The Cambridgeshire Records Society was started in 1972 by the Cambridge Antiquarian Society (founded 1840). Its purpose is to publish editions of original documents from the Middle Ages to the present relating to Cambridgeshire and the surrounding area in order to make them accessible to Cambridgeshire people interested in their local and family history and to historians worldwide. The Society also republishes unavailable printed works and historical maps.

The work of transcription, translation and editing of texts and the preparation of volumes is done voluntarily by editors with expertise in the subject. The membership's annual subscriptions finance the costs of preparing and publishing the volumes. In some cases individual volumes have received grants towards costs. The Society is supported by the Cambridgeshire Archives Service.

The Society aims to publish a volume a year. Members receive a free copy of every work published during their period of membership. Membership is open to all interested individuals, libraries, schools and other institutions at an annual subscription of £14.00. In addition to their free volume, members can purchase volumes at a member’s price, usually two thirds of the retail price.

The Society holds an annual meeting with a talk on a topic relating to the current publication or to local records.