New York Naturalization and Citizenship

Colonial[edit | edit source]

Between 1664 and 1708 aliens occasionally sought British citizenship through the King of England or by a special act of Parliament. The Governor of New York or a deputy could also grant a letter of denization (similar to naturalization). Because the process was quite costly, most immigrants did not apply. Oaths of allegiance were also taken in 1664, 1673, 1687, and 1776. Most colonial naturalizations kept during the colonial period followed a 1740 Act of Parliament. Colonial naturalization records rarely give such information as age or town of origin.

Most existing records are found in the session laws described in the "Law and Legislation" section of this outline and in Kenneth Scott and Kenn Stryker-Rodda, Denizations, Naturalizations, and Oaths of Allegiance in Colonial New York (Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1975; FHL book 974.7 P4sc).

Post-1790[edit | edit source]

After 1790, aliens could declare their intention to become citizens and later be naturalized in any court of record. Most naturalizations took place in the county courts of common pleas, but they were also recorded in city, mayors', district, and other courts. After 1906, naturalizations were usually handled by the county supreme courts.

The counties have naturalization records from 1790 to the present. They also have separate volumes of military petitions of soldiers naturalized following the Civil War and the first World War. You can obtain copies of the papers from the clerk of the appropriate court.

Naturalization documents include declarations of intention, petitions for naturalization, certificates of arrival, and certificates of naturalization (after 1906). Alien depositions of intent to become citizens (1825 through 1913) are at the state archives. These were statements made by aliens who wanted to buy land. They showed the alien's intention to stay in the United States and become a citizen as soon as legally possible.

The Family History Library has microfilmed naturalizations for nearly all New York counties from the 1790s to 1906. The records for some counties were filmed to the 1930s. These are usually listed in the Family History Library Catalog Place Search under:

NEW YORK, [COUNTY] - NATURALIZATION AND CITIZENSHIP

Two important indexes to New York City naturalizations (mostly petitions) are:

Works Projects Administration (W.P.A.) Index (Soundex) to Naturalization Records, 1792–1906, filed in:

U.S. District Court, Southern District (1824–1906)
U.S. Circuit Court, Southern District (1846–76)
U.S. District Court, Eastern District (1865–1906)
New York County Court of Common Pleas (1792–1895)
New York County Superior Court (1828–95)
New York County Supreme Court (1868–1906)
New York City Marine Court (1806–49)
Kings County Court (1856–1906)
Brooklyn City Court (1836–94)
Queens County Court (1799–1906)
Queens County Surrogate's Court (1888–1898)
Richmond County Court (1869–1906) (on 294 FHL films).

New York County Index to Naturalization Records, 1792–1906, filed in:

Court of Common Pleas (1792–1895)
Supreme Court (1795–1844, 1868–1906)
Superior Court (1828–95) (FHL 82 films).

Note: the W.P.A. Soundex above has the same records as this one except this collection has additional records of the Supreme Court, 1795–1844.

Kenneth Scott, Early New York Naturalizations: Abstracts of Naturalization Records from Federal, State and Local Courts, 1792–1840. Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1981. (FHL book 974.7 P4s; fiche 6088272.) The record includes abstracts of naturalizations from the:

New York City Court of Common Pleas (1792–1840)
District Court for the Southern district (1824–1840)
New York County Superior Court (1828–1840)
Marine Court of New York City (1807–40)
Some Queens, Richmond, and Brooklyn county court records.

May show foreign birthplace, age, or residence in New York.

To find naturalizations performed in federal courts after September 1906, contact an office of the federal Immigration and Naturalization Service found in many federal buildings. Naturalization records sometimes give country or town of birth, age, and residence.

In addition to the previously described W.P.A. index, the National Archives—Northeast Region has:

U.S. Circuit Court for the Southern District of New York petitions, 1906–1911 (not at FHL)
Petition index, 1846–1876, 1906–1911 (FHL film 1522858 items 2–3)
Declarations, 1845–1911 (FHL films 1468586–643 and 1477173–77). This court is now defunct.

U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York petitions:

1824–1940 (to 1897 on FHL films)
Petition indexes, 1824–1941 (on 102 FHL films)
Declarations, 1924–1925
Declarations, 1842–1940 (not at FHL except 1924–1925)
Declaration indexes, 1917–1950 (on 113 FHL films).

This court covers New York, Bronx, Westchester, Putnam, Rockland, Orange, Dutchess, and Sullivan counties.

U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York:

Petitions, 1865–1957 (not at FHL)
Petition indexes, 1865–1957 (FHL 142 films)
Declarations, 1865–1929; and declaration indexes.

This court covers Kings, Queens, Richmond, Nassau, and Suffolk counties.

Copies of naturalization records from New York City state and local courts, 1792–1906 (microfilms of the originals records of some of these courts are at the Family History Library).

The National Archives Federal Records Center at the same address as the Northeast Region archives has:

U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York petitions, 1958–1985 and declarations, 1960–1979.

The National Archives—Northeast Region has:

U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York petitions, 1929–1940 and declarations, 1967–1976. (The declarations from 1941–1966 are missing.)

If you do not know if your ancestor was naturalized, search for important clues in federal censuses (1870–1920) and state censuses (1825–1925). The 1925 state census specifically asks for the date and place of naturalization. Voting registers often give similar information.

The National Archives—Northeast Region
201 Varick Street
12th Floor
New York, NY 10014
(Entrance on Houston Street, between Varick and Hudson.)
Telephone Toll-free: 1-866-840-1752
Telephone: 212-401-1620
Fax: 212-401-1638
E-mail: newyork.archives@nara.gov
Internet: http://www.archives.gov/northeast/