Italian Dual Citizenship: How to Request Records From the United States

Once you've determined that you qualify for Italian dual citizenship (also called jure sanguinis), it's important to immediately begin the process of requesting records. Depending on which states and countries you are requesting records from, the process can take many months.
Requesting domestic (Untied States) records
The easiest way to begin is to perform a web search with the term "vital records" for each state from which you need to request a record. For example, if you need a record from New York, you should search "New York vital records." It's important to know that vital record responsibilities fall to different departments, agencies and/or courts depending on the state, so don't assume because it's the Department of Health in one state it won't be a county Orphan's Court in another.
Tip: Familiarize yourself with terms like "Orphan's Court," which seem a little odd to our modern eyes, but are extremely common in the court system. These courts often handle estates, wills, trusts and in many cases marriage records.
As you complete this initial research, keep a running list of which offices are responsible for vital records, a reliable contact phone number for each and any additional information that you find. Don't be tempted to immediately order your records online. Quite often, online request systems will only send you a short version of the record and not necessarily the long or certified version that Italy requires.
Once you have contact information for each state, call them one by one. Explain that you are applying for Italian dual citizenship and need the "long form" and "certified" versions of your birth, death or marriage records. Be very clear -- do not let the agency think you are requesting for generic genealogical reasons. Why? Your request will often get put on the bottom of the pile.
Tip: If you are requesting records for people that are still alive, you may not be allowed to receive it (unless, of course, the person is yourself). The same often applies to people recently deceased; a power of attorney may need to request it.
While you have the agency on the phone, ask which department handles the "apostille" process. Often the vital records department can handle that process for you, too. But, just as often, they will tell you that once you receive the certified versions from them that you will need to mail the records off to a different department for the apostille. Finally, ask the person what the typical turnaround time is for records. It was 5-6 business days in one state that I requested records from and 3-5 months in another.
Tips and Tricks

• For your own sanity, keep a spreadsheet that tracks all of your activity related to requesting records. Pay particular attention to when you mail forms (or submit the online versions), when checks are cashed or credit cards charged, and any follow-up communication that you have.
• If you have the funds available, request two of every record. The commune in Italy that your family comes from will keep all of your original documents. So, while having a back-up is just good policy during the process, it will be that back-up document that you file away in your own personal archive.