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Alameda County, California
Genealogy, Facts and Records Resources

County Court, Probate, Land & Tax Records  •  County Census Records
County Birth Records, Marriage Records, Divorce Records and Death Records
County Cemeteries & Graveyards  •  County Church & Bible Records

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Alameda County was created On March 25, 1853, by an Act of Incorporation was created and Alameda County was "born". Created from parts of Contra Costa County and Santa Clara County, the act was signed into law by Governor Bigler on April 6, 1853.. Alameda County later added territory from no other county and transferred territory to no other county. The County has had two Boundary Changes.

  1. Territory was in Contra Costa County from 1850 to 1853 when it was moved to Alameda County.
  2. Territory was in Santa Clara County from 1850 to 1853 when it was moved to Alameda County.

The County Name is derived from alamo the Spanish name for cottonwood or poplar tree, and means a "grove of poplar trees." The name was applied both to the southern portion of the county (La Alameda) and to the stream running through it (Rio de la Alameda) as early as 1795. The County Seat is Oakland.

Counties adjacent to Alameda County are Santa Clara County (south), San Mateo County (west), San Francisco County (west), Contra Costa County (north), San Joaquin County (east).

Alameda County Cities Include Alameda, Albany, Berkeley, Dublin, Emeryville, Fremont, Hayward, Livermore, Newark, Oakland, Piedmont, Pleasanton, San Leandro, Union City. CDPs (A census-designated place (CDP) is a type of place or area identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes) Include Ashland, Castro Valley, Cherryland, Fairview, San Lorenzo, Sunol

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County Court, Probate and Tax Records

See Also California Court, Land, Tax & Probate Records and Marriage Records

PLEASE READ FIRST!!! Please call the clerk's department to confirm hours, mailing address, fees and other specifics before visiting or requesting information because of sometimes changing contact information. All Departments below can be contacted by clicking the link. NOTE: The record dates below are from the earliest date to present time.

Some counties encompass land settled in the eighteenth century; their records pre-date county formation. Land transactions and vital records recorded in the county are at the county recorder's office. The county clerk general has probate books and files from the county's superior court, civil court records, and naturalizations. Divorces may be in either place, depending on how filed.

Alameda County Clerk-Recorder's Office has Birth Records from 1856, Marriage Records from 1854, Death Records from 1905 and Land Records from 1853. Some death records are available from 1876; search will be performed by the clerk for a fee.

The County Recorder-Clerk is responsible for examination and recording of all documents presented for recording that deal with establishing ownership of land in the County or as required by statute; administers the real property transfer tax law and maintains a permanent record and indexes of all documents for public viewing plus providing certified copies requested by the public; recording of all lawful documents such as deeds, deeds of trust, judgments, liens, affidavits, Uniform Commercial Code Financial Statements, etc; and the filing of Births, Deaths, and Marriages.

Alameda County Clerk of Superior Court has Probate Records from 1880 and Court Records from 1853.

The county Superior Court clerk has probate books and files from the county's superior court, civil court records, and naturalizations. Divorces may be here or in the Recorders Office, depending on how it was filed.

 Some early court records from the various courts may have been sent to the California State Archives. Besides court minutes and judgements, these records include tax lists, wills, deeds, estate inventories, and marriage bonds. The California State Archives has microfilm of selected county records, 1850–1919.

Alameda County Tax Office, 1221 Oak Street, Room 145, Oakland, CA 94612; Phone: (510) 272-3787 | Fax: (510) 272-3803

The U.S. Internal Revenue Service Assessment List for California, 1862–66, is available on thirty-three microfilm rolls at the California State Library in Sacramento. The lists include names, location and description of business, and tax rate for individuals taxed.

Similar to tax records in their yearly listing of residents are the “Great Register” of California, which are miscellaneous county voting registers that exist from the mid-nineteenth century. The registers were compiled and printed about every two years. Before 1900, they show name, address, and age (but the age may remain the same after a man's first entry). From about the mid-1800s, physical descriptions are included, but after the 1898 register, only the name, address, party affiliation, and sometimes occupation are listed.

Before 1892, the lists are county-wide, but usually alphabetical only by first letter or surname. They are particularly valuable for foreign-born voters, as the date and court of naturalization are listed. Copies of the "Great Registers," (1866–1944) are at the California State Library, which also has alphabetical card file abstracts for some of the earlier registers for San Francisco. Records from 1946 are with the individual county registrars of voters.

Below is a list of online resources for Alameda County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Alameda County Court Records by clicking the link below:

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County Birth, Marriage, Divorce and Death Records

See Also Research In Vital Records or Birth, Marriage, Divorce and Death Records in California

Birth, marriage, and death records are connected with central life events. They are prime sources for genealogical information.

PLEASE READ FIRST!!!! A certified copy fee must accompany all requests for copies of vital records. Requests received without the appropriate fee will be returned to the sender. Make your check or money order payable to the Office of Vital Records. Checks must be drawn on a United States bank. Money orders must be drawn on a United States bank or issued by the United States Postal Service. Do not send cash. If no record is found, they will issue a Certificate of No Public Record and retain the fee for the search according to State law. Before submitting your application to the Office of Vital Records, please view the processing times to make sure they are acceptable for your needs. 

California Department of Public Health, Office of Vital Records, MS 5103, P.O. Box 997410, Sacramento, CA 95899-7410; (916) 445-2684. They have the following records:

  • Birth & Death Certificates: The state of California began issuing certificates for births and Deaths in July 1905. Birth and death records for current year events and one year prior are available from the county health department; records for all years are maintained by the county recorder. If not, you should submit your request to the County Recorder’s Office in the county where the birth or death took place or order the birth / death certificate online through VitalChek.
    • Cost: $14.00 per birth certificate & $12.00 per death certificate.
    • Processing Time: 12-14 weeks when ordered by mail (Application for Birth or Death Certificate) or 2-5 Days when you Order Online.
  • Marriage Certificates: The state of California began issuing certificates for marriages since July 1905, except for 1987 to 1995 (The state does not have indexes for the years 1987-1995 so you must request these from the county). Certified copies of public marriage records are available from both the California Office of Vital Records and the County Recorder’s Office in the county where the public marriage license was issued. However, the Office of Vital Records is limited in its ability to search the records, and it can take up to 2-3 years to obtain a certified copy from thier office. Therefore, we recommend that certified copies of public marriage records be requested directly from the County Recorder’s Office or online.
    • Cost: $13.00 per certificate.
    • Processing Time: 2-3 years when ordered by MAIL or 2-5 Days when you Order Online.
  • Divorce Certificates: Certified copies are not available from State Health Department. Certified copies of actual divorce decrees are only available from the Superior Court in the county where the divorce was filed. The Office of Vital Records issues a Certificate of Record that includes only the names of the parties to the divorce, the county where the divorce was filed, and the court case number – it is not a certified copy of the divorce decree and does not indicate whether the divorce was ever finalized in court. The Office of Vital Records only has information for divorces that were filed with the court between 1962 and June 1984, and our processing times can take up to 2-3 years or Online with VitalChek.
    • Cost: $12.00 per certificate. Fee is for search and identification of county where certified copy can be obtained.
    • Processing Time: 2-3 years when ordered by MAIL or 2-5 Days when you Order Online.

Below is a list of online resources for Alameda County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Alameda County Vital Records by clicking the link below:

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County Census Records

See Also Research In Census Records & Statewide Census Links for California

Few, if any, records reveal as many details about individuals and families as do government census records. Substitute records can be used when the official census is unavailable

  Countywide Records: Federal Population Schedules that exist for Alameda County, California are 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1890 (fragment, see below), 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930.Other Federal Schedules to look at when researching your Family Tree in Alameda County, California are Industry and Agriculture Schedules available for the years 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. The Mortality Schedules for the years 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. There are free downloadable and printable Census forms to help with your research. These include U.S. Census Extraction Forms and U.K. Census Extraction Forms.

Below is a list of online resources for Alameda County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Alameda County Census Records by clicking the link below:

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County Maps & Atlases

See Also Statewide Maps that exist for California

California Antique Maps & Atlases has images of old American atlases during the years 1795, 1814, 1822, 1823, 1836, 1838, 1845, 1856, 1866, 1879 and 1897 for California and other states.

You can view rotating animated maps for California showing all the county boundaries for each census year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries. You can view a list of maps for other states at Census Maps

You can view rotating animated maps for California showing all the county boundary changes for each year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries . You can view a list of maps for other states and State Department of Transportation Maps at County Maps.

Below is a list of online resources for Alameda County Maps. Email us with websites containing Alameda County Maps by clicking the link below:

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County Military Records

See Also Research In Military Records or Military Records in California

Below is a list of online resources for Alameda County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Alameda County Military Records by clicking the link below:

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County Genealogical Addresses

See Also Other California Genealogical Addresses

Below is a list of online resources for Alameda County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Alameda County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:

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County Church & Cemeteries

See Also Statewide Cemetery Links for California

There are many churches and cemeteries in Alameda County. Some transcriptions are online. A great site is the Alameda County Tombstone Transcription Project.

There are no centralized repositories dealing with church records in California. Scattered records can be found in genealogical publications, the DAR compilations, and on microfilm. The Spanish missions have played a central role in California's religious history.

   Printed secondary sources of transcribed cemeteries exist for most California counties. The California State Society of the DAR has collected hundreds of such records. Transcripts are housed both at the national DAR and with some local chapters and libraries.

Below is a list of online resources for Alameda County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Alameda County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:

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County Church & Bible Records

See Also Statewide Church & Bible Links for California

 

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Family Trees & Genealogy Tidbits

 

Below is a list of online resources for Alameda County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Alameda County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:

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