California, customs passenger lists of vessels arriving at San Francisco - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection contains customs passenger lists of vessels arriving at San Francisco, California from 1903 to 1918. NARA Series M1412, Record Group 85. Arrival lists was used by legal authorities to gather personal information about immigrants prior to the person being allowed to live in the United States. 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. The passenger lists are digital copies of the original records. The earliest records are handwritten pages. Later records are usually handwritten on pre-printed pages. The records are arranged by the date of entry into port.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:

Passenger lists
 * Name of ship
 * Port of embarkation
 * Date and seaport of entry
 * Final destination
 * Whether or not ticket to final destination
 * Name of passenger
 * Birth place
 * Age in years and months
 * Gender
 * Civil status
 * Occupation
 * Whether or not can read and write


 * Nationality
 * Last permanent residence
 * Destination
 * Who paid for passage
 * Declaration of money in possession
 * Whether or not has been in U. S. before
 * Whether or not passenger has been in prison
 * Whether or not passenger is a polygamist
 * Name and address of relative or friend passenger plans to join
 * Whether or not under contract to labor
 * General condition and statement of health
 * Description of passenger

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?
Indexes and transcriptions may not include all the data found in the original records. Look at the actual image of the record, if you can, to verify the information and to find additional information.

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

 * Use the record to learn the place of origin and find vital records such as birth, baptism, and marriage
 * Use the information found in the record to find land and probate records
 * Use the record to locate the family 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, 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
 * 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.
 * Beginning Research in United States Naturalization Records
 * Beginning Research in United States Immigration and Emigration Records
 * 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.