PUTNAM CALIFORNIA TAX EXEMPT INCOME TRUST
NSAR-A, 1999-05-26
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<PAGE>      PAGE  1
000 A000000 03/31/99
000 C000000 0000711402
000 D000000 N
000 E000000 NF
000 F000000 Y
000 G000000 N
000 H000000 N
000 I000000 3.0
000 J000000 A
001 A000000 PUTNAM CALIFORNIA TAX EXEMPT INCOME TRUST
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001 C000000 6172921562
002 A000000 ONE POST OFFICE SQUARE
002 B000000 BOSTON
002 C000000 MA
002 D010000 02109
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004  000000 N
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011 A000001 PUTNAM MUTUAL FUNDS CORP.
011 B000001 8-5088
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011 C020001 MA
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012 A000001 PUTNAM INVESTOR SERVICES, INC.
012 B000001 84-401299
012 C010001 BOSTON
012 C020001 MA
012 C030001 02109
013 A000001 PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS LLP
013 B010001 BOSTON
013 B020001 MA
<PAGE>      PAGE  2
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020 A000001 MERRILL LYNCH, PIERCE, FENNER & SMITH, INC.
020 B000001 13-5674085
020 C000001     45
020 A000002 BEAR STERNS * CO.
020 B000002 13-4946705
020 C000002     15
020 A000003 LEHMAN BROTHERS
020 B000003 13-2518466
020 C000003      4
020 A000004 MORGAN (J.P.) SECURITIES INC.
020 B000004 13-3114016
020 C000004      2
020 C000005      0
020 C000006      0
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020 C000008      0
020 C000009      0
020 C000010      0
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022 A000001 WILLIAM E. SIMONS & SONS, INC
022 B000001 22-3017217
022 C000001     77813
022 D000001     33322
022 A000002 PAINEWEBBER INC.
022 B000002 13-2638166
022 C000002     47405
022 D000002     39650
022 A000003 MORGAN STANLEY DEAN WHITTER
022 C000003     39356
022 D000003     43777
022 A000004 MORGAN (J.P.) SECURITIES INC.
022 B000004 13-3224016
022 C000004     36519
022 D000004     36478
022 A000005 SALOMON SMITH BARNEY
022 C000005     44680
022 D000005     21376
022 A000006 GOLDMAN SACHS & CO.
022 B000006 13-5108880
022 C000006     38621
<PAGE>      PAGE  3
022 D000006     20609
022 A000007 MERRILL LYNCH, PIERCE, FENNER & SMITH INC.
022 B000007 13-5674085
022 C000007     22421
022 D000007     19403
022 A000008 SUTRO & CO.
022 B000008 94-1704902
022 C000008      8397
022 D000008     19737
022 A000009 PRUDENTIAL SECURITIES INC.
022 B000009 22-2347336
022 C000009     12996
022 D000009     14856
022 A000010 BEAR STERNS & CO.
022 B000010 13-4946705
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<PAGE>      PAGE  9
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086 F020000      0
SIGNATURE   PAUL BUCUVALAS
TITLE       MANAGING DIRECTOR


WARNING: THE EDGAR SYSTEM ENCOUNTERED ERROR(S) WHILE PROCESSING THIS SCHEDULE.

<TABLE> <S> <C>

<ARTICLE> 6
<LEGEND>
Putnam California Tax Exempt Income Fund
</LEGEND>
<SERIES>
   <NUMBER> 3
   <NAME> CLASS A

<S>                             <C>
<PERIOD-TYPE>                   SEMI
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>                          SEP-30-1998
<PERIOD-END>                               MAR-31-1999
<INVESTMENTS-AT-COST>                    3,333,961,700
<INVESTMENTS-AT-VALUE>                   3,688,786,049
<RECEIVABLES>                               83,222,241
<ASSETS-OTHER>                                       0
<OTHER-ITEMS-ASSETS>                                 0
<TOTAL-ASSETS>                           3,772,008,290
<PAYABLE-FOR-SECURITIES>                    50,898,825
<SENIOR-LONG-TERM-DEBT>                              0
<OTHER-ITEMS-LIABILITIES>                   22,532,771
<TOTAL-LIABILITIES>                         73,431,596
<SENIOR-EQUITY>                                      0
<PAID-IN-CAPITAL-COMMON>                 3,372,270,095
<SHARES-COMMON-STOCK>                      345,048,103
<SHARES-COMMON-PRIOR>                      345,773,716
<ACCUMULATED-NII-CURRENT>                    7,465,397
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-NII>                               0
<ACCUMULATED-NET-GAINS>                              0
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-GAINS>                  (35,730,156)
<ACCUM-APPREC-OR-DEPREC>                   354,571,358
<NET-ASSETS>                             3,698,576,694
<DIVIDEND-INCOME>                                    0
<INTEREST-INCOME>                          101,496,316
<OTHER-INCOME>                                       0
<EXPENSES-NET>                              16,282,180
<NET-INVESTMENT-INCOME>                     85,214,136
<REALIZED-GAINS-CURRENT>                     3,626,762
<APPREC-INCREASE-CURRENT>                 (44,534,553)
<NET-CHANGE-FROM-OPS>                       44,297,345
<EQUALIZATION>                                       0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-INCOME>                 (73,452,579)
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-GAINS>                  (16,229,723)
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OTHER>                                0
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-SOLD>                     16,934,977
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-REDEEMED>               (22,843,418)
<SHARES-REINVESTED>                          5,182,828
<NET-CHANGE-IN-ASSETS>                    (31,272,853)
<ACCUMULATED-NII-PRIOR>                      9,723,882
<ACCUMULATED-GAINS-PRIOR>                            0
<OVERDISTRIB-NII-PRIOR>                              0
<OVERDIST-NET-GAINS-PRIOR>                (19,585,810)
<GROSS-ADVISORY-FEES>                        8,272,356
<INTEREST-EXPENSE>                                   0
<GROSS-EXPENSE>                             16,425,117
<AVERAGE-NET-ASSETS>                     3,041,212,478
<PER-SHARE-NAV-BEGIN>                             8.89
<PER-SHARE-NII>                                    .21
<PER-SHARE-GAIN-APPREC>                          (.10)
<PER-SHARE-DIVIDEND>                             (.21)
<PER-SHARE-DISTRIBUTIONS>                        (.05)
<RETURNS-OF-CAPITAL>                                 0
<PER-SHARE-NAV-END>                               8.74
<EXPENSE-RATIO>                                    .39
[AVG-DEBT-OUTSTANDING]                               0
[AVG-DEBT-PER-SHARE]                                 0


</TABLE>
WARNING: THE EDGAR SYSTEM ENCOUNTERED ERROR(S) WHILE PROCESSING THIS SCHEDULE.

<TABLE> <S> <C>

<ARTICLE> 6
<LEGEND>
Putnam California Tax Exempt Income Fund
</LEGEND>
<SERIES>
   <NUMBER> 3
   <NAME> CLASS B

<S>                             <C>
<PERIOD-TYPE>                   SEMI
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>                          SEP-30-1998
<PERIOD-END>                               MAR-31-1999
<INVESTMENTS-AT-COST>                    3,333,961,700
<INVESTMENTS-AT-VALUE>                   3,688,786,049
<RECEIVABLES>                               83,222,241
<ASSETS-OTHER>                                       0
<OTHER-ITEMS-ASSETS>                                 0
<TOTAL-ASSETS>                           3,772,008,290
<PAYABLE-FOR-SECURITIES>                    50,898,825
<SENIOR-LONG-TERM-DEBT>                              0
<OTHER-ITEMS-LIABILITIES>                   22,532,771
<TOTAL-LIABILITIES>                         73,431,596
<SENIOR-EQUITY>                                      0
<PAID-IN-CAPITAL-COMMON>                 3,372,270,095
<SHARES-COMMON-STOCK>                       76,046,864
<SHARES-COMMON-PRIOR>                       72,266,390
<ACCUMULATED-NII-CURRENT>                    7,465,397
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-NII>                               0
<ACCUMULATED-NET-GAINS>                              0
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-GAINS>                  (35,730,156)
<ACCUM-APPREC-OR-DEPREC>                   354,571,358
<NET-ASSETS>                             3,698,576,694
<DIVIDEND-INCOME>                                    0
<INTEREST-INCOME>                          101,496,316
<OTHER-INCOME>                                       0
<EXPENSES-NET>                              16,282,180
<NET-INVESTMENT-INCOME>                     85,214,136
<REALIZED-GAINS-CURRENT>                     3,626,762
<APPREC-INCREASE-CURRENT>                 (44,534,553)
<NET-CHANGE-FROM-OPS>                       44,297,345
<EQUALIZATION>                                       0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-INCOME>                 (13,619,374)
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-GAINS>                   (3,456,456)
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OTHER>                                0
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-SOLD>                      7,255,134
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-REDEEMED>                (4,611,464)
<SHARES-REINVESTED>                          1,136,804
<NET-CHANGE-IN-ASSETS>                    (31,272,853)
<ACCUMULATED-NII-PRIOR>                      9,723,882
<ACCUMULATED-GAINS-PRIOR>                            0
<OVERDISTRIB-NII-PRIOR>                              0
<OVERDIST-NET-GAINS-PRIOR>                (19,585,810)
<GROSS-ADVISORY-FEES>                        8,272,356
<INTEREST-EXPENSE>                                   0
<GROSS-EXPENSE>                             16,425,117
<AVERAGE-NET-ASSETS>                       651,893,531
<PER-SHARE-NAV-BEGIN>                             8.88
<PER-SHARE-NII>                                    .18
<PER-SHARE-GAIN-APPREC>                          (.10)
<PER-SHARE-DIVIDEND>                             (.18)
<PER-SHARE-DISTRIBUTIONS>                        (.05)
<RETURNS-OF-CAPITAL>                                 0
<PER-SHARE-NAV-END>                               8.73
<EXPENSE-RATIO>                                    .71
[AVG-DEBT-OUTSTANDING]                               0
[AVG-DEBT-PER-SHARE]                                 0


</TABLE>
WARNING: THE EDGAR SYSTEM ENCOUNTERED ERROR(S) WHILE PROCESSING THIS SCHEDULE.

<TABLE> <S> <C>

<ARTICLE> 6
<LEGEND>
Putnam California Tax Exempt Income Fund
</LEGEND>
<SERIES>
   <NUMBER> 3
   <NAME> CLASS M

<S>                             <C>
<PERIOD-TYPE>                   SEMI
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>                          SEP-30-1998
<PERIOD-END>                               MAR-31-1999
<INVESTMENTS-AT-COST>                    3,333,961,700
<INVESTMENTS-AT-VALUE>                   3,688,786,049
<RECEIVABLES>                               83,222,241
<ASSETS-OTHER>                                       0
<OTHER-ITEMS-ASSETS>                                 0
<TOTAL-ASSETS>                           3,772,008,290
<PAYABLE-FOR-SECURITIES>                    50,898,825
<SENIOR-LONG-TERM-DEBT>                              0
<OTHER-ITEMS-LIABILITIES>                   22,532,771
<TOTAL-LIABILITIES>                         73,431,596
<SENIOR-EQUITY>                                      0
<PAID-IN-CAPITAL-COMMON>                 3,372,270,095
<SHARES-COMMON-STOCK>                        2,246,560
<SHARES-COMMON-PRIOR>                        1,687,518
<ACCUMULATED-NII-CURRENT>                    7,465,397
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-NII>                               0
<ACCUMULATED-NET-GAINS>                              0
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-GAINS>                  (35,730,156)
<ACCUM-APPREC-OR-DEPREC>                   354,571,358
<NET-ASSETS>                             3,698,576,694
<DIVIDEND-INCOME>                                    0
<INTEREST-INCOME>                          101,496,316
<OTHER-INCOME>                                       0
<EXPENSES-NET>                              16,282,180
<NET-INVESTMENT-INCOME>                     85,214,136
<REALIZED-GAINS-CURRENT>                     3,626,762
<APPREC-INCREASE-CURRENT>                 (44,534,553)
<NET-CHANGE-FROM-OPS>                       44,297,345
<EQUALIZATION>                                       0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-INCOME>                    (400,668)
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-GAINS>                      (84,929)
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OTHER>                                0
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-SOLD>                      5,831,009
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-REDEEMED>                (5,310,737)
<SHARES-REINVESTED>                             38,770
<NET-CHANGE-IN-ASSETS>                    (31,272,853)
<ACCUMULATED-NII-PRIOR>                      9,723,882
<ACCUMULATED-GAINS-PRIOR>                            0
<OVERDISTRIB-NII-PRIOR>                              0
<OVERDIST-NET-GAINS-PRIOR>                (19,585,810)
<GROSS-ADVISORY-FEES>                        8,272,356
<INTEREST-EXPENSE>                                   0
<GROSS-EXPENSE>                             16,425,117
<AVERAGE-NET-ASSETS>                        16,965,991
<PER-SHARE-NAV-BEGIN>                             8.88
<PER-SHARE-NII>                                    .19
<PER-SHARE-GAIN-APPREC>                          (.10)
<PER-SHARE-DIVIDEND>                             (.20)
<PER-SHARE-DISTRIBUTIONS>                        (.05)
<RETURNS-OF-CAPITAL>                                 0
<PER-SHARE-NAV-END>                               8.72
<EXPENSE-RATIO>                                    .54
[AVG-DEBT-OUTSTANDING]                               0
[AVG-DEBT-PER-SHARE]                                 0


</TABLE>


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