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Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Registrant Name dei_EntityRegistrantName FRANKLIN CALIFORNIA TAX FREE TRUST
Prospectus Date rr_ProspectusDate Aug. 01, 2017
Risk/Return [Heading] rr_RiskReturnHeading Fund Summary
Franklin California Tax-Free Trust-15 | Franklin California Intermediate-Term Tax-Free Income Fund  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Objective [Heading] rr_ObjectiveHeading Investment Goal
Objective, Primary [Text Block] rr_ObjectivePrimaryTextBlock To provide investors with as high a level of income exempt from federal income taxes and California personal income taxes as is consistent with prudent investment management and the preservation of shareholders' capital.
Expense [Heading] rr_ExpenseHeading Fees and Expenses of the Fund
Expense Narrative [Text Block] rr_ExpenseNarrativeTextBlock

These tables describe the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. You may qualify for sales charge discounts in Class A if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $100,000 in Franklin Templeton funds. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional and under “Your Account” on page 28 in the Fund's Prospectus and under “Buying and Selling Shares” on page 40 of the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information. In addition, more information about sales charge discounts and waivers for purchases of shares through specific intermediaries is set forth in Appendix A - "Intermediary Sales Charge Discounts and Waivers" to the Fund's prospectus.

Please note that the tables and examples below do not reflect any transaction fees that may be charged by financial intermediaries, or commissions that a shareholder may be required to pay directly to its financial intermediary when buying or selling Class R6 and Advisor Class shares.

Shareholder Fees Caption [Text] rr_ShareholderFeesCaption Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)
Operating Expenses Caption [Text] rr_OperatingExpensesCaption

Annual Fund Operating Expenses

(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

Portfolio Turnover [Heading] rr_PortfolioTurnoverHeading Portfolio Turnover
Portfolio Turnover [Text Block] rr_PortfolioTurnoverTextBlock

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual Fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 3.91% of the average value of its portfolio.

Portfolio Turnover, Rate rr_PortfolioTurnoverRate 3.91%
Expense Breakpoint Discounts [Text] rr_ExpenseBreakpointDiscounts You may qualify for sales charge discounts in Class A if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $100,000 in Franklin Templeton funds.
Expense Breakpoint, Minimum Investment Required [Amount] rr_ExpenseBreakpointMinimumInvestmentRequiredAmount $ 100,000
Expense Example [Heading] rr_ExpenseExampleHeading Example
Expense Example Narrative [Text Block] rr_ExpenseExampleNarrativeTextBlock This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of the period. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
Expense Example, No Redemption, By Year, Caption [Text] rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionByYearCaption If you do not sell your shares:
Strategy [Heading] rr_StrategyHeading Principal Investment Strategies
Strategy Narrative [Text Block] rr_StrategyNarrativeTextBlock

Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its total assets in securities that pay interest free from federal income taxes, including the federal alternative minimum tax, and from California personal income taxes. Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 65% of its total assets in California municipal securities. The Fund also may invest up to 35% of its total assets in municipal securities issued by U.S. territories, such as Puerto Rico. Although the Fund tries to invest all of its assets in tax-free securities, it is possible, although not anticipated, that up to 20% of its total assets may be in securities that pay taxable interest, including interest that may be subject to the federal alternative minimum tax. Some of the Fund's portfolio securities are supported by credit enhancements, which may be provided by either U.S. or foreign entities.

The Fund maintains a dollar-weighted average portfolio maturity of three to 10 years and only buys securities rated, at the time of purchase, in one of the top four ratings categories by one or more U.S. nationally recognized rating services or comparable unrated or short-term rated securities.

The Fund may invest in insured municipal securities, which are covered by insurance policies that guarantee the timely payment of principal and interest. The insurance premium costs, however, are typically reflected in a lower yield and/or higher price for the insured bond. It is important to note that insurance does not guarantee the market value of an insured security, or the Fund’s share price or distributions, and shares of the Fund are not insured.

Although the investment manager will search for investments across a large number of municipal securities that finance different types of projects, from time to time, based on economic conditions, the Fund may have significant positions in municipal securities that finance similar types of projects.

The investment manager selects securities that it believes will provide the best balance between risk and return within the Fund’s range of allowable investments and typically uses a buy and hold strategy. This means it generally holds securities in the Fund’s portfolio for income purposes, rather than trading securities for capital gains, although the investment manager may sell a security at any time if it believes it could help the Fund meet its goal. The investment manager also may consider the cost of insurance when selecting securities for the Fund.

Strategy Portfolio Concentration [Text] rr_StrategyPortfolioConcentration Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its total assets in securities that pay interest free from federal income taxes, including the federal alternative minimum tax, and from California personal income taxes.
Risk [Heading] rr_RiskHeading Principal Risks
Risk Narrative [Text Block] rr_RiskNarrativeTextBlock

You could lose money by investing in the Fund. Mutual fund shares are not deposits or obligations of, or guaranteed or endorsed by, any bank, and are not insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Federal Reserve Board, or any other agency of the U.S. government.

Interest Rate

When interest rates rise, debt security prices generally fall. The opposite is also generally true: debt security prices rise when interest rates fall. Interest rate changes are influenced by a number of factors, including government policy, monetary policy, inflation expectations, perceptions of risk, and supply and demand of bonds. In general, securities with longer maturities or durations are more sensitive to interest rate changes.

California and U.S. Territories

Because the Fund invests predominantly in California municipal securities, events in California are likely to affect the Fund's investments and its performance. These events may include economic or political policy changes, tax base erosion, state constitutional limits on tax increases, budget deficits and other financial difficulties, and changes in the credit ratings assigned to municipal issuers of California. As with California municipal securities, such events in any of the U.S. territories in which the Fund invests, which can include Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands, may affect the Fund's investments and its performance.

Focus

The Fund may invest more than 25% of its assets in municipal securities that finance similar types of projects, such as utilities, hospitals, higher education and transportation. A change that affects one project, such as proposed legislation on the financing of the project, a shortage of the materials needed for the project, or a declining need for the project, would likely affect all similar projects, thereby increasing market risk.

Credit

An issuer of debt securities may fail to make interest payments or repay principal when due, in whole or in part. Changes in an issuer's financial strength or in a security's credit rating may affect a security's value.

A change in the credit rating of a municipal bond insurer that insures securities in the Fund’s portfolio may affect the value of the securities it insures, the Fund’s share price and Fund performance. The Fund might also be adversely impacted by the inability of an insurer to meet its insurance obligations.

Tax-Exempt Securities

While the Fund endeavors to purchase only bona fide tax-exempt securities (i.e., a security issued as paying tax-exempt interest income), there are risks that: (a) a tax-exempt security may be reclassified by the Internal Revenue Service, or a state tax authority, as paying taxable interest income instead and/or (b) future legislative, administrative or court actions could adversely impact the qualification of income from a tax-exempt security as tax-free. Such reclassifications or actions could cause interest from a security to become taxable, possibly retroactively, subjecting you to increased tax liability. In addition, such reclassifications or actions could cause the Fund to have to sell securities at inopportune times or prices and may cause the value of the security, and therefore the value of the Fund’s shares, to decline.

Income

Because the Fund can only distribute what it earns, the Fund's distributions to shareholders may decline when prevailing interest rates fall or when the Fund experiences defaults on debt securities it holds.

Bond Insurers

Market conditions or changes to ratings criteria could adversely impact the ratings of municipal bond insurance companies. Downgrades and withdrawal of ratings from municipal bond insurers have substantially limited the availability of insurance sought by municipal bond issuers thereby reducing the supply of insured municipal securities.

Because of the consolidation among municipal bond insurers the Fund is subject to additional risks including the risk that credit risk may be concentrated among fewer insurers and the risk that events involving one or more municipal bond insurers could have a significant adverse effect on the value of the securities insured by an insurer and on the municipal markets as a whole.

Prepayment

Prepayment risk occurs when a debt security can be repaid in whole or in part prior to the security's maturity and the Fund must reinvest the proceeds it receives, during periods of declining interest rates, in securities that pay a lower rate of interest. Also, if a security has been purchased at a premium, the value of the premium would be lost in the event of prepayment. Prepayments generally increase when interest rates fall.

Market

The market values of securities or other investments owned by the Fund will go up or down, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably. The market value of a security or other investment may be reduced by market activity or other results of supply and demand unrelated to the issuer. This is a basic risk associated with all investments. When there are more sellers than buyers, prices tend to fall. Likewise, when there are more buyers than sellers, prices tend to rise.

Liquidity

From time to time, the trading market for a particular security or type of security or other investments in which the Fund invests may become less liquid or even illiquid. Reduced liquidity will have an adverse impact on the Fund’s ability to sell such securities or other investments when necessary to meet the Fund’s liquidity needs or in response to a specific economic event and will also generally lower the value of a security or other investments. Market prices for such securities or other investments may be volatile.

Management

The Fund is subject to management risk because it is an actively managed investment portfolio. The Fund's investment manager applies investment techniques and risk analyses in making investment decisions for the Fund, but there can be no guarantee that these decisions will produce the desired results.

Bar Chart and Performance Table [Heading] rr_BarChartAndPerformanceTableHeading Performance
Performance Narrative [Text Block] rr_PerformanceNarrativeTextBlock

The following bar chart and table provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows changes in the Fund's performance from year to year for Class A shares. The table shows how the Fund's average annual returns for 1 year, 5 years, 10 years or since inception, as applicable, compared with those of a broad measure of market performance. The Fund's past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. You can obtain updated performance information at franklintempleton.com or by calling (800) DIAL BEN/342-5236.

Sales charges are not reflected in the bar chart, and if those charges were included, returns would be less than those shown.

Performance Information Illustrates Variability of Returns [Text] rr_PerformanceInformationIllustratesVariabilityOfReturns The following bar chart and table provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows changes in the Fund's performance from year to year for Class A shares. The table shows how the Fund's average annual returns for 1 year, 5 years, 10 years or since inception, as applicable, compared with those of a broad measure of market performance.
Performance Availability Phone [Text] rr_PerformanceAvailabilityPhone (800) DIAL BEN/342-5236
Performance Availability Website Address [Text] rr_PerformanceAvailabilityWebSiteAddress franklintempleton.com
Performance Past Does Not Indicate Future [Text] rr_PerformancePastDoesNotIndicateFuture The Fund's past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future.
Bar Chart [Heading] rr_BarChartHeading Class A Annual Total Returns
Bar Chart Does Not Reflect Sales Loads [Text] rr_BarChartDoesNotReflectSalesLoads Sales charges are not reflected in the bar chart, and if those charges were included, returns would be less than those shown.
Bar Chart Closing [Text Block] rr_BarChartClosingTextBlock
Best Quarter:Q3'097.14%
Worst Quarter:Q4'10-4.03%
As of March 31, 2017, the Fund's year-to-date return was 1.35%.
Performance Table Heading rr_PerformanceTableHeading

Average Annual Total Returns
(figures reflect sales charges)

For the periods ended December 31, 2016

Performance Table Closing [Text Block] rr_PerformanceTableClosingTextBlock

Performance information for Class R6 shares is not shown because it had not commenced operations as of the date of this prospectus.

The after-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor's tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns are shown only for Class A and after-tax returns for other classes will vary.

Franklin California Tax-Free Trust-15 | Franklin California Intermediate-Term Tax-Free Income Fund | Class A  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as percentage of offering price) rr_MaximumCumulativeSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice 2.25%
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as percentage of the lower of original purchase price or sale proceeds) rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice none [1]
Management fees rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets 0.47%
Distribution and service (12b-1) fees rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets 0.10%
Other expenses rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets 0.06% [2]
Total annual Fund operating expenses rr_ExpensesOverAssets 0.63%
1 year rr_ExpenseExampleYear01 $ 288
3 years rr_ExpenseExampleYear03 422
5 years rr_ExpenseExampleYear05 568
10 years rr_ExpenseExampleYear10 $ 994
2007 rr_AnnualReturn2007 3.14%
2008 rr_AnnualReturn2008 (5.24%)
2009 rr_AnnualReturn2009 12.36%
2010 rr_AnnualReturn2010 3.16%
2011 rr_AnnualReturn2011 10.41%
2012 rr_AnnualReturn2012 6.39%
2013 rr_AnnualReturn2013 (1.69%)
2014 rr_AnnualReturn2014 8.34%
2015 rr_AnnualReturn2015 2.68%
2016 rr_AnnualReturn2016 (0.12%)
Year to Date Return, Label rr_YearToDateReturnLabel As of March 31, 2017, the Fund's year-to-date return was 1.35%.
Highest Quarterly Return, Label rr_HighestQuarterlyReturnLabel Best Quarter:
Highest Quarterly Return, Date rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturnDate Sep. 30, 2009
Highest Quarterly Return rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturn 7.14%
Lowest Quarterly Return, Label rr_LowestQuarterlyReturnLabel Worst Quarter:
Lowest Quarterly Return, Date rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturnDate Dec. 31, 2010
Lowest Quarterly Return rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturn (4.03%)
Franklin California Tax-Free Trust-15 | Franklin California Intermediate-Term Tax-Free Income Fund | Class C  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as percentage of offering price) rr_MaximumCumulativeSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice none
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as percentage of the lower of original purchase price or sale proceeds) rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice 1.00%
Management fees rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets 0.47%
Distribution and service (12b-1) fees rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets 0.65%
Other expenses rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets 0.06% [2]
Total annual Fund operating expenses rr_ExpensesOverAssets 1.18%
1 year rr_ExpenseExampleYear01 $ 220
3 years rr_ExpenseExampleYear03 375
5 years rr_ExpenseExampleYear05 649
10 years rr_ExpenseExampleYear10 1,432
1 Year rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear01 120
3 Years rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear03 375
5 Years rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear05 649
10 Years rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear10 $ 1,432
Franklin California Tax-Free Trust-15 | Franklin California Intermediate-Term Tax-Free Income Fund | Class R6  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as percentage of offering price) rr_MaximumCumulativeSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice none [3]
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as percentage of the lower of original purchase price or sale proceeds) rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice none [3]
Management fees rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets 0.47%
Distribution and service (12b-1) fees rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets none
Other expenses rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets 0.03% [2]
Total annual Fund operating expenses rr_ExpensesOverAssets 0.50%
1 year rr_ExpenseExampleYear01 $ 51
3 years rr_ExpenseExampleYear03 160
5 years rr_ExpenseExampleYear05 280
10 years rr_ExpenseExampleYear10 $ 628
Franklin California Tax-Free Trust-15 | Franklin California Intermediate-Term Tax-Free Income Fund | Advisor Class  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as percentage of offering price) rr_MaximumCumulativeSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice none
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as percentage of the lower of original purchase price or sale proceeds) rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice none
Management fees rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets 0.47%
Distribution and service (12b-1) fees rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets none
Other expenses rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets 0.06% [2]
Total annual Fund operating expenses rr_ExpensesOverAssets 0.53%
1 year rr_ExpenseExampleYear01 $ 54
3 years rr_ExpenseExampleYear03 170
5 years rr_ExpenseExampleYear05 296
10 years rr_ExpenseExampleYear10 $ 665
Franklin California Tax-Free Trust-15 | Franklin California Intermediate-Term Tax-Free Income Fund | Return Before Taxes | Class A  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Column rr_AverageAnnualReturnColumnName Franklin California Intermediate-Term Tax-Free Income Fund
Label rr_AverageAnnualReturnLabel Return Before Taxes
Past 1 year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 (2.36%)
Past 5 years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 2.59%
Past 10 years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10 3.57%
Franklin California Tax-Free Trust-15 | Franklin California Intermediate-Term Tax-Free Income Fund | Return Before Taxes | Class C  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Past 1 year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 (1.64%)
Past 5 years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 2.49%
Past 10 years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10 3.24%
Franklin California Tax-Free Trust-15 | Franklin California Intermediate-Term Tax-Free Income Fund | Return Before Taxes | Advisor Class  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Past 1 year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 (0.02%)
Past 5 years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 3.17%
Past 10 years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10 3.91%
Franklin California Tax-Free Trust-15 | Franklin California Intermediate-Term Tax-Free Income Fund | After Taxes on Distributions | Class A  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Column rr_AverageAnnualReturnColumnName Franklin California Intermediate-Term Tax-Free Income Fund
Label rr_AverageAnnualReturnLabel Return After Taxes on Distributions
Past 1 year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 (2.36%)
Past 5 years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 2.59%
Past 10 years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10 3.57%
Franklin California Tax-Free Trust-15 | Franklin California Intermediate-Term Tax-Free Income Fund | After Taxes on Distributions and Sales | Class A  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Column rr_AverageAnnualReturnColumnName Franklin California Intermediate-Term Tax-Free Income Fund
Label rr_AverageAnnualReturnLabel Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares
Past 1 year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 (0.19%)
Past 5 years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 2.70%
Past 10 years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10 3.55%
Franklin California Tax-Free Trust-15 | Franklin California Intermediate-Term Tax-Free Income Fund | Bloomberg Barclays 10-Year Municipal Bond Index (index reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Past 1 year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 (0.12%)
Past 5 years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 3.10%
Past 10 years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10 4.70%
[1] There is a 0.75% contingent deferred sales charge that applies to investments of $1 million or more (see "Investments of $1 Million or More" under "Choosing a Share Class") and purchases by certain retirement plans without an initial sales charge on shares sold within 18 months of purchase.
[2] The Fund began offering Class R6 shares on August 1, 2017. Other expenses for Class R6 are based on estimated amounts for the current fiscal year.
[3] The Fund began offering Class R6 shares on August 1, 2017.