Arkansas, Naturalization Records, 1903-1981

What is in This Collection?

This collection contains naturalization records from the U.S. District Court for the Western Little Rock Division for the Eastern District of Arkansas and the Fort Smith Division of the Western District of Arkansas

Originally captured at the NARA Regional Archives in Fort Worth, Texas. The collections are from Record Group 21, Records of the United States District Courts of the United States. Additional records and/or images may be added to this collection in the future.

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).

Related National Archives Collections

• U.S. District Court for the Eastern District
• Northern Division (Batesville)
• Declarations of Intention for Citizenship, 1932–1940
• Petitions for Naturalization, 1932–1942
• Eastern Division (Helena)
• Declarations of Intention for Citizenship, 1907–1952
• Petitions for Naturalization, 1909–1953
• Western Division (Little Rock)
• Jonesboro Division
• Pine Bluff Division

• U.S. District Court for the Western District
• El Dorado Division
• Fayetteville Division
• Fort Smith Division
• Harrison Division
• Hot Springs Division
• Texarkana Division

What Can These Records Tell Me?

The following information may be found in these records:
Petition

Declarations of Intent and Naturalization Petitions

Collection Content

Sample Images

• 

  1929 Declaration of Intention

• 

  1907 Petition Part 1

• 

  1907 Petition Part 2

Inventory

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