California Marriages - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
This Collection will include records from 1850 to 1945.

This index is an electronic database of information compiled from a variety of sources including the following:


 * Family Records
 * Church Records
 * Civil Registration

For over 30 years, volunteer indexers extracted this information from microfilm copies of the original records. In 1998, a few of the entries were published on 7 CDs by the Family History Department of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as the "North America Vital Records Index." This index is an index of the births, marriages, and deaths throughout California. The index is not necessarily complete for any particular place or region.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints sponsored the indexing to accomplish its program of identifying the ancestry of mankind.

Church records and civil registration were official sources and are some of the most reliable sources of information available on those who were born, married, or died in California.

Citation for This Collection
The following citation refers to the original source of the information published in FamilySearch.org Historical Records collections. Sources include the author, custodian, publisher, and archive for the original records.

Suggested citation format for a record in this collection.

Record Content
The key genealogical facts found in birth index entries may include:


 * Name of the child
 * Gender
 * Names of the parents
 * Birth date
 * Birthplace
 * Christening date (if the source is a church record)
 * Family History Library Microfilm and item numbers for the source materials

The key genealogical facts found in marriage index entries may include:


 * Name of the bride and groom
 * Names of the parents
 * Marriage date
 * Marriage place
 * Family History Library Microfilm and item numbers for the source materials

The key genealogical facts found in death or burial index entries may include:


 * Name of the deceased
 * Gender
 * Names of the parents
 * Name of the spouse (if married)
 * Death or burial date
 * Death or burial place
 * Family History Library Microfilm and item numbers for the source materials
 * Microfilm number and inclusive dates on the film

Coverage Table
This collection is a partial index of records for the localities listed below as of April 2010. The table below shows the number of records by locality. Localities not listed may not have any records in this collection.

Most of these records date from the time period indicated in the columns below; however, there may be records before and after these dates. Record counts where the locality information was incomplete are included below under the country name. Because of this, you may wish to search only by state.

As this is an index of records compiled from various sources, it is strongly recommended that you verify the information in original records. Due to privacy laws not all records may be displayed.

How to Use the Record
Fill in the requested information in the initial search page. This search will return a list of possible matches. Compare the information about the ancestors in the list to what you already know about your ancestors to determine if this is the correct family or person. You may need to compare the information about more than one person to find your ancestor.

Each entry in this index has a source listed which includes a batch number. You will need to trace the batch number for the individual entry to learn its source. Please see the following wiki articles for more information on batch numbers:


 * IGI
 * IGI Batch Number Descriptions
 * IGI Batch Numbers for the British Isles and North America

Related Websites

 * Western States Marriage Index, hosted by BYU/Idaho. Search by bride or groom - Free.
 * Online California Death Records and Indexes. Free
 * Death Records Search. A guide for finding death records on the internet.

Related Wiki Articles

 * California County Marriages (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * California Marriage Index (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * California
 * California Vital Records

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 Help:How to Cite FamilySearch Collections.

Citation Example for a Record Found in This Collection
“California, Marriages, 1850-1945,” index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org: accessed 28 March 2012), Otto Ritzert and Alice Alberta Mansfield Williamson, 26 Oct 1911; citing Los Angeles County (California). County Recorder, California, County Court (Los Angeles County), Marriage certificates, 1851-1924; index, 1851-1920, FHL microfilm 1033227; v. 156 1909-1924, v. 157-159 1911, Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah.