0000711402 pcteit1:S000005498Member 2012-01-31 2013-01-30 0000711402 2012-01-31 2013-01-30 0000711402 pcteit1:S000005498Member pcteit1:C000014969Member 2012-01-31 2013-01-30 0000711402 pcteit1:S000005498Member pcteit1:C000014970Member 2012-01-31 2013-01-30 0000711402 pcteit1:S000005498Member pcteit1:C000014971Member 2012-01-31 2013-01-30 0000711402 pcteit1:S000005498Member pcteit1:C000014972Member 2012-01-31 2013-01-30 0000711402 pcteit1:S000005498Member pcteit1:C000060520Member 2012-01-31 2013-01-30 0000711402 pcteit1:S000005498Member rr:AfterTaxesOnDistributionsMember pcteit1:C000014969Member 2012-01-31 2013-01-30 0000711402 pcteit1:S000005498Member rr:AfterTaxesOnDistributionsAndSalesMember pcteit1:C000014969Member 2012-01-31 2013-01-30 0000711402 pcteit1:S000005498Member pcteit1:BarclaysMunicipalBondIndexMember 2012-01-31 2013-01-30 pure iso4217:USD <div style="display:none">~ http://www.putnam.com/role/ScheduleShareholderFeesPUTNAMCALIFORNIATAXEXEMPTINCOMETRUST column period compact * ~</div> <div style="display:none">~ http://www.putnam.com/role/ScheduleAnnualFundOperatingExpensesPUTNAMCALIFORNIATAXEXEMPTINCOMETRUST column period compact * ~</div> <div style="display:none">~ http://www.putnam.com/role/ScheduleAverageAnnualTotalReturnsTransposedPUTNAMCALIFORNIATAXEXEMPTINCOMETRUST column period compact * ~</div> 0000711402 PUTNAM CALIFORNIA TAX EXEMPT INCOME TRUST 2013-01-25 2013-01-30 485BPOS 2013-01-30 2012-09-30 false <b>Fund summary</b> <b>Goal</b> Putnam California Tax Exempt Income Fund seeks as high a level of current income exempt from federal income tax and California personal income tax as we believe to be consistent with preservation of capital. <b>Fees and expenses</b> The following table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the fund. You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $100,000 in class A shares or $50,000 in class M shares of Putnam funds. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial advisor and in How do I buy fund shares? beginning on page 13 of the fund&#8217;s prospectus and in How to buy shares beginning on page II-1 of the fund&#8217;s statement of additional information (SAI). 0.04 0 0 0.0325 0 0.01 0.05 0.01 0 0 0.0045 0.0045 0.0045 0.0045 0.0045 0.0022 0.0085 0.01 0.005 0.0008 0.0008 0.0008 0.0008 0.0008 0.0075 0.0138 0.0103 0.0153 0.0053 474 640 256 427 54 630 737 483 642 170 800 955 834 875 296 1293 1485 1824 1543 665 140 156 437 483 755 834 1485 1824 0.0464 0.0432 0.0348 0.0443 0.0167 -0.1064 0.1718 0.0311 0.1169 0.0956 0.0524 0.0523 0.0487 0.0377 0.0769 0.0572 0.0981 0.0678 0.0489 0.0487 0.048 0.0473 0.0493 0.0474 0.0601 0.0591 0.0428 0.0418 0.0423 0.0405 0.039 0.0406 0.0485 0.051 The following hypothetical example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the fund with the cost of investing in other funds. It assumes that you invest $10,000 in the fund for the time periods indicated and then, except as indicated, redeem all your shares at the end of those periods. It assumes a 5% return on your investment each year and that the fund&#8217;s operating expenses remain the same. Your actual costs may be higher or lower. <b>Portfolio turnover</b> The fund pays transaction-related costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or &#8220;turns over&#8221; its portfolio). A higher turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when the fund&#8217;s shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or the above example, affect fund performance. The fund&#8217;s turnover rate in the most recent fiscal year was 6%. We invest mainly in bonds that pay interest that is exempt from federal income tax and California personal income tax (but that may be subject to federal alternative minimum tax (AMT)), are investment-grade in quality, and have intermediate- to long-term maturities (three years or longer). We may consider, among other factors, credit, interest rate and prepayment risks, as well as general market conditions, when deciding whether to buy or sell investments. <b>Performance</b> The performance information below gives some indication of the risks associated with an investment in the fund by showing the fund&#8217;s performance year to year and over time. The bar chart does not reflect the impact of sales charges. If it did, performance would be lower. Please remember that past performance is not necessarily an indication of future results. Monthly performance figures for the fund are available at putnam.com. <b>Shareholder fees </b>(fees paid directly from your investment) <b>Annual fund operating expenses</b><br />(expenses you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) <b>Example</b> <b>Investments</b> It is important to understand that you can lose money by investing in the fund.<br /><br />The prices of bonds in the fund&#8217;s portfolio may fall or fail to rise over extended periods of time for a variety of reasons, including both general financial market conditions and factors related to a specific issuer. The risks associated with bond investments include interest rate risk, which means the prices of the fund&#8217;s investments are likely to fall if interest rates rise. Bond investments also are subject to credit risk, which is the risk that the issuers of the fund&#8217;s investments may default on payment of interest or principal. Since the fund invests in tax-exempt bonds, which, to be treated as tax-exempt under the Internal Revenue Code, may be issued only by limited types of issuers for limited types of projects, the fund&#8217;s investments may be focused in certain market segments. Consequently, the fund may be more vulnerable to fluctuations in the values of the securities it holds than a fund that invests more broadly. Interest rate risk is generally greater for longer-term bonds, and credit risk is generally greater for below-investment-grade bonds. Investments in a single state carry risks of vulnerability to common economic forces and other factors affecting the state&#8217;s tax-exempt investments, which may result in greater losses and volatility. Interest the fund receives might be taxable.<br /><br />The fund may not achieve its goal, and it is not intended to be a complete investment program. An investment in the fund is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. <b>Annual total returns for class A shares before sales charges </b> <b>Average annual total returns after sales charges </b><br />(for periods ending 12/31/12) <b>Risks</b> Best calendar quarter 2009-09-30 0.116 Worst calendar quarter 2008-12-31 -0.0574 You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $100,000 in class A shares or $50,000 in class M shares of Putnam funds. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial advisor and in How do I buy fund shares? beginning on page 13 of the fund&#8217;s prospectus and in How to buy shares beginning on page II-1 of the fund&#8217;s statement of additional information (SAI). 50000 0.06 It is important to understand that you can lose money by investing in the fund. An investment in the fund is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. The performance information below gives some indication of the risks associated with an investment in the fund by showing the fund&#8217;s performance year to year and over time. The bar chart does not reflect the impact of sales charges. If it did, performance would be lower. Please remember that past performance is not necessarily an indication of future results. putnam.com After-tax returns reflect the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor&#8217;s tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns are shown for class A shares only and will vary for other classes. After-tax returns reflect the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor&#8217;s tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns are shown for class A shares only and will vary for other classes. These after-tax returns do not apply if you hold your fund shares through a 401(k) plan, an IRA, or another tax-advantaged arrangement.<br /><br />Class B share performance does not reflect conversion to class A shares. <div style="sans-serif"><table><tr><td style="BORDER-BOTTOM: #000000 1px solid; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 0px solid" width="20%">Best calendar<br/>quarter<br/><b>Q3 2009</b> <p style="margin-top:6px;margin-bottom:0px"></p></td> <td style="BORDER-BOTTOM: #000000 1px solid; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 0px solid" width="5%">11.60%</td><td width="40%"></td><td width="35%"></td> </tr> <tr><td width="20%">Worst calendar<br/>quarter<br/><b>Q4 2008</b></td> <td width="8%">-5.74%</td><td width="40%"></td><td width="35%"></td> </tr></table></div> <div style="display:none">~ http://www.putnam.com/role/ScheduleExpenseExamplePUTNAMCALIFORNIATAXEXEMPTINCOMETRUST column period compact * ~</div> <div style="display:none">~ http://www.putnam.com/role/ScheduleExpenseExampleNoRedemptionPUTNAMCALIFORNIATAXEXEMPTINCOMETRUST column period compact * ~</div> <div style="display:none">~ http://www.putnam.com/role/ScheduleAnnualTotalReturnsPUTNAMCALIFORNIATAXEXEMPTINCOMETRUSTBarChart column period compact * ~</div> Applies only to certain redemptions of shares bought with no initial sales charge. This charge is phased out over six years. This charge is eliminated after one year. Represents a blended rate.