Placer County Genealogy and Vital Records

Genealogy records for Placer County trace family history through birth certificates, death records, marriage licenses, and historical documents kept by the county clerk-recorder. Placer County formed in 1851 during the California Gold Rush and maintains vital records from that era to the present. The Placer County Clerk-Recorder-Elections office preserves all birth, death, and marriage records for events that occurred within Placer County boundaries. You can obtain genealogy records by visiting offices in Auburn or Roseville, ordering online through the county portal, or submitting mail requests. Most genealogy researchers choose informational copies which contain complete information without requiring notarized forms. Begin your Placer County family history search with the resources outlined below.

Placer County Vital Records Office

The Placer County Clerk-Recorder-Elections office maintains two locations for vital records services. The main office sits at 2954 Richardson Drive in Auburn. The North Auburn office is located at 11532 B Avenue. Both offices provide birth certificates, death records, and marriage licenses for events in Placer County.

Auburn office hours run Monday through Friday from eight in the morning until five in the afternoon. The office closes for lunch from noon to one. Call 530-886-5600 for the Auburn office. The Roseville office serves South Placer residents at 2700 Sunset Boulevard, Suite B. Call 916-787-8860 for Roseville services.

Birth certificates cost thirty one dollars per copy. Death certificates run twenty six dollars each. Marriage certificates are nineteen dollars. These fees match California state rates effective January 2026. Additional copies of the same document ordered simultaneously cost less than the first copy.

Placer County offers three methods to obtain records. Visit either office in person for same day service if your record is on file. Order online through the county's vital records portal with a credit card. Mail a completed application with a money order or cashier's check. Personal checks are held for fifteen business days before records are mailed, delaying your request significantly.

Placer County Gold Rush Records

Placer County formed in 1851 when gold discoveries drew thousands of miners. Early records from the 1850s and 1860s document this diverse population. Miners came from China, Mexico, Europe, and eastern United States. Death records from this era show the dangers of mining life with many young men dying from accidents, disease, or violence.

Birth registration was not mandatory in California until 1915. Few Placer County families registered births before this requirement. If you seek birth records before 1915, expect significant gaps. Church records, family bibles, and cemetery markers sometimes provide birth dates when government records do not exist.

Marriage records are the most reliable early vital records. Couples needed marriage licenses to wed legally. Placer County has marriage records dating to the 1850s. These include both spouses' names, ages, birthplaces, and parents' names. Mining towns throughout Placer County issued licenses even when other record keeping was sporadic.

Property records and mining claims help trace Placer County families. The recorder office has land patents, homestead records, and mining claims from the 1850s forward. These documents show where ancestors lived and worked. Mining claims reveal which hydraulic mines, placer deposits, or hard rock tunnels employed your ancestors.

The California State Archives holds some Placer County records including probate files, naturalizations, and court records. Probate files list heirs and family relationships when someone died. Naturalization papers show when immigrants became citizens and document their origins. These supplement vital records held by the county.

Online Record Requests

Placer County provides online ordering for vital records through its website. Payment requires a credit card. The system attempts electronic identity verification. If verification fails, you must provide a notarized sworn statement. Genealogists should select informational copies which require no notarization.

Online orders include additional service fees beyond the certificate cost. These non-refundable fees cover credit card processing and system maintenance. Mail requests avoid these extra fees if you pay by money order or cashier's check. Choose the method that fits your budget and timeline.

Birth certificates for newborns become available about three weeks after birth. Death certificates arrive within four weeks after death. Marriage certificates post within days once the officiant files them. Wait the appropriate time before ordering to ensure the county has received and processed the record.

If no record is found, you receive a Certificate of No Public Record. Fees are retained as search fees required by California law. Before ordering, confirm the event occurred in Placer County and verify your dates. Contact the clerk-recorder office to check whether they have the record before submitting payment.

Vital Record Details

Birth certificates list full name, date and place of birth, parent names, mother's maiden name, and father's occupation. Hospital births show the hospital name. Home births list the residence address. Informational copies contain all this data but display a legend stating they cannot establish identity.

Death certificates include name, death date and place, cause of death, birthplace, parents' names, spouse name, informant information, and burial or cremation details. Death records help genealogists by listing birthplaces in other states or countries. This shows where to search for earlier records when families migrated to Placer County.

Marriage certificates show both spouses' full names, ages, birthplaces, parents' names, occupations, residences, and wedding information. Placer County marriage records exist for licenses issued in the county. If a couple married in Placer County but obtained their license elsewhere, the other county holds the official record. Always search where the license was issued.

Who Can Obtain Placer County Records

California Health and Safety Code Section 103526 defines authorized persons. Authorized persons include the registrant, parents, children, grandchildren, siblings, spouses, and legal representatives. These people can receive certified copies for identity purposes. Genealogists researching more distant relatives receive informational copies automatically.

Informational copies suit genealogy research perfectly. They cost the same as certified copies but require no proof of relationship. No notarization is needed for mail requests of informational copies. Simply complete the application, indicate you want an informational copy, and include payment.

Records over one hundred years old generally become public without restrictions. Most Placer County records from before 1926 are now fully accessible. Privacy protections for recent records balance confidentiality needs with legitimate genealogy research through the informational copy option.

Placer County Genealogy Research Tips

Search free online indexes before ordering paid certificates. FamilySearch provides the California Birth Index covering 1905 to 1995. The California Death Index spans 1905 to 1939. The California Divorce Index includes 1966 to 1984. These free databases confirm whether records exist before you pay fees.

The California State Library Sutro Branch has Placer County family histories and genealogy materials. Their collection includes census records, city directories, and genealogical publications. Sutro staff will look up specific entries and scan pages for researchers who cannot visit. Email sutro@library.ca.gov with Placer County questions.

Placer County Historical Society maintains archives and photograph collections. Local history resources include maps, newspapers, and community records. These materials add context to vital records by describing where ancestors lived and what communities were like during their lifetimes.

Cemetery records throughout Placer County supplement official vital records. Auburn, Roseville, Colfax, and Lake Tahoe area cemeteries have burial records dating back to the Gold Rush. Findagrave and BillionGraves include Placer County cemetery photographs and transcriptions. Tombstones sometimes provide dates when government records are missing.

Note: Lake Tahoe straddles the California-Nevada border. If your ancestors lived in the Tahoe area, confirm whether events occurred on the California side in Placer County or the Nevada side in Washoe County or Douglas County.

Surrounding County Records

Families moved between Placer County and neighboring areas during the Gold Rush and later periods. Nevada County borders Placer County to the north and east. Sacramento County lies to the south. El Dorado County sits to the east and south. Yuba County is west of Placer County.

Mining families often moved between these Gold Country counties following mineral discoveries. Check multiple counties when tracing families from the 1850s through 1880s. Marriage records may be in one county while birth and death records are in another if families moved frequently.