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California Research Tips and Strategies

Revision as of 21:46, 16 February 2025 by Batsondl (talk | contribs) (→‎Further California Research)

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Beginning Research
Record Types
California Background
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Local Research Resources

Purpose of Research Tips and Strategies Wiki Page

The California Research Tips and Strategies page consists of links to specific research strategies for California. It also contains general tips and other resources for finding your ancestors in this locality.

California Research Strategies

Below are links to different research strategy pages to help you locate your ancestors in California:

Finding California Birth, Marriage or Death Records

Finding California Records

California Statewide Databases

California Research Process

California Research Tips

These tips will help you as you research your ancestors in California:

Birth and Death information:

  • Statewide registration: The state began registering births in July 1905 and deaths in 1900 and was generally complied with by 1920.
  • County regististration: Some county recorders kept vital statistics before 1905. Monterey County, for example, recorded a few births as early as 1824. Most clerks kept better records in the decades following the Gold Rush.


Substitute Records:

  • Secondary source: Substitute records are used when primary sources do not exist for an event, such as birth, marriage, and deaths. Secondary sources list information about the event but they were not recorded at the time of the event and they are not an official record of the event.
  • Accuracy: Because the information about an event in substitute records was not the official recording of the event (such as, cemetery or obituary records) inaccuracy may occur. Use other substitute records to help varify information.
  • List of substitute records: See California Substitute Records for more information.


Finding Parents:

  • Death records: Death records created by the county starting in 1882 may contain parents of the deceased. However, state recorded deaths required birth and parent information. Information is only as accurate as a grieving relative remembers.
  • Obituaries: Official obituaries can also include the names of parents and other family members. See California Newspapers and California Obituaries for more information.
  • Church records: Knowing the denominiation of the church the family belonged to helps in locating information about the parents. See California Church Records for more information.


Census Records:

  • Check all census years: Always look for your ancestor in every possible census to learn more about them and their family members. See California Census Records for more information.
  • Clues to other records: There are clues in censuses regarding immigration, naturalization, and occupation that can lead to other records.
  • Finding families: Starting in 1850, all members of the household were listed in the census. By 1880, relationship to the head of household was added.

Further California Research

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