California Divorce Index - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
The collection consists of an index to divorces from the California Department of Health Services in Sacramento for the years 1966 to 1984. The index was provided by Ancestry.com.

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

Divorce
 * Name of husband
 * Name of wife
 * Docket number
 * Divorce date
 * Divorce place
 * Reference number (page, volume, entry number)

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of the person at the time of the divorce
 * The place where the divorce occurred and divorce date

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.

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
 * Obtain the actual divorce decree
 * 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?

 * Consult the California Research Tips and Strategies and its Record Finder to search other records
 * 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.