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Before you begin to look for an ancestor’s naturalization records, it is important that you first try to determine, at least approximately, when, where, and in which court s/he was naturalized. Hint: If the court title contains the word district or circuit, then it is referring to a federal court. If you possess your ancestor’s naturalization certificate, that document states the court where the naturalization petition was filed, and the volume and number of the petition. The following types of documents frequently contain some or all of the above information:
Note: You may access federal and state census records, WWI draft registration cards, and U.S. passport applications (1795-1925) at FamilySearch.org or Ancestry.com (a paid subscription database that can be accessed for free at the Center for Jewish History and many public libraries). You may also access some Social Security applications at Ancestry.com. If you are unable to locate your deceased ancestor’s Social Security application on Ancestry.com, you may submit an electronic request form to the Social Security Administration. For U.S. passport applications of deceased individuals from 1925 on, you will need to submit a Freedom of Information Act request to the State Department (see instructions here). For New York City, you may view a list of 1924 registered voters. If you find a person of interest on this list, get information on how to order their voter registration form here. For instructions on how to locate voter registration records by U.S. state, go here and search for [Name of State] AND “Voting Registers.”
Indexes will help you to hone in on the precise date, place, and court in which your ancestors filed their declaration and/or petition. In addition, they typically provide the volume and page number in which the document appears, making it easier to locate the document, whether you find it online or in an archive. Some original naturalization records have been digitized or microfilmed and, therefore, can be accessed without contacting or visiting an archive. Please note, however, that there is no comprehensive database of naturalization indexes or records.
New York Metro Area
The Italian Genealogical Group offers a searchable index of all New York City federal naturalization records, as well as those from a number of other counties in New York, New Jersey, and Puerto Rico.
The Jewish Genealogical Society, New York (JGS) hosts a searchable index of State Supreme Court, Kings County (Brooklyn) naturalization records from 1907 to 1924.
The JGS website also features a list of links to other New York State naturalization record indexes.
United States
German Roots has compiled the most comprehensive guide to online naturalization indexes and records, including free and paid subscription databases.
The website of the Church of Latter Day Saints’ (LDS) Family History Library features numerous naturalization indexes and records (either searchable or viewable), including for many county courts which are not indexed or digitized elsewhere. To find indexes and records for a particular state, go here, select the state from the left menu, and type “Naturalization” under Filter by collection name.
Ancestry.com contains selective U.S. naturalization indexes and records, including an index of New York County (Manhattan) Supreme Court petitions from 1907 to 1924. Fold3.com presently includes some naturalization indexes and records for several U.S. states, including New York.
Note: Ancestry.com and Fold3.com require a paid subscription. However, they may be used for free on-site at the Center for Jewish History’s Ackman & Ziff Family Genealogy Institute. If you cannot visit the Genealogy Institute, please check your local public or academic library for these databases.
The National Archives regional branches in New York, Boston, and Chicago hold microfilm indexes to the pre-1906 naturalization records filed in any court in their respective region (i.e. New York = Northeast, Boston = New England, and Chicago = the Great Lakes). For information about contacting or visiting these branches, go here and click on “Research Facilities.”
In addition to their online indexes and records, The LDS Family History Library has also microfilmed numerous naturalization indexes and records for cities and counties across the U.S. and loan these microfilms to its extensive network of Family History Centers around the world. To determine which are available on microfilm for a particular city or county, go here, search by Place, and select “Naturalization and Citizenship – Indexes” and “Naturalization and Citizenship.”