Public Records

PUBLIC RECORDS

"Public records" cover a variety of records that are termed as public information. This means the public can have access to such information. What constitutes the information being public or not is something to look into. The following are some of the common types of public records that be found on anyone:

• Age
• Address History
• Phone Numbers
• Driving Records
• Court Records
• Professional and Business Certifications
• Sex Offender Records
• Criminal Records
• Property Records
• Social Media Profiles
• Current Location
• Many other types

What Constitutes Public Records

The type of information a particular public record offers varies from record to record. There is no set pattern or criteria to predetermine the information to be included in a particular public record. It depends on the record and the situation itself. Following is a brief description of the type of information you can expect in a particular type of public record.

A birth record/certificate has all the information related to one’s name, date and time of birth, place of birth, parents’ name etc. All the basic information is included. A vital record contains all the personal information that can be used in identifying a particular person. Marriage records provides all the information including names of both the individuals, date and place where the ceremony took place, names and signatures of the witnesses etc. Voter records contain all the personal information one provides to the authorities at the time of registering for vote. This information is handy in determining and establishing the voter status of a particular person. Driving records can have information such as traffic tickets, driving history, Dmv records, DUI records or any other violation. Court records have all the information related to one’s court history. You can also figure out one’s public background by looking at his/her court details.

Accessing the Records

Accessing the public records is easy and simple. Everyone can view the public records, but there may be some restrictions imposed by the regulation authorities. You can access your own public records as well as someone’s public records. Similarly, people can also view your public records. However, there may be certain restrictions imposed. For instance, the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) may deny requests in terms of getting the public records information. At certain times, only partial information is provided as well.

In addition to these regulations, states maintain their own set of guidelines in terms of accessing the public records. Each state has its own Freedom of Information (FOI) regulations, which you need to adhere to all the time. To sum it up, public records are available for the public to view; however, there may be additional guidelines and regulations that need to be looked into as well. Before requesting a particular public record, make sure you’re aware of all the regulatory requirements and guidelines that you need to comply with. This can help you search public records with complete peace of mind.

How to Get Public Records Information

The first thing you need to consider is that you can request the public record information on the national, state or county level. You first need to establish your requirements and then request for the information accordingly. You also need to consider the jurisdiction of the public records information you’re looking for. If you’d like for state-specific information, then you should first have a look at the regulatory requirements and regulations in place by that state. This can give you a clear idea of what to do in terms of getting the required public records information. At the county level, you need to request the information by contacting the relevant authority/committee that maintains the public records of that area. Generally, it is the county courthouse that has all the information you want. Before going to the courthouse, make sure you have specific requirements related to the information you want. This is because it can be time consuming to search all the files, and if you’ve your own preferences in terms of the information you require, then it can help you get the required information with ease, and that too, in a timely manner.

If you’ve been to a courthouse to get the required public records information, then you’d be aware of the fact that it can be extremely time consuming. In addition, many people may not want to physically go the courthouses to get the public records information they require. This is where internet can come handy. With the recent developments and advancements in technology, you can get all the required information by just entering the name and clicking the search button. This is how easy and simple the entire process of searching public records online is. There are plenty of websites that you can look forward to in terms of getting the required public records information. However, reliability and credibility of information is what you need to consider all the time. When accessing the public records online, you should be sure that the search results you get are taken from authorized sources. It is always useful to spend some time considering the various online sources and select the one that ensures reliable and accurate information. If you can have this covered, then getting the required public records information wouldn’t be much of a difficult task for.

In addition to the websites, there may be other third parties that offer public records information. Whatever medium you opt for, you need to carefully evaluate the effectiveness of the public records information. This can be done by ensuring that the public records search results you get are authentic and credible. If you want the information to be of use to you, then reliance of public records shouldn’t be compromised upon. This indicates that third party public records may come with some sort of inherent risk, but that can be reduced by effectively carrying tests of controls related to the efficiency and credibility of the public records information you get from these sources.