California State Government Information
The State of California produces government information and statistics on a wide variety of topics that can be used by practitioners, researchers and students. This guide introduces users to the most useful databases and websites for finding this information. The State of California, like other states and governments, offers comprehensive search engine or portal to government information. See: https://www.ca.gov/ . These can be great places to start, As one looks through the results it helpful to note which government agency or department is responsible for producing and disseminating the desired information as well the publication schedule and depository requirements.
- CA.govThe official California State Government website and information portal. Search across the State government sites, or locate state agencies and services.
- California Open DataIncludes links to numeric and geographic data covering a variety of topics including demography, health statistics, state contracts, traffic records. Statistics and data sets are available from state agencies and links are provided to other data sources - local, federal and other sources.
- California RosterThe Roster of Public Officials, is a listing of California’s public officeholders, including our United States government officials, the Constitutional officers, members of the State Senate and Assembly, the Judicial branch, county officials, and Incorporated city and town officials.
- California Legislative InformationOfficial site for California legislative information. Links to bill information and status, California law, and legislative publications.
- Legislative Analyst’s OfficeThe Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) provides fiscal and policy advice to the Legislature. It is known for its fiscal and programmatic expertise and nonpartisan analyses of the state budget. The office serves as the “eyes and ears” for the Legislature to ensure that the executive branch is implementing legislative policy in a cost efficient and effective manner.
- Office of Administrative LawThe Office of Administrative Law (OAL) provides convenient access to the California Code, laws and regulations. The agency's purpose is to ensure regulations are clear, necessary, legally valid, and available to the public.
State Documents
The UC Davis is a Depository Library for California State government documents. As such, the Peter J. Shields Library has a large collection of historical and current California government documents. While state government documents are received in paper copy, and increasing number of California State government documents may only be available via State agency web sites. State government documents, both in paper copy and online, are represented in the Library catalog.
UC Davis researchers also benefit from its proximity to the California State Library in Sacramento. See the link to the State Library below.
Print material housed in the Peter J. Shields Library are mainly located on the lower level in the Government Information closed stacks collection. They can be retrieved and checked out whenever the library is open. Publications located in the Government Information stacks can be identified by the “Doc” in front of the call number that you’ll find in the catalog. Please ask at the first floor Information Desk when an assistant is available; at other times ask at the Shields Library Circulation Services to have a staff member retrieve a known document by call number.
- California State Library Main Catalog This link opens in a new windowAll California publications received in print or online are cataloged by the State Library and included in the CSL Main Catalog.
- California State Library, Monthly List of California Government PublicationsA monthly listing of official publications received by the State Library from California governmental agencies. Published since 1947.