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NARA Microfilm Rental Program

1. Most orders are mailed out the same day they are received. If the roll you request cannot be mailed within 10 days of our receiving your order, we will notify you of the date we expect to fill your order. You'll never have to wait more than 60 days.
   
   
2. Rental fees are based on volume discounts.
   
   1-4 rolls $3.25 each
   5-9 rolls $2.75 each
   10 or more $2.25 each
   
   Please add $3.00 for postage and handling costs.
   
3. You can use the film for a full 30 days, and then return it by mail. You may keep the film longer by notifying us and paying an additional $3 a roll for each additional 30-day period
   
   
4. Users will be charged a $12 replacement fee for lost or damaged film.
   

Microfilm Rental "Start-up Kit"

New members purchasing the "Start Up Kit" for $25 receive everything needed to begin genealogical research:

• A complete set of census catalogs listing all microfilm rolls available to order: the Federal Population Census catalogs for the 1790 through 1890, 1900, 1910, 1920 censuses; the Compiled Military Service Records of Revolutionary War Soldiers, and the General Index to those records; the Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land-Warrant Application Files.
  
  Please note that the microfilm publications listed here are the only ones available through the Microfilm Rental Program.
  
  
• Five member order forms for microfilm rental, plus two bonus coupons for rental of your first two rolls of microfilm free.
  
  
• Free lifetime membership in the National Archives Microfilm Rental Program. Your membership card includes an account number that enables you to order all microfilm rolls directly, and you can also purchase a selection of National Archives and other genealogical publications at a 10% discount. We also provide ongoing information services to our members.
  
  
• Helpful guides that include "Using Records in the National Archives for Genealogical Research" and the order forms for ship passenger arrival and veteran records. These guides are all available free from the National Archives and Records Administration and are included in the "Starter Kit" for your convenience.
  
  
• Plus a selection of catalogs containing useful genealogical research aids and other material of historical interest.

Buying the Microfilm

Microfilm copies of census records are also available for purchase. The schedules are on 35mm microfilm; the Soundex is on 16mm. Schedules for an entire county or enumeration district may be on one or more rolls of microfilm.

All microfilm publications of National Archives records are for sale. You can buy either individual rolls or a complete set (all rolls). The prices as of August 1, 1990, for silver-halide positive film copies are $23 a roll for domestic orders and $30 for foreign orders. Shipping is included in these prices. These prices are subject to change without advance notice. Checks and money orders should be made payable to the "National Archives Trust Fund (NEDC)." VISA and MasterCard are also accepted. Credit card orders must include the expiration date and the cardholder's signature. Do NOT send cash. Federal, state, and local government agencies only may purchase microfilm on an accounts-receivable basis, but they must submit a signed purchase order within 10 working days of placing an order. U.S. Treasury regulations require a minimum amount of $25 for foreign checks.

To order microfilm, call 1-800-788-6282, or write to:

When ordering microfilm, please state the microfilm publication number; if you are not buying a complete set, also state the specific roll numbers.

Check your order immediately upon receipt for errors, completeness, or damage in shipping. You must notify Publications Distribution (address below) of any problems within 60 days. Do not return microfilm orders without written permission from Publications Distribution.

For more information on how to order or for help identifying which rolls of a publication you may wish to purchase, please contact:

Include in your inquiry the census year, the state, and the county or enumeration district.

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Interlibrary Loan

More than 6,000 libraries nationwide participate in the National Archives Microfilm Rental Program. Visit the interlibrary loan division of your local library to find out the participating library in your area. Or call us at 301-604-3699 to find out the library nearest you. The library can start you on your research and help you determine the exact publication and roll numbers of the microfilm rolls you need to rent.

You need not purchase a Start-up Kit in order to rent microfilm through this program.