People may need notarized copies of historic naturalization records for a variety of reasons, including dual citizenship applications.
The Minnesota Historical Society cannot certify documents or notarize documents at this time, but it is possible to arrange to have naturalization records from the Minnesota Historical Society's collections notarized by a mobile notary.
If you need a notarized copy of a naturalization record from the Minnesota Historical Society's collections, follow these steps:
- Place a Historic Naturalization Record Search Request to request the naturalization records of a single person. Choose the "printed, stamped, and mailed" option. This option includes a packet with a copy of any naturalization records for that person that staff can find in the collections of the Minnesota Historical Society. We will print out the records and stamp them to show they are copies of documents in the State Archives. The packet will also include a receipt, a letter describing the research process, and a letter from a librarian explaining why we are unable to certify documents and verifying the authenticity of the records. One printed and stamped packet is $17, and we charge an extra $7 for every additional packet. If we are unable to find the requested naturalization record, we will still include the receipt, the research notes, and the letter from a librarian. While we cannot say that records do not exist, if we are unable to find the requested documents the letter will state that we cannot find them in the collections of the Minnesota Historical Society, and will describe the research that staff undertook when looking for them.
- When research is completed, staff will email you a digital non-notarized version of the packet.
- Once you have received this email, you will need to locate and contact a mobile notary. We cannot recommend a mobile notary or find one for you. A Mobile Notary Directory is maintained on the Minnesota Secretary of State's website.
- Email us at reference@mnhs.org to set up a time for the mobile notary to visit the Minnesota Historical Society Library. The mobile notary's visit will need to be scheduled on Thursdays or Fridays between 11:00 am and 3:00 pm, and it needs to be scheduled at least a week in advance so we can make sure that appropriate staff are available. Please give the email a subject line such as “Notary Appointment for Naturalization Records," and CC the mobile notary on the email. In the email state the date and time that the mobile notary is planning on coming in. You do not need to be present during the mobile notary's visit.
- After the mobile notary has notarized the letter from the librarian verifying the authenticity of the documents, we will mail the packet to the address you listed when the order was placed, unless you have made other arrangements. Other arrangements could include coming in with the notary to take the packet yourself.
The Minnesota Secretary of State's office will only provide an apostille seal for documents from the Minnesota Historical Society Library if the documents have been notarized, because the Minnesota Historical Society is not a government agency, and therefore cannot certify records. The Minnesota Secretary of State has a webpage about the apostille authentication process. In order to have records that can be apostilled, they must be either certified by a government agency or notarized by a formal notary.
We will be expecting to receive a response within two weeks of staff emailing the digital version of the packet. If we don't hear back within two weeks, staff will send a reminder email, and if we don't hear back two weeks after the reminder email, we will mail the packet without it being notarized. Please note that once the packet has been mailed it cannot be notarized.
Questions can be emailed to reference@mnhs.org.
