The process for obtaining dual citizenship through ancestry requires locating specific supporting documents and having them certified. For a comprehensive explanation regarding dual citizenship, please visit the United States Immigration website How to get dual citizenship or nationality | USAGov, https://www.usa.gov/become-us-citizen.

Below find guidelines for obtaining certified copies of Delaware vital records needed to support your application.

Please note that the certificates need to have a raised seal, the date issued and a live signature. An Apostille Seal must also be affixed to each certificate. The Apostille Seal is issued by the Division of Corporations.

Apostille Seal: https://corp.delaware.gov/apost_info/

Births:

Contact the Delaware Public Archives for births older than 72 years. Contact the Office of Vital Statistics for births newer than 72 years.

Marriages:

Contact the Delaware Public Archives for marriages older than 50 years. Contact the Office of Vital Statistics for marriages newer than 50 years.

Deaths:

Contact the Delaware Public Archives for deaths older than 40 years. Contact the Office of Vital Statistics for deaths newer than 40 years.

Office of Vital Statistics: https://www.dhss.delaware.gov/dhss/dph/ss/vitalstats.html

Delaware Public Archives: https://archives.delaware.gov/contact-dpa/

Naturalizations:

Naturalization records can be found in a number of series amongst the holdings of Delaware Public Archives (DPA). The earliest materials can be found in the records of the Court of Common Pleas and the Supreme Court of each county. In 1831, the Superior Court was established and took over many of the functions of the two earlier courts. In 1906, the United States Government assumed the responsibility for the naturalization process and at that time most of the local offices stopped maintaining such records.

Naturalization Database from the Delaware Public Archives:  https://archives.delaware.gov/collections-gateway/naturalization-records/

Naturalization Records at the National Archives: https://www.archives.gov/research/immigration/naturalization?_ga=2.150299830.1220921413.1678714292-221220743.1671646519

Information regarding early vital records:

Delaware vital records before 1913 are incomplete. The Delaware Public Archives files of early birth, marriage, and death records have been compiled from family Bibles, newspapers, church records, tombstones, and similar sources. Note that sometimes the record you receive is not a certificate. It may be a register or a return. That is the only documentation of that event that is on file at the Archives. Naturally there are some omissions.* On July1, 1913 the state of Delaware established a las requiring the registration of births, marriages, and deaths.

*A negative search result only indicates that a record is not in the possession of DPA, not that it does not exist

Information regarding corrections to certificates:

All corrections to any vital records are made at the Office of Vital Statistics

Birth Certificates are only corrected with a lot of documentation of the spelling of the name over the course of their entire life.

Marriage Certificates can only be corrected by the parties being married and only to their portion of the certificate.

Death Certificates would require a lot of proof and documentation. It also depends on the individual requesting the correction.

Alias or Also Known As are only permitted with original registration of death certificate record.

Alias or Also Known As are not done with birth or marriage certificates.

Only minor corrections that are typographical errors with single letters where letters were transposed.

Office of Vital Statistics requires documentation for proof of correction and validity of documents is at the discretion of Office of Vital Statistics.