Arizona, U.S. District Court Naturalization Records, 1870-1955

What is in This Collection?

This collection includes naturalization records such as Petitions for Naturalization, Declarations of Intention, Oaths of Allegiance, and Military Petitions filed in the United States District Court of Arizona from 1870 to 1955. This collection is associated with NARA Microfilm Publications M1615 and M1616.

The actual naturalization volumes vary in size and format. Prior to the late 1800s each document was usually handwritten on one page. From the late 1800s and on, printed forms were used. After 1906 many entries were typewritten. Naturalization records are generally well preserved, but some records may have been lost to fire or other disasters. While there were various types of naturalization records, the Declaration of Intent and Naturalization Petition usually had the most complete genealogical information.

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).

After 1906 the entries generally include the name of petitioner; address; name of the court in which naturalization occurred; certificate, petition, or other identifying document number; country and date of birth; date and place of arrival in the United States; date of naturalization; and name and address of witnesses. Although space was provided for this information, it is not always present on every card. Index cards for naturalizations taking place prior to 1906 typically contain only the name of the petitioner, the name of the court in which naturalization occurred, document number, country of origin, and the date of naturalization.

Naturalization is the process of granting citizenship privileges and responsibilities to foreign-born residents. Most counties recorded naturalization procedures in the court records as legal proof of citizenship. The courts handling naturalizations changed several times so the card index was created as a way to quickly access specific records. Additional records and/or images may be added to this collection in the future.

U.S. Territorial Court

• First District Tucson
• Second District La Paz, later Yuma
• Third District Prescott, later Phoenix
• Fourth District Prescott
• Fifth District Globe

U.S. District Court

• Globe Division
• Phoenix Division
• Prescott Division
• Tucson Division

What Can These Records Tell Me?

Before 1906, the information recorded differed widely and often didn't mention the immigrant's town of origin or parents' names. These records may contain:

After 1906 records contain more detailed information. These records may contain:

Collection Content

Sample Images

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  Declaration of Intention, 1882

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  Petition for Naturalization, 1909

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  Oath of Allegiance, 1909

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  Citizenship Decree, 1900

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  Final Record of Citizenship, 1904

Inventory

For a list of all the titles included in this Historical Records publication see Arizona, United States District Court Naturalization Records - Inventory