Minnesota Naturalization Records and Indexes - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This publications contains naturalization records from United States District and Circuit Courts for the state of Minnesota. The collections are from Record Group 21 Records of the District Courts of the United States and are from the National Archives Branch in Kansas City, Missouri.

Collections in this publications
 United States District Court
 * First Division. Winona. Naturalizations, 1896-1924 First Division Administrative History Note NARA
 * Second Division. Mankato. Declarations of intention, 1906-1940; Naturalizations, 1897-1944 Second Division Administrative History Note NARA
 * Third Division. St. Paul. Declarations of intention, 1872-1955; Naturalizations, 1859-1954 Third Division Administrative History Note NARA
 * Fourth Division. Minneapolis. Declarations of intention, 1906-1962 Fourth Division Administrative History Note NARA
 * Sixth Division. Fergus Falls. Naturalizations, 1897-1936 Sixth Division Administrative History Note. NARA
 * Sixth Division. Naturalizations, 1896-1936; declarations of intention, 1896-1936

United States Circuit Court 
 * First Division. Winona. Naturalizations, 1897-1899; declarations of intentions, 1910
 * Second Division. Mankato. Naturalizations, 1897-1911; declarations of intention, 1900-1911
 * Third Division. St. Paul. Naturalizations, 1875-1911; declarations of intention, 1875-1911
 * Fourth Division. Minneapolis. Naturalizations, 1890-1911; declarations of intention, 1890-1911
 * Sixth Division. Fergus Falls. Declarations of Intention, 1890-1911
 * Sixth Division. Fergus Falls. Naturalizations, 1897-1911

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

Sample Images
Petition for Naturalization 1916

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.

What Do I Do Next?
When you have located your ancestor’s naturalization record, carefully evaluate each piece of information about them. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details that can lead you to other records about your ancestors.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?
Use those naturalization records to:


 * Learn an immigrant’s place of origin
 * Confirm their date of arrival
 * Learn foreign and “Americanized” names
 * Find records in his or her country of origin such as emigrations, port records, or ship’s manifests

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

 * Check for variant spellings of the names and for nicknames
 * Try a different index if there is one for the years needed. You may also need to search the naturalization records year by year
 * Search the indexes of nearby localities
 * Consult the Minnesota Record Finder to find other records

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

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

FamilySearch Catalog
United States Courts
 * 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
 * United States Circuit Court. First Division. Naturalizations, 1897-1899; declarations of intentions, 1910
 * United States Circuit Court. Second Division. Naturalizations, 1897-1911; declarations of intention, 1900-1911
 * United States Circuit Court. Third Division. Naturalizations, 1875-1911; declarations of intention, 1875-1911
 * United States Circuit Court. Fourth Division. Naturalizations, 1890-1911; declarations of intention, 1890-1911
 * United States Circuit Court. Sixth Division. Declaration of intention, 1890-1911
 * United States Circuit Court. Sixth Division. Naturalizations, 1897-1911


 * United States District Court. First Division. Naturalizations, 1896-1924
 * United States District Court. Second Division. Declarations of intention, 1906-1940; naturalizations, 1897-1944
 * United States District Court. Third Division. Declarations of intention, 1872-1955; naturalizations, 1859-1954
 * United States District Court. Fourth Division. Declarations of intention, 1906-1962
 * United States District Court. Fourth Division. Naturalizations, 1897-1936.
 * United States District Court. Fourth Division. Repatriation cases, v. 1, 1919-1927
 * United States District Court. Sixth Division. Naturalizations, 1896-1936; declarations of intention, 1896-1936

State Courts
 * Minnesota. Supreme Court (Ramsey County). naturalization records, 1858-1910

FamilySearch Historical Records

 * Minnesota Naturalization Card Index, 1930-1988 District Court of Minnesota 3rd division and 4th division.

FamilySearch Digital Library

 * United States Department of Justice, Immigration and Naturalization Service. Directory of courts having jurisdiction in naturalization proceedings. U.S. Dept. of Justice, 1963
 * Inventory of federal archives in the states, series 02, Federal Courts, no. 22, Minnesota. The Survey, 1937-1941

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.