Genealogical Research

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SBMAL has copies of most of the existing records for all 21 Alta California Missions, covering the late 18th through early 20th century. The vast majority are in Spanish. Handwriting and photocopy quality varies widely. Click here to view the list of registers we have available at SBMAL and the time periods they cover. (For most 20th century records, you will need to look elsewhere, starting with the appropriate parish.)

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For Mission Santa Barbara and the Santa Barbara Presidio, we have scanned a handwritten index to the registers that may help in locating records. You may download the PDF (31 MB) for personal use: Index to Santa Barbara Registers.

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Unfortunately, we do not have the staffing or expertise to be able to offer extensive assistance with genealogical research or translation of the sources. Digital copies and research services are available for a fee, as outlined in our Procedural Guidelines for the Santa Bárbara Mission Archive-Library. (Research services for genealogy are limited to 2 hours.) 

 

Membership gives you discounts on research services and scans, as well as in-person access to copies of the registers in which the sacraments of baptism, marriage, and burial were recorded at the California Missions, copies of Padrones or censuses we have available, and various other resources. We do not charge any fees for people looking for their Native American ancestry.​

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Click here to complete our Genealogical Records Request form.

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Other Genealogical Resources

*SBMAL does not endorse these sites or services. This list is for informational purposes only.*

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For records prior to 1850, please start your research with the Early California Population Project, an online database that may be helpful for research. This database covers the period from 1769–1850 and is a project of the University of California, Riverside and the Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens.

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If you need assistance with building your family tree or other genealogical research, you can try contacting the Santa Barbara County Genealogical Society or the Santa Barbara FamilySearch Center. If you are not in the Santa Barbara area, you can try looking for a genealogical society and/or FamilySearch Center near you.

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The US National Archives has a page of Resources for Genealogists.

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For getting started on tracing Native ancestry, take a look at the Trace Indian Ancestry page from the U.S. Department of the Interior/Bureau of Indian Affairs.

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The Association of Professional Genealogists has a directory to help you find a genealogist near you or who specializes in a particular research area.