Arizona

Arizona Census Research

Federal censuses for the state of Arizona began in 1870 and have continued every 10 years.

Portions of Arizona were included in the 1860 Federal census as Arizona County in New Mexico territory. Arizona territorial censuses were taken in 1864 and 1866. 

In 1882, a state census was taken for the counties of Cochise, Gila, Graham, Maricopa, Mohave, Pima, Yavapai, and Yuma. Voter registers help substitute for various other time periods for many counties.

Arizona Vital Records

Arizona began statewide recording of births and deaths in July 1909. These records are held at the Office of Vital Records. Marriage and divorce records are available from the Superior Court clerk of the county where the event occurred.

Vital records in Arizona are restricted by law. Birth and death records are kept confidential for a range of years following the event. Records access requirements are noted on the web sites of the agencies which hold the record.

• State of Arizona Department of Health Services – Office of Vital Records: Holds birth and death records from July 1907, and also maintains a collection of births from 1855 and deaths from 1877 based on other source records. 
• Arizona State Archives: Copies of public birth and death records may be available on microfilm at the Archives, and staff can assist with research requests for record copies.
• Western States Marriage Index - BYU Idaho special collections: The searchable Western States marriage records index includes several counties in Arizona. See the web site for a list of specific counties covered.

Arizona Research Resources

The organizations listed below provide information about Arizona history and genealogy. In addition to these state-level resources, many counties and towns maintain important genealogical collections in local libraries, genealogical societies, or historical societies, so check for a local resource when researching.

• Arizona State Archives
• Arizona State Library Law and Research Division Genealogy collection
• Arizona Genealogical Society: The Resources section contains a useful list of links for Arizona researchers.
• Arizona Genealogical Advisory Board: Maintains a list of Arizona genealogy projects and contact information for local genealogy and historical societies.
• Arizona Memory Project: This digital archive contains documents and images focused on Arizona’s history. The collections cover many topics of interest to genealogists, including family records and photographs, oral histories, and documents such as deportation records from Cochise County.
• Arizona Historical Society: Regional repositories in Flagstaff, Phoenix, Tempe, and Yuma house collections of maps, photographs, films, oral histories, books, and manuscripts relating to Arizona history.
• Arizona GenWeb: Links to county-level genealogy pages and research resources.
• RootsWeb Arizona Resources: Contains links to Arizona genealogy resources, including state and county-level websites; societies and organizations; and personal and miscellaneous web sites related to Arizona research.
• National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) Pacific Region:  This NARA facility maintains records from Federal agencies and courts in Arizona, including census, military, court, naturalization, and immigration records.
• Bureau of Land Management (BLM) General Land Office Records: The BLM administers Federal Land for public land states including Arizona, and maintains records of land patents which granted land from the Federal Government to individuals. Use the Land Patent Search to locate land grants by name. Many record images are available on the web site. See the FAQ for more information on how to locate and use land patents.
• Chronicling America: Online newspapers: Provides searchable online versions of selected Arizona newspapers.