California State Archives

In the first California legislature meeting of 1849, provision was made to store public records and maps, as well as documents for the history and administration of the new state. Currently the state archives have over 105,000 cubic feet of records of all types, 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 the many records in the archives are theseFamily History Resources in Genealogy - California State Archives (accessed 5 May 2014):


 * 1852 State Census
 * County Records 1850–1987 for 28 counties (can include probate, naturalization, deeds, homesteads, and vital records)
 * Mental Health Records* 1856–1934 (for six state hospitals)
 * Military Records 1850–1942
 * Prison Records* 1850–1979
 * Supreme and Appellate Court Cases 1850–1970
 * Common School Reports 1862–1960
 * Common School Reports 1862–1960
 * Department of Professional and Vocational Standards/Consumer Affairs – Licensing Files* 1885–1968

Records marked with an asterisk (*) may contain restricted documents. Please consult the Reference Archivist for more information. Records more than 75 years old are open without restriction.

California State Archives 1020 "O" Street Sacramento, CA 95814 Telephone: 916-653-7715 Fax: 916-653-7363 E-Mail: [mailto:ArchivesWeb@ss.ca.gov ArchivesWeb@ss.ca.gov] Internet: http://www.ss.ca.gov/archives/archives_e.htm California State Archives