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Minnesota Naturalization Card Index - FamilySearch Historical Records


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Minnesota Naturalization Card Index, 1930-1988
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This article describes a collection of records at FamilySearch.org.
Minnesota,
United States
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Record Description
Record Type Naturalization Indexes
Record Group RG 21: Records of the District Courts of the United States
Collection years 1930-1988
National Archives Identifier 6923862 6923863
FamilySearch Resources
Related Websites
Archive
National Archives and Records Administration


What is in This Collection?

The collection consists of two naturalization card indexes from the United States District Court of Minnesota 3rd division and 4th division captured at the NARA facility in Chicago. This collection includes records from 1930 to 1988.

  • U.S.District Court Third Division(St. Paul) of the District of Minnesota, 1930-1988 NAID 6923862
  • U.S.District Court Fourth Division (Minneapolis) of the District of Minnesota, 1930-1988 NAID 6923863

General Tips about Naturalization Records

  • Immigrants could naturalize in any court that performed naturalizations. That included city, county, state and federal courts. Begin by looking for naturalization records in the courts of the county or city where the immigrant lived
  • Look first for the petition (second papers), because they are usually easier to find in courts near where the immigant eventually settled
  • After 1906, the declaration can be filed with the petition as the immigrant was required to submit a copy when he submitted the petition
  • Because immigrants were allowed to naturalize in any court, they often selected the most convenient court. If they worked somewhere other than their residence, they may have gone to a court closer to work to naturalize
  • Look for the Declaration of Intent soon after the immigrant arrived, and then look for the Naturalization Petition five years later, when the residency requirement would have been met. Look for naturalization records in federal courts and 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
  • If your ancestor had a common name, be sure to look at all the entries for a name before you decide which is correct
  • Continue to search the naturalization records to identify siblings, parents, and other relatives in the same or other generations who may have naturalized in the same area or nearby
  • The witnesses named on naturalization records may have been older relatives of the person in the naturalization process. Search for their naturalizations
  • You may want to obtain the naturalization records of every person who shares your ancestor’s surname if they lived in the same county or nearby. You may not know how or if they are related, but the information could lead you to more information about your own ancestors

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

Index and Image Visibility

Whenever possible FamilySearch makes images and indexes available for all users. However, rights to view these data are limited by contract and subject to change. Because of this there may be limitations on where and how images and indexes are available or who can see them. Please be aware some collections consist only of partial information indexed from the records and do not contain any images. For additional information about image restrictions see Restrictions for Viewing Images in FamilySearch Historical Record Collections.

To Browse This Collection

You can browse through images in this collection using the waypoints on the Collection Browse Page for Minnesota, Naturalization Card Index, 1930-1988.

What Can These Records Tell Me?

The following information may be found in these records:

Naturalization

  • Name
  • Certificate number
  • Residence
  • Birth date
  • Admission date
  • Certificate date
  • Name of court
  • Place of court
  • Petition number
  • Alien registration number
  • Signature of immigrant

Collection Content

Sample Image

  • 1985 Naturalization Index

    1985 Naturalization Index

How Do I Search This Collection?

Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:

  • The name of your ancestor
  • The approximate date of naturalization
  • The place where the naturalization occurred

Search the Index

Search by name on the Collection Details Page.
  1. Fill in the search boxes in the Search Collection section with the information you know
  2. Click Search to show possible matches

View the Images

View images in this collection by visiting the Collection Browse Page:
  1. Select Division
  2. Select Name Range to view the images
Tip
 More images are available in the FamilySearch Catalog Minnesota, Naturalization Card Index, 1930-1988. Click on 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?

When you have located your ancestor’s naturalization record, carefully evaluate each piece of information about them. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details that can lead you to other records about your ancestors.

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

Use those naturalization records to:

  • Add any new information to your records
  • Learn an immigrant’s place of origin
  • Confirm their date of arrival
  • Learn foreign and “Americanized” names
  • Find records in his or her country of origin such as emigrations, port records, or ship’s manifests

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

  • Check for variant spellings of the names and for nicknames
  • Try a different index if there is one for the years needed. You may also need to search the naturalization records year by year
  • Search the indexes of nearby localities
  • Consult the Minnesota Record Finder to find other records

Research Helps

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

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 book 973 P47na

FamilySearch Historical Records

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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