Washington Naturalization and Citizenship

Online Resources

 * 1795-1925 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; Index and images
 * Washington State Digital Archives On the right side of the page, select Naturalizations in the Digital Collection box under Detailed Search heading.
 * 1803-2010 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; Browsable records, incomplete for all counties.
 * 1853-1957 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; Browsable records, incomplete for all counties.
 * 1850-1982 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; Images. Also at Ancestry.com, index/images.
 * Washington, Naturalizations, 1853-1980 Index and images
 * U.S., Naturalization Records, 1840-1957 ($)
 * Washington, Petitions for Naturalization, 1860-1991 Index and images ($)
 * 1918 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index

History
Naturalization records have been filed in various courts, usually with the county clerk, who also served as the clerk of the superior court. The Family History Library has acquired many of the naturalization files for Washington. You can obtain copies of declarations, petitions, and proceedings from each county courthouse or federal court.

Naturalization records were often filed with donation and homestead records. The naturalization certificates in the donation land files were not microfilmed but can be obtained from the National Archives.


 * Washington, Naturalizations, 1853-1980 (If the link does not work, go to ancestry.com ($), click Search, select Card Catalog, paste Title into search box, click Search)


 * Washington, Naturalization Records, 1904-1991 (If the link does not work, go to ancestry.com ($), click Search, select Card Catalog, paste Title into search box, click Search)

Post-1906 Records
In 1906 the Immigration and Naturalization Service was created, forms were standardized and naturalization was changed to federal courts (district and circuit). Duplicate copies were created in the court and sent to the INS. For naturalization records filed after September 1906, use the Genealogy Program at www.uscis.gov. Also search the National Archives—Pacific Northwest Region (Seattle).

Availability
National–Pacific Northwest Region (Seattle)

The Pacific Northwest Region archives has the records of the U.S. district and circuit courts in Spokane, Seattle, and Tacoma from 1890 to 1957. The U.S. District Court indexes and records, 1854 to the 1970s, are on microfilm at the Family History Library. It also has records from 1853 to 1975 relating to naturalization in territorial and other courts for King, Pierce, Snohomish, and Thurston counties.

Washington State Archives

A digitized collection of naturalization records is available at the Washington State Archives which may be searched statewide or by county.

Family Search


 * 1850-1982 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; This "brownse only" collection includes records of naturalization from Clark, Cowlitz, Grays Harbor, King, Kitsap, Lewis, Mason, Pacific, Pierce, Skamania, Thurston and Wahkiakum Counties. The records include petitions, declarations of intention, certificates, depositions and final papers. The records are arranged chronologically.

Record Content
Links To Sample Images

Declaration Of Intention (to become U.S. citizen)

Declarations Of Intention (to become U.S. citizen) a journal page

Petition For Naturalization

Request To Take Depositions (of two witnesses) In Support Of Petition

List of Petitions Filed, part 1part 2

List of Petitions Recommended To Be Granted

Citizenship Certificate with Affidavits of Witnesses + Applicant

(page from) a Journal of Certificates Of Naturalization

Certificate of Naturalization (from a journal)

Repatriation Application

Repatriation Application

Index Card

Genealogical Facts In Petitions


 * Name of petitioner
 * Current residence
 * Occupation
 * Date and place of birth
 * Date of arrival and port of entry and vessel arrived on
 * Marital status
 * Maiden name of wife
 * Declaration date and place
 * Name of governmental head, and country, of last citizenship
 * Date became resident of U.S. and resident of Washington
 * Names of two witnesses, with their occupations and places of residence
 * Title and County of Court

Genealogical Facts In Declarations Of Intention


 * Title and County of Court
 * name of person declaring
 * Age
 * Occupation
 * Physical description
 * Date of arrival and port of entry and vessel arrived on
 * Last foreign residence
 * Date of Declaration

Genealogical Facts in Certificates Of Naturalization


 * Certificate number
 * Date of order, with it's volume and page number
 * Court Declaration Of Intention filed in, with it's volume and page number
 * Date Petition filed, with it's volume and page number
 * Name of Holder
 * Age
 * Names, ages, and residences of wife and minor children
 * Signature

Genealogical Facts in Depositions


 * Title and location of Court
 * Petition number and date
 * Name of Petitioner
 * Names, occupations, and residences of 2 persons from whom the Court request Depositions to be take
 * Signature of Petitioner
 * Address of Petitioner

Genealogical Facts in Final Papers


 * Title and location of Court
 * Date of Declaration of Intention
 * Ruler and Country of previous citizenship
 * Name of applicant
 * Names of two witnesses
 * Birth place of applicant
 * Date of declaration of citizenship

Genealogical Facts in Application &amp; Oaths (Repatriation)


 * Title and location of Court
 * Name
 * Date and place of birth of applicant
 * Date of marriage
 * Name of spouse
 * Name of spouses place of alien citizenship when marriage occurred
 * Date of termination of relationship with alien spouse
 * Reason for termination of relationship with alien spouse
 * Names of documents exhibited to support facts
 * Signature of applicant
 * Date of granting of repatriation as a citizen of applicant
 * Names and foreign places and rulers from which applicant denounced allegiance

Genealogical Facts in Indexes"


 * Name
 * Volume and page number
 * Name of document being used to index
 * Date of document