<PAGE> PAGE 1
000 A000000 06/30/97
000 C000000 0000745992
000 D000000 N
000 E000000 NF
000 F000000 Y
000 G000000 N
000 H000000 N
000 I000000 3.0.a
000 J000000 A
001 A000000 DEAN WITTER CALIFORNIA TAX-FREE INCOME FUND
001 B000000 811-4020
001 C000000 2123922550
002 A000000 TWO WORLD TRADE CENTER
002 B000000 NEW YORK
002 C000000 NY
002 D010000 10048
003 000000 N
004 000000 N
005 000000 N
006 000000 N
007 A000000 N
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007 C010100 1
007 C010200 2
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 A000001 DEAN WITTER INTERCAPITAL INC.
008 B000001 A
008 C000001 801-42061
008 D010001 NEW YORK
008 D020001 NY
008 D030001 10048
011 A000001 DEAN WITTER DISTRIBUTORS INC.
011 B000001 8-45262
011 C010001 NEW YORK
011 C020001 NY
011 C030001 10048
012 A000001 DEAN WITTER TRUST COMPANY
012 B000001 84-1785
012 C010001 JERSEY CITY
012 C020001 NJ
012 C030001 07302
013 A000001 PRICE WATERHOUSE LLP
013 B010001 NEW YORK
013 B020001 NY
<PAGE> PAGE 2
013 B030001 10036
014 A000001 DEAN WITTER REYNOLDS INC
014 B000001 8-14172
014 A000002 MORGAN STANLEY & CO.
014 B000002 8-15869
015 A000001 THE BANK OF NEW YORK
015 B000001 C
015 C010001 NEW YORK
015 C020001 NY
015 C030001 10286
015 E010001 X
018 000000 Y
019 A000000 Y
019 B000000 127
019 C000000 DEANWITTER
020 C000001 0
020 C000002 0
020 C000003 0
020 C000004 0
020 C000005 0
020 C000006 0
020 C000007 0
020 C000008 0
020 C000009 0
020 C000010 0
021 000000 0
022 A000001 NUVEEN (JOHN) & CO. INC.
022 B000001 36-2639476
022 C000001 40440
022 D000001 48440
022 A000002 MORGAN (J.P.) SECURITIES INC.
022 B000002 13-3224016
022 C000002 29900
022 D000002 13500
022 A000003 LEHMAN BROTHERS INC.
022 B000003 13-2518466
022 C000003 14480
022 D000003 19735
022 A000004 PRUDENTIAL SECURITIES INC.
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022 C000004 12534
022 D000004 19842
022 A000005 SMITH BARNEY SHEARSON INC.
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022 C000005 4716
022 D000005 15138
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022 C000006 3900
022 D000006 14200
022 A000007 MERRILL LYNCH PIERCE FENNER & SMITH INC.
<PAGE> PAGE 3
022 B000007 13-5674085
022 C000007 6654
022 D000007 0
022 A000008 PAINE WEBBER INC.
022 B000008 13-2638166
022 C000008 4213
022 D000008 1963
022 A000009 GRUNTAL & CO. INC.
022 B000009 13-3179859
022 C000009 0
022 D000009 5276
022 A000010 OPENHEIMER & CO. INC.
022 B000010 13-2798343
022 C000010 0
022 D000010 5002
023 C000000 116837
023 D000000 156374
024 000000 N
025 D000001 0
025 D000002 0
025 D000003 0
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026 A000000 N
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<PAGE> PAGE 4
028 D040000 15462
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<PAGE> PAGE 5
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<PAGE> PAGE 6
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070 F010000 N
070 F020000 N
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070 I010000 N
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070 K020000 N
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<PAGE> PAGE 7
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<PAGE> PAGE 8
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<PAGE> PAGE 9
082 B000000 0
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SIGNATURE BARRY FINK
TITLE VICE PRESIDENT
WARNING: THE EDGAR SYSTEM ENCOUNTERED ERROR(S) WHILE PROCESSING THIS SCHEDULE.
<TABLE> <S> <C>
<ARTICLE> 6
<CIK> 0000745992
<NAME>
<S> <C>
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<FISCAL-YEAR-END> DEC-31-1997
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<INVESTMENTS-AT-VALUE> 908,989,675
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</TABLE>
