Step-by-Step California Research, 1905-Present

Step 1. Find out everything possible from living relatives and their family records.
Every good genealogy project starts with finding all the clues that can be gathered from living relatives — both from their memories and from documents or memorabilia in their homes.

What information can relatives help with??
In order to extend research on ancestors, look for names, dates, and places. Any information about when and where a relative lived is a clue to a new record search. Be sure to ask questions that lead to that information, including about their occupations, military service, or associations with others, such as fraternal organizations. See also:


 * 50 Questions to Ask Relatives About Family History at ThoughtCo.com
 * Creating Oral Histories at FamilySearch Wiki

Step 2. Find ancestors in every possible census record, 1900-1940, online.
A census is a count and description of the population of a country, state, county, or city for a given date. A census took a "snapshot" of a family on a certain day. For each person living in a household you might find (depending on the year) their name, age, birthplace, relationship to head of household, place of birth for father and mother, citizenship status, year of immigration, mother of how many children and number of children living, native language, and whether they were a veteran of the military.

Using the clues in home records to lead to census record searches.
In the obituary on the left, notice that '''The first goal would be to gather data about his immediate family (wife and children) in census records of California for 1920, 1930, 1940, and 1950.  - 1920 census of Stockton, San Joaquin, California.''' 1930 census of O'Neal, San Joaquin, California. 1940 census of O'Neal, San Joaquin, California.
 * Herman G. Gauger died in 1975 at age 89, giving him a birth year of 1885-1886.
 * Although he was born in Ohio, it appears that he lived in California for most of his life.

Look for ancestors in as many censuses as possible. Use the clues from each census for hints where to find families in both earlier and later census records.

 * 1900 census: Ancestry.com
 * 1910 census: Ancestry.com
 * 1920 census: Ancestry.com
 * 1930 census: Ancestry.com
 * 1940 census: Ancestry.com
 * 1950 census: NARA Index FamilySearch Images

- For more information, see California Census and United States Census.

Step 3: Find birth, marriage, and death certificates for ancestors and their children.
States, counties, or (even towns in some states) recorded births, marriages, and deaths.
 * In addition to the child's name, birth date, and place of birth, a birth certificate may give the birthplaces of the parents, their ages, and occupations. *A marriage certificate might list the parents of the bride and groom.
 * A death certificate may give the person's birth date and place, parents' names and birthplaces, and spouse's name.

Using census clues to lead to a birth certificate.
Census information gives approximate birth years and probable birth places, and that information leads to finding important birth records. In addition to basic birth date and place, a birth certificate can give age, birthplace, occupation, etc. about the parents. 'The examples shown above are index entries''. That means for each of them an actual, original, full certificate exists'''. It is highly advisable to order the original certificate. It will contain many details not given in the index. Instructions are given below on obtaining the original certificate. -

Using census clues to lead to a marriage certificate.
Finding marriage records can:
 * establish the full identity of the wife, with her maiden name and possible birth details.
 * find the names of the parents of the bride and groom.

Using census clues to lead to a death certificate.
Moving forward in time, older generations stop showing up in the census. That is a clue that they probably died in the last 10 years. The death certificate is important because of all the possible secondary data beyond just the date and place of death: -
 * birth date and place of the deceased
 * maiden name of the wife
 * names of the deceased's parents
 * birth places of the deceased's parents.



How to Find the Records
There are basically three ways to find these indexes or full original certificates:
 * Online databases
 * Writing to a county courthouse (prior to the beginning of state civil registration)
 * Purchasing them through the mail

Records at the County Courthouse.
These records were originally created by county clerks, and then copies were sent to the state. County clerks can be willing to help find all the birth records for one family or perform other searches that the state would not do. To contact county clerks by e-mail or telephone, go to the Wiki article for each county. Links to the county Wiki articles are found at the end of this page or by clicking here: California Counties.

Order Certificates from California Vital Records Department.
Almost always the full original certificate will contain information not contained in the index. Although it costs money, consider sending for the full original certificates, particularly for direct line ancestors (grandparents, great-grandparents, etc).


 * Where to Write for California Birth, Marriage, Death and Divorce Records at Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC.gov

For more information on birth, marriage, and death records in California, see How to Find California Birth Records, How to Find California Marriage Records, and How to Find California Death Records.

Step 4: Try to find additional details about ancestors in obituaries, cemetery records, and Social Security records online.
There are additional record collections available, based upon a person's death: obituaries, cemetery records, and Social Security records. These are a great source for more details about a person. Here are some examples; notice the level of details.

Obituaries

 * 1894-1979 Web: California, U.S., Berkeley Public Library Obituary Index, 1894-1979 at Ancestry — index ($)
 * 1980-2014 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1993-1994 San Diego Union-Tribune (California) Obituaries, 1993-1994 at Ancestry — index ($)
 * California Newspapers and Obituaries at LDS Genealogy — index & images ($)
 * Online California Death Records and Indexes: A Genealogy Guide for Finding Obituaries, Cemetery Burials and Death Records at DeathIndexes.com; by county

Cemeteries

 * 1776-2000 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1801-1932 California, U.S., Mortuary and Cemetery Records, 1801-1932 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
 * 1850-1960 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1895-1985 California, U.S., San Francisco Area Funeral Home Records, 1895-1985 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
 * 1949-1969 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1994 California, U.S., Cemetery Inscription Sources, 1994 at Ancestry — index ($)
 * BillionGraves — index & images
 * at FamilySearch — How to Use This Collection; index; Also at: Findmypast ($)
 * California Cemetery Records at AccessGenealogy
 * California Cemetery Records at Interment.net — index
 * California Cemetery Records at LDS Genealogy — index
 * California Jewish Cemetery Project at International Jewish Cemetery Project
 * California Tombstone Transcription Project at USGenWeb Tombstones — index
 * FindaGrave — index & images
 * at FamilySearch — How to Use This Collection; index; Also at: Ancestry ($)
 * Hebrew Cemeteries in California at FindaGrave
 * Online California Death Records and Indexes at DeathIndexes.com

U.S. Social Security Death Index and Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007

 * The U.S. Social Security program began in 1935 but most deaths recorded in the index happened after 1962.
 * The Social Security Death index includes those who had a Social Security number and/or applied for benefits.
 * You can search these records online at


 * 1935-2014 U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014 at Ancestry — index ($)
 * 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry, Picks up where the Social Security Death Index (SSDI) leaves off by providing information filed in the application or claims process — index ($)
 * 1962-2014 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index


 * If you find an ancestor in the SSDI index, you can order a copy of their original Social Security application (SS-5). If you can prove the individual has died (by sending an obituary or copy of their cemetery headstone), the application will also give the deceased's parents' names, if listed.

For more information, see California Obituaries and California Cemeteries.

Step 5: Search military records: World War I and II draft cards.
There are many different types of military records: draft records, enlistment records, service records, pension records, etc. Information in military records can vary from a simple lists of name, age, and residence, to more detailed records including name, residence, age, occupation, marital status, birthplace, physical description, number of dependents, pensions received, disabled veterans, needy veterans, widows or orphans of veterans, and other information. - Example of a World War I draft card. - Example of a World War II draft card.



'''Search the World War I and World War II Draft Collections for male relatives.

 * 1917-1918 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1942 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

- For more information and additional collections, see California Military Records.

Step 6: Look for church records.
Church records function as vital records. Church records are particularly helpful prior to the advent of civil registration.
 * An infant christening or baptism record documents a birth.
 * Many, if not most, people are married in a church, and then a record is created by the minister.
 * Likewise, ministers presided over funerals, then creating a burial record, which documents a death.



FamilySearch Historical Records

 * 1776-2000 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1812-1988 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1850-1945 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1864-1985 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index

Congregational

 * (*) American Missionary Association (Congregational) at FamilySearch Catalog — images

Dutch Reformed

 * 1639-1989 U.S., Dutch Reformed Church Records in Selected States, 1639-1989 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
 * 1701-1995 U.S., Selected States Dutch Reformed Church Membership Records, 1701-1995 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
 * 1856-1970 U.S., Dutch Christian Reformed Church Vital Records, 1856-1970 at Ancestry — index & images ($)

Lutheran

 * 1781-1969 U.S., Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Church Records, 1781-1969 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
 * 1800-1947 U.S., Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Swedish American Church Records, 1800-1947 at Ancestry — index & images ($)

Presbyterian

 * 1701-1970 U.S., Presbyterian Church Records, 1701-1970 at Ancestry — index & images ($)

-
 * For help with church records kept in California, see California Church Records.
 * To search records by denomination, if you know your ancestors religion, go to Searching for Church Records by Denomination.

Step 7: Search for online wills and probate packets.

 * County probate records include '''probate proceedings, petitions, affidavits, orders for sales, reports of sales, administrators' and executors' bonds, guardianship papers, wills, and letters of administration.
 * In a will book, usually just a transcription of the will is recorded. But all of these other records are kept in a probate packet.
 * Administrations are probate proceedings that handled an estate if no known will existed.



Search these indexes and images for probate records.

 * 1833-1991 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1850-1953 California, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1850-1953 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
 * Early California Wills at Ancestry — index & images ($)

Probate Information in County Wiki Articles
Each California county Research Wiki page lists additional probate sources, including where to write for records: California Counties

For more information, see California Probate Records and United States Probate Records.

Step 8: If any ancestor was an immigrant, search immigration and naturalization records online.
The census records may show that an ancestor was born in another country. It will be necessary to try to find the town or city they were born in to continue research in the country of origin. Searches of immigration records (usually passenger lists) and naturalization (citizenship) records would be the next step.



Pioneer Immigration

 * 1790-1950 California, U.S., Pioneer and Immigrant Files, 1790-1950 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
 * 1906-1935 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
 * Haskins, Charles Warren. The Argonauts of California : being the Reminiscences of Scenes and Incidents that Occurred in California in Early Mining Days, by a Pioneer. New York: Fords, Howard and Hulbert, 1890. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library
 * (*) Temple, Thomas Workman II at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
 * Index to the Roster of California Pioneers at Native Daughters of the Golden West — index

California

 * 1500-Onward All U.S. and Canada, Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s at Ancestry — index & images ($); includes those with destination of California Also at: MyHeritage ($)
 * 1882-1959 California, U.S., Arriving Passenger and Crew Lists, 1882-1959 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
 * 1893-1957 California Passenger Lists, 1893-1957 at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
 * 1895-1956 United States, Border Crossings from Canada, 1895-1956 at MyHeritage — index & images ($); includes those with destination of California
 * 1895-1964 All U.S., Border Crossings from Mexico to U.S., 1895-1964 at Ancestry — index & images ($); includes those with destination of California
 * 1907-1956 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1920-1939 Germany, Bremen Emigration Lists, 1920-1939 at MyHeritage — index ($); includes those with destination of California
 * 1947-1948 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * Germans Immigrating to the United States at MyHeritage — index ($); includes those with destination of California
 * Immigrant Ships Transcribers Guild at MyHeritage — index ($)
 * Italians Immigrating to the United States at MyHeritage — index ($): includes those with destination of California
 * One Step Webpages by Stephen P. Morse at SteveMorse.org; Links to free and $ online passenger lists
 * Russians Immigrating to the United States at MyHeritage — index ($); includes those with destination of California

Los Angeles

 * 1900-1948 United States, Passenger and Crew Lists - California, Los Angeles, San Pedro, and Wilmington Passenger Lists, 1900-1948 at Findmypast — index ($)
 * 1907-1948 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1907-1948 (*) United States Immigration and Naturalization Service and Claire Prechtel-Kluskens at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1907-1948 (*) United States Immigration and Naturalization Service, Charles Ponders and Claire Prechtel-Kluskens at FamilySearch Catalog — images

Mexico

 * 1895-1964 U.S., Border Crossings from Mexico to U.S., 1895-1964 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
 * 1907-1956 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1908-1952 (*) United States Immigration and Naturalization Service and Claire Prechtel-Kluskens at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1910-1952 (*) United States Immigration and Naturalization Service and Claire Prechtel-Kluskens at FamilySearch Catalog — images

San Diego

 * 1904-1952 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images; Also at: Findmypast ($)
 * 1905-1923 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1929-1954 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images; Also at: Ancestry ($), Findmypast ($)

San Francisco

 * 1850-1864 San Francisco Ship Passenger Lists Vol. I (1850-1864), Vol. II (1850-1851), Vol. III (November 7, 1851 to June 17, 1852) at Ancestry — index & images ($)
 * 1882-1888 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1882-1947 California, San Francisco Chinese Passenger Lists, 1882-1947 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1882-1953 United States, California Immigration Office Special Inquiry Records at Findmypast — index & images ($)
 * 1883-1924 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1886-1890 United States, Passenger and Crew Lists - California, San Francisco, Shangaiers Crew List, 1886-1890 at Findmypast — index ($)
 * 1893-1934 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1893-1953 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images; Also at Findmypast ($)
 * 1896-1921 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1903-1918 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1903-1944 California, U.S., Index to Chinese Exclusion Case Files, 1903-1944 at Ancestry — index ($)
 * 1907-1911 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1910-1941 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1912-1943 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1912-1946 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1918 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1928-1942 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1930-1949 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1936-1949 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1954-1957 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * One Step Webpages by Stephen Morse at StephMorse.org — index; Links to free and paid online passenger lists

San Pedro

 * 1900-1948 California, Los Angeles, San Pedro, and Wilmington Passenger Lists, 1900-1948 at Findmypast — index ($)
 * 1907-1948 (*) United States Immigration and Naturalization Service and Claire Prechtel-Kluskens at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1907-1948 (*) United States Immigration and Naturalization Service, Charles Ponders and Claire Prechtel-Kluskens at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1930-1936 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Ventura

 * 1907-1956 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index

Passport Records Online

 * 1795-1925 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images; Also at: Ancestry ($)

California Naturalization and Citizenship Online Records

 * United States Naturalization and Citizenship Online Genealogy Records


 * 1794-1995 U.S., Naturalization Records Indexes, 1794-1995 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
 * 1831-1985 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1840-1957 U.S., Naturalization Records, 1840-1957 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
 * 1843-1999 California, U.S., Federal Naturalization Records, 1843-1999 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
 * 1850-1986 California, U.S., State Court Naturalization Records, 1850-1986 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
 * 1852-1932 Shasta County, California, U.S., Naturalization Records, 1852-1932 at Ancestry — index ($)
 * 1852-1989 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1868-1958 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index; Also at: Fold3 ($)
 * 1876-1915 US, Naturalizations - CA Los Angeles, 1876-1915 at Fold3 — index & images ($)
 * 1883-1958 US, Naturalizations - CA San Diego, 1883-1958 at Fold3 — index & images ($)
 * 1887-1940 US, Naturalizations - CA Southern, 1887-1940 at Fold3 — index & images ($)
 * 1906-1946 San Francisco, California, U.S., Surrendered Alien Certificates, 1906-1946 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
 * 1915-1976 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * Online California Naturalization Records and Indexes at GermanRoots.com — index

For more information, see California Emigration and Immigration and California Naturalization and Citizenship.

Historical Images
Records collected and digitized by FamilySearch can all be found through their Historical Images feature.
 * California, United States Historical Images, New Version
 * California, United States Historical Images, Old Version

California Online Genealogy Records
Search any other online records listed in California Online Genealogy Records. The steps given here are intended to list record sources which can most efficiently identify descendants. Many other online records which might or might not mention descendants are listed in the California Online Genealogy Records page, including immigration records, land records, military records, newspapers, and probate records, and others. These can be records that cover a smaller group within the population, such as men who served in the military, etc.
 * California Online Genealogy Records

Step 10: Study the Research Wiki pages for any county in California.
This article focused more on California state or state-wide records. There is a separate Wiki article for each county in California. These articles give information, office addresses, and links to county records.  Alameda Alpine Amador Butte Calaveras Colusa Contra Costa</li> Del Norte</li> El Dorado</li> Fresno</li> Glenn</li> Humboldt</li> Imperial</li> Inyo</li> Kern</li> Kings</li> Lake</li> Lassen</li> Los Angeles</li> Madera</li> Marin</li> Mariposa</li> <li>Mendocino</li> <li>Merced</li> <li>Modoc</li> <li>Mono</li> <li>Monterey</li> <li>Napa</li> <li>Nevada</li> <li>Orange</li> <li>Placer</li> <li>Plumas</li> <li>Riverside</li> <li>Sacramento</li> <li>San Benito</li> <li>San Bernardino</li> <li>San Diego</li> <li>San Francisco</li> <li>San Joaquin</li> <li>San Luis Obispo</li> <li>San Mateo</li> <li>Santa Barbara</li> <li>Santa Clara</li> <li>Santa Cruz</li> <li>Shasta</li> <li>Sierra</li> <li>Siskiyou</li> <li>Solano</li> <li>Sonoma</li> <li>Stanislaus</li> <li>Sutter</li> <li>Tehama</li> <li>Trinity</li> <li>Tulare</li> <li>Tuolumne</li> <li>Ventura</li> <li>Yolo</li> <li>Yuba</li> </ul>