Colorado Naturalization Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection contains naturalization records, declarations of intention, court orders granting petitions, and case files from eight different NARA collections. See Coverage Table Colorado Naturalization Records, Coverage Table - FamilySearch Historical Records The collections are part of Record Group 21 Records of District Courts of the United States at the NARA Regional Archives in Denver, Colorado. The Colorado Division of Court Services Naturalization Cards are from Record Group 85 Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service.

'''U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado. Denver Term. - Selected Collections National Archive Catalog'''
 * Declarations of Intention for Citizenship, 1877–1966 NAID 649217
 * Naturalization Case Files, 1876–1947 NAID 649183
 * Naturalization Dockets, 1906–1916 NAID 648196
 * Naturalization Certificate Stubs, 1907–1919 NAID 651545
 * Petition and Naturalization Record Books, 1906–1978 NAID 649243
 * Soldiers' Naturalization Certificate Stubs, 1919–1920 NAID 651528
 * Soldiers' Petition and Naturalization Record Books, 1918–1928 NAID 651513
 * Petitions for Naturalization by Members of Armed Forces, 1943–1956 NAID 651541

Naturalization is the process of granting citizenship privileges and responsibilities to foreign-born residents. The first naturalization act was passed in 1802. Immigrants to the United States were not required to apply for citizenship. Of those who did apply, many did not complete the requirements for citizenship.

Naturalization to become a U.S. citizen was a two-part process: the Declaration of Intent to Naturalize, or First Papers, and the Naturalization Record (including the Naturalization Petition), or Final Papers. The First Papers were normally filed five years before the Final Papers because of the five-year residency requirement to become a citizen. No centralized files existed before 1906. In 1906 federal forms replaced the various formats that had been used by the various courts. Copies were sent to the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), creating a central file for naturalization papers. The INS is now known as the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

Finding Aid
A list of additional naturalization records available from the National Archives can be found at Colorado Naturalization Records.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:


 * Name of court
 * Full name of Petitioner
 * Place of residence
 * Occupation
 * Date and place of birth


 * Date of emigration, date of arrival
 * Port of entry and name of ship
 * Date and place of Declaration of Intent to become citizen
 * Name of spouse
 * Date of marriage


 * Number of children, name and residence of each child
 * Birth date and place of birth of each child
 * Able to speak English?
 * Affidavit of witness(es)

How Do I Search This Collection
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The full name of your ancestor
 * The approximate immigration and naturalization dates
 * The ancestor’s residence

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Add any new information to your records
 * Use the information to search for the ship manifest
 * If available, check the image for additional information
 * Analyze the entry to see if it provides additional clues to find other records of the person or their family

I Can’t Find the Person I’m Looking For, What Now?

 * The person may be recorded with an abbreviated or variant form of their name
 * Try searching by surname only
 * Remember that spelling was generally not standardized until the early part of the 20th century

Research Helps
The following articles will help you research your family in the state of Colorado.
 * Beginning Research in United States Naturalization Records
 * Colorado Guided Research
 * Colorado Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step Colorado Research, 1880-Present

Other FamilySearch Collections
These collections may have additional materials to help you with your research.

FamilySearch Catalog

 * Newman, John J. American Naturalization Records;1790-1990: what they are and how to use them. Bountiful, Utah: Heritage Quest, 1998. FS Library 973 P47na
 * Szucs, Loretto Dennis They became Americans: finding naturalization records and ethnic origins Salt Lake City, Utah: Ancestry Publishing, c1998 FS Library 973 P47t
 * U.S. District Court. Colorado Naturalization Records (petitions & case files), 1876-1990
 * Naturalization records created by the U.S. District Courts in Colorado, 1877-1952: M1192
 * Colorado genealogist Denver, Colorado : Colorado Genealogical Society. Computer Interest Group, 1939- FS Library 978.8 B2cg

 County
 * Delta County, Naturalization records, v. 1-2, 1884-1906
 * Larimer County, Naturalization records ; Card indexes, 1872-1958, ca. 1872-1906
 * San Juan County, Declarations of intention ; Card indexes, 1878-1942, 1877-1929
 * San Juan County, Final naturalization records, 1904
 * San Juan County, Naturalization records, 1880-1906
 * San Juan County, Naturalization records, ca. 1882-1929

FamilySearch Digital Library

 * Survey of Federal Archives, Division of Professional and Service Projects, Work Projects Administration. Inventory of federal archives in the states, series 02, Federal Courts, no. 06, Colorado Denver, Colorado : Colorado Historical Records Survey, 1939
 * James C. Neagles and Lila Lee Neagles, Locating your immigrant ancestor : a guide to naturalization records Rev. ed. Logan, Utah : Everton Publishers, c1986

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.

Colorado, registros de naturalización (Registros históricos de FamilySearch)