Naturalization Ceremony Information

Naturalization is the process by which United States citizenship is conferred upon a foreign citizen or foreign national after he or she fulfills the requirements established by Congress in the Immigration and Nationality Act.

The bureau of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) processes all naturalization applications and provides the Court with a list of the candidates selected to be naturalized.

To Apply for Naturalization

The USCIS should be contacted directly for procedures on becoming naturalized. Visit the USCIS or call (800) 375-5283 for answers to common questions, application forms and general information about the USCIS.

After all requirements of the USCIS have been satisfied, the USCIS will send an applicant written notice of the location, date and time to report to a naturalization ceremony.

Please do not contact the court regarding your naturalization ceremony. Questions should be directed to the USCIS at (800) 375-5283.

The Naturalization Ceremony

For naturalization ceremonies in the Central District of California, please click here for a current ceremony schedule (note: dates and times are subject to change).

All individuals entering Federal Court facilities and naturalization ceremonies are required to pass through a magnetometer and have all belongings and packages subject to physical and/or x-ray examination similar to security screening at airports. Firearms, knives, explosives, and other weapons are prohibited and subject to confiscation. When reporting for a naturalization ceremony, please plan your arrival time accordingly.

Applicants and guests are separated during the arrival process. Therefore, it is recommended that you designate a specific location to meet after the ceremony. At the conclusion of the ceremony, all guests are dismissed prior to the final processing step of the new citizens.

For applicants who experience difficulty with walking, it is strongly recommended that they bring a wheelchair. The in-processing and out-processing of applicants involves a great deal of walking, standing and waiting. It is also recommended that applicants needing any other assistance be accompanied by one escort. While it is necessary to separate applicants from guests, it is permissible for an escort to remain with an applicant with special needs throughout the ceremony.

Please remain quiet during the proceedings. If you must leave during the ceremony, please exit quietly.

The ceremony size varies between 600 to 5,000 applicants plus their guests.

Naturalization Record

Replacing a Certificate of Naturalization

The Court is unable to provide a copy of your naturalization certificate or any other documentation that certifies your citizenship. To obtain a replacement of your naturalization certificate, please follow the instructions at www.uscis.gov or call (800) 375-5283 for assistance.

Obtaining a Copy of Name Change Form

To obtain a copy of your Name Change Form, please follow the instructions at www.uscis.gov or call (800) 375-5283 for assistance.

Obtaining Naturalization Records

Naturalization records prior to October 1994 are maintained by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). Contact NARA at [email protected] or (951) 956-2000 for additional information.

Naturalization records after 1992 are maintained by the USCIS. For additional information, visit USCIS at www.uscis.gov or call (800) 375-5283 for additional information.

Obtaining Record of Name Change Granted During Naturalization Ceremony

To obtain a record verifying that a name change was granted during a naturalization ceremony, please send an email to [email protected] with the following information:

                -Previous Name

                -New Name

                -Date of Birth

                -Alien Registration #

                -Date of Naturalization

                -Email

                -Phone Number