Public Records can be searched either by accessing free public records online or
by requesting a copy from the agency holding the documentation, usually for a
small fee.
Data (information) from all sources are collected by Information Distributors
who, in turn, market and sell that information to others.
Information Resources:
The government, at all levels, records every important event, transaction, and
litigation concerning its citizens. Most of these records are created at the
local or county level. The Bureau of Vital Statistics maintains data concerning
births, marriages, divorces, and deaths. The circuit and county courts have data
pertaining to civil and criminal cases. Various departments maintain
applications for licenses for a variety of activities from fishing to business
occupational licenses. Most of these records are periodically forwarded to
the state, usually in summary form, meaning they may not contain all the
information that was in the original file.
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State Records | See
Records by State
Most every state capital has a repository for records from all its counties, as
well as a collection of records from state-level departments and agencies.
Records from Vital Statistics move up to the Department of Health, Bureau of
Vital Statistics.
Court records are included with the records of the Department of Justice, State
Supreme Court.
The Secretary of States office is the central repository for a variety of data,
including the Department of Motor Vehicles (or "DMV" as it is known), one of
your best sources for locating people.
Also included in the Secretary of State's records are various records regarding
business and financial licenses and judgments, including corporation and Uniform
Commercial Code (UCC) filings, and information about workers compensation cases.
These are often free public records.
Investigative Professionals' "Extensive
Background Check," accesses all of these databases and many more directly
from the source. You only need to fill out our easy online secure form and you
will have your results in a few hours sent to your email.
View records details & resources.
Federal Records
| See
National Directory
At the federal level, US Government records are maintained in a number of
depositories and government departments. The two largest are The Library of
Congress, the nations mega-library, and The National Archives, a vast repository
of government records and census.
The Interstate Commerce Commission and the Securities and Exchange Commission
keep extensive records about public companies.
The US Government Printing Office provides a selection of directories and books
to help you weed your way through the maze of government records. Several
Information Providers have federal records sources on-line. All these
records are open to the public!
Records & Listings & Fees
If fees are applicable for the information you need, the listing will be so
noted. In these days of diminished operating budgets and creative
revenue-raising strategies, a governing body's decision to charge a "search fee"
might be quietly implemented without dissenting vote. There are three types of
fees typically charged:
- Record fee: Fee per
- Search fee: Fee charged if a physical search must be made
- Copy fee: Fee per copy
The amount of the fee should be determined before a request is
made. Call or fax the agency before making a request for information - not only
about fee structures, but also about regulations, laws, policies, and form
requirements.
Obtain a Release
Obtain your subject's signature on a Consent Form. Know state, county, and local
laws and ordinances regarding the release of information about an individual to
a potential employer, landlord, or other requestor.
Your Rights
Under the law, you have certain legal rights to access most public records.
Before you set out to delve into these records, know your rights, as well as the
limitations you face.
Take for instance the top portion of a credit report, called a "credit
header."
The Freedom of Information Act classes the credit header as "open
information." Conversely,
The Fair
Credit Reporting Act considers the body of the credit report "closed,"
unless the inquirer has been granted written permission to see it. The entire
compilation, therefore, is considered "semi-open."
The Freedom of Information act is for everybody. You do not have to be a PI
to benefit. You can just be someone who seeks information. The Freedom of
Information Act is a federal law that designates which public records are open
to the public for either reviewing or obtaining documents.
Each state has an act. For example, Georgia has an Open Records Law and that
stands side-by-side with The Freedom of Information Act. These laws vary from
state to state. Anyone can obtain certain records about individuals, companies,
associations, and the like.
The Freedom of Information Act has
really helped the general public in making information available. It's a federal
Act which really doesn't apply all that often. The State of Florida has Chapter
119 which concerns public record information: what is available and what isn't.
This law is more important for The
Freedom of Information Act, which would allow one to get federal
documents and information about Congress and so forth. In other words, The
Freedom of Information Act is not as important as the local statutes when
it comes to state-held information."
These important laws govern privacy, access, and the release of information:
The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)
- 5 USCA Section 552 (1966) - provides for disclosure of information
held by the administrative agencies of the US Government. The Act gives all
citizens access to all records in the custody of the government's Executive
Branch, unless specifically exempted. (An invasion of privacy is one such
exemption.) The requestor need not furnish a reason for seeking particular
information.
The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)
- 5 USCA Section 552 (1966) - provides for disclosure of information
held by the administrative agencies of the US Government. The Act gives all
citizens access to all records in the custody of the government's Executive
Branch, unless specifically exempted. (An invasion of privacy is one such
exemption.) The requestor need not furnish a reason for seeking particular
information.
The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)
- 5 USCA Section 552 (1966) - provides for disclosure of information
held by the administrative agencies of the US Government. The Act gives all
citizens access to all records in the custody of the government's Executive
Branch, unless specifically exempted. (An invasion of privacy is one such
exemption.) The requestor need not furnish a reason for seeking particular
information.
The Privacy Act -5 USCA, Section 552A (1974), is a companion act to
FOIA, and guarantees certain records will remain closed without the written
consent of the subject. Only he or she may have access to those records, which
may be used only for the purpose for which they were intended.
The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FARCE) - 15 USCA, Section 1681 est
seq (1970) - is the first major federal law enacted to protect privacy. The act
deals with consumer credit and governs how a consumer financial report may and
may not be used. It prohibits the inclusion of obsolete data, describes
information which must be released to the government, outlines how a consumer
may learn exactly what is on file, and permits the challenge of incomplete or
inaccurate information.
The Family Education Rights & Privacy Act allows schools to release directory
information to the public without the consent of the student. A student may
request in writing that all or part of the information remain confidential.
With very few exceptions, every American is on file somewhere. Hundreds, if not
thousands, of repositories throughout the country and around the world have data
on you - and numerous details about you. Order our
Extensive Background Check
to see what is in public and proprietary database records about you.
Experienced database search
specialists will immediately go to work for you, to quickly return real,
meaningful results.
See our
Sample Report
Our
Expert Background Checks offers guaranteed search results, free consultation
and 24 hour return.
Individual court records are available for our
Business Members. No Sign-up
fee or monthly minimums.
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