Since 2016, the Wildlife Forensic Laboratory (WFL) of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (CDFW) Law Enforcement Division has used a variety of genetic methods to non-invasively detect and monitor gray wolves (C. l. lupus) in California. Over 1500 potential gray wolf samples have been collected and analyzed since inception, detecting a total of 88 different wolves. These methods allow CDFW to genetically detect 1) successful matings, 2) mortalities, 3) migration, and 4) relatedness to known wolves and packs both within and outside of California. In investigations of illegal take or depredation on livestock, the WFL can compare collected evidence with the genetic profiles of known wolves to confirm identity or distinguish from other canid species (i.e. coyotes, domestic dogs, hybrids). Collaborative efforts with outside agencies have yielded nearly 400 gray wolf reference samples from the Northern Rocky Mountain ecosystem, Great Lakes region, Alaska, and parts of Canada, which have been used to construct a genetic database for statistical analyses of individual identification and kinship. Using this information, the pedigree of our California gray wolf packs has been reconstructed through six generations, which traces back to the parents of OR7, the first wolf to enter California since the 1800s.