subject: Searching Public Records [print this page] Searching Public Records Searching Public Records
Public records have existed every since our Government has, yet there are many people who still do not understand what are public records and what it entails. Public records are basically information that have been filed as well as recorded by different public agencies.
Public records are created by Government of a country that includes vital records, driving records, real estate, background checks, criminal records etc. Public records are often created by individual as well, such as voter registration and magazine subscription. However, most of the public records are managed by the Government and many of these public records are accessed by public as well, either for an administrative charge or free-of-cost. Availability of the public records will be determined by the federal, local and state regulations. Public records will be preserved in the physical files or sometimes in electronic format as well. The electronic format is the most preferred option today.
Public records are searched with a purpose. It is often required for full background check, search birth and adoption records, research family history, people search in general, search court records, crb check etc.
Knowing the ways to search public records is important and valuable knowledge as well. People often search public records for varied reasons as mentioned above; an individual needs to learn where he should look for and how to search the records. A good place to begin is to search for public records is to begin with the county courthouse. While you go to the courthouse, you must give them a call to ensure that you get the required service and also to let them know the record that you are looking for.
The phone number can be located easily by the county phone book or by the name of the county courthouse where the person resides. You can search public records for this purpose. If you have not been able to access the phone book, you can search online as well. Once you have received the phone number, it will be easier for you to present the number to the county house and look for other records.
You will always describe the details of the type of information that you have been looking for. Whether it is a background check or a validity check or for some other purpose should be revealed in order to get the required details only. It is important to get record from the county courthouse if you are looking for genuine information on public records.
While it is true that the county courthouse is the best place for searching public records, it is also a fact that you will have to go through dusty files and folders and countless microfilms before you can finally arrive at the information that you have been looking for. It will be easier for you to search for public records on your computer now as there are some government websites that offer complete public records for such purposes. You can access this information against some nominal charges.
