Research Our Records

National News

Federal holiday icon All National Archives research rooms will be closed on Monday, October 8, in observance of Columbus Day. Museums in Washington, DC, and at the Presidential libraries will be open.

View all Federal Holidays.

1940 Census
Order copies of records online

Obtaining Copies of Records

Go to:   Order Forms   |   Order Online

What do You Want to Order?

Information About:

Ordering Frequently-requested Family History Records

For the following records:

To order, you can either:

  1. 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.

  2. 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

  • 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.

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

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.

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.

Top of Page

Research Our Records >

The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration
1-86-NARA-NARA or 1-866-272-6272