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California County Naturalizations - FamilySearch Historical Records

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California County Naturalizations, 1831-1985
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This article describes a collection of records at FamilySearch.org.
California,
United States
Flag of California
Flag of California
Locator map of California
Location of California
Record Description
Record Type County Naturalizations
Collection years 1831-1985
FamilySearch Resources
Related Websites
Archive
California State Archives


What is in This Collection?

The collection consists of naturalization records for the years 1831 to 1985 from the following counties (coverage dates vary by county). This collection is being published as images and records from more counties become available.

  • Alameda
  • Amador
  • Alpine
  • Butte
  • Calaveras
  • Clousa
  • El Dorado
  • Fresno
  • Glenn
  • Lake
  • Lassen
  • Los Angeles
  • Mendocino
  • Napa
  • Nevada
  • Orange
  • Placer
  • Sacramento
  • San Francisco
  • Sonoma
  • Santa Clara
  • Stanislaus
  • Santa Barbara
  • San Benito
  • San Diego
  • Solano
  • Sutter
  • Yolo
  • Yuba

Before 1906, immigrants could naturalize in any court that performed naturalizations including city, county, state and federal courts. As a result they often selected the most convenient court. If they lived in the Eastern District but worked elsewhere, they may have gone to a court closer to work. To begin, look for naturalization records in the courts of the county or city where the immigrant lived. If the county has an index search it first. Next look for the petition (second papers), because they are usually easier to find in courts near where the immigrant eventually settled.

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. The information that was current at the time of naturalization was usually reliable. However, there was always a chance for misinformation. Errors may have occurred because of the informant’s lack of knowledge or because of transcription errors or other circumstances.

Additional records and/or images may be added to this collection in the future.

Index and Image Visibility

FamilySearch provides images and indexes subject to contractual limitations and changes. Access to images and indexes may vary. Some collections may only have partial indexes without images. See Restrictions for Viewing Images for details.

To Browse This Collection

You can browse through images in this collection using the waypoints on the Collection Browse Page for California, County Naturalizations, 1831-1985.

What Can These Records Tell Me?

The following information may be found in these records:
Naturalization petitions

  • Name of the petitioner
  • Residence
  • Country of birth
  • Place and date of arrival
  • Names of two witnesses
  • Petition number
  • Date of petition
  • Volume and page number of the petition

Declaration of Intent

  • Name of the immigrant
  • Country of birth
  • Arrival date
  • Date of Declaration of Intent or Naturalization
  • Names of witnesses
  • Signature of judge or court official
  • Birth date
  • Birthplace
  • Age
  • Race
  • Last foreign residence
  • Current residence
  • Arrival place
  • Marital status
  • Name of spouse
  • Maiden name of wife
  • Birth date of spouse
  • Residence of spouse

Collection Content

Sample Images

  • Declaration of Intention 1904

    Declaration of Intention 1904

  • Naturalization Petition 1908

    Naturalization Petition 1908

  • Citizenship Granted 1876

    Citizenship Granted 1876

Coverage Table

The following records were in the indexed portion of this collection as of 8 August 2018.

County Records
Alameda 117,011
Butte 2,336
Calaveras 3,349
Colusa 2,733
Fresno 26,848
Glenn 1,678
Lake 192
Lassen 2,800
Mendocino 4,682
Napa 9,158
Placer 5,993
Sacramento 27,098
San Benito 631
San Diego 16
San Francisco 130,776
San Mateo 22,748
Santa Clara 17,291
Solano 5,793
Sonoma 16,803
Sutter 410
Yolo 2,217
Yuba 2,421
No County Given 62,885

How Do I Search This Collection?

Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:

  • The full name of your ancestor
  • The approximate immigration and naturalization dates

If you do not know this information, check the 1900 or 1910 census and then calculate the possible year of naturalization based on the date of immigration. The 1920 census may tell you the exact year of immigration or naturalization.

Search the Index

Search by name on the Collection Details Page.
  1. Enter the information in the fields in the Search Collection section or click More Options to see additional fields
  2. Click Search to show possible matches

View the Images

View images in this collection by visiting the Collection Browse Page:
  1. Select County
  2. Select Record Type, Year Range and Volume Number or Letter to view the images
Tip: More images are available in the FamilySearch Catalog at California County Naturalizations, 1849-1949. Some catalog records link to multiple references. In this case, click on a reference to find a camera icon to see images.

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?

If these are indexes, the original records may contain additional information that was not indexed, or the information might have been indexed incorrectly.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

  • Add any new information to your records
  • Use the information found in the record to find the ship manifest
  • Use the information found in the record to find additional family members in census records
  • If applicable, search for military records as well
  • Search for other vital records, such as marriage and death
  • 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

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
  • If you cannot locate your ancestor in the locality in which you believe they lived, then try searching records of a nearby town or county
  • Try different spellings of your ancestor’s name
  • Remember that sometimes individuals went by nicknames or alternated between using first and middle names

Research Helps

The following articles will help you research your family in the state of California.

Other FamilySearch Collections

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

FamilySearch Catalog

FamilySearch Historical Records

FamilySearch Digital Library

  • Locating your immigrant ancestor : a guide to naturalization records, James C. Neagles and Lila Lee Neagles. Logan, Utah: Everton Publishers, c1986 FamilySearch Digital Library

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.

Collection Citation:
The citation for this collection can be found on the Collection Details Page in the section Cite This Collection.
Record Citation:
When looking at a record, the citation can be viewed by clicking the drop-down arrow next to Document Information.
Image Citation:
When looking at an image, the citation is found on the Information tab at the bottom left of the screen.
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