(a) Citizenship. (1) Any citizen of the United States 21 years of age, or any person of that age who has declared his intention of becoming a citizen of the United States, and who can truthfully make the statements specified in §§ 2520.0-8(c) and 2521.2(a) can make a desert-land entry. Thus, a woman, whether married or single, who possesses the necessary qualifications, can make a desert-land entry, and, if married, without taking into consideration any entries her husband may have made.

(2) At the time of making final proof claimants of alien birth must have been admitted to citizenship, but evidence of naturalization need not be furnished if it has already been filed in connection with the original declaration or with the proof of an assignment of the entry.

(b) Second and additional entries. A person’s right of entry under the desert-land law is exhausted either by filing an allowable application and withdrawing it prior to its allowance or by making an entry or by taking an assignment of an entry, in whole or in part, except under the conditions described in paragraphs (b)(1) and (2) of this section.

(1) Under the Act of September 5, 1914 (38 Stat. 712; 43 U.S.C. § 182), if a person, otherwise duly qualified to make a desert-land entry, has previously filed an allowable application, or made such entry or entries and through no fault of his own has lost, forfeited, or abandoned the same, such person may make another entry. In such case, however, it must be shown that the prior application, entry, or entries were made in good faith, and were lost, forfeited, or abandoned because of matters beyond the applicant’s control, and that the applicant has not speculated in his right, nor committed a fraud or attempted fraud in connection with such prior entry or entries. As the assignment of an entry involves no loss, forfeiture, or abandonment thereof, but carries a benefit to the assignor, it is held to exhaust his right of entry under the desert-land law. Hence, no person who has assigned such entry, in whole or in part, will be permitted to make another entry or to take one or any part thereof by assignment except where paragraph (b)(2) of this section applies.

(2) The Act of June 16, 1955 (69 Stat. 138) authorizes any person who prior to June 16, 1955, made a valid desert-land entry on lands subject to the Acts of June 22, 1910 (36 Stat. 583; 30 U.S.C. §§ 33–85), or of July 17, 1914 (38 Stat. 509; 30 U.S.C. §§ 121–123), if otherwise qualified to enter as a personal privilege not assignable, an additional tract of desert land, providing such additional tract shall not, together with the original entry, exceed 320 acres. Applicants and entrymen under the Act of June 16, 1955, are subject to, and must comply with, all the regulations of this part, including the acreage limitations of § 2520.0-8(b).