Sonoma 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

Sonoma County, California Facts

When was Sonoma County, CA Created?
Sonoma County was established on February 18, 1850.

What is the County Seat of Sonoma County, CA?
The County Seat is located in Santa Rosa also, the county government website is www.sonoma-county.org/

What counties are adjacent to Sonoma County, CA?
Bordering Counties are Cloverdale, Cotati, Healdsburg, Petaluma, Rohnert Park, Santa Rosa, Sebastopol, Sonoma, Windsor .

Sonoma County, CA Vital Records

Where can find Sonoma County Birth, marriage, Divorce and Death Records?
Sonoma 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 Sonoma 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 Deaths, 3313 Chanate Road, Santa Rosa, CA 95404; Office (707) 565-4700

• 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

Sonoma County, CA Census Records

What Sonoma County, CA census records are available?
There are many types of census records for Sonoma County guide you in researching your family tree. Federal Population Schedules are available for 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880 (free index), 1890 (fragment), 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, 1940.

Sonoma Co. Mortality Schedules can be found for 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. Sonoma Co. Industry and Agriculture can be obtained for 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. Sonoma 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
• Sonoma County, CA Census Records Links
• Sonoma County, CA Census QuickFacts

Sonoma County, CA Courthouse and Government Records

Sonoma County Courthouse

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

Researchers frequently overlook the great importance of Sonoma 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 Sonoma 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.

• Sonoma County Courthouse (all departments listed below are located here, unless otherwise noted)
  • Address: 600 Administration Dr, Santa Rosa, CA 95403
  • Phone: (707) 565-3800
• Sonoma County Recorder-Clerk
  • Address: 2300 County Center Drive, Suite B-177, Santa Rosa, CA 95403 OR Mail to: P. O. Box 1709, Santa Rosa, CA 95402
  • Phone: (707) 565-2645
  • Birth / Death Records: 1858 / 1873
  • Marriage Records: 1846
  • Land Records: 1841
• Sonoma County Clerk of Superior Court
  • Probate Records: 1850
  • Court Records: 1848
• Early California Wills
• BLM Land Records

Sonoma County, CA Societies and Family History Resources

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

• Cloverdale Historical Society, 215 N. Cloverdale Blvd ~ PO Box 628, Cloverdale, CA 95425 ~ 707-894-2067
• Forestville Historical Society, P.O. Box 195, Forestville, CA 95436
• Petaluma Historical Library and Museum 20 Fourth Street (Corner of 4th and B Street), Petaluma, CA 94952; (707) 778-4398
• Sonoma County Genealogical Society P.O. Box 2273, Santa Rosa, CA 95405-0273
• Sonoma County Historical Society, P.O. Box 1373, Santa Rosa, CA 95402
• Sonoma Valley Historical Society, P.O. Box 861, Sonoma, CA 95476; Phone & Fax: (707) 938-1762
• 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 Sonoma County, CA Researchers through message boards and forums?

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

What other genealogical resources are available in Sonoma County, CA?
The following are web links to Genealogy, Records and Resources pertaining to Sonoma 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.

Sonoma 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)
• Sonoma County, California Books (amazon.com)
• Search California Obituaries (1985 to current) (genealogybank.com)
• Sonoma County California Genealogy Books (books.google.com)

Sonoma Co. CA Cemeteries & Church Records

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

Sonoma Co. CA Family Websites, Pictures & Histories

• Create a Free Family Tree (ancestry.com)
• The Crinella – Zurlo Families (crinellawinery.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.

Sonoma Co. CA General and History Websites

• See Also State History for California
• History of Sonoma County (cagenweb.com) including its geology, topography, mountains, valleys and streams; together with a full and particular record of the Spanish grants; its early history and settlement … the names of original Spanish and American pioneers … and biographical sketches of early and prominent settlers and representative men, by J. P. Munro-Fraser, Alley, Bowen & Co., San Francisco, California (1880).
• Sonoma County History (rootsweb.ancestry.com) Historical and Descriptive Sketch of Sonoma County, California, 1877
• History of Sonoma County, California : with biographical sketches of the leading men and women of the county, who have been ide (search.ancestry.com)
• Historical and descriptive sketch of Sonoma County, California (search.ancestry.com)
• Sonoma County, California Wikipedia (wikipedia.org)
• Sonoma County, California Wiki (familysearch.org)
• Sonoma Co. CA Genealogy (kindredtrails.com)
• Family History Library (familysearch.org)
• Sonoma County, California (linkpendium.com)
• Cyndi’s List – United States – California – Counties – Sonoma (cyndislist.com)
• Sonoma County California (genealogytrails.com)
• Sonoma Co. CAGenweb (cagenweb.com)
• Sonoma County Genealogy Queries (cousinconnect.com)
• Sonoma Co. Data Collections (search.ancestry.com)

Sonoma Co. CA Maps, Atlases & Gazetteers

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

Sonoma 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 Sonoma County genealogists, researchers, historians and more.