One of the main goals for genealogists is finding birth, baptism, and/or christening information about their ancestors.
Over the past few decades, thanks to volunteers, librarians, and archivists, a great number of indexes to birth and baptism collections have been provided for free online. These searchable indexes provide specific birth, baptism, or christening information, and sometimes scanned images of the actual birth documents themselves. These free online collections have millions of records in them in total.
There are a great number of online and offline collections that may include birth information that is not included in the lists below. These different types can be found in 32 Ways to Find Ancestor Birth Information
If you are interested in baptism indexes that may include the birth date as well as baptism information, make sure and check out Church Records.
The lists below are specific birth, baptism, and christening indexes and record collections that are available for free online for the state.
Note: Some of the links listed take you to a FamilySearch Collection of digital images. Near the bottom of the page under Film/Digital Notes is the name of each sub-collection. If there is a camera icon at the right of the name (in the Format column) then the collections’ images are browsable. If there is a camera with a key icon, it is only available at a Family History Center or affiliated library. If there is a film reel icon, then it is only available in microfilm format, not digital. To take full advantage, please make sure that you are logged in to FamilySearch. The results may be different if you are signed in, rather than not.
Note: I have included links to Free Ancestry records and indexes. You do not need a subscription but do need an Ancestry account. Without a subscription, you can view indexes. If there is an image associated with a record, in most cases you will need a subscription, but the index does include very usable information.
(Updated November 2023)
California Birth Records
- Alameda County, Births 1873-1901, Deaths 1859-1903, Mortuary Record 1873-1891, Land Patents 1857-1892, Delayed Birth Index 1875-1971, Marriages 1853-1866
- Alpine County, Birth Indexes and Birth Notices
- Alpine County, Birth/Cemetery/Death/Marriage Records, 1864-1983
- Alpine County, Birth Records, 1873-1929; Delayed Birth Records, 1942-1979; Index to all Birth Records, 1873-1979
- Amador County, Birth Indexes and Birth Notices
- Amador County, Birth Records, 1873-1979
- Antioch Ledger Newspaper Vital Records, 2 Apr 1870-17, Mar 1877
- Bakersfield, Births, Deaths & Marriages [Newspaper clippings]
- Banning City Births (1915-1925) and Deaths (1913-1920)
- Beaumont City Births, 1915-1927
- Berkeley, Record of Births, 1898-1905; Index, 1898-1903
- Brea City Birth Records, 1917-1932
- Butte County Birth Index, 1870-1920
- Butte County Births, Marriages and Deaths, 1883-1899
- Butte County Vital Records 1854-1897
- Butte County, Birth Index, ca. 1853-1950
- Butte County, Birth Indexes and Birth Notices
- Butte County, Birth Records, 1859-1912
- Butte County, Birth Records, 1872-1918
- Calaveras County, Birth Indexes and Birth Notices
- Calaveras County, Newspaper File Index, 1860-1950
- Calaveras County, Birth Records, 1858-1974
- California Birth Index, 1905-1995
- California Births and Christenings, 1812-1988
- California Cemeteries Vital Records to 1962
- California Mother Lode Birth Records 1856-1915
- California State Library, Vital Statistics Index ca. 1800s-1920
- California, Birth Records/notices from various Newspapers, 1863-1874
- California, County Birth and Death Records, 1800-1994
- California, Delayed Birth Certificates, 1886-1905
- California/Nevada Birth Records/Notices, 1863-1914
- Colusa County, Birth Indexes and Birth Notices
- Colusa County, Delayed Birth Records, 1943-1968
- Colusa County, Register of Births, 1873-1905
- Contra Costa County, Birth Indexes and Birth Notices
- Corning City Births, 1917-1920
- Corona City Birth Records, 1896-1920
- Del Norte County Birth Indexes
- Del Norte County, Birth Indexes and Birth Notices
- Del Norte County, Delayed Birth Certificates, 1943-1972
- Del Norte County, Registers of Births, 1873-1905
- El Dorado County, Birth Indexes and Birth Notices
- El Dorado County, Births, 1902-1982, Marriages, 1859-1932, Deaths, 1909-1928; and Indexes, 1904-1987
- El Dorado County, Delayed Births, 1944-1975
- El Dorado County, Index to Births, 1881-1905
- Elsinore City Birth Records, 1906, 1910-1927
- Eureka City Birth and Death Records, 1856-59, 1878-1905
- Fresno City Birth Records Index, 1901-1950
- Fresno County, Birth Indexes and Birth Notices
- Fresno County, Index to Births 1893-1975
- Fresno County, Index to Births, 1889-1950
- Glenn County, Birth Indexes and Birth Notices
- Glenn County, Birth Records, 1895-1897
- Glenn County, Births, 1895-1927
- Glenn County, Births, 1905-1922
- Glenn County, Delayed Birth Records, 1943-1975
- Grass Valley Birth (1890-1894) and Death Records (1857-1905)
- Healdsburg, Register of Births, and of Deaths, 1915-1922
- Hemet City Birth (1918-1926) and Death (1916-1920)
- Hoopa Valley Agency, Birth and Death Certificates, 1901-1947
- Humboldt County, Birth Indexes and Birth Notices
- Humboldt County, Delayed Birth Certificates, 1943-1975
- Humboldt County, Register of Births, 1873-1903
- Huntington Beach, Birth (1915-1921) and Death (1910-1923) Records
- Imperial County, Birth Indexes and Birth Notices
- Inyo County, Birth Indexes and Birth Notices
- Inyo County, Birth Records, 1905-1935; Delayed Birth Records, 1943-1964
- Kern County, Birth Indexes and Birth Notices
- Kings County, Birth Indexes and Birth Notices
- Lake County Birth Index
- Lake County, Birth Indexes and Birth Notices
- Lake County, Newspapers, Index of Births, Marriages and Deaths, 1863-1949
- Lake County, Birth Records, 1867-1957
- Lake County, Delayed Birth Certificates, 1941-1979
- Lassen County Births
- Lassen County, Birth Indexes and Birth Notices
- Lassen County, Birth Records, 1864-1928, Death Records, 1874-1912 & Marriage Records, 1864-1929
- Lodi, Certificates of Birth, 1915-1922
- Lompoc Vital Records 1915-1919
- Long Beach Birth Certificates, 1906-1919
- Long Beach, Birth Records, 1920-1930
- Long Beach, Report of Births, Deaths and Index, 1904-1917
- Los Angeles City Birth Certificates, 1905-1919; Index, 1905-1923
- Los Angeles City, Birth Records 1906-1930
- Los Angeles County, Birth Indexes and Birth Notices
- Los Angeles County, Birth Records 1906-1930
- Los Angeles County, Births 1865-1905, Deaths 1884-1932, and Index 1886-1905
- Los Angeles County, Original Birth (1849-1901) and Death Records (1874-1901)
- Los Angeles County, Birth Cards, 1894-1905
- Los Angeles County, Birth Cards, A-Z, ca. 1903-1905
- Los Angeles County, Delayed Certificates of Birth, 1943-1964
- Los Angeles County, Index to Record of Births, 1866-1920, and Delayed Certificates of Births
- Los Angeles Daily Times Births, Marriages and Deaths 1881-1886
- Los Angeles, Index to Birth Reports, 1879-1905
- Madera County Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes
- Madera County, Vital Records, 1883-1905
- Marin County, Birth Indexes and Birth Notices
- Marin County, Birth Records, 1868-1905
- Marin County, Delayed Birth Records, 1943-1980
- Mariposa County Births, Marriages, and Transcribed Obituaries
- Mariposa County, Birth Records, 1873-1884, 1903-1919; Index, 1873-1980
- Mendocino County Birth Certificates, 1909-1919
- Mendocino County Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes
- Mendocino County Index Births 1861-1924
- Mendocino County, Births, Deaths and Marriages, 1859-1907
- Mendocino County, Births and Deaths, 1873-1917
- Mendocino County, Miscellaneous Marriage Records, 1890-1905, Birth Certificates, 1906-1917
- Merced County Vital Records Indexes
- Merced County, Birth Indexes and Birth Notices
- Merced County, Delayed Certificates of Birth, 1873-1905
- Merced County, Register of Births, 1873-1905
- Miscellaneous BMD Records by County
- Modesto Sextons Records, 1902-1918
- Modoc County, Birth Indexes and Birth Notices
- Mono County, Birth Indexes and Birth Notices
- Mono County, Register of Births, 1873-1920
- Monterey County Births, Marriages, and Deaths
- Monterey County, Birth Indexes and Birth Notices
- Napa County, Index to Births, 1868-1905
- Nevada County, Birth Indexes and Birth Notices
- Nevada County, Register of Births, 1873-1905
- Newport Beach, Birth (1915-1932) and Death (1909-1932) Records
- Oakland Births, Marriages, Deaths and Obituary Clippings 1985-2011
- Oakland Family History Center Newspaper Record Collection, 1980-2011
- Oakland, Birth Certificates, 1870-1904
- Orange City, Birth and Death Records, 1915-1920
- Orange County, Birth Indexes and Birth Notices
- Orange County, Birth/Death/Marriage/church Records & Cemetery Census
- Orange County, Birth Records, 1887-1921; Index, 1887-1956
- Orange County, Delayed Birth Certificates, 1943-1980
- Perris City Birth (1893-1923) and Death (1893-1925) Records
- Petaluma Registers of Births and Deaths, 1885-1920
- Placer County, Birth Indexes and Birth Notices
- Placer County, Births, 1873-1909
- Placer, Shasta and Yuba Counties Early California Wills and Vital Statistics 1849-1900
- Placerville, Mountain Democrat, Birth, Marriage, and Death Notices [Index], 13 June 1857 — 20 September 1862
- Plumas County, Birth Indexes and Birth Notices
- Plumas County, Register of Births, 1873-1905
- Red Bluff City Births and Deaths, 1915-1920; Delayed Births, 1943-1963
- Redding, Delayed Birth Certificates, 1943-1955
- Riverside City Birth Records, December 1918-December 1919
- Riverside County, Birth Indexes and Birth Notices
- Riverside County, Birth Records, 1893-1919
- Riverside County, Delayed Birth Certificates, 1943-1980
- Round Valley Agency, Birth and Death Records, 1901-1924
- Sacramento Agency, Births and Deaths, 1910-1947
- Sacramento County, Birth Indexes and Birth Notices
- Sacramento County, Delayed Birth Records
- Sacramento County, Birth Records, 1858-1907
- Sacramento Union, Annual Compilation of Births, Marriages, Deaths, 1859-1886
- Sacramento, Bee/Union Newspaper Index, 1906-1937
- San Andreas, Groom and Bride Index 1854-1905; Marriage, Death and Birth Indexes 1856-1994
- San Benito County, Birth Indexes and Birth Notices
- San Benito County, Birth Records, 1850-1950
- San Benito County, Delayed Certificates of Birth, 1874-1950
- San Benito County, Register of Births & Deaths, 1874-1909
- San Bernardino City, Delayed Birth Records, 1943-1977
- San Bernardino County Birth Records, 1872-1905, 1872-1905
- San Bernardino County Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes
- San Bernardino County, Birth Indexes and Birth Notices
- San Bernardino County, Index to Births, 1875-1905
- San Diego County Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes
- San Diego County, Birth Indexes and Birth Notices
- San Diego County, Birth Records, 1860, 1870-1905; Index, 1870-1910
- San Diego County, Index to Delayed Births, 1943-1975
- San Francisco Call Index
- San Francisco County Records, 1824-1997
- San Francisco County, Birth Indexes and Birth Notices
- San Francisco Vital Indexes and Records
- San Francisco Vital Records from the Daily Alta California Newspaper 1854
- San Francisco Vital Records from the Daily Evening Bulletin Newspaper 1856, 1857
- San Francisco Vital Records Indexes
- San Francisco, 1892 Births published in 3 San Francisco Newspapers: Examiner, Chronicle, Morning Call
- San Joaquin County, Birth Indexes and Birth Notices
- San Joaquin County, Birth Records, 1850-1929; Index, 1850-1929
- San Joaquin County, Birth Records, 1858-1906; Index to Births and Affidavits, 1859-1928
- San Jose, Record of Births, 1889-1905
- San Luis Obispo County Birth. Marriage, and Death Indexes
- San Luis Obispo County, Birth Indexes and Birth Notices
- San Luis Obispo County, Delayed Birth Records, 1936-1970
- San Luis Obispo County, Register of Births, 1857-1905
- San Mateo County Birth, Death, and Marriages Indexes, 1853-1948
- San Mateo County Records, 1851-1991
- San Mateo County, Birth Indexes and Birth Notices
- Santa Ana Birth Records, 1915-1921
- Santa Barbara Birth Records (1910-1920) and Death Records (1911-1922)
- Santa Barbara County Birth Index
- Santa Barbara County Births
- Santa Barbara County, Birth Indexes and Birth Notices
- Santa Barbara County, Birth Records, 1859-1917
- Santa Barbara County, Delayed Birth Records, 1943-1980
- Santa Clara County Early Vitals Indexes
- Santa Clara County, Birth Indexes and Birth Notices
- Santa Clara County, Affidavits for Correction of Birth Records, 1883-1968
- Santa Clara County, Birth Records, 1873-1905
- Santa Clara County, Delayed and Supplemental Reports of Birth, 1938-1967
- Santa Clara County, Index Register of Births, 1873-1905
- Santa Cruz City Births (1905) and Deaths (1891-1905)
- Santa Cruz County Births & Deaths from Early Newspapers
- Santa Cruz County, Birth Indexes and Birth Notices
- Santa Cruz County, Births, 1873-1908; Index, 1850-1980
- Santa Cruz County, Delayed Birth Records, 1943-1978
- Santa Maria, Birth (1915-1918) and Death (1910-1918) Records
- Santa Rosa Record of Births and Deaths, 1871-1926
- Seal Beach, Birth Records, 1916-1937
- Sebastopol Register of Births and Deaths, 1915-1920
- Shasta County, Birth Records, 1873-1914
- Shasta County, Delayed Birth Records, 1943-1980
- Sierra County, Birth Indexes and Birth Notices
- Sierra County, Birth Records, 1857-1905; Delayed Births, 1941-1966
- Siskiyou County, Birth Indexes and Birth Notices
- Solano County Births/Baptisms, ca. 1890-1905
- Solano County, Birth Indexes and Birth Notices
- Solano County, Register of Births, 1873-1904
- Solano County, Register of Births, 1890-1905
- Sonoma County Birth Records 1858-1919
- Sonoma County, Birth Indexes and Birth Notices
- Sonoma County, Amended Birth Records, 1935-1947
- Sonoma County, Delayed Birth Certificates, 1943-1979
- Sonoma, Register of Births and Deaths, 1915-1920
- Stanislaus County, Marriage Certificates, 1854-1920, with Index, 1854-1921; Registers of Births and Deaths, 1873-1905
- Stockton Vital Records from Newspapers, 1850-1852
- Stockton, Certificates of Birth, 1903-1929
- Sutter County, Birth Indexes and Birth Notices
- Sutter County, Birth Records, 1873, 1894-1907
- Sutter County, Birth Records, 1905-1926
- Sutter County, Delayed Birth Records, 1944-1980
- Tehama County, Birth Indexes and Birth Notices
- Tehama County, Birth Records, 1889-1920
- Tehama County, Delayed Birth Records, 1942-1980
- Tracy, Certificates of Birth, 1915-1928
- Trinity County, Birth Indexes and Birth Notices
- Trinity County, Birth Records, 1873-1905
- Trinity County, Delayed Birth Records, 1944-1977
- Tulare County Vital Records Indexes
- Tulare County, Birth Indexes and Birth Notices
- Tule River Agency, Births and Deaths, 1924-1938
- Tuolumne County, Birth Indexes and Birth Notices
- Tuolumne County, Vital Records, 1850-1906
- United States Births and Christenings, 1867-1931
- United States Births and Christenings, 1867-1931
- Ventura County Birth Records
- Ventura County, Birth Indexes and Birth Notices
- Watsonville City Births, 1873-1879
- White County, School Census Records, 1940-1978
- Yolo County, Birth Indexes and Birth Notices
- Yolo County, Register of Births, 1878-1903
- Yuba County, Birth Indexes and Birth Notices
- Yuba County, Registers of Births, 1853-1905; Delayed Births, 1943-1977
Good Luck and Happy Hunting!
For other Free California Links, click on the category of interest:
Newspapers
Yearbooks
Births
Marriages
Deaths
BMD Records
Alumni Records
Cemetery Records
Church Records
Coroner Records
Criminal Records
Digital Archives
Directories
Divorce Records
Immigration Records
Institutional Records
Military Records
Mortuary Records
Naturalizations
Obituaries
Photos
Probate and Wills
School Records
Tax Records
Voter Records
For other Free California Links, click on the category of interest:
Newspapers
Yearbooks
Births
Marriages
Deaths
BMD Records
Alumni Records
Cemetery Records
Church Records
Coroner Records
Criminal Records
Digital Archives
Directories
Divorce Records
Immigration Records
Institutional Records
Military Records
Mortuary Records
Naturalizations
Obituaries
Photos
Probate and Wills
School Records
Tax Records
Voter Records
