California Genealogy Records

Many people today are interested in learning more about their past and their ancestors. As a result Genealogy is one of the most common terms in search engines on the World Wide Web. For those who are new to the world of Genealogy, there are many ways one can find information regarding their ancestors. Some of the most common forms of public records used for genealogy are: For Birth Records California releases two different kinds of copies, certified and informational. A certified record is an official copy and can only be obtained by the person on the record, and certain other family members including parents, spouse, and children. California first started to record birth certificates in 1905. You can access them from this time until almost the present day, though it is worth noting that as many births as the state sees a year, it may take a few months for records to become available. For Death Records California releases two different kinds of copies depending on the relationship of the person requesting the record. Those named on the record and their family can get a certified or official copy of any record, and anyone else can get a purely informational copy. The state suggests that you should wait six months before searching for a California death certificate just to make sure that the record has been processed. For Obituaries California is a massive state that has many different places to look for these kinds of records. You can start your search for California obituaries with the Newspaper Abstracts website. Simply choose to search California and a large number of listings will be right at your fingertips. The Ventura County Historical Society has listings online you can search that span 1916 to 1996. This database covers listings that were published in this area in four different newspapers. The Exploring Northeastern California History Society offers access to Lassen County listings through their website. This database has cobbled together over 100 years of area listings and is free to use. The Santa Cruz Public Library System has a database of their own that covers listings from as far back as 1896. Since this is where Hollywood is located, there is a massive celebrity database located in the Los Angeles Public Library that you can also access online. There are also huge databases you can search for San Francisco County, Solano County, Trinity County and Ventura County online. Finding California obituary records is a simple process as long as you have an idea where the person you are looking for lived or where they were when they passed away. For Marriages California does not hold marriage records for any period of time after they are created, so this information is available almost from the moment it is filed. Anyone can obtain an informational copy stating the names of the two people involved, the day, and the county in which they got married, but only the two people on the marriage license can obtain a certified or official copy.