Wisconsin Naturalization and Citizenship

Availability
Naturalization records have been filed primarily in municipal, county, circuit, supreme, and U.S. district courts. Some of the older evidences of citizenship are found in the minutes of these courts and not in separate books. The records of approximately two-thirds of the counties are on microfilm at the area research centers.

The Family History Library has microfilm copies of records from some Wisconsin counties and is continues to acquire records of additional counties. From Dane County, for example, the library has:


 * Circuit court admissions, 1855-1906
 * Circuit court declarations, 1848-1906
 * Circuit court petitions and oaths, 1841-1906
 * Municipal court declarations, 1875-1906
 * Municipal court index to declarations, 1861-1906
 * U.S. district court declarations of intention, 1841-47
 * General card index to various courts, 1800-1907

The Milwaukee circuit and municipal court records of 1836 to 1941 are at:

Milwaukee County Historical Society 910 North World 3rd Street Milwaukee, WI 53203-1591 Telephone: 414-273-8288 Fax: 414-273-3268 Internet: http://www.milwaukeecountyhistsoc.org/

Post-1906 Records
In 1906 the Immigration and Naturalization Service (now United States Citizenship and Immigration Services) was created, forms were standardized, and duplicate records were created by the court and sent to the INS. To access these records, download a FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) form from www.uscis.gov, fill it out and send it to the addresss listed on the form. You may also contact the National Archives—Great Lakes Region, http://www.archives.gov/great-lakes/chicago/finding-aids/, for naturalization records. The archives branch has records of the U.S. District Court from 1866 to 1921 and an extensive index to other federal records.