Kern County, California
Genealogy, History & Facts

County Vital Records ∣ County Census Records ∣ County Courthouse and Government Records ∣
County Societies, Family History Resources and County Genealogy Links

Kern County, California Facts

When was Kern County, CA Created?
Kern County was established on April 2, 1866 from Tulare County and Los Angeles County . This county derived its name from the Kern River, which was named for Edward Kern, topographer of General John C. Fremont’s 1845 expedition.

What is the County Seat of Kern County, CA?
The County Seat is located in Bakersfield also, the county government website is http://www.co.kern.ca.us/

What counties are adjacent to Kern County, CA?
Bordering Counties are Los Angeles County, Ventura County, Santa Barbara County, San Luis Obispo County, Kings County, Tulare County, Inyo County, San Bernardino County.

Kern County, CA Vital Records

Where can find Kern County Birth, marriage, Divorce and Death Records?
Kern County vital records can be found at the California Office of Vital Records has copies of birth and death records from July 1905, marriage records that occurred from 1949-1986 and 1998-1999, divorce records that occurred between 1962 and June, 1984. There is a fee for each copy requested. Please refer to the information to the Statewide Vital Records in California for current fees and application process.

You can search online for Kern County Birth, Marriage, Divorce or Death Records. You can also Order Electronically Online or can download an application for California Birth Certificate, Marriage or Divorce Certificate, Death Certificate Applications to mail.

Vital Records can also be found in the Local Registrar of Births and Death, 1800 Mt. Vernon Ave., 1st Floor, Bakersfield, CA 93306; Office (661) 868-0335

•  Kern County Divorce Records 1990 to 2004
• U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007
• Social Security Death Index
• USGenweb Archives California Marriage Project
• California Birth Index 1905 to 1995  from the California Department of Public Health, Center for Health Statistics
• California Birth Index, 1905-1995
• California Marriage Records 1960 to 1985 from the California Department of Health
• California, County Marriages, 1850-1952
• California Marriages, 1850-1877
• California, Marriage Index, 1960-1985
• California Divorce Index, 1966-1984
• Western States Marriage Index, 1809-2011
• California Death Index 1940 to 1997
• California Death Index, 1940-1997
• California, World War I Death Announcements, 1918-1921
• California Biographical Collection: Responses to Vital Record Inquiries, 1822-1964

Kern County, CA Census Records

What Kern County, CA census records are available?
There are many types of census records for Kern County guide you in researching your family tree. Federal Population Schedules are available for 1870, 1880 (free index), 1890 (fragment), 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, 1940.

Kern Co. Mortality Schedules can be found for 1870 and 1880. Kern Co. Industry and Agriculture can be obtained for 1870 and 1880. Kern Co. Union Veterans Schedules is available for 1890.

Another California census is the California State Census in 1852. One can find free online and printable census forms to help you with your research. See Also California Census Records Research Guide.

• Search The U.S. Federal Census Collection
• Kern County, CA Census Records Links
• Kern County, CA Census QuickFacts

Kern County, CA Courthouse and Government Records

Kern County Courthouse

What genealogical records can I find in the Kern County Courthouse?

Researchers frequently overlook the great importance of Kern County court, probate, and land records data as a useful resource of ancestry and genealogy information. Buried away in California courthouses and archives everywhere are the ambitions and frustrations of countless California residents.

The possibilities are excellent that your forefathers have left a comprehensive document of at least a number of facets of their lives in the Kern County court records. Even if your forebears is not referred to in a Court case, contemplate all of the other procedures that could have lead to him or her to appear in court records. See Also California Corthouse Records Research Guide.

• Kern County Courthouse (all departments listed below are located here, unless otherwise noted)
  • Address: 1115 Truxtun Avenue, Bakersfield, CA 93301
  • Phone: (661) 868-3601
• Kern County Recorder-Clerk
  • Address: 1655 Chester Avenue, Bakersfield, CA 93301
  • Phone: (661) 868-6449
  • Birth / Death Records: 1850
  • Marriage Records: 1850
  • Land Records: 1850
• Kern County Clerk of Superior Court
  • Probate Records: 1866
  • Court Records: 1866
• Early California Wills
• BLM Land Records

Kern County, CA Societies and Family History Resources

What genealogical and historical societies, archives, museums, associations and libraries are available for Kern County, CA?
A list of Kern County Historical  and Genealogical Societies, Libraries, Archives. See also list of Statewide Californiia Archives, Historical & Genealogical Societies.

• Kern County Genealogical Society, P.O. Box 2214, Bakersfield, CA 93303-2214
• Kern County Historical Society, P.O. Box 141, Bakersfield, CA 93302
• Kern River Valley Historical Society, 49 Big Blue Rd., P.O. Box 651, Kernville, California 93238-0651; (760) 376-6683
• Taft Genealogical Society, P.O. Box 7411, Taft, CA 93268
• Historical Society of the Upper Mojave Desert, P.O. Box 2001, 230 W Ridgecrest Blvd. Ridgecrest, CA 93555; (760) 375-8456
• Ridge Route Communites Historical Societies and  Museum, Box 684, Frazier Park, CA 93225; 661-245-7747
• California State Archives, Office of Secretary of State, 1020 O Street, Room 130, Sacramento, CA 95814
• California State Library, 914 Capitol Mall, Sacramento, CA 95814
• California Historical Society, 678 Mission Street, San Francisco 94105
• California Genealogical Society And Library, 2201 Broadway, Suite LL2, Oakland 94612-3017

Where can I connect with other Kern County, CA Researchers through message boards and forums?

• California Genealogy Community (plus.google.com)
• California State Genealogy Network (facebook.com)
• Kern County, California Message Boards (boards.ancestry.com)
• Kern County, California Genealogy Forum (genforum.genealogy.com)

What other genealogical resources are available in Kern County, CA?
The following are web links to Genealogy, Records and Resources pertaining to Kern County. A majority of these genealogy links fall into 3 categories: Business Sites, Private Sites or Organization Sites. Some have free access some require a payment. This is basically a listing which has been gathered or submitted. I do not recommend or promote one genealogy site above another.

Kern Co. CA Books, Newspapers & Publications

• California Newspapers Books & Publications Research Guide
• California historical newspaper archives online (newspapers.com)
• Historical Newspapers from California (1813 – 1978) (genealogybank.com)
• Kern County, California Books (amazon.com)
• Search California Obituaries (1985 to current) (genealogybank.com)
• Kern County California Genealogy Books (books.google.com)

Kern Co. CA Cemeteries & Church Records

• Kern Co., California Graves (findagrave.com)
• Kern County Tombstone Transcription Project (usgwtombstones.org)
• Kern Co., California Cemeteries (Internment.net)
• Kern Co., California Cemetery Books (amazon.com)
• Kern County, California Church Books (amazon.com)

Kern Co. CA Family Websites, Pictures & Histories

• Create a Free Family Tree (ancestry.com)
• California Pioneer Project – The California Pioneer List (CPL) is a list of settlers to California who migrated to or were born in California prior to 1880 (included in the 1880 California Census) and obtained from those sent (e-mailed) directly from individuals doing genealogical research.

Kern Co. CA General and History Websites

• See Also State History for California
• Kern County History (rootsweb.ancestry.com) Memorial and Biographical History of the counties of Fresno, Tulare and Kern, California 1892
• A Memorial and biographical history of the counties of Fresno, Tulare and Kern, California : containing a history of this impor (search.ancestry.com)
• Fresno, Tulare, and Kern Counties, California Biographical History (search.ancestry.com)
• Where rolls the Kern : a history of Kern County, California (search.ancestry.com)
• Little dramas of old Bakersfield : as seen by a boy and told in after years (search.ancestry.com)
• Pioneer days and Kebo Club nights (search.ancestry.com)
• Kern County, California Wikipedia (wikipedia.org)
• Kern County, California Wiki (familysearch.org)
• Kern Co. CA Genealogy (kindredtrails.com)
• Family History Library (familysearch.org)
• Kern County, California (linkpendium.com)
• Cyndi’s List – United States – California – Counties – Kern (cyndislist.com)
• Kern County California (genealogytrails.com)
• Kern Co. CAGenweb (cagenweb.com)
• Kern County Genealogy Queries (cousinconnect.com)
• Kern Co. Data Collections (search.ancestry.com)

Kern Co. CA Maps, Atlases & Gazetteers

• See Also Map of California Links and Information
• 1895 Kern County Map (livgenmi.com)

Kern Co. CA Military Records

• California Military Records Research Guide
• California Military Records (fold3.com) gives you easy access to military records, stories, photos, and personal documents of the California individuals that served. Great for Kern County genealogists, researchers, historians and more.