Nebraska, Naturalization Records, 1855-1989

What is in This Collection?

This collection contains naturalization records of the United States District Court for the District of Nebraska and are part of Record Group 21 Records of the United States District Court. Images were originally captured at the NARA Regional Archives facility in Kansas City, Missouri. Additional records and/or images may be added to this collection in the future.

United States District Court Divisions

• Chadron
• Grand Island
• Hastings
• Lincoln
• McCook
• Norfolk
• North Platte
• Omaha

Related National Archives Collections - Omaha Division. District of Nebraska

• Index to Naturalizations, ca. 1959 ca. 1939. NAID 572203
• Certificates of Naturalization Issued Abroad, 1943 - 1945. NAID 6277852
• Military and Overseas Petitions for Naturalization, 1918 - 1955. NAID 6277857
• Declarations of Intention for Citizenship, 11/2/1867 - 12/13/1909 NAID 784231
• Petitions for Naturalization, 12/29/1876 - 10/19/1989. NAID 784354
• Naturalization Certificate Records, 1948 - 1960. NAID 6278119

National Archives at Kansas City

• Naturalization Records Finding Aid

Name Indexes

• Name index to naturalization records, including declarations and petitions. Chadron Division
• Grand Island Petitions, Name Index to Naturalization Petitions ca. 1930-1951 U.S. District Court, District of Nebraska
• Hastings Petitions, Name Index to Naturalization Petitions ca. 1931-1951. U.S. District Court, District of Nebraska
• Lincoln Petitions, Name Index to Naturalization Petitions ca. 1932-1980. U.S. District Court, District of Nebraska
• Name index to naturalization records, including declarations and petitions. McCook, Nebraska
• Norfolk Petitions, Name Index to Petitions ca. 1929-1942. U.S. District Court, District of Nebraska
• North Platte Petitions and Declarations, Name Index to Petitions and Declarations of Intent ca. 1930-1951. U.S. District Court, District of Nebraska
• Naturalization Index, Omaha, Nebraska

While there were various types of naturalization records, the Declaration of Intent and Naturalization Petition usually had the most complete genealogical information.

Naturalization is the process of granting citizenship privileges and responsibilities to foreign-born residents. Delaware’s counties recorded naturalization procedures in the court records as legal proof of citizenship. The courts handling naturalization cases changed several times so the card index was created as a way to quickly access specific records.

The index is very accurate and 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.

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).

What Can These Records Tell Me?

The following information may be found in these records:

• Name
• Address
• Country of birth
• Date of arrival in the U.S.

Collection Content

Sample Images

• 

  1900 Naturalization record

Click on the image for a larger view.

Inventory

For a list of all the titles included in this Historical Records publication see Nebraska, Naturalization Records - Inventory