Now you can order copies of many genealogical records online!
Photocopying Costs Rise
Effective October 1, 2007, fees have increased for reproductions at all National Archives facilities, including for all
commonly-requested genealogical records.
Obtaining Copies of Records
What do You Want to Order?
Information About:
Ordering frequently-requested Family History Records
For the following records:
- Ship Passenger Arrival records, 1820-1959 (Learn more about these records)
- Individual Census Pages, 1790-1930 (Learn more about these records)
- Eastern Cherokee Applications, 1906-1909 (See index in ARC)
- Federal Land Entry Files (Learn more about these records)
- Federal Military Pension Files for the Revolutionary War through the Civil War
- Bounty land warrant applications
- Compiled Military Service Records through the Spanish-American War
To order, you can either:
- Order online, and place
your order for these records directly through the web. Ordering online
requires that you register as a user and that you pay with a credit card.
- Request these records using our special paper forms. Contact us to have these blank forms mailed to you.
Ordering Military Service Records
Ordering Microfilm publications
To keep up with ever-increasing costs,
the price for microfilm has increased, effective October 1, 2005.
More . . . 
- Purchase rolls of microfilm when you already have the
publication number and roll number(s).
This is the minimum information needed.
If you need assistance finding the publication and roll numbers, you can check the online
Microfilm Catalog.
- Rent rolls of microfilm for certain genealogical microfilm.
Ordering Copies of Other Records
When you are asking us to make copies of records for you, you generally need to be able to provide exact citations to specific documents.
For this reason, it can be very difficult to order copies when you not doing in-person research in a NARA research room
When you are in a NARA research room, ask the staff about the options and procedures for ordering copies.
- When you cannot visit a NARA research room:
- Contact NARA with the details of the records you are looking for.
NARA reference staff will let you know if you have enough information to order copies of records.
- If you know the location of the records you are looking for, you can also contact that office directly:
-
Please note that reference staff can only perform limited searches for you. Sometimes the only way to find enough information to be able to order copies is through in-person research in a NARA research room.
- Hire an independent researcher
- Contact NARA with the details of the records you are looking for.
NARA reference staff will let you know if you have enough information to order copies of records.
Self-Service Copying in a Research Room
When you are using records in a NARA research room, you can almost always make your own copies of both paper records and special media, such as film footage or photographs. See also our information on using scanners.
Copying procedures, the copying equipment that NARA provides, and the rules on what equipment you are allowed to bring varies in different NARA facilities.
Always check with the facility you are planning to visit.
- Washington, DC area facilities (Washington, DC and College Park, MD)
- Regional Archives nationwide
- Presidential Libraries
When records cannot be copied
There are sometimes restrictions that prevent records from being copied. The most common are preservation priorities, copyright, and donor restrictions. Details...
If you have questions about specific materials, please check with the appropriate reference staff.
Fees
Fees are charged for reproduction of archival records. See our current fee schedule.
PDF files require the free Adobe Reader.
More information on Adobe Acrobat PDF files is available on our Accessibility page.
