Link To This Page — Contact Us —
California County Court, Probate, Tax and Other Miscellaneous Records
On-Site County Court Records Search - Find nearly any California court record online! Many court records are not digitized yet, which means the only way to obtain these records is by going to the actual courthouses. Someone from our network of court-runners will go retrieve the records and then send you the results. Average response time is 38 hours. California Civil Records include Lawsuits, Bankruptcies, Liens and judgments, Marriage/divorce litigation, Child custody, Civil rights violations ands Other. California Criminal Records include Violent crimes, Theft and robbery, DUI/DWI's, Drugs and alcohol, Sexual offenses, Some traffic violations, Behavioral.
California Historical Records - Databases include California Court, Land, Wills & Financial Records; California Birth, Marriage & Death Records; California Voter Lists & Census Records; California Immigration & Emigration Records; California Obituary Records; California Military Records; California Family Tree Records; California Pictures; California Stories, Memories & Histories; California Directories & Member Lists and much more....
California Counties with Burned Courthouses
The destruction of courthouses greatly affects genealogists in every way. No only are these historic structures torn from our lives, so are the records they housed: marriage, wills, probate, land records, and others. Once destroyed they are lost forever. Even if they have been placed on mircofilm, computers and film burn too. The most heartbreaking side of this is the fact that many of our courthouses are destroyed at the hands of arsonist. However, not all records were lost.
Below is a list of California Counties and the years the Courthouses were subjected to a disaster. This does NOT mean that ALL RECORDS were lost. Often, folks took their documents again in for recording after a disaster and later deeds will contain long chains of title, etc.
- Amador Co. Courthouse - Courthouse destroyed by fire in 1862. Some records were destroyed.
- Del Norte Co. Courthouse- The courthouse was destroyed by fire in 1948. Some early records were destroyed.
- El Dorado Co. Courthouse - A fire in 1910 & 1920 destroyed most courthouse records. For probate records prior to 1951, write County Nuseum, 100 Placerville Drive, Placerville, California 95667; for probate after 1951, write to Judicial Section, 495 Main Street, Placerville, California 95667.
- Inyo Co. Courthouse - was destroyed by an earthquake March 26, 1872. On June 30, 1886 a fire broke out in a vacant building in Independence and destroyed thirty-eight buildings. Although the county records and most of the furniture were saved, the courthouse was one of the buildings destroyed.
- Lake Co. Courthouse - courthouse in Lakeport burned down in 1867. All earlier records were destroyed.
- Madera Co. Courthouse - A fire on Christmas Eve 1906 destroyed the upper floors and tower.
- Nevada Co. Courthouse - The first courthouse was damaged by fire in 1856. Fire again damaged the courthouse in 1863.
- Sacramento Co. Courthouse- The first courthouse, built in 1851, became the Capitol in 1854 and was destroyed in a fire that same year.
- San Francisco Co. Courthouse - Courthouse and all records were destroyed in the great earthquake and fire of 1906.
- Santa Clara Co. Courthouse - May 18, 1931, a fire quickly spread through the courthouse, causing extensive damage.
- Shasta Co. Courthouse - All records were destroyed in the great fire of June 14th, 1853
- Sierra Co. Courthouse - Fire in 1947 destroyed courthouse. No records were lost
- Sonoma Co. Courthouse - was destroyed in the 1906 earthquake. Minor record Loss.
- Sutter Co. Courthouse - The Courthhouse was destroyed by fire in 1871. A second and larger courthouse, completed in 1873, was also set fire.
California Court Records
See Also Research In State Court Records
Some early court records from at least Humboldt, Marin, Mendocino, Nevada, Sonoma, and Sutter counties 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..
- Order County Court, Civil or Criminal Records
- California Court Books at Amazon.com
- Naturalization Petitions for the Southern District Of California, 1887-1940
(The National Archives): NARA M1524. Naturalization Petitions for the Southern District Of California, 1887-1949.
- Naturalization Records in the Superior Court of San Diego, CA, 1883-1958
: NARA M1613. Naturalization Records in the Superior Court of San Diego, California, 1883-1958. These records include petitions for naturalization, oaths of allegiance, and sometimes supporting documents like certificates of arrival.
- Naturalization Records of the Superior Court of Los Angeles, CA, 1876-1915
: NARA M1614. Naturalization Records of the Superior Court of Los Angeles, California, 1876-1915.
- Search Court Records From All States
- Search County Court Records
- Search County Criminal Records with a Criminal Background Check
- Search for Registered Sex Offenders in your local Area
- Court, Land, Wills & Financial - Court records are an often overlooked, yet very valuable tool for finding information to assist you in your research. Land records, such as deeds, allow you to tie an ancestor to a specific place at a point in time. Other court records like those dealing with finances and estates often list related family members or give interesting details like the total value of property owned by your ancestors to add interest to your family history.
- Immigration & Emigration - As our ancestors moved from one country to another, details about their lives were recorded on passenger lists and government documents. Immigration and emigration records can help you learn where your ancestors originally came from, where they went, when they left, who they traveled with, and more.
California Probate Records
See Also Research In State Probate Records
The first request for information about a probate should go to the superior court clerk of the county in which the decedent died and proceed from there to other courts when necessary. When researching in San Francisco County, it is important to remember that many of the records were destroyed in the 1906 earthquake and fire. Some local and county genealogical societies in the state (see Archives, Libraries, and Societies) have published indexes to early probate records.
Probate Records are found in the same office as Court Records. See Court Records Offices for Links
- Research In Probate Records - from The Source: A Guidebook to American Genealogy.
- How to Locate Printed Probate Records
- Advantages of Printed Probate Records
- Limitations of Printed Probate Records
- California Probate Books at Amazon.com
California Land Records
See Also Research In State Land Records
In general, counties are responsible for maintaining records concerning each parcel within its jurisdiction. The county recorder is usually in charge of the document, book notation, index, etc., except where the records are so old that they have been placed in an archive within the county or in the state archives in Sacramento. Ultimately, the county board of supervisors is responsible for the records and repositories. In order to chart the ownership of land in California, the records are done with a “chain of title.” This record begins with the oldest entry of the land down to the most recent.
Records throughout the state begin with the formation of the county, with the possible exception of those counties where there have been unusual circumstances, such as the San Francisco earthquake and fire of 1906. Contact the county recorder for the county in which the land is situated. In some instances the parent county must be searched also.
The county recorder is usually in charge of the document, book notation, index, etc., except where the records are so old that they have been placed in an archive within the county or in the state archives in Sacramento. Ultimately, the county board of supervisors is responsible for the records and repositories. In order to chart the ownership of land in California, the records are executed with a "chain of title." This record begins with the oldest entry of the land down to the most recent.
- California Land Books at Amazon.com
- Research In Land Records - from The Source: A Guidebook to American Genealogy.
- California BLM Land Records
- Land Records from All States
- California County Property Records
- California County Land Patents
California Tax Records
See Also 
Researching in Tax Records
Personal property tax records have been published for a few counties. Tax lists, along with other sources, are being used to reconstruct the lost 1890 federal population census.
