–1936*; Marriage, 1905–1925*; Great Register, 1866, 1880–1896*
  • Butte County – Probate, 1850–1918*; Naturalization, 1850–1930*; Deeds, 1850–1910*; Homesteads, 1860–1927*; Birth, 1873–1918*; Death, 1888–1939*; Marriage, 1851–1933, 1949-1959*; Great Register, 1866–1909*
  • Colusa County** – Probate, 1851–1930*; Naturalization, 1855–1930*; Deeds, 1844–1911*; Homesteads, 1861–1927*; Death, 1878–1921*; Marriage, 1907–1922*; Declaration of Intention, 1866–1909
  • Contra Costa County – Fiscal Records, 1873–1908
  • El Dorado County – Probate, 1850–1920*; Bonds, Letters and Wills, 1867–1920*; Naturalization, 1850–1986*; Deeds, 1851–1902*; Homesteads, 1860–1937*; Birth, 1878–1922*; Death, 1907–1928*; Marriage, 1859–1932*
  • Fresno County – Probate, 1880–1920*; Naturalization, 1856–1934*; Deeds, 1875–1900*; Birth, 1873–1950*; Death, 1878–1950*; Marriage, 1856–1919*
  • Glenn County – Superior Court, 1891–1973
  • Humboldt County – Probate, 1853–1898*; County, Judicial and Superior Court, 1853–1883
  • Imperial County – Deeds, 1851-1907*; Marriage, 1903–1923*
  • Kings County – Kings County – Assessment Rolls, 1893-1946, Treasurer’s Records, 1893-1944, Miscellaneous Records, 1893-1969*
  • Marin County – Probate, 1850–1924*; County, Judicial and Superior Court, 1850–1939; Bonds, Letters and Wills, 1853–1914*; Marriage, 1873–1936 (1873–1919*); Great Register, 1866–1908*; Miscellaneous, 1870–1950#
  • Mariposa County – Miscellaneous, 1866–1892#
  • Mendocino County – Probate, 1854–1942 (1854–1922*); County, Judicial, and Superior Court, 1858–1901; Miscellaneous, 1858–1967#
  • Napa County – Probate, 1851–1919*; Bonds, Letters and Wills, 1849–1919*; Naturalization, 1856–1939*; Marriage, 1893–1939*; Declaration of Intention, 1856–1936*
  • City of Napa – Assessment Books, 1890–1969
  • Nevada County – Probate, 1880–1924*; Townsite Notes, n.d.
  • Orange County – Naturalization, 1889–1944*; Homesteads, 1889–1926*
  • Placer County – Probate, 1850–1937*; Bonds, Letters, and Wills, 1879–1929*; Naturalization, 1852–1986*; Deeds, 1851–1907*; Homesteads, 1861–1920*; Marriage, 1852–1938*; Declaration of Intention, 1863–1926*
  • Sacramento County – County Court Index, 1850–1879*
  • San Diego County – Probate, 1886–1918*; Wills, 1880–1920*
  • Santa Barbara County – Probate, 1862*; Wills, 1852–1936*; Naturalization, 1856–1939*; Deeds, 1844–1922*; Homesteads, (dates unknown); Declaration of Intention, 1850–1906*
  • Santa Clara County – Probate, 1850–1920*; Wills, 1866–1912*; Birth, 1873–1905*; Death, 1873–1905*; Marriage, 1846–1919*; Index to Obituaries, 1877–1901*; Declarations of Intention, 1850–1930*
  • Sierra County – Assessors Map, 1966
  • Sonoma County – Probate, 1857–1921*; County, Judicial and Superior Court, 1848–1906; Wills, 1852–1955*; Naturalization, 1850–1903*; Declaration Of Intention, 1891–1935
  • Stanislaus County – Probate, 1854–1941*; Bonds, Letters, and Wills, 1911–1921*; Naturalization, 1856–1978*; Deeds, 1854–1902*; Homesteads, 1860–1904*; Birth, 1873–1905*; Marriage, 1854–1920*; Declaration of Intention, 1854–1976*
  • Sutter County** – Probate, 1872–1926*; County, Judicial and Superior Court, 1871–1927; Naturalization, 1854–1927*; Deeds, 1849–1904*; Homesteads, 1851–1937*; Birth, 1905–1926*; Death, 1905–1921*; Marriage, 1889–1930*
  • Tulare County – Deeds, 1854–1913; Homesteads, 1879–1923*
  • Yolo County** – Probate, 1850–1923*; Naturalization, 1850–1941*; Deeds, 1874–1901*; Homesteads, 1861–1914*; Death, 1863–1913*; Marriage, 1906–1920*
  • Yuba County** – Probate, 1850–1932*; Naturalization, 1851–1941; Deeds, 1888–1906*; Marriage, 1897–1923*; Miscellaneous, 1850–1927#