Do you research naturalization records? No? Why not? Does the thought of going through paper files in dusty court basements turn you off? Well - I'm here to tell you that it is worth it - and with recent digitization efforts - more and more original documents have been scanned and been made available via microfilm or online.
Some of the larger subscription sites have also made some source documents available - as well as index cards that can lead you to the court that handled the proceedings.
If you wish to get educated first about all of these documents and the naturalization process and how it has changed over time - please read these two terrific summaries:
- The U.S. Archives Naturalization Records
- FamilySearch's Wiki entry United States Naturalization and Citizenship
- Women and Naturalization
Okay - now that you are educated and know that post-1906 - about 4 awesome documents just drip with great information: Declaration of Intent, Petition for Citizenship or Naturalization, Certificate of Arrival, and the Certificate of Naturalization. Many of the online genealogy websites may not have all of these documents available, but do have index cards that are searchable - which has information regarding the court handling the proceedings. With this information you might be able to track down some of the source documents.
Below is a list of links to free online naturalization record and index collections for the state:
Note: Some of the links listed below take you to a FamilySearch Collection of digital images. Near the bottom of the page under Film/Digital Notes is the name of each sub-collection. If there is a camera icon at the right of the name (in the Format column) then the collections' images are browsable. If there is a camera with a key icon, it is only available at a Family History Center or affiliated library. If there is a film reel icon, then it is only available in microfilm format, not digital.
(Updated August, 2020; recently added links are in BOLD)
- Adams County Naturalization and Related Records, 1840-1943
- Adams County Naturalization Related Papers, cases 1-414, ca. 1830-1918
- Aurora Naturalization Records, 1857-1931
- Boone County Naturalizations Indexes
- Brown County Naturalizations, Declarations of Intention & Petitions, 1857-1948
- Bureau County, Naturalization Records, 1907-1954
- Calhoun County Naturalizations including Declarations of Intention and Petitions, 1849-1926
- Calhoun County Naturalization Records, 1849-1926
- Calhoun County Naturalization Records, 1866-1906
- Carroll County Naturalization Records and Declarations of Intention Indexes
- Champaign County Naturalization Records, 1858-1906
- Champaign County Naturalization Records, 1860-1906
- Chicago Heights, Indexes to Petitions for Naturalization, 1907-1929, Declarations of Intention, 1910-1942
- Christian County Naturalization Records, 1857-1903
- Christian County Naturalization Records, 1866-1903, 1907 (1), 1912 (1), 1914 (1)
- Clay County Naturalization Records, 1868-1904
- Clay County Naturalization Records, 1907-1927
- Clinton County Naturalizations Index
- Clinton County Naturalization Records, 1857-1904
- Coles County Naturalization Records, 1872-1946
- Cook County Declarations of Intention Index 1871-1929
- Cook County Naturalization Records Indexes
- Cook County, Chicago, Certificate of Naturalization stubs, 1907-1926
- Cook County, Chicago, Naturalization depositions, 1906-1912
- De Witt County Naturalization Records, 1866-1903
- Dekalb County Naturalization Records
- Douglas County Naturalization Records, 1860-1906
- East St. Louis City Court Naturalization Papers Index (1874–1906)
- Edwards County Naturalization Records, 1865-1885
- Edwards County Naturalization Records, 1878-1902
- Edwards County Naturalization Records, ca. 1819-1902
- Edwards County Naturalizations, ca. 1819-1915
- Effingham County Naturalization Records
- Effingham County Naturalization Records, 1859-1892
- Elgin Naturalization Records, 1858-1954
- Fayette County Naturalization Records, 1866-1905
- Franklin County Naturalization Records, 1886-1909
- Fulton County Naturalization Records, 1859-1954
- Gallatin County Naturalization Records : Intentions, vol. A, 1859-1893; Final Papers, vol. A, 1859-1888; soldiers & minors, vol. B, 1881-1953; Papers, box 112, 1802-1906
- Greene County Naturalization Records, 1860-1906
- Hamilton County Naturalization Record, vol. A, 1880-1900
- Hamilton County Naturalization Records, Intentions and Final Papers, 1824-1883, Index, 1824-1860
- Hancock County Naturalization Records, 1851-1930
- Henderson County Naturalization Records, 1856-1944
- Henderson County Naturalization Records, 1857-1906
- Henry County Naturalization Index Cards
- Henry County Naturalization Index Cards
- Henry County Naturalization Index Cards, 1910-1955
- Henry County Naturalization Records, 1856-1954
- Henry County Naturalization Records, 1862-1906
- Henry County Naturalization Records, 1910-1937
- Illinois : Eastern District Naturalization Records, 1906-1932
- Illinois : Northern District : Eastern Division Records of Naturalizations and name changes; first set, 1926-1980; second set, 1980-1988
- Illinois : Northern District Declarations of Intention, 1906-1911 ; Index, 1906-1911
- Illinois : Northern District Declarations of Intentions, 1903-1931; Index, 1906-1930
- Illinois : Northern District Naturalization Petitions, 1872-1903
- Illinois : Northern District Oaths of Allegiance, 1872-1903
- Illinois : Northern District Oaths of Allegiance, 1872-1906
- Illinois : Northern District Petitions for Naturalization, 1906-1911
- Illinois : Southern District Declarations of Intention, 1907-1936 ; Petitions for Naturalization, 1908-1930 ; Index, 1905-1954
- Illinois : Southern District Naturalization Records, 1856-1903
- Illinois : Southern District Naturalization Records, 1856-1931
- Illinois : Southern District Naturalization Records, 1906-1952
- Illinois Counties Naturalization Records Indexes
- Illinois Petitions for Naturalization, 1907-1945 ; Index, 1906-1927
- Illinois, County Naturalization Records, 1800-1998
- Illinois, Northern District (Eastern Division), Naturalization Index, 1926-1979
- Illinois, Northern District Naturalization Index, 1840-1950
- Illinois, Northern District Petitions for Naturalization, 1906-1994
- Illinois, Soundex Index to Naturalization Petitions for U.S. District & Circuit Courts, Northern District of Illinois and Immigration and Naturalization Service District 9, 1840-1950
- Illinois, Northern District Court, Eastern Division, Naturalization depositions, 1909-1934
- Iroquois County Naturalization Records Indexes
- Iroquois County Naturalization Records, 1859-1906
- Jackson County Naturalization Records : Final Papers, 1859-1892
- Jackson County Naturalization Records, 1868-1906
- Jasper County Naturalization Records, 1869-1906
- Jefferson County Naturalization Indexes
- Jersey County Naturalization Index
- Jersey County Naturalization Records, 1854-1905
- Jersey County Naturalization Records, 1859-1905
- Jo Daviess County Declarations of Intent, Petitions for Naturalization, Naturalizations, 1856-1929
- Kane County Naturalization Records, 1846-1951
- Kane County Naturalization Records, 1872-1906
- Kankakee County Naturalization, Declaration & Petition Records, ca. 1854-1955
- Knox County Naturalization Record, 1856-1906 ; Naturalization Index Cards, 1800-1906
- Knox County Naturalization Record, 1863-1906, Naturalization Papers, 1861-1906, Naturalization Index Cards, 1800-1906
- Lee County Records, 1830-1954
- Lee County, Naturalization Records, 1842-1929
- Livingston County Naturalization Records, 1854-1906
- Logan County Naturalization Records, 1859-1906
- Logan County Naturalization Records, 1859-1906
- Macon County Naturalization Records, 1858-1883
- Macon County Naturalization Records, 1860-1906
- Macoupin County Illinois Naturalization Indexes
- Macoupin County Naturalization Records Indexes
- Madison County Immigration and Naturalization Documents
- Madison County Naturalization and Intentions, an Index, 1816-1900
- Madison County, Naturalization Records, ca 1840-1929
- Madison County, Naturalizations and Intentions Index 1816-1900
- Marion County Naturalization Records, 1862-1906
- Marion County Naturalization Records, 1865-1906
- Mason County Naturalization Record Indexes
- Mason County Naturalization Records, 1859-1906
- Massac County Naturalization Record, Intentions and Final Papers, vol. A, 1862-1904
- McHenry County Declarations of Intentions Index, 1851-1872
- McHenry County Naturalization Papers, 1851-1955
- McHenry County Naturalization Papers, 1858-1929
- McLean County Immigration/Naturalization Record Index
- Menard County Naturalization Records Indexes
- Menard County Naturalization Records, 1859-1909
- Mercer County, Naturalization Records, 1852-1940
- Monroe County Naturalization Records, 1854-1906
- Montgomery County Index to Early Naturalizations
- Montgomery County Naturalization Index
- Montgomery County Naturalization Records, 1862-1910
- Morgan County Naturalization Records, 1835-1884
- Moultrie County Naturalization Records, 1871-1929
- Ogle County Naturalization Papers Index (1872–1906)
- Ogle County Naturalization Papers, 1872-1888, 1890-1906
- Ogle County Naturalization Records, ca. 1839-1929
- Perry County Naturalization Declarations of Intention, Petitions, Final Oaths, 1856-1909
- Perry County Naturalization Declarations, Petitions & Final Oaths, 1845-1885
- Perry County Naturalization Records, 1860-1906
- Piatt County Naturalization Records, 1858-1884
- Piatt County Naturalization Records, 1862-1906
- Pike County Naturalization Records, 1848-1894
- Pope County Naturalization Records
- Pope County Naturalization Records, 1864-1898
- Pope County Record of aliens Naturalized, 1820-1821
- Pulaski County Naturalization Record, 1877-1900
- Putnam County, Naturalization Records, 1836-1944
- Randolph County Naturalization Records, 1865-1900
- Randolph County Naturalization Records, 1865-1906
- Richland County Naturalization Records, ca. 1847-1888
- Rock Island County Naturalization Records, 1851-1906 ; Index to Naturalizations, 1851-1962
- Saline County Declarations of Intent Abstracts
- Sangamon County Naturalization Papers, 1862-1864 Index
- Sangamon County Naturalization Records, 1874-1906
- Scott County Naturalization Records, 1859-1906
- Shelby County Naturalization Records, 1858-1895, and docket, 1874-1888
- Shelby County Naturalization Records, vol. B, 1, 1876-1882, 1904-1906
- St. Clair County Index to Naturalizations
- St. Clair County, Index to Declarations and Naturalizations Circuit Court 1906 – c1945
- Stark County Naturalization Records, 1851-1906
- Stark County, Circuit Court Naturalization Records, 1892-1913
- Stark County, Naturalization Records, 1906-1913
- Tazewell County Naturalization and immigration Records, 1839-1909
- Tazewell County Naturalization Records, 1839-1906
- Union County Naturalization Records, 1860-1904
- Vermilion County Naturalization Records, 1860-1903
- Warren County Naturalization Records : books A, B & C & vol. II, 1902-1929
- Warren County Index to Naturalizations, 1858-1943
- Warren County Naturalization Records, 1860-1906
- Warren County Petition and Naturalization Record, 1916-1929
- Washington County Naturalization Indexes 1819-1861
- White County Naturalization Record : Final Papers, vol. A, 1860-1898
- Whiteside County Index to Naturalization Records
- Whiteside County Index to Whiteside County Naturalization documents, 1 July 1910 through 21 February 1945
- Williamson County Naturalization Records, 1865-1903
- Woodford County Naturalization Papers, 1855-1906
- Woodford County Naturalization Records, 1861-1901
- Woodford County Naturalization Records, 1867-1906
Good Luck and Happy Hunting!
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