New Jersey, Naturalization Records, 1796-1991

What is in This Collection?

Naturalization Records of the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey. The collections are held at the National Archives regional office in New York City and is part of Record Group 21 Records of the District Courts of the United States. The following collections in this publications are listed below. Use the New Jersey Naturalization Records Digital Folder Number List to determine the record source from Digital Folder Number in the search results.

Trenton Term

• Petitions for Naturalization, 1838-1988.Trenton Term. NAID 599364
• Index to Petitions for Naturalization & Declarations of Intention,1796-1988. Trenton Term. NAID 600114
• Military Petitions for Naturalization,1918-1919. Trenton Term. NAID 2555234
• Transfer Petitions for Naturalization,7.9.1953-9.4.1981. Trenton Term. NAID 4105106
• Certificate of Naturalization Receipt Stubs, 1907-1988. Trenton Term. NAID 4956737

Camden Term

• Petitions for Naturalization,1931-1981. Camden Term. NAID 655657
• Certificate of Naturalization Receipt Stubs, 1932-1982. Camden Term. NAID 4955027
• Index to Petitions for Naturalization,1932-1991. Camden Term. NAID 4955444
• Index to Declarations of Intention for Citizenship, 1932-1982. Camden Term. NAID 4955880

Newark Term

• Petitions for Naturalization Overseas Military, 2.16.1955-2.1.1956. Newark Term. NAID 2505536
• Petitions for Naturalization Overseas Military, 12.12.1942-10.24.1945.Newark Term. NAID 2505537
• Military Petitions for Naturalization, 6.15.1918-12.31.1946. Newark Term. NAID 2505539
• Transfer Petitions for Naturalization,11.12.1953-10.31.1980. Newark Term. NAID 4105119
• Index to Naturalization Records, 1914-1982. Newark Term. NAID 4151985
• Certificate of Naturalization Receipt Stubs,1914-1.1926. Newark Term. NAID 4275708
• Petitions for Naturalization,1914-1982. Newark Term. NAID 604960

Dept. of the Navy. Third Naval District. Office of Aid for Information. ca. 1917-ca. 1919

• Index to Correspondence Related to Merchant Seamen who were Investigated,1917. NAID 5635495

Naturalization is a voluntary process through which immigrants can become American citizens. By becoming naturalized citizens, immigrants are granted the same rights, privileges and protections as natural born citizens. Before 1790, British immigrants were considered citizens of the British colonies in America, and later American citizens. Some Protestant immigrants from other European countries requested citizenship from civil authorities. After swearing allegiance, immigrants were generally granted citizenship. The process by which other immigrants could become citizens of the British Empire or the American colonies, and later American citizens, was handled by the individual colonies then states until 1906, when the Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization standardized immigration laws and procedures.

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 general requirements for citizenship include residency in one U.S. state for one year and in the United States for five years The First Papers were normally filed five years before the Final Papers because of the five-year residency requirement to become a citizen.

Naturalization papers are an important source of information about an immigrant's nation of origin, his foreign and “Americanized” names, residence, and date of arrival. Naturalization records were created to process naturalizations and keep track of immigrants in the United States. Naturalization records are generally reliable, but may occasionally be subject to error or falsification. Be sure to search all possible spellings for the surname of the person for whom you are looking.

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

What Can These Records Tell Me?

The following information may be found in these records:

In 1906 the Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization was created and later renamed Immigration and Naturalization Services or INS. Some results included standardized forms throughout the country and copies of naturalization papers sent to the INS in addition to the court keeping a copy. Naturalization records after 1906 contain more detailed information about the immigrants and their families. The INS is now known as the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Possible information given in post-1906 naturalization records include:

Collection Content

Sample Images

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  Petition Stub 1918

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  Petition 1918

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  Oath of Allegiance 1918

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  Affidavit of Witness 1973

Immigrants could naturalize in any court. 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 immigrant eventually settled. After 1906, the declaration can be filed with the petition as the immigrant was required to submit a copy when the petition the petition was submitted. Because immigrants were allowed to naturalize in any court, they often selected the most convenient court. For example, if an immigrant lived in Maine, but worked in Vermont or New Hampshire, they may have gone to a court closer to work.

Digital Folder Number List

This collection was originally published without a browse hierarchy. For details about the contents of each folder in this collection and links to the FamilySearch Catalog record see New Jersey Naturalization Records Digital Folder Number List.