Utah, Uintah County Naturalization and Citizenship Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
The collection consists of images to naturalization records located in the county courthouse in Vernal for the years 1888 to 1929. The records include declarations of intent, certificates of naturalization, orders of admission and petitions. Naturalization is the process of granting citizenship privileges and responsibilities to foreign-born residents. Counties recorded naturalization procedures in the court records as legal proof of citizenship. 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). Naturalization records are generally well preserved, but some records may have been lost to fire or other disasters.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records: • 3

How Do I Search This Collection?
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 * Name of the person
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I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

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 * Utah Church Records were kept years before counties began keeping records. They are a good source for finding ancestors before 1900

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

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Research Helps
The following articles will help you research your family in the state of Utah.
 * Utah Guided Research
 * Utah Record Finder
 * Utah Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step Research: 1850-1905 | 1900-Present

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

FamilySearch Catalog

 * Utah, Uintah County naturalization and Citizenship records, 1888-1929

FamilySearch Historical Records

 * Utah Naturalization Records, 1906-1930

FamilySearch Digital Library

 * Daughters of Utah Pioneers of Uintah County. Builders of Uintah : a centennial history of Uintah County, 1872 to 1947. Springville, Utah : Art City Pub., 1947

Citing This Collection
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