<PAGE> PAGE 1
000 A000000 12/31/96
000 C000000 0000877243
000 D000000 N
000 E000000 NF
000 F000000 Y
000 G000000 N
000 H000000 N
000 I000000 3.0.a
000 J000000 U
001 A000000 ACTIVE ASSETS CALIFORNIA TAX-FREE TRUST
001 B000000 811-6530
001 C000000 2123921600
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
007 B000000 0
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 NEW YORK
012 C020001 NY
012 C030001 07311
013 A000001 PRICE WATERHOUSE LLP
013 B010001 NEW YORK
013 B020001 NY
013 B030001 10036
014 A000001 DEAN WITTER REYNOLDS INC.
014 B000001 8-14172
015 A000001 THE BANK OF NEW YORK
015 B000001 C
015 C010001 NEW YORK
015 C020001 NY
015 C030001 10025
015 E010001 X
018 000000 Y
<PAGE> PAGE 2
019 A000000 Y
019 B000000 126
019 C000000 DEANWITTER
021 000000 0
022 A000001 MORGAN STANLEY & CO. INC.
022 B000001 13-2655998
022 C000001 100800
022 D000001 46370
022 A000002 SMITH BARNEY, SHEARSON INC.
022 B000002 13-1912900
022 C000002 58300
022 D000002 19400
022 A000003 NUVEEN (JOHN) & CO. INC.
022 B000003 36-2639476
022 C000003 43200
022 D000003 23000
022 A000004 LEHMAN BROTHERS INC.
022 B000004 13-2518466
022 C000004 55700
022 D000004 6200
022 A000005 MORGAN (J.P.) SECURITIES, INC.
022 B000005 13-3224016
022 C000005 23005
022 D000005 20060
022 A000006 GOLDMAN SACHS & CO.
022 B000006 13-5108880
022 C000006 29200
022 D000006 0
022 A000007 BEAR STEARNS & CO. INC.
022 B000007 13-3299429
022 C000007 15000
022 D000007 0
022 A000008 SECURITY PACIFIC NATIONAL BANK
022 B000008 95-2772475
022 C000008 13600
022 D000008 0
022 A000009 ARTEMIS CAPITAL GROUP INC.
022 B000009 N/A
022 C000009 13400
022 D000009 0
022 A000010 BT SECURITIES CORP.
022 B000010 13-3311934
022 C000010 5775
022 D000010 5000
023 C000000 375210
023 D000000 120030
024 000000 N
025 D000001 0
025 D000002 0
025 D000003 0
025 D000004 0
<PAGE> PAGE 3
025 D000005 0
025 D000006 0
025 D000007 0
025 D000008 0
026 A000000 N
026 B000000 Y
026 C000000 N
026 D000000 Y
026 E000000 N
026 F000000 N
026 G010000 N
026 G020000 N
026 H000000 N
027 000000 Y
028 A010000 132343
028 A020000 896
028 A030000 0
028 A040000 104647
028 B010000 113322
028 B020000 962
028 B030000 0
028 B040000 117754
028 C010000 150386
028 C020000 908
028 C030000 0
028 C040000 179974
028 D010000 152313
028 D020000 1000
028 D030000 0
028 D040000 131524
028 E010000 102428
028 E020000 878
028 E030000 0
028 E040000 87036
028 F010000 136934
028 F020000 1151
028 F030000 0
028 F040000 119784
028 G010000 787726
028 G020000 5795
028 G030000 0
028 G040000 740719
028 H000000 0
029 000000 N
030 A000000 0
030 B000000 0.00
030 C000000 0.00
031 A000000 0
031 B000000 0
032 000000 0
033 000000 0
<PAGE> PAGE 4
034 000000 N
035 000000 0
036 B000000 0
037 000000 N
038 000000 0
039 000000 N
040 000000 Y
041 000000 Y
042 A000000 0
042 B000000 0
042 C000000 100
042 D000000 0
042 E000000 0
042 F000000 0
042 G000000 0
042 H000000 0
043 000000 213
044 000000 0
045 000000 Y
046 000000 N
047 000000 Y
048 000000 0.000
048 A010000 500000
048 A020000 0.500
048 B010000 250000
048 B020000 0.425
048 C010000 250000
048 C020000 0.375
048 D010000 500000
048 D020000 0.350
048 E010000 500000
048 E020000 0.325
048 F010000 500000
048 F020000 0.300
048 G010000 500000
048 G020000 0.275
048 H010000 0
048 H020000 0.000
048 I010000 0
048 I020000 0.000
048 J010000 0
048 J020000 0.000
048 K010000 3000000
048 K020000 0.250
049 000000 N
050 000000 N
051 000000 N
052 000000 N
053 A000000 N
054 A000000 Y
054 B000000 Y
<PAGE> PAGE 5
054 C000000 Y
054 D000000 N
054 E000000 N
054 F000000 N
054 G000000 Y
054 H000000 Y
054 I000000 N
054 J000000 Y
054 K000000 N
054 L000000 Y
054 M000000 Y
054 N000000 N
054 O000000 N
055 A000000 Y
055 B000000 N
056 000000 Y
057 000000 N
058 A000000 N
059 000000 Y
060 A000000 Y
060 B000000 Y
061 000000 5000
062 A000000 Y
062 B000000 0.0
062 C000000 0.0
062 D000000 0.0
062 E000000 99.4
062 F000000 0.0
062 G000000 0.0
062 H000000 0.0
062 I000000 0.0
062 J000000 0.0
062 K000000 0.0
062 L000000 0.0
062 M000000 0.0
062 N000000 0.0
062 O000000 0.0
062 P000000 0.0
062 Q000000 0.0
062 R000000 0.0
063 A000000 41
063 B000000 0.0
064 A000000 Y
064 B000000 N
066 A000000 N
067 000000 N
068 A000000 N
068 B000000 N
069 000000 N
070 A010000 Y
070 A020000 N
<PAGE> PAGE 6
070 B010000 N
070 B020000 N
070 C010000 N
070 C020000 N
070 D010000 N
070 D020000 N
070 E010000 N
070 E020000 N
070 F010000 N
070 F020000 N
070 G010000 N
070 G020000 N
070 H010000 N
070 H020000 N
070 I010000 N
070 I020000 N
070 J010000 N
070 J020000 N
070 K010000 N
070 K020000 N
070 L010000 N
070 L020000 N
070 M010000 N
070 M020000 N
070 N010000 Y
070 N020000 N
070 O010000 Y
070 O020000 Y
070 P010000 Y
070 P020000 N
070 Q010000 N
070 Q020000 N
070 R010000 N
070 R020000 N
071 A000000 0
071 B000000 0
071 C000000 0
071 D000000 0
072 A000000 6
072 B000000 7207
072 C000000 0
072 D000000 0
072 E000000 0
072 F000000 1063
072 G000000 0
072 H000000 0
072 I000000 38
072 J000000 16
072 K000000 0
072 L000000 25
072 M000000 9
<PAGE> PAGE 7
072 N000000 22
072 O000000 0
072 P000000 0
072 Q000000 0
072 R000000 19
072 S000000 6
072 T000000 213
072 U000000 3
072 V000000 0
072 W000000 4
072 X000000 1418
072 Y000000 6
072 Z000000 5795
072AA000000 0
072BB000000 0
072CC010000 0
072CC020000 0
072DD010000 5795
072DD020000 0
072EE000000 0
073 A010000 0.0137
073 A020000 0.0000
073 B000000 0.0000
073 C000000 0.0000
074 A000000 245
074 B000000 0
074 C000000 434427
074 D000000 0
074 E000000 0
074 F000000 0
074 G000000 0
074 H000000 0
074 I000000 0
074 J000000 0
074 K000000 0
074 L000000 2662
074 M000000 10
074 N000000 437344
074 O000000 0
074 P000000 267
074 Q000000 0
074 R010000 0
074 R020000 0
074 R030000 0
074 R040000 57
074 S000000 0
074 T000000 437020
074 U010000 437032
074 U020000 0
074 V010000 1.00
074 V020000 0.00
<PAGE> PAGE 8
074 W000000 1.0002
074 X000000 6392
074 Y000000 49170
075 A000000 417212
075 B000000 0
076 000000 0.00
077 A000000 N
078 000000 N
080 C000000 0
081 B000000 0
082 B000000 0
083 B000000 0
084 B000000 0
SIGNATURE
TITLE
WARNING: THE EDGAR SYSTEM ENCOUNTERED ERROR(S) WHILE PROCESSING THIS SCHEDULE.
<TABLE> <S> <C>
<ARTICLE> 6
<LEGEND>
Active Assets California Tax-Free Trust
Semiannual
12/31/96
</LEGEND>
<CIK> 0000832705
<NAME> ACTIVE ASSETS CALIFORNIA TAX-FREE TRUST
<S> <C>
<PERIOD-TYPE> 6-MOS
<FISCAL-YEAR-END> JUN-30-1997
<PERIOD-END> DEC-31-1996
<INVESTMENTS-AT-COST> 434,427,191
<INVESTMENTS-AT-VALUE> 434,427,191
<RECEIVABLES> 2,661,720
<ASSETS-OTHER> 255,007
<OTHER-ITEMS-ASSETS> 0
<TOTAL-ASSETS> 437,343,918
<PAYABLE-FOR-SECURITIES> 0
<SENIOR-LONG-TERM-DEBT> 0
<OTHER-ITEMS-LIABILITIES> 323,779
<TOTAL-LIABILITIES> 323,779
<SENIOR-EQUITY> 0
<PAID-IN-CAPITAL-COMMON> 437,031,775
<SHARES-COMMON-STOCK> 437,031,775
<SHARES-COMMON-PRIOR> 384,229,943
<ACCUMULATED-NII-CURRENT> 228
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-NII> 0
<ACCUMULATED-NET-GAINS> (11,864)
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-GAINS> 0
<ACCUM-APPREC-OR-DEPREC> 0
<NET-ASSETS> 437,020,139
<DIVIDEND-INCOME> 0
<INTEREST-INCOME> 7,206,685
<OTHER-INCOME> 0
<EXPENSES-NET> 1,411,761
<NET-INVESTMENT-INCOME> 5,794,924
<REALIZED-GAINS-CURRENT> 0
<APPREC-INCREASE-CURRENT> 0
<NET-CHANGE-FROM-OPS> 5,794,924
<EQUALIZATION> 0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-INCOME> (5,794,781)
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-GAINS> 0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OTHER> 0
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-SOLD> 787,726,139
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-REDEEMED> (740,719,088)
<SHARES-REINVESTED> 5,794,781
<NET-CHANGE-IN-ASSETS> 52,801,975
<ACCUMULATED-NII-PRIOR> 85
<ACCUMULATED-GAINS-PRIOR> (11,864)
<OVERDISTRIB-NII-PRIOR> 0
<OVERDIST-NET-GAINS-PRIOR> 0
<GROSS-ADVISORY-FEES> 1,063,005
<INTEREST-EXPENSE> 0
<GROSS-EXPENSE> 1,417,800
<AVERAGE-NET-ASSETS> 417,212,061
<PER-SHARE-NAV-BEGIN> 1.00
<PER-SHARE-NII> 0.014
<PER-SHARE-GAIN-APPREC> 0
<PER-SHARE-DIVIDEND> (0.014)
<PER-SHARE-DISTRIBUTIONS> 0
<RETURNS-OF-CAPITAL> 0
<PER-SHARE-NAV-END> 1.00
<EXPENSE-RATIO> 0.67
<AVG-DEBT-OUTSTANDING> 0
<AVG-DEBT-PER-SHARE> 0
</TABLE>