California, San Francisco Customs Passenger Lists - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection contains passenger lists of vessels arriving at San Francisco, California, January 1903-April 1918. These records correspond with NARA publication M1412 and were filmed at the NARA facility in College Park, Maryland.

The information was supplied by the immigrant or a traveling companion (usually a family member). Incorrect information was occasionally given, or mistakes may have been made when the clerk guessed at the spelling of foreign names.

Passenger arrival lists known as customs manifests date back to 1820. Congressional action in 1891 resulted in federal immigration officials recording the immigrants’ arrival. Arrival lists were used by legal authorities to gather personal information about immigrants prior to the person being allowed to live in the United States.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
Passenger Lists may contain the following information:
 * Full name
 * Age
 * Gender
 * Occupation
 * Citizenship
 * Race
 * Birthplace
 * Final destination

How Do I Search the Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The full name of your ancestor
 * The approximate age or date of immigration

If you do not know this information, check the census records after 1900.

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the :
 * 1) Select the NARA Roll Number to view the images.

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

What Do I Do Next?
If these are indexes, the original records may contain additional information than was not indexed, or the information might have been indexed incorrectly.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Use the information found in the record to find a ship manifest
 * Search for vital records, such as marriage and death
 * Search for naturalization records
 * Use the information found in the record to find additional family members in census records

I Can’t Find the Person I’m Looking For, What Now?

 * If your ancestor does not have a common name, collect entries for every person who has the same surname. This list can help you find possible relatives
 * If you cannot locate your ancestor in the locality in which you believe they lived, then try searching records of a nearby town or county
 * Try different spellings of your ancestor’s name
 * Remember that sometimes individuals went by nicknames or alternated between using first and middle names, or even initials
 * Look for the Declaration of Intent soon after the immigrant arrived. Then look for the naturalization petition five years later, when the residency requirement would have been met. Look for naturalization records in federal courts, then in state, county, or city courts. An individual may have filed the first and final papers in different courts and sometimes in a different state if the person moved. Immigrants who were younger than 18 when they arrived did not need to file a Declaration of Intent as part of the process
 * Check other possible ports of entry

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in the state of California.
 * California Guided Research
 * Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step Research: 1850-1905 | 1905-Present

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.

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