Social Security Lowers SS-5 and Numident Copy Fees from October 1, 2026
For requests received on or after October 1, 2026, a copy of an original SS-5 costs $23 and a Numident record $22, down from $27 and $26.
-
-
FamilySearch Adds 812,746 Indexed New Jersey Naturalization Records
The September 2026 FamilySearch update lists New Jersey, Naturalization Records, 1796-1991 as a new collection with 812,746 indexed records from the federal court in New Jersey.
-
National Archives at Chicago Will Close; Records Move to Other Sites
NARA will close its Chicago facility in the next few years. Its archival records, including federal court records for six Midwestern states, are planned to move, mostly to the National Archives at Kansas City.
-
The American Documents That Name a Polish Village
Which US records give a town rather than just “Russia” or “Austria”: post-1906 manifests and naturalizations, the 1917 draft card, alien registration, the SS-5, and Polish parish records in America.
-
USCIS Proposes Limiting Its Genealogy Program to Records It Still Holds
A proposed rule published August 21, 2026, would send researchers to the National Archives for any historical immigration file USCIS has already transferred there. Comments are open until October 20, 2026.
-
Four Languages, One Family: What Polish Records Look Like Before 1918
Polish, Russian, German and Latin - one family’s records can be in all four without anyone moving house. What to expect in each partition, and why reading the page is the real barrier.
-
Why the Village Name on Your Ancestor’s Papers Is Probably Wrong
Ship manifests and naturalization papers were written by clerks guessing at Polish spellings. Here is how the errors happened, what a “village name” can really mean, and how a researcher works backwards from a wrong one.
-
Ohio 1954-1970 Death Records Move to Reading Room Kiosks
From July 1, 2026, the Ohio History Connection shows 1954-1970 death records only on kiosks in its Columbus reading room and no longer orders or copies vital records for patrons.
