Public Records Overview

A public record is a blanket term used to describe any publicly available information kept on file by a local, state or federal government. Recent laws such as the well-known U.S. Freedom of Information Act have put more of the records held by the U.S. Government into more-accessible forums such as the National Archives where private citizens can access these records and use them for a variety of purposes.

Most records made public are kept to track changes in the population, such as births, deaths, marriages and domestic partnerships. U.S. Census data and other pieces of interesting data are typically available on a county-by-county basis or at the state level. The type of record for which you are searching typically determines where you should begin your search.

Obtaining copies of these records is simple, and although there is often a small fee involved and processing can sometimes be lengthy. Some areas limit the availability to the person named on the record, but some areas allow anyone to access any public record.

State Public Records

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