- 1). Determine if you are looking for a record from before 1906. Prior to this date, the process of naturalization was not centered at the federal level. State and county courts were allowed to naturalize citizens, and there was no requirement that any records or documentation be sent to the federal government. If your search is from before 1906, then you will need to consult archives from all three levels of government: county, state and federal.
- 2). Go to the appropriate location to begin your search. If your search is to begin on the county or state level, you will need to consult your county or, failing that, state archives. For federal records after 1906, you can visit the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) regional facility that serves the state in which the naturalization took place. Or, you can try visiting the Microfilm Reading Room (Room 400) in the National Archives Building in Washington, D.C.
- 3). Begin browsing records. The majority of these records are not computerized so you you will have to go through the catalogues and the micofilm records they reference by yourself.
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