DHS Form 281 is a paper document a government agency uses to ask U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to confirm whether a specific person was naturalized as a U.S. citizen. It is not a form individuals file. It travels between the requesting agency and the USCIS National Records Center in Lee’s Summit, Missouri, and today most agencies encounter it only as a fallback when the electronic Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) system cannot produce a definitive answer. There is no fee for a government-to-government request.
When Agencies Use Form 281 Instead of SAVE
Most agencies that need to verify immigration or naturalization status do so electronically through SAVE, an online service open to registered federal, state, territorial, tribal, and local agencies that grant benefits or licenses.1USCIS. Register an Agency for SAVE SAVE covers driver’s license applications, public housing, Title IV student aid, Small Business Administration loans, voter registration in participating states, and military enlistment, among other programs.
SAVE tries for an instant electronic match. If that fails, the agency can request Additional Verification and upload copies of the applicant’s documents; a further review step called Resubmit with Docs is also available.2USCIS. Verification Process Form 281 comes in when that electronic chain still can’t produce a conclusive result and a manual archive search is needed, or when the requesting agency is not enrolled in SAVE at all and has to verify naturalization through paper channels.
Who Can Submit It
Only government entities and certain authorized organizations with a documented legal need may request naturalization verification through Form 281. Typical users include state departments of motor vehicles confirming eligibility for a driver’s license, the Social Security Administration verifying entitlement to federal benefits, and other agencies that condition a benefit or license on U.S. citizenship.
Individuals cannot use Form 281 to pull their own naturalization records. If you want a copy of your own immigration file, USCIS requires you to submit a Freedom of Information Act or Privacy Act request online at first.uscis.gov after creating a USCIS account. As of January 22, 2026, online submission is the only accepted method, and the older paper Form G-639 is no longer the standard channel.3U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Request Records Through the Freedom of Information Act or Privacy Act
What Information the Agency Has To Provide
The requesting agency completes Form 281 with enough identifying data to let USCIS match the subject against its naturalization archives. Getting these details right is the single biggest factor in whether the request comes back with a confirmed match or a “no record found” response.
- Full legal name, exactly as it appeared on the person’s naturalization paperwork. A married name or shortened name that doesn’t match the certificate causes a mismatch.
- Date of birth and country of origin, which help distinguish between individuals who share common names.
- Alien Registration Number (A-Number), the unique seven-, eight-, or nine-digit identifier the Department of Homeland Security assigns to each noncitizen. This is the most reliable way to locate a record.4U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. A-Number/Alien Registration Number/Alien Number
- Naturalization Certificate number, printed in red on every Certificate of Naturalization issued since September 27, 1906.5U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Where Do I Find a C-File Number
- Date and location of the naturalization ceremony, taken from the certificate. For older records, this detail can be critical because pre-digital archives are often indexed by court and date rather than by number.
SAVE will not accept U.S. passport numbers, foreign passport numbers standing alone, or driver’s license numbers as identifiers for verification, and the same limitation applies to Form 281.2USCIS. Verification Process A passport number by itself will not help the records center locate a naturalization file. If the requesting agency lacks the A-Number, providing both the certificate number and the ceremony details gives the records staff the best chance of finding a match.
The form also has fields for the agency’s contact information, the authorizing official’s signature, and a return address. Those fields matter more than they look. If the return address is wrong or incomplete, the verified response ends up in a dead-letter pile instead of reaching the caseworker who needs it.
Where To Send It
Completed forms go to the USCIS National Records Center in Lee’s Summit, Missouri, which houses historical immigration and naturalization files, including records predating the creation of DHS.6USCIS. USCIS Records Not Available Through the Genealogy Program Government-to-government verification requests carry no filing fee.
Agencies should confirm the current mailing address before sending the form, because USCIS periodically updates its PO Box designations. The address listed on the USCIS records page at the time of this writing is:
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
National Records Center, FOIA/PA Office
PO Box 648010
Lee’s Summit, MO 64064-8010
Sending the form to a local USCIS field office or to a service center that handles benefit applications will add weeks of delay while the package gets rerouted internally.
How Long It Takes and What Comes Back
Processing typically takes 30 to 60 business days, though older records or incomplete identifying information can stretch the timeline further. Records staff may need to retrieve physical files from archives that go back decades, and that is a manual process no amount of electronic infrastructure has fully replaced.
When the search succeeds, the agency receives the form back with an official stamp or notation confirming that a matching naturalization record was found. In some cases a separate letter with additional details from the file accompanies it. The agency then uses that confirmation to move ahead with the subject’s application.
If the records center cannot locate a match, the agency receives a notice indicating a discrepancy. The most common reasons for a failed match are a misspelled name, a transposed digit in the A-Number, or a naturalization that occurred under a different name than the one submitted.
What To Do if the Verification Fails
A failed verification does not necessarily mean someone is not a naturalized citizen. It often means the data submitted did not line up with what is on file. If you are the person whose status could not be verified, start by comparing what your agency submitted against your actual naturalization documents.
Name changes after naturalization are a frequent culprit. If your certificate shows your maiden name but the agency submitted your married name, provide the agency with both names along with a copy of the marriage certificate or court order so they can resubmit.
If your Certificate of Naturalization itself contains an error, such as a misspelled name or wrong date of birth, you can apply to have it corrected or replaced by filing Form N-565, Application for Replacement Naturalization/Citizenship Document, either online or by mail.7USCIS. Application for Replacement Naturalization/Citizenship Document You will need to return the certificate containing the error along with a statement explaining what is wrong and supporting documents showing the correct information.8U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Immigration Documents and How to Correct, Update, or Replace Them
For cases running through SAVE rather than Form 281, applicants can track the status of a pending verification using SAVE CaseCheck. It will tell you whether the case is still pending or whether a response has already gone back to the agency.9USCIS. SAVE CaseCheck If the response was returned but the agency has not acted on it, the delay is on the agency’s end.
How the Response Can Be Used
Naturalization records contain sensitive personal information, and the Privacy Act of 1974 restricts how that information can be disclosed. Only agencies with a documented legal basis may request verification, and the response may only be used for the stated purpose.10U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Privacy and Confidentiality
The penalties are real. A government employee who knowingly discloses protected information to someone not entitled to receive it commits a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $5,000. The same penalty applies to anyone who obtains immigration records under false pretenses. On the civil side, if an agency’s intentional or willful mishandling of records causes harm, the affected individual can sue for actual damages, with a statutory minimum recovery of $1,000, plus attorney fees.11Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 5 USC 552a
If you believe your naturalization records were improperly disclosed or used for an unauthorized purpose, you can file a complaint with the DHS Office of Inspector General or pursue a civil action under the Privacy Act.