The conventional method for tilt correction of paleomagnetic data assumes that rock bodies rotate about horizontal axes during deformations. Apparent tectonic rotations, which may produce anomalous declination readings of paleomagnetic directions and other linear elements, can result from the use of such a procedure if the rock bodies deform about inclined axes. The error (declination anomaly) resulting from two apparent tectonic rotations, (1) single rotations about an oblique axis and (2) continuous rotations about a precessing fold axis, can be determined algebraically for given orientations of rotation axis and angles of rotation. The declination anomaly does not depend on the orientation of the paleomagnetic vector or the trend of the rotation axis; rather, it is a function of the plunge of the rotation axis and the angle of rotation. A declination anomaly chart (DAC) is constructed for each of the two processes to determine graphically whether anomalous paleomagnetic data obtained from a study area can result from the process. In the DACs the plunge of the bedding-pole vector and the declination anomaly resulting from the apparent tectonic rotations are plotted against the plunge of the rotation axis and the angle of rotation. The declination anomaly for an individual site is taken as the deviation of the measured remanent magnetic direction at the site from the reference direction for coeval rocks. Each data point is plotted at the intersection of the declination anomaly curve and the bedding-pole curve in the DACs. If the dispersion in remanent magnetic directions over a study area results from one of the apparent tectonic rotations, the data points will lie along a straight line in the corresponding DAC. Potential applications of the DACs include testing the nature of anomalous paleomagnetic directions, determining the deformation style of folds, and restoring structural orientations of tilted blocks. ¿ American Geophysical Union 1988