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Mendocino 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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Mendocino County is one of the original 27 counties Created on February 18, 1850. Until 1859 its territory was administered by Sonoma County. Territory which at one time was in Mendocino County is now in Glenn County, Humboldt County, Lake County, Sonoma County, and Trinity County. The County has had four Boundary Changes:

  1. Most of Mendocino County has been in the county since 1850.
  2. Territory was in Sonoma County from 1850 to 1855 when it was added to Mendocino County.
  3. Territory was in Sonoma County from 1850 to 1859 when it was added to Mendocino County.
  4. Territory in Mendocino County from 1850 to 1855, was in Sonoma County from 1855 to 1859 when it was returned to Mendocino County.

The County derived its name from Cape Mendocino, which was probably named in honor of either Antonio de Mendoza, Viceroy of New Spain, 1535-1542 (who sent the Juan Cabrillo Expedition to this coast in 1542), or Lorenzo Suarez de Mendoza, Viceroy from 1580 to 1583. Mendocino is an adjective form of the family name of Mendoza. The County Seat is Ukiah .

Counties adjacent to Mendocino County are Sonoma County (south), Lake County (east), Glenn County (east), Tehama County (northeast), Trinity County (north), Humboldt County (north).

Mendocino County Cities Include Fort Bragg, Point Arena, Ukiah, Willits. CDPs (A census-designated place (CDP) is a type of place or area identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes) Include Covelo, Laytonville, Mendocino, Talmage. Unincorporated Communities Include Albion, Boonville, Branscomb, Calpella, Caspar, Elk, Gualala, Hopland, Little River, Philo, Redwood Valley, Potter Valley

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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.

Mendocino County Clerk-Recorder's Office has Birth Records from 1850, Marriage Records from 1850, Death Records from 1850 and , Land Records from 1850.

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.

Mendocino County Clerk of Superior Court has Probate Records from 1872 and Court Records from 1858.

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.

Mendocino County Tax Office

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 Mendocino County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Mendocino 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 Mendocino County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Mendocino 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 Mendocino 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 Mendocino 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 Mendocino County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Mendocino County Census Records by clicking the link below:

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County Maps & Atlases

See Also Statewide Maps that exist for California

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

  • Submit a website for Mendocino Co. Genealogical Addresses
  • Anderson Valley Historical Society, P.O. Box 676, Boonville, CA 95415; Phone: (707) 895-3207
  • Mendocino County Historical Society, 603 W. Perkins Street, Ukiah, CA 95482-4726; Phone: (707) 462-6969
  • Mendocino Historical Research Kelley House Museum, ~ Repository ~, 45007 Albion Street, P.O. Box 922, Mendocino, CA 95460; Phone: (707) -937-5791
  • Mendocino Coast Genealogical Society, P.O. Box 762, Ft. Bragg 95437
  • Mendocino County Heritage Network, 400 East Commercial, Willits 95490
  • Mendocino County Library, Fort Bragg Branch, 499 Laurel Street, Fort Bragg, CA 95437; Phone: (707) 964-2020
  • California Genealogical Society, 2201 Broadway, Suite LL2, Oakland, CA 94612-3031; 510-663-1358 fax: 510-663-1596
  • The California Historical Society, 678 Mission Street, San Francisco, California 94105; 415-357-1848 — voice; 415-357-1850 — fax; info@calhist.org — e-mail
  • California State Genealogical Alliance, 19765 Grand Avenue, Lake Elsinore, CA 92330
    One way to access many local and county genealogical and historical societies is through the Alliance, which publishes its own newsletter.
  • California State Archives, Office of Secretary of State, 1020 O Street, Room 130, Sacramento, CA 95814; Reference Desk: (916) 653-2246; General Information: (916) 653-7715; FAX: (916) 653-7363; E-Mail:ArchivesWeb@sos.ca.gov
  • California State Library, 914 Capitol Mall, Sacramento, CA 95814
  • The National Archives-Pacific Region
  • California Genealogical Society Books at Amazon.com
  • Newspapers & Periodicals - The Newspapers & Periodicals Collection lets you discover a wealth of information about your ancestors from many historical newspapers, magazines, and other periodicals. These types of sources can often supplement public records and provide information that is not recorded anywhere else. Here, you can learn more about your ancestor's possible daily activities by placing them in the context of their time.
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County Church & Cemeteries

See Also Statewide Cemetery Links for California

There are many churches and cemeteries in Mendocino County. Some transcriptions are online. A great site is the Mendocino 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 Mendocino County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Mendocino 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 Mendocino County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Mendocino County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:

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