North Dakota, Naturalization Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection contains petitions for naturalization records from the state of North Dakota. Images were originally captured at the NARA Regional Archives facility in Kansas City, Missouri.


 * Records in this collection include
 * Petitions for Naturalization, 1894 U.S. Circuit Court for the Northeastern (Grand Forks) Division of the District of North Dakota
 * Declarations of Intention for Citizenship, ca. 1868 - 4/6/1918 U. S. District Court for the Southeastern (Fargo) Division of the District of North Dakota
 * Petitions for Naturalization, 10/7/1890 - 7/22/1924 U.S. Circuit Court for the Sourtheastern (Fargo) Division of the District of North Dakota
 * Petitions for Naturalization, 7/5/1892 - 7/22/1901 U.S. Circuit Court for the Northwestern (Devil's Lake) Divison of the District of North Dakota

Naturalization is the process of granting citizenship privileges and responsibilities to foreign-born residents. 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:

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of your ancestor
 * The approximate date of arrival
 * The port of arrival

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.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?
Use these lists to:
 * Add any new information to your records
 * Find church and vital records such as birth and baptism records
 * Use the record to see if other family members immigrated with the person you are looking for
 * Search for the family in census records
 * Search for naturalization records

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

 * If your ancestor does not have a common name, collect entries for every person who has the same surname. This list can help you find possible relatives
 * Look for variant spellings of the names. You should also look for nicknames and abbreviated names
 * Search the indexes and records of other port cities
 * Look for the Declaration of Intent soon after the immigrant arrived. Then look for the Naturalization Petition five years later, when the residency requirement would have been met. Look for naturalization records in federal courts, then in state, county, or city courts. An individual may have filed the first and final papers in different courts and sometimes in a different state if the person moved. Immigrants who were younger than 18 when they arrived did not need to file a Declaration of Intent as part of the process

Research Helps
The following articles will help you research your family in the state of North Dakota.
 * North Dakota Guided Research
 * North Dakota Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step North Dakota Research, 1893-Present

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

FamilySearch Catalog

 * 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


 * U.S. Circuit Court. Southeastern Division. Declarations of intention, 1890-1924.
 * U.S. Circuit Court. Southwestern Division. Declarations of intention, 1892-1917.
 * U.S. Circuit Court. Northwestern Division. Declarations of intention, 1891-1906.
 * U.S. Circuit Court. Northeastern Division. Declarations of intention, 1892-1909.
 * U.S. Circuit Court. Western Division. Declarations of intention, 1906-1916.
 * U.S. District Court. South Eastern District. Naturalization records, 1906-1924.
 * Cass County. Naturalization records, 1878-1906.
 * North Dakota Writers' Project. Sponsored by the Division of Women's and Professional Projects (Works Progress Administration). Ethnic group files, ca. 1935-1942

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.