California Birth Index - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
The collection consists of a name index to birth records created by the California Department of Health Services, Vital Statistics Section in Sacramento. The collection covers the years 1905 to 1995.

The event locations in this collection are listed by county and state and not by city and state. For example, Los Angeles, Kern, San Diego, etc. refer to counties not cities or towns. Burbank, California, is in Los Angeles County as an example.

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

Births
 * Name
 * Date and place of birth
 * Sex
 * Mother's surname

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching the collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of your ancestor
 * The approximate place and date of birth

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 that was not indexed, or the information might have been indexed incorrectly. You may want to search for the original record at the California Vital Statistics.

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

 * Use the age or estimated birth date to find other vital records such as birth, baptism, marriage, and death records
 * Use the information found in the record to find additional family members in census records
 * Search the birth index for other family members
 * Search for the actual birth record

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 a nearby locality
 * Try different spellings of your ancestor’s name
 * Remember that sometimes individuals went by nicknames or alternated between using first and middle names

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.
 * Collection Citation:"California Birth Index, 1905-1995." Database. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : 14 June 2016. Vital Statistics Department, Sacramento.

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