California Online Genealogy Records

United States

California

Online Genealogy Records

California Statewide Online Genealogy Records This table shows links to statewide collections. To find links to collections on the county level, use the county Wiki pages. Some subscription websites listed below can be searched for free at a family history center or FamilySearch affiliate library.
For United States nationwide collections, go to the United States Online Genealogy Records page.
Vital Records Births 1800-1994: California County Birth and Death Records at FamilySearch; index & images 1812-1988: California Births and Christenings at FamilySearch; index only; Also at Ancestry ($), American Ancestors ($) 1849-1980: California County Birth, Marriage, and Death Records at Ancestry; index & images ($) 1849-1994: California County Birth and Death Records at Ancestry; images only ($) 1872-1987: California Birth Records from Select Counties at Ancestry; images only ($) 1905-1995: California Birth Index at FamilySearch; index only; Also at Ancestry ($), MyHeritage ($), American Ancestors ($) Marriages 1852-2007: US Marriages – California at Findmypast; index & images ($) 1809-2011: Western States Marriage Index at Ancestry; index only ($) 1850-1877: California Marriages at Ancestry; index only ($) 1850-1941: California Marriage Records from Select Counties at Ancestry; index & images ($) 1850-1945: California Marriages at FamilySearch; index only; Also at Ancestry ($) 1850-1952: California County Marriages at FamilySearch; index & images; Also at MyHeritage ($) 1949-1959: California Marriage Index at Ancestry; index & images ($) 1960-1985: California Marriage Index at FamilySearch; index only; Also at MyHeritage ($) Western States Marriages at BYU Idaho; index only Deaths 1776-2000: California Deaths and Burials at FamilySearch; index only 1800-1994: California County Birth and Death Records at FamilySearch; index & images 1873-1987: California Death and Burial Records from Select Counties at Ancestry; index & images ($) 1905-1939: California Death Index at FamilySearch; index & images; Also at Ancestry ($) 1935-2014: United States Social Security Death Index at FamilySearch; Also at: Ancestry ($) 1936-2007: US Social Security Applications and Claims Index at Ancestry; index only ($) 1940-1997: California Death Index at FamilySearch; index only; Also at Ancestry ($), MyHeritage ($) Divorce 1966-1984: California Divorce Index at FamilySearch; index only; Also at Ancestry; index ($) African American See US African American Online Genealogy Records The Negro trail blazers of California at FamilySearch; images only Archives and Libraries California State Archives at California Secretary of State Online Archive of California Biography 1769-1848: California Pioneer Index at Ancestry; index only ($) 1781-1990: California Biographical Index Cards at Ancestry; index & images ($) 1790-1950: California Pioneer and Immigrant Files at Ancestry; index & images ($) 1822-1964: California Biographical Collection: Responses to Vital Record Inquiries at Ancestry; index & images ($) 1928: US Women of the West at Ancestry; index & images ($) Biographical Materials for the State of California at Online Archive of California California Biographies at California Genealogy County and Town Histories, includes biographies Cemetery Records 1801-1932: California Mortuary and Cemetery Records at Ancestry; index & images ($) 1850-1960: California Cemetery Transcriptions at FamilySearch; index & images 1895-1985: California, San Francisco Area Funeral Home Records at Ancestry; index & images ($) BillionGraves Index at FamilySearch; index & images California Cemeteries at BillionGraves California Cemetery Records at FindAGrave Census See US Census Online Genealogy Records 1796-1798: California Spanish Mission Censuses at Ancestry; index & images ($) 1852: California State Census at FamilySearch; index & images; Also at Ancestry ($) 1928-1933: California Index to Census Roll of Indians at Ancestry; index & images ($) Church Records 1864-1985: California Church Records at FamilySearch; index & images Early California Population Project at The Huntington Compiled Genealogies 1500-2000: North America Family Histories at Ancestry; index & images ($) Court and Criminal Records Directories 1889-1891: San Francisco, California Directories at Ancestry; index only ($) California City Directories at Ancestry; index and images ($) History County and Town Histories, includes biographies The 1906 San Francisco Earthquake and Fire at Bancroft Library Online Archives of California Immigration Records See US Immigration Online Genealogy Records 1790-1950: California Pioneer and Immigrant Files at Ancestry; index & images ($) 1882-1947: California San Francisco Chinese passenger lists at FamilySearch; index & images 1882-1953: [https://search.findmypast.com/search-world-records/united-states-california-immigration-office-special-inquiry-records United States, California Immigration Office Special Inquiry Records] at Findmypast; index & images ($) 1882-1959: California Arriving Passenger and Crew Lists at Ancestry; index & images ($) 1893-1934: California index to San Francisco passenger lists at FamilySearch; index & images 1893-1943: California Chinese Partnerships and Departures from San Francisco at FamilySearch; index & images 1893-1953: California, San Francisco Passenger Lists at FamilySearch; index & images 1893-1953: California, San Francisco Register of Chinese Immigrant Court Cases and Foreign Seamen Tax Cards at FamilySearch; index & images 1893-1957: California Passenger Lists at MyHeritage; index & images ($) 1896-1921: California, San Francisco Crew Manifests at FamilySearch; index & images 1903-1918: California Customs passenger lists of vessels arriving at San Francisco at FamilySearch; index & images 1903-1944: California Index to Chinese Exclusion Case Files at Ancestry; index only 1904-1952: California, San Diego Passenger Lists at FamilySearch; index & images 1905-1923: California, San Diego Chinese Passenger and Crew Lists at FamilySearch; index & images 1906-1935: California Pioneer Migration Index, Compiled at FamilySearch; index & images 1907-1911: California Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at San Francisco from Insular Possessions at FamilySearch; index & images 1907-1948: California, Los Angeles Passenger Lists at FamilySearch; index & images 1907-1956: California Passenger and crew lists at various ports at FamilySearch; index & images 1912-1946: California Certificates Surrendered at San Francisco rom Aliens Previously at Honolulu, Hawaii at FamilySearch; index & images 1928-1942: California Immigration Registers of Japanese, Filipinos, and Hawaiians at San Francisco at FamilySearch; index & images 1929-1954: California, San Diego Airplane Passenger and Crew Lists at FamilySearch; index & images; Also at Ancestry ($) 1930-1936: California San Pedro, Immigration Office Special Inquiry Records at FamilySearch; index & images	Immigration Records Cont. 1930-1949: California List of US Citizens Arriving at San Francisco at FamilySearch; index & images 1936-1949: California, San Francisco Airplane Arrival Card Index at FamilySearch; index & images 1947-1948: California Airplane Passenger Lists from Honolulu, Hawaii at FamilySearch; index & images 1954-1957: California, San Francisco Passenger and Crew Lists of Vessels Arriving at FamilySearch; index & images Index to the Roster of California Pioneers at Native Daughters of the Golden West Cultural Immigration Groups 1920-1939: Germany, Bremen Emigration Lists at MyHeritage; index only ($); includes those with Destination of California Germans Immigrating to the US at MyHeritage; index only ($); includes those with Destination of California Italians Immigrating to the US at MyHeritage; index only ($); includes those with Destination of California Russians Immigrating to the US at MyHeritage; index only ($); includes those with Destination of California Indigenous Peoples of California See US Native American Online Genealogy Records Land Records 1784-1868: California Spanish Archive Records at Ancestry; index & images ($) 1800-1955: US Bureau of Land Management Tract Books at FamilySearch; index & images 1849-1895 United States, California, Indexes to Private Land Claims Dockets at FamilySearch; index & images 1852-1858: California Private Land Claim Dockets at Ancestry; index & images ($) 1921-1952: California Alien Land Ownership Records at Ancestry; index & images ($) Maps Atlas of Historical County Boundaries at Newberry Library Maps of California at MapofUS.org Military Nationwide Databases US Military Online Genealogy Records General Records 1858-1923: California Military Registers at Ancestry; index & images ($) Indian Wars, dates vary See US Military Online Genealogy Records Revolutionary War, 1774-1783 See US Military Online Genealogy Records War of 1812, 1812-1815 See US Military Online Genealogy Records Mexican War, 1846-1848 See US Military Online Genealogy Records Florida War, 1855-1858 See US Military Online Genealogy Records Civil War, 1861-1865 See US Military Online Genealogy Records 1861-1867: Records of California men in the War of the Rebellion at Ancestry; index and images ($) Spanish-American War, 1898 See US Military Online Genealogy Records World War I, 1917-1918 See US Military Online Genealogy Records 1914-1918: California Geographical and Name Index of Californians who served in WWI at FamilySearch; index & images 1914-1918: California Honor Roll of Californians who served in WWI at FamilySearch; index & images 1917-1918: California WWI Soldier Photographs at Ancestry; index & images ($) 1917-1918: California WWI Soldier Service Cards and Photos at Ancestry; index & images ($) 1917-1918: US World War I Draft Registration Cards at FamilySearch; index & images 1918-1921: California WW I Death Announcements at Ancestry; index & images ($) 1918-1921: California WW I Soldier Citations at Ancestry; index & images ($) World War II, 1941-1945 See US Military Online Genealogy Records US Japanese Americans Relocated During WW II at Ancestry; index only ($) JARDA-Japanese American Relocation Digital Archives at CaliSphere Korean War, 1950-1953 See US Military Online Genealogy Records Vietnam War, 1964-1972 See US Military Online Genealogy Records Naturalization See US Naturalization Online Genealogy Records 1791-1992: US Naturalization Record Indexes at Ancestry; index & images ($) 1794-1995: US Naturalization Records Indexes for California at Ancestry; index & images ($) 1795-1925: US Passport Applications at Ancestry; index & images ($) 1831-1985: California County Naturalizations at FamilySearch; index & images 1840-1957: US Naturalization Records at Ancestry; index & images ($) 1843-1999: California Federal Naturalization Records at Ancestry; index & images ($) 1850-1986: California State Court Naturalization Records at Ancestry; index & images ($) 1852-1932: Shasta county, California Naturalization Records at Ancestry; index only ($) 1852-1989: California, Northern US District Court Naturalization Index at FamilySearch; index & images 1852-1989: US Naturalization Records, Northern California at MyHeritage; index & images ($) 1868-1958: California, San Diego Naturalization Index at FamilySearch; index & images 1868-1958: Naturalization Index Cards from the Superior Court of San Diego, CA at Fold3 ($) 1876-1915: Naturalizations - Naturalization Records of the Superior Court of Los Angeles, CA at Fold3 ($) 1883-1958: Naturalization Records - San Diego, CA at Fold3 ($) 1887-1949: Naturalization Petitions for the Southern District Of California at Fold3 ($) 1906-1946: San Francisco, California Surrendered Alien Certificates at Ancestry; index & images ($) 1915-1976: California Southern District Court (Central) Naturalization Index at FamilySearch; index & images Newspapers 1846-2007: California Newspaper Archives at GenealogyBank 1847-2009: California Newspapers at MyHeritage; index & images ($) California Digital Newspaper Collection at UCR.edu Digitized Newspapers at Chronicling America Obituaries 1894-1979: California, Berkeley Public Library Obituary Index at Ancestry; index only ($) 1980-2014: US GenealogyBank Obituaries at FamilySearch; index & images Periodicals PERiodical Source Index at Findmypast; index & images ($) Probate Records 1782-1999: California Wills and Probate Records at Ancestry; index & images ($) 1833-1991: California Probate Estate Files at FamilySearch; images only ($) 1850-1953: California Wills and Probate Records at Ancestry; index & images ($) Early California Wills at Ancestry; index and images ($) Tax Records 1862-1874: US Internal Revenue Assessment Lists at FamilySearch; images only Voting Registers 1866-1898: California, Voter Registers at Ancestry; index & images ($) 1866-1910: California Great Registers at FamilySearch; index only; Also at MyHeritage ($) 1900-1968: California Voter Registrations at Ancestry; index & images ($)

California Wiki Topics

Beginning Research

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Record Types

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California Background

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Cultural Groups

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Local Research Resources

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A national directory from the Library of Congress that lists of libraries around the country that have the newspapers in their collections.