California has no single archives system. The California State Archives, part of the Secretary of State's office in Sacramento, keeps permanent records of state government, but the records most people need sit elsewhere: with one of 58 county offices, a city clerk, a school district, a police department or a private collection. This page points you to the right kind of office across California, and the sections below explain how to tell them apart before you spend a morning driving to the wrong counter.

How Archives Are Organised Across California

Think of California's records in five layers. Each has its own staff, rules and hours, and the layers rarely share a database.

The first layer is the state. The State Archives collects records from the Governor's office, the Legislature and state agencies once those records are no longer needed for daily business. It serves historians, lawyers, journalists and genealogists more than people looking for a personal certificate. Statewide birth and death records are held separately by the California Department of Public Health's Vital Records office in Sacramento.

The second layer is the county, and it is the busiest. County clerk-recorders and county health offices hold local birth, death and marriage records, along with property deeds and recorded maps. Several listings in our database show this function directly: the Riverside County Civil Records Archive on Tenth Street in Riverside, the Orange County Hall of Records Archive on Civic Center Plaza in Santa Ana, the Kern County Hall of Records Archive on Chester Avenue in Bakersfield and the Alameda County Vital Records Archive on Fallon Street in Oakland.

The third layer is the city. City clerks keep council minutes, ordinances, resolutions and contracts. Examples include the Barstow City Clerk Municipal Records Archive on East Mountain View Street and the Benicia City Hall Records Archive on East L Street. The fourth layer is education. High schools and colleges maintain transcripts and enrollment files, such as the Alhambra High School Transcripts and Records Archive and the Fullerton College Admissions and Records Archive. The fifth layer is private and nonprofit collections, which preserve history that no government office was ever required to keep.

Which California Office Holds Which Record

Most failed trips come from asking the wrong office. Use this list as a starting point, then call ahead to confirm.

California law draws a firm line on certified vital records. An authorized copy goes only to the person named, certain close relatives and legal representatives, and the requester signs a sworn statement. An informational copy is open to anyone but is marked as not valid for establishing identity. If you need a passport, a Real ID or a benefits claim, ask for the authorized copy. Fees are set by the state and the counties and they change, so confirm the current amount by phone or on the office's page.

Metro and Rural Archives in California Work Differently

Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, the Bay Area and Sacramento

Los Angeles is the densest cluster in the state. Los Angeles County offers the widest variety. The ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives at 909 West Adams Boulevard, now part of the USC Libraries, preserves LGBTQ history. Alhambra High School keeps student files. Burbank is home to the Walt Disney Archive on South Buena Vista Street, a corporate collection with its own access rules rather than a public records counter.

Next door, Orange County spreads its listings across Santa Ana, Anaheim, Fullerton and Placentia. The Hall of Records Archive handles county-level recorded documents, while the Anaheim Police Records Archive and the Placentia Records Archive on East Orangethorpe Avenue are city-level offices. Inland, Riverside County pairs the county seat's Civil Records Archive with city offices such as the Beaumont Records Archive on Orange Avenue.

In the Bay Area, the San Francisco Letterform Archive on Mariposa Street is a specialist nonprofit focused on lettering and typography, not a government records office. South of it, the Santa Clara County Vital Records Archive at 976 Lenzen Avenue in San Jose serves one of the state's largest populations, and Santa Clara County also lists the Special Education Student Records Archive on Lawrence Road in Santa Clara.

Sacramento is a category of its own as the capital. The Sacramento City Student Records Archive at 520 Capitol Mall sits near the Capitol, and Sacramento County has six listings. Because the State Archives is also in Sacramento, one trip can combine a county errand with state-level research.

Metro offices handle volume. Expect security screening, a ticket or queue system, paid parking and weekday-only hours. Many accept mail or online orders, which saves a trip when you need a certified copy rather than a research visit. Appointments are common for research rooms, even when the front counter takes walk-ins.

Foothill, Valley and Northern California

Smaller counties work on a lighter footprint. The Tuolumne County Archive on Greenley Road in Sonora serves a Gold Country county where old deeds, maps and family papers are the main draw. In Butte County, the Oroville Police Records Archive on Lincoln Street handles law-enforcement files. The Shasta County Vital Records Archive on Breslauer Way in Redding serves the far north, where the next county seat can be a long drive away.

In the Central Valley, Woodland is the seat of Yolo County. One Woodland listing, the San Joaquin County Birth and Death Records Archive on North Cottonwood Street, appears under Yolo County even though its name refers to a different county. Mismatches like this happen in any large directory. Call 530-666-8680 to confirm whose records are held there before you make the trip.

Rural offices often have fewer staff, shorter public hours and a single clerk who also handles other duties. Calling first is not a courtesy there; it is how you avoid a locked door. Ask what ID you need, whether the office takes card payments, and whether older volumes are on site or have been moved to storage.

Government archives in California are administered by the state archives and records management division, which is typically housed within the Secretary of State's office or a dedicated cultural affairs agency. The state archives preserves official government records while also maintaining collections of historical significance to California residents.

Archives locations are available in 67 cities across California. They are spread across 31 counties.

Cities with the highest concentration include Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Francisco, which tend to have more archives facilities due to their roles as county seats, state capitals, or historic centers of government activity.

Residents of California conducting genealogical or historical research should check whether their county or city maintains a separate archives in addition to the state repository, as many local records are held at the municipal or county level.

Archives by Counties

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Researchers in California can often access digitized state archives records through the state library's online portal without visiting in person. For records not yet digitized, contact the archives office in advance to schedule a research appointment and confirm that the specific collection is available for public review.

Browse Archives by county across California to find the nearest location.

Planning an Archives Visit in California

California's size changes how you plan. A drive from Barstow to the coast, or from Sonora to Sacramento, can take hours, so decide early whether you need to visit in person at all. Many certified copies can be ordered by mail or online, and a short phone call often settles the question.

Start with the record, not the building. Write down the full name, the date or approximate year, the city or county where the event happened, and any parents' or spouse's names. Offices search by these details, and a vague request slows everything down. Bring a valid government photo ID and a payment method the office accepts, since small offices differ on cards, checks and money orders.

Retention rules matter as well. California law lets cities, counties and districts destroy or transfer many routine records under adopted retention schedules, so a file from the 1960s may no longer sit at city hall. It may have moved to a county archive, a university library or a historical society. The Online Archive of California, run by the California Digital Library, lets you search finding aids from many of those institutions before you travel.

Keep the phone numbers in our listings handy. A two-minute call to the Riverside County Civil Records Archive at 951-955-1960 or the Santa Clara County Vital Records Archive at 408-885-2010 can confirm hours, ID rules and fees faster than any website.

California Archives: Frequently Asked Questions

The California State Archives operates under the Secretary of State in Sacramento and preserves permanent records of state government. That includes material from the Governor's office, the Legislature and state agencies, along with maps, photographs and other historic papers. It does not issue birth, death or marriage certificates. For those, contact the county where the event happened or the California Department of Public Health's Vital Records office. If you plan a research visit, check the reading room's current hours, registration steps and any limits on copying fragile items before you travel.

Start with the county where the birth or death occurred. Offices such as the Alameda County Vital Records Archive in Oakland, the Santa Clara County Vital Records Archive in San Jose and the Shasta County Vital Records Archive in Redding issue copies for local events. You can also order from state Vital Records in Sacramento, though a local office is often quicker for recent events. California issues authorized copies, which require a sworn statement and proof that you are an eligible relative or representative, and informational copies, which cannot be used to prove identity. Confirm the current fee directly, since fees change.

The California Public Records Act, found in Government Code section 7920.000 and the sections that follow, gives the public a right to inspect and copy records held by state and local agencies. It reaches city clerks, police departments and sheriffs, including offices in Oroville, Anaheim and San Mateo County, unless a specific exemption applies. An agency generally must tell you within 10 calendar days whether it holds disclosable records, and it may charge only the direct cost of duplication. You do not have to explain why you want the records. Medical files, student records and some investigative material are protected by other laws.

Usually yes, if you are the student or hold written authorization. The federal privacy law known as FERPA limits release of education records to the student, or to a parent while the student is a minor. Fullerton College (714-992-7568), Monterey Peninsula College (831-645-1372) and Alhambra High School (626-308-2311) each have their own request process, with different ID and fee rules. The Sacramento City Student Records Archive at 520 Capitol Mall is another example. Transcripts from closed schools generally move to the district office, so ask the district if the school no longer exists.

Rarely. Large urban offices, such as those across Los Angeles County, keep regular weekday counters with several clerks and often take online orders. Smaller offices, including the Tuolumne County Archive in Sonora (209-536-1163), may have limited public hours, appointment-only research and one staff member covering several duties. Offices also close on state and county holidays, and those dates can differ between agencies. Call before you leave, ask what ID and payment type to bring, and ask whether the volume you need is stored on site.

Not always. Nonprofit and university-affiliated collections run on their own schedules, which differ from county offices. The ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives at 909 West Adams Boulevard in Los Angeles (213-741-0094), the San Diego Lambda Archive on Park Boulevard (619-260-1522) and the San Francisco Letterform Archive on Mariposa Street (415-802-7485) each set their own visiting rules. Contact them before you go to ask about hours and appointments. It also helps to name the materials you want to see in advance, so staff can have them ready.