How can I find naturalization records held in the NY Courts?
Answer
Before September 1906, an immigrant could petition any court of record at the local, state or federal level for citizenship, and immigrants usually used the most convenient local court. In September 1906, a change in the fee structure for naturalization applications began to encourage the use of federal courts for naturalization, although many lower courts continued to process naturalization petitions.
There is no hard cutoff date for naturalizations being handled by state level courts. In some New York counties, state courts continued to process naturalization petitions through the 1950s.
There were usually two steps to naturalization through the courts:
- After living in the United States for two years, an immigrant filed a “declaration of intention” or “first papers” stating his or her intention to become a US citizen.
- Three years after filing his or her first papers, the immigrant petitioned the court for naturalization (“second papers”).
The two filings did not have to be processed by the same court. Once the naturalization petition was granted, the new citizen swore an oath of allegiance to the United States at the court and was issued a certificate of citizenship.
It is important to note that when you are searching state court records for your ancestor’s naturalization records, there is no guarantee that the file will have a copy of their oath of allegiance and/or documentation that their citizenship petition was granted. The file might only have the declaration of intent or the petition itself because the certificate of naturalization was given to the individual.
The best place to start searching for an ancestor's pre-1906 naturalization records is the county clerk's office in the county where they were living when they filed their petition, if you have that information. Some counties have naturalization records that are searchable online:
- Queens County Clerk: naturalization records dating 1795-1952
- Bronx County Clerk: naturalization records dating 1914-1952
- Kings County Clerk: you can search this name index to the county clerk's naturalization records, which date from 1907-1924, and use that information to request copies of records from the clerk
- Suffolk County Clerk: naturalization records dating 1853-1990
The New York County (Manhattan) Clerk's office has naturalization records in bound volumes and on microfilm dating 1794-1924, but these records are not digitized and you will need to request a search from the clerk's office or come in person.
If your ancestor lived in a county other than those listed above, you will need to contact that county clerk's office to ask about search procedures. Each county clerk’s office has its own procedures for searching and requesting copies of court records; some counties have an online search tool and online request processing, and some do not.
If you don't find the records you're looking for with the county clerk's office, you can search federal holdings.
For anyone naturalized after 1906, the best place to start is the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services' genealogical holdings. Copies of naturalization certificates created from September 27, 1906, to March 31, 1956, were filed with the federal government in certificate files (C-files). All naturalization records have been filed in alien files (A-files) beginning April 1, 1956.
You can also search the National Archives and Records Administration's naturalization holdings for New York, New Jersey, and Puerto Rico, which are held in its Philadelphia facility. The records date from 1824 to 1991, depending on the judicial district and record series. Like the state’s holdings, naturalization records from the federal courts may or may not have the final certificate of citizenship included in the file.