<PAGE> PAGE 1
000 A000000 03/31/96
000 C000000 0000711402
000 D000000 N
000 E000000 NF
000 F000000 Y
000 G000000 Y
000 H000000 N
000 I000000 3.0
000 J000000 U
001 A000000 PUTNAM CALIFORNIA TAX EXEMPT INCOME TRUST
001 B000000 811-3630
001 C000000 6172921471
002 A000000 ONE POST OFFICE SQUARE
002 B000000 BOSTON
002 C000000 MA
002 D010000 02109
003 000000 N
004 000000 N
005 000000 N
006 000000 N
007 A000000 Y
007 B000000 1
007 C010100 1
007 C020100 PUTNAM CALIFORNIA TAX EXEMPT INCOME FUND
007 C030100 N
007 C010200 2
007 C020200 PUTNAM CALIFORNIA INTERMED.TAX EXEMPT FUND
007 C030200 Y
007 C010300 3
007 C010400 4
007 C010500 5
007 C010600 6
007 C010700 7
007 C010800 8
007 C010900 9
007 C011000 10
008 A00AA01 PUTNAM INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT, INC.
008 B00AA01 A
008 C00AA01 801-7974
008 D01AA01 BOSTON
008 D02AA01 MA
008 D03AA01 02109
011 A00AA01 PUTNAM MUTUAL FUNDS CORP
011 B00AA01 8-5088
011 C01AA01 BOSTON
011 C02AA01 MA
011 C03AA01 02109
012 A00AA01 PUTNAM INVESTOR SERVICES
012 B00AA01 84-401299
012 C01AA01 BOSTON
012 C02AA01 MA
<PAGE> PAGE 2
012 C03AA01 02109
013 A00AA01 PRICE WATERHOUSE LLP
013 B01AA01 BOSTON
013 B02AA01 MA
013 B03AA01 02109
015 A00AA01 PUTNAM FIDUCIARY TRUST CO.
015 B00AA01 C
015 C01AA01 BOSTON
015 C02AA01 MA
015 C03AA01 02109
015 E01AA01 X
018 00AA00 Y
019 A00AA00 Y
019 B00AA00 98
019 C00AA00 PUTNAMFUND
020 A000001 PAINE WEBBER INC
020 B000001 13-2638166
020 C000001 16
020 A000002 BANK OF AMERICA NT & SA
020 B000002 94-1687665
020 C000002 6
020 A000003 MORGAN (J.P.) SECURITIES INC
020 B000003 13-3224016
020 C000003 6
020 C000004 0
020 C000005 0
020 C000006 0
020 C000007 0
020 C000008 0
020 C000009 0
020 C000010 0
021 000000 29
022 A000001 LEHMAN BORTHERS
022 B000001 13-2518466
022 C000001 57915
022 D000001 95116
022 A000002 BEAR STEARNS & CO.
022 B000002 13-4946705
022 C000002 19047
022 D000002 57017
022 A000003 MORGAN STANLEY INC.
022 B000003 13-2655998
022 C000003 46438
022 D000003 28775
022 A000004 SMITH, BARNEY,HARRIS, UPHAM & CO.
022 B000004 13-1912900
022 C000004 49528
022 D000004 23099
022 A000005 MERRILL, LYNCH, PIERCE, FENNER & SMITH
022 B000005 13-5674085
022 C000005 17111
<PAGE> PAGE 3
022 D000005 45323
022 A000006 PIPER JAFFRAY & HOPWOOD
022 B000006 41-0953246
022 C000006 29875
022 D000006 30795
022 A000007 SAMUEL RAMIREZ
022 B000007 13-2695511
022 C000007 25759
022 D000007 22193
022 A000008 RAUSCHER PIERCE REFSNES, INC.
022 B000008 75-1828470
022 C000008 18487
022 D000008 15531
022 A000009 CRAIGIE INC.
022 B000009 54-0294670
022 C000009 18366
022 D000009 15322
022 A000010 PAINE WEBBER INC.
022 B000010 13-2638166
022 C000010 15401
022 D000010 15393
023 C000000 420853
023 D000000 379607
024 00AA00 N
025 D00AA01 0
025 D00AA02 0
025 D00AA03 0
025 D00AA04 0
025 D00AA05 0
025 D00AA06 0
025 D00AA07 0
025 D00AA08 0
026 A000000 Y
026 B000000 Y
026 C000000 Y
026 D000000 Y
026 E000000 N
026 F000000 N
026 G010000 Y
026 G020000 Y
026 H000000 N
027 000000 Y
028 A01AA00 31776
028 A02AA00 8527
028 A03AA00 0
028 A04AA00 43675
028 B01AA00 42917
028 B02AA00 8080
028 B03AA00 0
028 B04AA00 32599
028 C01AA00 32220
<PAGE> PAGE 4
028 C02AA00 8521
028 C03AA00 0
028 C04AA00 51264
028 D01AA00 61207
028 D02AA00 7917
028 D03AA00 0
028 D04AA00 49347
028 E01AA00 45641
028 E02AA00 7677
028 E03AA00 0
028 E04AA00 55131
028 F01AA00 69316
028 F02AA00 7809
028 F03AA00 0
028 F04AA00 62897
028 G01AA00 283077
028 G02AA00 48531
028 G03AA00 0
028 G04AA00 294913
028 H00AA00 283077
029 00AA00 Y
030 A00AA00 2796
030 B00AA00 4.75
030 C00AA00 0.00
031 A00AA00 208
031 B00AA00 0
032 00AA00 2588
033 00AA00 0
034 00AA00 Y
035 00AA00 512
036 A00AA00 N
036 B00AA00 0
038 00AA00 0
042 A00AA00 0
042 B00AA00 0
042 C00AA00 100
042 D00AA00 0
042 E00AA00 0
042 F00AA00 0
042 G00AA00 0
042 H00AA00 0
043 00AA00 5158
044 00AA00 0
045 00AA00 Y
046 00AA00 N
047 00AA00 Y
048 00AA00 0.000
048 A01AA00 500000
048 A02AA00 0.600
048 B01AA00 500000
048 B02AA00 0.500
<PAGE> PAGE 5
048 C01AA00 500000
048 C02AA00 0.450
048 D01AA00 0
048 D02AA00 0.000
048 E01AA00 0
048 E02AA00 0.000
048 F01AA00 0
048 F02AA00 0.000
048 G01AA00 0
048 G02AA00 0.000
048 H01AA00 0
048 H02AA00 0.000
048 I01AA00 0
048 I02AA00 0.000
048 J01AA00 0
048 J02AA00 0.000
048 K01AA00 1500000
048 K02AA00 0.400
049 00AA00 N
050 00AA00 N
051 00AA00 N
052 00AA00 N
053 A00AA00 N
054 A00AA00 Y
054 B00AA00 Y
054 C00AA00 Y
054 D00AA00 N
054 E00AA00 N
054 F00AA00 N
054 G00AA00 N
054 H00AA00 N
054 I00AA00 N
054 J00AA00 Y
054 K00AA00 N
054 L00AA00 Y
054 M00AA00 Y
054 N00AA00 N
054 O00AA00 Y
055 A00AA00 N
055 B00AA00 N
056 00AA00 N
057 00AA00 N
058 A00AA00 N
059 00AA00 Y
060 A00AA00 Y
060 B00AA00 Y
061 00AA00 0
062 A00AA00 Y
062 B00AA00 0.0
062 C00AA00 0.0
062 D00AA00 0.0
<PAGE> PAGE 6
062 E00AA00 0.3
062 F00AA00 0.0
062 G00AA00 0.0
062 H00AA00 0.0
062 I00AA00 0.0
062 J00AA00 0.0
062 K00AA00 0.0
062 L00AA00 0.0
062 M00AA00 0.0
062 N00AA00 0.0
062 O00AA00 98.1
062 P00AA00 0.0
062 Q00AA00 0.0
062 R00AA00 0.0
063 A00AA00 0
063 B00AA00 13.5
064 A00AA00 Y
064 B00AA00 N
066 A00AA00 N
067 00AA00 N
068 A00AA00 N
068 B00AA00 N
069 00AA00 N
070 A01AA00 Y
070 A02AA00 N
070 B01AA00 N
070 B02AA00 N
070 C01AA00 Y
070 C02AA00 N
070 D01AA00 N
070 D02AA00 N
070 E01AA00 Y
070 E02AA00 Y
070 F01AA00 N
070 F02AA00 N
070 G01AA00 N
070 G02AA00 N
070 H01AA00 N
070 H02AA00 N
070 I01AA00 N
070 I02AA00 N
070 J01AA00 Y
070 J02AA00 Y
070 K01AA00 Y
070 K02AA00 N
070 L01AA00 Y
070 L02AA00 N
070 M01AA00 N
070 M02AA00 N
070 N01AA00 N
070 N02AA00 N
<PAGE> PAGE 7
070 O01AA00 N
070 O02AA00 N
070 P01AA00 N
070 P02AA00 N
070 Q01AA00 N
070 Q02AA00 N
070 R01AA00 N
070 R02AA00 N
071 A00AA00 643366
071 B00AA00 635362
071 C00AA00 2358000
071 D00AA00 27
072 A00AA00 6
072 B00AA00 116279
072 C00AA00 0
072 D00AA00 0
072 E00AA00 0
072 F00AA00 8255
072 G00AA00 21
072 H00AA00 0
072 I00AA00 876
072 J00AA00 -941
072 K00AA00 110
072 L00AA00 41
072 M00AA00 43
072 N00AA00 1
072 O00AA00 0
072 P00AA00 0
072 Q00AA00 0
072 R00AA00 22
072 S00AA00 44
072 T00AA00 5158
072 U00AA00 0
072 V00AA00 0
072 W00AA00 66
072 X00AA00 13696
072 Y00AA00 0
072 Z00AA00 102583
072AA00AA00 18434
072BB00AA00 0
072CC01AA00 0
072CC02AA00 8372
072DD01AA00 89108
072DD02AA00 10818
072EE00AA00 0
073 A01AA00 0.2364
073 A02AA00 0.2079
073 B00AA00 0.0000
073 C00AA00 0.0000
074 A00AA00 18510
074 B00AA00 0
<PAGE> PAGE 8
074 C00AA00 12005
074 D00AA00 3570727
074 E00AA00 0
074 F00AA00 0
074 G00AA00 0
074 H00AA00 0
074 I00AA00 0
074 J00AA00 14052
074 K00AA00 10
074 L00AA00 58134
074 M00AA00 0
074 N00AA00 3673438
074 O00AA00 16965
074 P00AA00 5844
074 Q00AA00 0
074 R01AA00 0
074 R02AA00 0
074 R03AA00 0
074 R04AA00 12588
074 S00AA00 0
074 T00AA00 3638041
074 U01AA00 376590
074 U02AA00 55530
074 V01AA00 8.41
074 V02AA00 8.40
074 W00AA00 0.0000
074 X00AA00 63930
074 Y00AA00 0
075 A00AA00 0
075 B00AA00 3690238
076 00AA00 0.00
077 A000000 Y
077 B000000 N
077 C000000 Y
077 D000000 N
077 E000000 N
077 F000000 N
077 G000000 N
077 H000000 N
077 I000000 N
077 J000000 N
077 K000000 N
077 L000000 N
077 M000000 Y
077 N000000 N
077 O000000 N
077 P000000 N
077 Q010000 N
077 Q020000 N
077 Q030000 N
080 C00AA00 0
<PAGE> PAGE 9
081 A00AA00 Y
081 B00AA00 97
082 B00AA00 0
083 B00AA00 0
084 B00AA00 0
086 A01AA00 0
086 A02AA00 0
086 B01AA00 0
086 B02AA00 0
086 C01AA00 0
086 C02AA00 0
086 D01AA00 0
086 D02AA00 0
086 E01AA00 0
086 E02AA00 0
086 F01AA00 0
086 F02AA00 0
SIGNATURE PAUL BUCAVALAS
TITLE VICE PRESIDENT
