Information

Mission

The mission of the San Bernardino County Historical Archives is to identify, collect, preserve, maintain, and make available records and historical materials relating to the County of San Bernardino.

The Archives serves as both a repository for these unique documents and as a resource center open to the public and county staff.

If you are interested in donating items, our acquisition policy, or would like to schedule a lecture, or tour, please telephone 909-387-1001, or email ARC-DLRecArchive@arc.sbcounty.gov

Lectures, Tours and the Collection

The San Bernardino County Archivist is available, by appointment, to talk about Archives, or the History of San Bernardino County Government.

If you are interested in donating items, our acquisition policy, or would like to schedule a lecture, or tour, please telephone 909-387-1001, or email ARC-DLRecArchive@arc.sbcounty.gov

Genealogical Resources

As per Health and Safety Code Section HSC102230, Birth, Death, and Marriage record indices must be kept confidential. For more information please see Birth, Death, Marriage Certificates.

Births, Deaths and Marriages

The State of California did not start requiring the registration of Births and Deaths until 1873, these records were only maintained at the County level until 1905. Records from 1873 to 1910 are in a register format only.

The State of California required the recordation of marriage licenses in 1850, the Archives records begin with the formation of the county in 1853; records before this date are recorded in Los Angeles County.

If you have any questions about the SBCHA collections please email us at ARC-DLRecArchive@arc.sbcounty.gov

Probate

The San Bernardino County Historical Archives has Probate proceedings from 1853 to 1926. Probate records may include information verifying the authenticity of the deceased person’s will, appointing someone to handle the deceased person’s affairs, details on paying any debts and taxes, and the distribution of the deceased person’s property and possessions. These records can also include the names of spouses and children, and are organized by case number and date.

These records are searchable on Arrowhead, the Archives online database.

Great Register of Voters

The San Bernardino County Historical Archives has Great Register of Voters from 1866 to 1908 that can be viewed in-house. The Great Register of Voters contains a variety of information about the registrant, depending on the year. Some registers include occupation, height, age, physical description, and if the registrant is a naturalized citizen. Each voter was required to register with the County Clerk; registrant’s names are arranged alphabetically.

If you have any questions about the SBCHA collections please email us at ARC-DLRecArchive@arc.sbcounty.gov