The California State Archives' collections document the broad scope of California government and its impact on the people of the state. Over 105,000 cubic feet of records of all types are represented, including millions of documents and bound volumes, 20,000 maps and architectural drawings, 250,000 photographs, 7,500 video and audio tapes, as well as hundreds of artifacts. Some of our more prominent collection areas are listed below. To search for collections, use our online descriptive catalog Minerva. In addition, finding aids that describe our processed collections are available on the Online Archive of California.
Per Government Code §12237, all records 75 years or older from the date of last activity on deposit at the California State Archives are open to the public.
Per Government Code §7920.000-§7931.000, records less than 75 years old are restricted if they contain an individual’s medical, educational, employment, correctional, financial, and/or personal information. There are also restrictions for records containing attorney, critical infrastructure, investigations, agricultural markets, and agricultural chemicals information. To ensure that only open records are provided to the public, our staff must screen records that may contain information within the restricted categories. This may require significant additional time before we can provide researchers with access to the affected records. As not all entries in Minerva or the Online Archive of California have been updated to reflect these restrictions, please consult us at Reference@sos.ca.gov prior to planning your visit.
Please contact the Reference Desk for more information about our collections.
California Constitutions
Governor's Records
Legislative Resources
State Agencies and Constitutional Officers Records
Trademarks
Family History Resources
Spanish and Mexican Land Grants
Robert F. Kennedy Assassination Investigation Records
Local Government Records
Photograph Collections
Oral Histories
Supreme and Appellate Court Records
Private collections related to elections and political campaigns.
The working files of two private political consulting firms, Whitaker & Baxter Campaigns, Inc. and Braun & Company, are also part of the Archives' collections.
