Genealogy Land Records Search

Land records are useful when searching for genealogy information. These records, which themselves contain genealogy info, can also provide leads to finding additional information such as church and cemetery records.

Land Patents and Public Land

Land patents document the transfer of land ownership from the federal government to individuals. Land patent records generally include the information recorded when ownership was transferred.

Public land means any lands whose title is owned by the Federal Government. The Secretary of the Interior through the Bureau of Land Management or BLM administers those lands within the several states.

Public Land states created out of the public domain are the lands now in the States of Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

Land Record Searches

  • Homestead Records $

    Nebraska Homestead Original Documents from Fold3 state the value of the owner's property; the amount, description, and value of crops grown; and the dimensions of his house, barn, or corncrib. Files consist of the final certificate, the application with land description, an affidavit showing proof of citizenship, register and receiver receipts, a notice and final proof, and testimony of witnesses.

  • Bounty-Land Warrant Applications Index

    This free index from Fold3 covers the years of service spanning the War of 1812, the Indian Wars, and the Mexican War. Soldiers



  • US Bureau of Land Management

    General Land Office Records
    Initial transfer of land titles from the Federal government to individuals. The US Bureau of Land Management has millions of scanned and indexed title documents.

    You can identify the parcel of land by finding the patent on the Bureau of Land Management website , then order the land entry files from the National Archives (form 84).