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Title 8, Aliens and NationalityRelease 119-110

§1450 Functions and Duties of Clerks and Records of Declarations of Intention and Applications for Naturalization

Title 8 › CHAPTER 12 — IMMIGRATION AND NATIONALITY › SUBCHAPTER III — NATIONALITY AND NATURALIZATION › Part II — Nationality Through Naturalization › § 1450

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

Clerks of courts that give the oath of allegiance must give each person a naturalization certificate prepared by the Attorney General. They must send the Attorney General a list and basic details of the people who actually took the oath at each ceremony within 30 days after the end of the month. Clerks must also send certified copies of other court records about naturalization when the Attorney General asks. They are responsible for blank certificates, must account for them when asked, and must return any damaged certificates to the Attorney General instead of destroying them. Each district office of the Service must keep all declarations of intention and naturalization applications as permanent records. These records must be kept in chronological order, indexed, and given consecutive numbers.

Full Legal Text

Title 8, §1450

Aliens and Nationality, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The clerk of each court that administers oaths of allegiance under section 1448 of this title shall—
(1)deliver to each person administered the oath of allegiance by the court pursuant to section 1448(a) of this title the certificate of naturalization prepared by the Attorney General pursuant to section 1421(b)(2)(A)(ii) of this title,
(2)forward to the Attorney General a list of applicants actually taking the oath at each scheduled ceremony and information concerning each person to whom such an oath is administered by the court, within 30 days after the close of the month in which the oath was administered,
(3)forward to the Attorney General certified copies of such other proceedings and orders instituted in or issued out of the court affecting or relating to the naturalization of persons as may be required from time to time by the Attorney General, and
(4)be responsible for all blank certificates of naturalization received by them from time to time from the Attorney General and shall account to the Attorney General for them whenever required to do so.
No certificate of naturalization received by any clerk of court which may be defaced or injured in such manner as to prevent its use as herein provided shall in any case be destroyed, but such certificates shall be returned to the Attorney General.
(b)Each district office of the Service in the United States shall maintain, in chronological order, indexed, and consecutively numbered, as part of its permanent records, all declarations of intention and applications for naturalization filed with the office.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1991—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 102–232, § 102(b)(1)(F), inserted sentence at end relating to return of defaced or injured certificates of naturalization to Attorney General. Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 102–232, § 102(b)(1)(A), added par. (1) and struck out former par. (1) which read as follows: “issue to each person to whom such an oath is administered a document evidencing that such an oath was administered,”. Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 102–232, § 102(b)(1)(B), inserted “a list of applicants actually taking the oath at each scheduled ceremony and” after “Attorney General”. Subsec. (a)(3), (4). Pub. L. 102–232, § 102(b)(1)(C)–(E), added par. (4), redesignated former par. (4) as (3) and substituted “, and” for period at end, and struck out former par. (3) which directed clerk to make and keep on file evidence for each document issued. 1990—Pub. L. 101–649 amended section generally, substituting provisions relating to functions and duties of clerks and records of declarations of intention and applications for naturalization, for provisions relating to functions and duties of clerks of naturalization courts.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 1991 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 102–232 effective 30 days after Dec. 12, 1991, see section 102(c) of Pub. L. 102–232, set out as a note under section 1421 of this title.

Effective Date

of 1990 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 101–649 not applicable to functions and duties respecting petitions filed before Oct. 1, 1991, see section 408(c) of Pub. L. 101–649, set out as a note under section 1421 of this title. Abolition of Immigration and Naturalization Service and

Transfer of Functions

For abolition of Immigration and Naturalization Service,

Transfer of Functions

, and treatment of related references, see note set out under section 1551 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

8 U.S.C. § 1450

Title 8, Aliens and Nationality

Last Updated

Sep 22, 2026

Release point: 119-110