County Records
Of all information sources, your county courthouse contains what is probably the most valuable data about
both individuals and
local businesses. The county clerk's office maintains the most useful information.
Records can be searched either by accessing free public records
online via the record holders database (when available) or by
requesting a copy from the agency holding the record, usually
for a small fee. See
State Directory for individual State Records & Websites:
Or . . . you can run a
Background Check online right now,
tapping our connections to a huge network of Public Records and Proprietary
Databases.
If you need to know the name of the county in which a city is located, you'll
find it in any good atlas, or check the US Postal Service Zip Code
Directory. Since people move frequently, it might also be a good idea to make
inquiries at courthouses in surrounding counties.The
county courthouse contains several "records" departments:
- The Bureau of Vital Statistics keeps records pertaining to births, marriages, divorces, and deaths.
- Court records are kept at the courthouse, including records of circuit, county, civil and criminal litigation.
- The Department of Licensing maintains a variety of records including occupational and fishing.
- You may find it necessary to search seemingly unrelated records in order to obtain certain facts that will lead you to pertinent information.
- County records will help you with pre-relationship, child custody, pre-employment, tenant, business background, and asset investigations.
- County records are often forwarded to the state capital in summary form for permanent storage, so if you need to see the entire record, first
ask at the local county courthouse about where everything is stored.
- The County Courthouse Book contains useful data about records available in over 3,300 American courthouses.
Most courthouses maintain an "Index to Records" that will give you information about both the plaintiff and the defendant.
This Index will also reveal the outcome of each action. The Index to Records should indicate where complete records are kept concerning civil, criminal,
and probate actions, IRS tax disputes, UCC filings, liens, assumed names, and final judgments.The county
recorder's office keeps records of births, marriages, divorces, and
deaths. These records may also be maintained by the state Department of Vital
Statistics or the state department of health.
Most county recorder's offices require you to search the records personally. If
the recorder's office clerks searches the records for you, you will likely be
asked to provide very specific information. Many large courthouses will not
conduct a search requested by mail. Inquire about procedures and fees before you
begin your search.
You must furnish: Name and place of birth; month and year of birth
The records will show:
Mother's and father's name(s) & occupation(s)
Doctor who delivered baby
Date and place of birth
These records - except for non-identifying information - are usually closed.
See,
Adoption for more complete information.
You must furnish: Name
The records will show:
Child's name, date and place of birth
Place of adoption & occupation of adoptive parents
Natural mother's name
Adoptive parent's names
You must furnish: Name, place and approximate date of death
The records will show:
Date of death
Surviving family members
Name of Doctor who signed death certificate
Address
Military records
DOB, place of birth & SSN
Many states maintain indexes of past marriages. Marriages performed by a Justice of the Peace might be
maintained separately from the actual marriage license or certificate. Ask the clerk to direct you or pull the record for you. For further information, check newspapers
and church records. To access these records, you will need: Names of persons who were married and the date of the marriage
The records will show:
Addresses of both parties at time of application
Woman's maiden name
Both person's date and place of birth & occupation
Both person's blood type
Place of marriage; witnesses
Previous marriages and address of parents (sometimes)
Divorce Records, Grants of Annulment, SeparationDivorce
records are usually located in the Index of Divorce Records which are maintained with
other vital statistics records - even though they are officially court
records. Filings for divorce will be listed in the local paper. Also, check
church records.
You will need: Full name
The records will show:
Names of both parties
Wife's maiden name
Where and when marriage took place
Addresses of the parties
Property settlements and child custody decisions
Real Property Records
You will need to furnish: name or address
The record will show:
All information pertaining to a real estate transaction
Buyers and sellers
Real estate agent and/or broker & title company
Power of attorney
Deeds and grants, abstracts and titles
Mortgage company and payments
Liens, pending action and judgments
You must furnish: Full name
The records will show:
Name and address of owner
Value of property
The County Assessor has information about property, including plots and maps.
The Assessor's records will include:
Full name
Owners of property
Assessed value of property
These filings contain information about estates in probate. This data can be valuable if
the deceased owed you or your business money. You may be an heir to money or
property. Generally, you must have permission in the form of a court order to obtain
any information.
Applications and permits granted for all building and construction are kept on file.
You will need to furnish:
Name of both owner and builder
The records will provide:
Date and type of permit issued
Property description & inspection record
This department has records of all applications for occupational and other business licenses.
You will need to supply: Name
The records will state:
Name and address and name of business
"Doing Business As" (D.B.A.)
In this listing, you'll find the name of the person or persons involved in certain
businesses, such as "Sam Spade," D.B.A. "Spade Investigations."
You furnish: Name
The listing shows:
- Address of owner and address of business; fee paid
- Name of publication D.B.A. notice appeared & date of publication
These records list information by category, i.e., sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation.
You will need to furnish:
Names of principals; corporate or business name
The records will reveal:
- Principal owners and their addresses
This department maintains records of fishing and hunting license applications and the permits granted.
You must furnish: Name
The records will yield:
Full name and DOB.
Address
Called "Registrar of Voters" in some states, the records this office keeps are referred
to as "Precinct Books" or "Roster of Voter Registration." These
records may not be removed or copied. The county registrar will know where older records
are kept, such as a local or state library or the state archives.
You furnish: Nothing
The records will furnish:
Name and address
Date of application
Political party
Former addresses (sometimes)
DOB
These records are indexed in some states by tag number only and in other states by tag number and vehicle owner's name.
You will need to furnish: Tag number and/or name
The records will show:
Name, address
Year, make, model, and serial number
(VIN) of vehicle
Employer
The list contains information about all boats registered in the county.
You furnish: Name of boat owner
The records will reveal:
Boat type, length, etc
Full name and address of owner
Court Records
Civil Index
This Index lists all civil actions by date, names of plaintiff and defendant. The record will
indicate judgments, liens, and a file number of the actual case.
County Civil Records
These are court records involving actions under $1,500.
The records list names of plaintiff and defendant and contain all information relating to the outcome of the litigation,
including judgments and liens.
District Court/Circuit Court
The records are of actions valued more than $1,500.
Criminal Index
This index is a roster of all criminal convictions for a certain time period. It discloses
information about on-going cases. Each case is assigned a file number - which will be
helpful when accessing county, district, or circuit criminal records.
County Criminal Records
These records contain information about county-level misdemeanor cases. County
information is not mutually exchangeable: there is no repository. That's
unfortunate, but may change in the future.
Search
State or National Criminal RecordsDistrict/Circuit Court Criminal Records
These records contain information about felony cases. An individual's
criminal record may contain a photograph (called a "mug shot") and often the name of the bail bondsman, who
might have additional information which is not part of official records.
Note: Criminal records contain more information about an individual than any other single public record! In most, but, certainly not all states, this data is open to the public.
Search
State or National Criminal Records
You furnish: Name and Date of Birth
The record will list:
Full name, aliases, addresses
Spouse and dependents
SSN & DOB
Driver's license number
Occupation, employer, type of business
Physical description
Charges and transcripts of trials
Attorneys
Probation reports
Traffic Records Index
This index lists all within the county and will give you the ticket number. With
that number, you can pull the file.
You must furnish: Name & Date of Birth
The records will show:
Full name, address and DOB, including physical description
Driver license number
Traffic offenses (charges)
A traffic ticket will reveal information about a traffic violation.
Search
Criminal Records
You must furnish: Name & Date of Birth
The records will show:
- Full name & address
- DOB
- Physical description
- Time, date, and place of violation
- Officer's name
- Tag number (and person vehicle is registered to, if different from driver)
- Year, make, model, and color of vehicle.
These records contain information about parking violations.
You furnish: Name & Date of Birth
The records will indicate:
Time, date, place of violation
Make and year of automobile
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