California Death Index 1905-1939 - FamilySearch Historical Records

Collection Time Period
The records cover the years 1905 to 1939.

Record Description
The collection consists of digital images of the death index located at the Office of the State Register, Sacramento, and the Butte County Courthouse, Oroville. The index is arranged alphabetically by the name of the deceased.

Record Content
The key genealogical facts the California Death Index record may include:


 * Name of the deceased
 * Initials of the spouse
 * Age
 * Gender
 * Date of death
 * Place of death or county of death
 * Place of Birth
 * Father's Place of Birth
 * Mother's Place of Birth
 * Occupation
 * Cause of Death
 * Father's Name
 * Mother's Maiden Name

Why This Record Was Created
Death records from various counties prior to July 1905 when the state of CA began indexing the deaths of the state. California became a state in 1850 with 27 original counties. Although the state mandated the keeping of records, this mandate was NOT enforced and therefore each county kept records according to the whim of the local County Recorder. Today, there are 58 counties from that original 27. Thus, some counties will have records from an earlier date than others, depending upon both whimsy and the inception date of individual counties. Very few, if any, records are available before the 1860s. Please use the map link above the Table of Counties to see how the counties have changed over time.

Record Reliability
These records are very reliable.

Related Websites
Online Los Angeles, California Death Records & Indexes

Online California Death Records & Indexes

This section of the article is incomplete. You can help FamilySearch Wiki by supplying links to related websites here.

Related Wiki Articles
California Vital Records

California Genealogy

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections
When you copy information from a record, you should also list where you found the information. This will help you or others to find the record again. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records.

A suggested format for keeping track of records that you have searched is found in the Wiki Article: How to Cite FamilySearch Collections.

Examples of Source Citations for a Record in This Collection

 * “Delaware Marriage Records,” index and images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org: accessed 4 March 2011), entry for William Anderson and Elizabeth Baynard Henry, married 23 November 1913; citing marriage certificate no. 859; FHL microfilm 2,025,063; Delaware Bureau of Archives and Records Management, Dover.
 * “El Salvador Civil Registration,” index and images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org: accessed 21 March 2011), entry for Jose Maria Antonio del Carmen, born 9 April 1880; citing La Libertad, San Juan Opico, Nacimientos 1879-1893, image 50; Ministerio Archivo Civil de la Alcaldia Municipal de San Salvador.

Sources of information for This Collection
"California, Death Index, 1905-1939." FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org). Office of the State Register, Sacramento, and the Butte County Courthouse, Oroville. FHL microfilm, 7 reels. Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah.

The suggested format for citing FamilySearch Historical Collections is found in the following article: How to Create Source Citations For FamilySearch Historical Records Collections