Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

To the Board of Directors
Dreyfus California Municipal Income, Inc.


We have examined management's assertion about Dreyfus 
California Municipal Income, Inc.'s (the "Company") 
compliance with the requirements of subsections 
(b) and (c) of Rule 17f-2 of the Investment Company 
Act of 1940 ("the Act") as of September 30, 2003, 
with respect to securities and similar investments 
reflected in the investment account of the Company, 
included in the accompanying Management Statement 
Regarding Compliance with Certain Provisions of the
Investment Company Act of 1940.  Management is 
responsible for the Company's compliance with those 
requirements.  Our responsibility is to express an 
opinion on management's assertion about the Company's 
compliance based on our examination.

Our examination was made in accordance with attestation
standards established by the Public Company Accounting 
Oversight Board (United States) and accordingly, 
included examining, on a test basis, evidence about 
the Company's compliance with those requirements and 
performing such other procedures as we considered 
necessary in the circumstances. Included among our 
procedures were the following tests performed as of 
September 30, 2003, and with respect to agreement of 
security and similar investments purchases and sales, 
for the period from May 31, 2003 (the date of last 
examination) through September 30, 2003;

Count and inspection of all securities and similar 
investments located in the vault of Mellon Bank in 
New York, without prior notice to management;

Confirmation of all securities and similar investments 
held by institutions in book entry form (i.e., the 
Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, the Depository 
Trust Company and the Participant Trust Company);

Reconciliation of confirmation results as to all 
such securities and investments to the books and 
records of the Company and Mellon Bank;

Confirmation of all repurchase agreements, if any, 
with brokers/banks and agreement of underlying 
collateral with Mellon Bank's records;

Agreement of investment purchases and sales or 
maturities since our last examination from the books 
and records of the Company to broker confirmations.

We believe that our examination provides a reasonable 
basis for our opinion. Ourexamination does not provide 
a legal determination on the Company's compliance with 
specified requirements.

In our opinion, management's assertion that Dreyfus 
California Municipal Income, Inc. was in compliance 
with the requirements of subsections (b) and (c) of 
Rule 17f-2 of the Investment Company Act of 1940 as 
of September 30, 2003 with respect to securities and 
similar investments reflected in the investment 
account of the Company is fairly stated, in all 
material respects.

This report is intended solely for the information 
and use of management of Dreyfus California Municipal 
Income, Inc. and the Securities and Exchange Commission 
and should not be used for any other purpose.


                         ERNST & YOUNG LLP

New York, New York
November 7, 2003




                   UNITED STATES
        SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
               Washington, DC 20549
                         
                   FORM N-17f-2

Certificate of Accounting or Securities and Similar
          Investments in the Custody of 
          Management Investment Companies

     Pursuant to Rule 17f-2 [17 CRF 270.17f-2]

1. Investment Company Act File     Date examination
    Number:              	     completed:
    811- 5653           	     11/07/2003

2.   State Identification Number:

AL   AK   AZ   AR   CA   CO
CT   DE   DC   FL   GA   HI
ID   IL   IN   IA   KS   KY
LA   ME   MD   MA   MI   MN
MS   MO   MI   NE   NV   NH
NJ   NM   NY   NC   ND   OH   
OK   OR   PA   RI   SC   SD
TN   TX   UT   VT   VA   WA
WV   WI   WY   PUERTO
               RICO

Other
Specify:

3.   Exact name of investment company as specified 
     in registration statement:

4.   Address of principal executive office: (number, 
     street, city, state, zip code) 
     200 Park Avenue, 55th Floor , New York, NY 10166

INSTRUCTIONS

     The Form must be completed by investment 
     companies that have custody of securities or 
     similar investments

Investment Company

1.   All items must be completed by the investment 
     company.

2.   Give this Form to the independent public accountant 
     who, in compliance with Rule 17f-2 under the Act and 
     applicable state law, examine securities and similar 
     investments in the custody of the investment company.

Accountant

3.   Submit this Form to the Securities and Exchange 
     Commission and appropriate state securities administrators 
     when filing the certificate of accounting required by Rule 
     17f-2 under the Act and applicable state law.  File the 
     original and one copy with the Securities and Exchange 
     Commissions's principal office in Washington D.C., one 
     copy with the regional office for the region in which 
     the investment company's principal business operations 
     are conducted, and one copy with the appropriate state 
     administrator(s), if applicable.
     
         THIS FORM MUST BE GIVEN TO YOUR 
           INDEPENDENT PUBLIC ACCOUNTANT
                         
                         
  Management Statement Regarding Compliance with 
                Certain Provisions
       of the Investment Company Act of 1940
                         
We, as members of management of Dreyfus California Municipal 
Income, Inc. (the "Company"), are responsible for complying 
with the requirements of subsections (b) and (c) of Rule 17f-2, 
"Custody of Investments by Registered Management Investment 
Companies," of the Investment Company Act of 1940.  We are 
also responsible for establishing and maintaining effective 
controls over compliance with those requirements.  We have 
performed an evaluation of the Company's compliance with 
the requirements of subsections (b) and (c) of Rule 17f-2 
as of September 30, 2003.

Based on this evaluation, we assert that the Company was 
in compliance with the requirements of subsections (b) and 
(c) of Rule 17f-2 of the Investment Company Act of 1940 
as of September 30, 2003 with respect to securities and 
similar investments reflected in the investment account 
of the Company.

Dreyfus California Municipal Income, Inc.
By:

     /s/Jim Windels         
     Jim Windels,
     Treasurer
     The Dreyfus Corporation