National Archives and Records Administration

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Contact Information
E-mail: Several e-mail options are available at National Archives and Records Administration

Mailing Address:

The National Archives at College Park, Maryland (Archives II) 
 * 8601 Adelphi Road
 * College Park, MD 20740-6001

National Archives in Washington, D.C. (Archives I)


 * National Archives Building—Research Entrance
 * 700 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

Telephone: 1-866-272-6272, or TDD 301-837-0482 Fax:  301-837-0483

Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Saturday 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Wednesday, Thursday, Friday 9:00 am to 9:00 p.m. For record pull-times, holidays, and other details, click here.

Public transportation:


 * Subway. In Washington, DC, take Metrorail's Yellow or Green lines to the Archives/Navy Memorial station. The Archives/Navy Memorial stop is across Pennsylvania Avenue from the Archives building.
 * Bus. In Washington, DC, Metrobuses 30, 32, 34, 36, 53, A42, A46, A48, P1, P2, P4, P17, P19, and W13 stop at the National Archives on Pennsylvania Avenue.
 * Parking. No parking at the building is available for researchers. Several commercial parking lots are located nearby and metered curb parking may be available on nearby streets.

Regional Archives-Facilities and Affiliated Archives by State
A full list of facilities can be found on the National Archives' Visit Us page.
 * National Archives at Atlanta: Alabama,Florida,Georgia,Kentucky,Mississippi,North Carolina, South Carolina,Tennessee.
 * National Archives at Boston: Connecticut,Massachusetts,Maine,New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont
 * National Archives at Chicago: Illinois,Indiana,Michigan,Minnesota,Ohio, Wisconsin
 * National Archives at Denver: Colorado,Montana,New Mexico, North Dakota,South Dakota,Utah,Wyoming
 * National Archives at Fort Worth: Arkansas,Louisiana,Oklahoma,Texas
 * National Archives at Kansas:Iowa,Kansas,Minnesota,Missouri,Nebraska,North Dakota,South Dakota
 * National Archives at New York City: New Jersey,New York,Puerto Rico,U.S. Virgin Islands
 * National Archives at Philadelphia:Delaware,Maryland,Pennsylvania,Virginia,West Virginia
 * National Archives at St. Louis
 * National Archives at Riverside: Arizona,Clark County, Nevada, Southern California
 * National Archives at San Francisco: California:northern & central,Nevada,Hawaii,US Navy Bases on foreign territory-Pacific and Far East,America Samoa,Guam,Trust Territory Pacific Islands
 * National Archives at Seattle: Alaska,Idaho,Oregon,Washington

Federal Records Centers
A full list can be found on the National Archives' Federal Records Center Locations page.

Internet Sites and Databases

 * National Archives Archives.gov Internet home page
 * Genealogists/Family Historians—National Archives online guide
 * Microfilm Publications and Original Records Digitized by Our Digitization Partners NARA blog
 * NARA Records Online at FamilySearch as of August 30, 2014
 * National Archives Catalog of NARA's nationwide holdings in the D.C. area, Regional Branches, and Presidential Libraries
 * Access to Archival Databases (AAD) of over 85 million digitized records created by 30 government agencies (but limited to only 475 out of NARA's 200,000 data files)
 * Browse list of research topics selected from frequently requested records at the National Archives
 * BLM-GLO Land Patent Index to federal land sales, homesteads, military-bounty, mining, or timberland transfers.
 * NARA and FHL film numbers explains how to find the Family History Library microfilm number starting from a National Archives number. For a conversion tabe, [[Media:NARA2FHL.pdf|click here]].

National Archives Programs

 * National Archives Virtual Genealogy Fair
 * Know Your Records Program
 * Citizen Archivist Dashboard
 * Citizen Archivist Dashboard - Frequently Asked Questions
 * Innovation Hub - Citizen Scanning
 * Innovation Hub - Recently Scanned Documents

Collection Description
The National Archives has a vast collection of documents created by the United States federal government. The records most often used by genealogists are census, military, land, immigration, and naturalization records.
 * Guide to Federal Records in the National Archives of the United States
 * Prologue: the journal of the National Archives
 * Information for Researchers at the National Archives at Washington, DC

The National Archives Building in Washington, DC (Archives I), houses textual and microfilm records relating to genealogy, American Indians, pre-World War II military and naval-maritime matters, the New Deal, the District of Columbia, the Federal courts, and Congress.


 * See also National Archives at College Park, Maryland (Archives II).
 * See also National Personnel Records Center (NPRC), St. Louis, Missouri, military records 1912-1952.
 * See also '''National Archives at St. Louis


 * United States National Archives Twentieth Century Military Records Coverage Table

National Archives Catalog
"The National Archives Catalog is the online catalog of NARA's nationwide holdings in the Washington, DC area, Regional Archives and Presidential Libraries." Not all of NARA's records are described in the catalog, but NARA is working towards complete coverage. Researchers can search the catalog by keyword, dates, person name, topic, physical location of records, and digitized images. Most records descripted are at the series level within record groups. The catalog search results also include scanned textual images, webpages; maps, photographs, motion pictures, etc.

"How to Search in the catalog" for more details. "Catalog Guide for Genealogists and Family Historians" contains guidance specific for genealogists.
 * Using the National Archives Catalog Steps and guidelines in accessing record descriptions.
 * National Archives Catalog Search Tips What Does the catalog Search ?
 * National Archives Catalog Guide for Genealogists and Family Historians Includes Tips for Searching and Individual's Name; Tips for Searching By Topic; Suggested Keywords


 * Claire Prechtel Kluskens. The National Archives Catalog. NGS Magazine 43 # 3 (October-December, 2017): 40- 43.

Field Names Displayed for Record Series Search Results
These fields are displayed when you click a record series in the search results.
 * Series: Name and Date Range
 * National Archives Identifier (NAID): A unique number assigned to a Record Group, Series, File Unit or Item in the catalog.
 * Creator(s): Name of creating government agencies
 * From: Record Group No and Name
 * Level of Description: Series, File Unit, or Item
 * Type(s) of Archival Materials
 * The creator compiled or maintained the series between: Date Range
 * Includes: # of file unite(s) described in the catalog - Search within this series
 * Arrangement: How the records are arranged
 * Access Restriction(s): Unrestricted, restricted,
 * Use Restriction(s):
 * Custodial History:
 * Scope & Content: Series Description
 * Extent Size: linear feet and inches
 * Contact(s) Collection Location
 * Count
 * Copy 1 Media Information: Specific Media Type

Record Hierarchy in the Online Catalog

 * Record Group (RG) number – A record group is a grouping created by NARA that comprises the records of a government bureau or agency.
 * Record Series Records that are arranged according to a particular filing system of a government agency. Record are described in the catalog at the Series level.
 * File Unit
 * Item


 * Inventory Entry Number – An inventory or preliminary inventory is a finding aid, and generally includes a brief administrative history of the organization(s) as well as series descriptions of their records. Inventory Entry Numbers were formerly called Inventory Identifiers.

Search Results can be filtered in multiple ways - See column at the left side of the screen
 * By Data Source: Archival Descriptions with Digital Descriptions; Archives.gov (webpages); Archival Descriptions; Authority Records (Organization and Person Name Authority)
 * Refine by Level of Description: Item, File unit; Series; Collection
 * Refine By Type of Materials: Textual; Moving Images; Photographs and Other Graphic Materials; Maps and Carts; Architectural and Engineering Drawings; Sound Recordings; Artifacts
 * Refine By File Format: Image (JPG); Portable Document File (MP4); ASCII Text; Image (GIF); MS Excel Spreadsheet; Audio Visual File; text cvs; Microsoft word document; Compressed (ZIP) file, etc.
 * Refine By Location:
 * Refine By Record Group/Collection
 * Refine By Date: Date Range

 Sort By  Relevance; Title; National Archives Identifier; Local Identifier; HMS Entry Number (Preliminary Inventory)

' Additional Filters: Top of Page Include: All; Available Online; Web Pages (Archives.gov pages); Documents (Textual); Images (Photographs); Videos (Digitized Motion Pictures}

Record Groups with Digitized Records
The Record Group Explorer and Record Group Explorer Data webpages will identify record groups with digital records in the National Archives Catalog.
 * Record Group Explorer Identifies by Record Groups the percentage of scans online.
 * Record Group Explorer Data Identifies by Record Groups the number of textual scans online, estimate total textual pages, percentage online.

 Selected Record Groups with Digitized Records  The following links identify by Record Group with some digitized content. Under "Browse our Records" click on the "Explorer" link to see "Textual records," "Maps and Charts" and "Video and Audio"
 * Records of the Department of Veteran Affairs RG 15
 * Records of the Army Air Forces RG 18
 * Records of the United States District Courts RG 21
 * Records of the Bureau of Naval Personnel RG 24
 * Records of the Post Office Department RG 28
 * Records of the Bureau of the Census RG 29
 * Records of the Civilian Conservation Corps RG 35
 * Records of the U.S. Customs Service RG 36
 * Records of the Bureau of Land Management RG 49
 * Records of the Department of the Treasury RG 56
 * Records of the Bureau of Indian Affairs RG 75
 * Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service RG 85
 * Records of the Quartermaster General RG 92
 * War Department Collection of Revolutionary War Records RG 93
 * Records of the Adjutant General's Office RG 94
 * War Department Collection of Confederate Records RG 109
 * Records of the Provost Marshal General's Bureau (Civil War) RG 110
 * Records of the Surgeon General RG 112
 * Records of the American Battle monuments Commission RG 117
 * Records of the U.S. Court of Claims RG 123
 * Records of the Judge Advocate General (Navy) RG 125
 * Records of the U.S. Marine Corps. RG 127
 * Records of the Selective Service System RG 147
 * Records of the Judge Advocate General's Office (Army) RG 153
 * Records of the Selective Service System (WWI) RG 163
 * Records of the War Relocation Authority RG 210
 * Records of the Accounting Officers of the Department of the Treasury RG 217
 * Records of the Continental and Confederation Congresses and the Constitutional Conventions R 360
 * Records of U.S. Army Coast Artillery Districts and Defenses RG 392
 * Records of U.S. Army Continental Commands RG 393
 * Records of the Adjutant General's Office RG 407

 FamilySearch Wiki - Collection Coverage Tables 
 * National Archives Catalog Digitized Collections - Coverage Tables FamilySearch WIKI
 * United States, National Archives Catalog - Selected Digitized Collections

Tips

 * Researchers first visiting Archives I, the National Archives and Records Administration building in Washington, DC, proceed to the Research Center on the first floor. Depending upon the types of records requested, researchers may need to first obtain a researcher identification card. You can get your research card in the Research Center. During the registration process, new researchers will view a short PowerPoint orientation emphasizing the safe handling of records and explaining the most basic research procedures, responsibilities, and rules. New researchers should plan for a total of 15-20 minutes to complete the registration process.
 * Most of the National Archives records are arranged by record group. Record groups are based on the agency creating the record. For help identifying record groups to use for research see the following guides.


 * Start Your Genealogy Research

Guides

 * Guide to Federal Records in the National Archives of the United States in National Archives Archives.gov at http://archives.gov/research/guide-fed-records/ (accessed 5 April 2009). Provides a general overview of NARA's holdings at the record group level, and is intended to assist researchers in identifying which record groups may have material relevant to their research topics. This Internet edition is an expanded version of Robert B. Matchette, and Jan Shelton Danis, Guide to Federal Records in the National Archives of the United States, 3rd ed., 3 vols. (Washington, D.C.: NARA, 1998). ( 973 A3gui). WorldCat entry.
 * Anne Bruner Eales, and Robert M. Kvasnicka, eds. Guide to Genealogical Research in the National Archives of the United States. 3rd ed. (Washington, DC: NARA, 2000) ( 973 J53e). WorldCat entry. Explains records collections used most by genealogical researchers: Census, Passenger Arrivals and Border Crossings, Naturalizations, Military, Land, Native Americans, African Americans, and more.
 * Loretto Dennis Szucs, and Sandra Hargreaves Luebking, The Archives: a Guide to the National Archives Field Branches (Salt Lake City: Ancestry, 1988) ( 973 A3sz). WorldCat entry. Several page descriptions for each Regional Branch, but mostly a list of record groups by number. Relatively little of the book is about the main branch.
 * Christina K. Schaefer, The Center: A Guide to Genealogical Research in the National Capitol Area (Baltimore: Genealogical Publ., 1996) ( 975.3 A3sc). WorldCat entry. Explains using research rooms, census, military, immigration, naturalization, passport, American Indian, African American, Confederate, tax, W.P.A., and federal land records.
 * US National Archives YouTube Channel - hundreds of videos about the archives and their collections &amp; services

Alternate Repositories
If you cannot visit or find a record at the National Archives Building (Archives I), a similar record may be available at one of the following.

Overlapping Collections


 * National Archives at College Park, Maryland (Archives II) houses documents created after 1900 at the departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Justice, Labor, State, Transportation, and Treasury, and modern military records.
 * National Archives—Regional Branches. Each Regional Branch has copies of key records in Washington, as well as regional records, e.g. Atlanta for the Southern region, and Fort Worth has a strong American Indian collection.
 * National Personnel Records Center (NPRC), St. Louis, government and military personnel records starting 1917.
 * Allen County Public Library (Indiana) has a premier genealogical periodical collection, genealogies, local histories, databases, military, censuses, directories, passenger lists, American Indians, African Americans, Canadians.
 * Mid-Continent Public Library Midwest Genealogy Center, Independence, MO, national censuses/indexes, 80,000 family histories, 100,000 local histories, 565,000 microfilms, 7,000 maps, and extensive newspaper clippings.
 * Ancestry.com ($) subscription site with wide-ranging images and indexes of National Archives census, military, naturalization, passenger arrivals, border crossings, and published passenger lists.
 * Fold3.com ($) subscription site with indexes and images to hundreds of National Archives record types including Revolutionary War and Civil War service records and pensions, draft registrations, census, etc.
 * HeritageQuestOnline.com ($) by subscription &amp; at many libraries--Revolutionary War pension &amp; bounty land files.
 * Castle Garden 1830-1892 and Ellis Island 1892-1924 indexes &amp; images to New York City passenger arrivals.

 Family History Library   NARA Series to FHL film Conversion
 * Family History Library, Salt Lake City, has many National Archives census, immigration, land, military, and naturalization records on microfilm.
 * For a list of microfilms at both NARA and the Family History Library, click here.
 * Category: NARA Microfilm Number Conversion
 * A1154-M317
 * M318-M541
 * M542-M694
 * M698-M1002
 * M1003-M1523
 * M1524-M1674
 * M1675-T715
 * T716-T1067
 * T1068-T1279

Neighboring Collections


 * Library of Congress, Washington, DC, Local History and Genealogy Reading Room is part of the world's largest library including 50,000 genealogies, 100,000 local histories, and collections of manuscripts, microfilms, maps, newspapers, photographs, and published material, strong in North American, British Isles, and German sources.
 * Daughters of the American Revolution Library, Washington DC, Revolutionary War and colonial period, including family and local histories, cemetery transcriptions, Bible records, 15,000 genealogical membership applications.
 * DC Vital Records Division for birth and death records. DC Superior Court for marriage and divorce records.
 * Washington DC Family History Center has premium online services for free, and can offer research suggestions.
 * Maryland State Archives, Annapolis, census, court, church, vital, military, probate, land, tax, immigration, naturalizations.
 * Library of Virginia, Richmond, digital sources, databases, vital, military, newspapers, periodicals, tax, history, land records.
 * State archives for each state have archival records for people dealing with the state governments. See the Library and Archives Wiki pages for each state of the United States for further details.
 * Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa, vital, census, immigration, naturalization, military, land, and employment.
 * Archivo General de la Nación (AGN), Mexico City, church, civil, census, court, history, military, migration, land.