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State Resources — California

Updated: August 2002

•	Data on CD-ROM
•	County Offices
•	Vital Records
•	State Archives and Libraries
•	Local Genealogical Societies
•	Helpful Web Sites
•	GenForum Message Boards

•	Arizona
•	Hawaii
•	Nevada
•	Oregon

Vital Records

The state office has birth, marriage, and death records since July 1905. For earlier records, write to County Recorder in county where event occurred.

Birth, Marriage, Divorce, and Death Records

Call (916) 445-2684 for information on record lookup fees.

Write to:
Office of Vital Records
Department of Health Services
P.O. Box 730241
Sacramento, CA 94244-0241

Notes:

• State divorce records fee is for search and identification of county where certified copy can be obtained (years 1962 thru 1984 only). For all other years or for a copy of the decree, write to County Clerk in the county where event occurred. Certified copies of decrees are not available from the State Health Department.

• For county divorce records, contact the Clerk of Superior Court in the county where the divorce was granted.

State Archives and Libraries

They currently have state and federal census records, military records from 1860 to 1945, county records from 1860 to 1987, and Supreme and Appellate court cases from 1850 to 1970.

	Call (916) 653-7715. Hours: Monday-Friday 9:30-4:00, closed Saturday, Sunday, and all state holidays.
	Write to: California State Archives Division of the Secretary of State's Office 1020 "O" Street Sacramento, CA 95814

Local Genealogical Societies

	Write to: California Genealogical Society 2201 Broadway, Suite LL2 Oakland, CA 94612-3017 Telephone: (510) 663-1358 Hours: Thursday and Friday 9:00-4:00 and Saturday 10:00-4:00 Web site: http://www.calgensoc.org
	Publication: CGS News, The Nugget (general genealogy)

California Historical Society
678 Mission Street
San Francisco, CA 94105
Telephone: (415) 357-1848

Los Angeles Westside Genealogical Society
P.O. Box 10447
Marina del Rey, CA 90295

Napa Valley Genealogical & Biographical Society
1701 Menlo Ave.
Napa, CA 94558
Telephone: (707) 252-2252

Orange County Genealogical Society
7111 Talbert Avenue
Huntington Beach, CA 92648

San Diego Genealogical Society
1050 Pioneer Way, Suite E
El Cajon, CA 92020-1943
Telephone: (619) 443-5718

San Luis Obispo Genealogical Society, Inc.
P.O. Box 4
Atascadero, CA 93423-0004

Southern California Genealogical Society
417 Irving Dr.
Burbank, CA 91504
Telephone: (818) 843-7247