Arizona
Arizona genealogy
Arizona genealogy reaches across Indigenous history, Spanish and Mexican-era records, the territorial period, mining and railroad communities, migration from Mexico and the United States, and statehood in 1912. Research often crosses county, territorial, federal and borderlands records.
Arizona genealogy resources
A major free gateway for Arizona family history, with county sites, historical material, maps, books, military resources, cemetery sources and genealogy links.
Explore resources →County-level genealogy is central to Arizona research, with separate resources and historical material for Arizona's counties.
Browse counties →Collections include assessment rolls, brand indexes, coroner records, Great Registers, Territorial Prison records, court records, newspapers and more.
Research the archives →Special collections, yearbooks, Arizona and Southwest materials and resources relating to genealogy and family history.
Explore collections →Digitized photographs, documents, publications and other historical material from Arizona collections.
Search the collection →A state-focused guide to Arizona local history and genealogy resources, including print and online collections.
Open research guide →Arizona vital records
Arizona's genealogy portal provides searchable birth and death records and images that have entered the public record.
Arizona vital records →Marriage records are generally held by the county Superior Court where they were filed, with some older material held by the State Archives.
Public records guide →FamilySearch provides an extensive Arizona birth certificate and index collection covering historical Arizona records.
Search birth records →FamilySearch includes Arizona death collections covering substantial portions of the territorial and statehood periods.
Search death records →Historical county marriage collections can help connect spouses, parents, residences and communities.
Search marriages →Superior Court records can include marriage licenses, wills, probate cases and civil and criminal cases.
Arizona State Archives →Arizona county-by-county
Arizona historical research
Arizona research can extend into Spanish and Mexican periods, especially in southern Arizona and the borderlands around Tucson and Nogales.
Library of Congress →Territorial records are essential for families living in Arizona before statehood in 1912.
AZGenWeb histories →Mining shaped many Arizona communities and left records in newspapers, directories, biographies, court files and local histories.
Historical resources →Railroad development connected Arizona communities with California, New Mexico and the wider United States.
Arizona Memory Project →AZGenWeb contains historical books, biographies, directories and other sources useful for identifying early residents.
Explore histories →Newspapers are especially valuable for Arizona's territorial communities, mining towns and rapidly changing settlements.
Chronicling America →Arizona Native American genealogy
The National Archives provides a detailed guide to Bureau of Indian Affairs records relating to Arizona tribes, agencies and field offices.
Explore Arizona BIA records →Federal Indian census records can contain names, relationships, tribal affiliation, reservations and other genealogical information.
Search census rolls →FamilySearch provides access to historical Native American vital records derived from federal records.
Search vital records →A genealogy-focused resource providing historical and tribal information for Arizona research.
Access Genealogy →Research guidance covering tribal history, federal records, local jurisdictions and other sources for Native American genealogy.
Research guide →Continue to the GeneticVoyage resource hub for Indigenous and Native Peoples research.
Open GeneticVoyage resource →Arizona ethnic & community research
The University of Arizona's Southwest Jewish Archives provides historical material relating to Jewish communities in Arizona and the Southwest.
Southwest Jewish Archives →Southern Arizona genealogy can require research across the U.S.–Mexico border and historical communities that predate the modern boundary.
University of Arizona Libraries →Directories, biographies, newspapers and county resources can help reconstruct the lives of Arizona pioneers.
AZGenWeb Resources →Arizona's historical resources include material relating to Mormon settlement communities and migration into the territory.
Arizona resources →Newspapers, directories, military records, census collections and local histories can help trace African American families in Arizona.
Genealogy resources →Local histories and genealogical societies can provide records and context not always available in statewide databases.
Explore AZGenWeb →Arizona maps, land & property records
BLM General Land Office records can help identify federal land transactions and settlement patterns.
Search land records →Historical county boundary changes are important when an ancestor's record appears under a different jurisdiction.
Map county history →Historic maps can help establish communities, transportation routes, county boundaries and changing place names.
Search maps →The Atlas of Historical County Boundaries helps researchers understand changing jurisdictions over time.
Explore boundaries →AZGenWeb links to historical Arizona maps and other geographic research resources.
AZGenWeb Resources →Digitized historical images and documents can provide visual evidence for places, buildings and communities.
Arizona Memory Project →Arizona military genealogy
Federal military records can document service, pensions, draft registration and other aspects of an ancestor's military life.
NARA →The Daughters of the American Revolution provides genealogical and historical collections useful for qualifying ancestral research.
DAR Library →A National Park Service database covering soldiers, sailors, regiments and other Civil War information.
Search database →The Coffelt Database provides information relating to Arizona and U.S. military casualties from the Vietnam War.
Search casualties →A resource for military and veterans research with state-related historical information.
Explore HonorStates →Historical information about Medal of Honor recipients associated with Arizona.
Explore recipients →Arizona newspapers & biographical research
Search references to people in books, newspaper articles, periodicals, obituaries and vertical files held by Arizona collections.
Search biographies →Free digitized historic newspapers can reveal marriages, deaths, businesses, court cases, mining activity and community life.
Search newspapers →Arizona cemetery photographs and obituary resources can provide useful clues for family history research.
Search Arizona graves →Cemetery and memorial records can help establish burial locations and family connections.
Search graves →Digitized cemetery records can complement local Arizona burial research.
Search cemeteries →Historical books, biographies, military lists and local historical material gathered by AZGenWeb.
Browse histories →Arizona genealogy databases
Arizona collections include births, deaths, marriages, arrivals, voting records, military material and other historical records.
Search →Extensive census, vital, military, immigration and family-history collections relevant to Arizona research.
Search →International records and family trees can help trace migration into Arizona and connections beyond the state.
Search →Historical newspapers and obituary material that can supplement Arizona newspaper research.
Search →A large directory of genealogy websites and research resources.
Browse genealogy links →Genealogy links and family-history resources organized by locality and surname.
Search resources →How to research an Arizona ancestor
Determine the county where your ancestor lived and check whether the county boundaries were different at the time.
Separate Spanish and Mexican records, the territorial period and Arizona's post-statehood records.
Check the state Resources page and the relevant county site for local records, histories, maps, books and indexes.
Use Arizona birth, death and marriage sources together with county court and archival records.
Newspapers can reveal occupations, businesses, mining activity, marriages, deaths, migration and community relationships.
Arizona families frequently have connections with Mexico, California, New Mexico, Utah and other western states.
Continue your Arizona research
Arizona family history often crosses county boundaries and historical jurisdictions. Start with AZGenWeb and Arizona archival collections, then follow your ancestor through vital records, newspapers, land records, military sources, Native American records and neighboring states or Mexico.