“Public records” relates to information – often about people or businesses – that are available to the public. If you live and work in the US, there are almost certainly public records on you. If you’ve ever applied for a job or even rented an apartment, it’s more than likely that a public records search has been performed on you. However, you don’t have to have a business interest to view public records.
Exactly what’s considered a public record varies from state to state, but they may include:
- Criminal Records
- Marriage Certificates
- Divorce Records
- Death Certificates
- Property Records
- Business Records
- Bankruptcies
- Debt Records
- Driving Records
By their very nature, public records can legally be examined by anyone with an interest in them. It should be noted that public doesn’t mean “free” or easily accessible. Many public records are not accessible online and have to be ordered by mail or in person. Almost all these public record retrievals come at a cost.
Through our partnership with PeopleFinders.com, you'll receive Industry-Leading data by combining over 43 Billion Verified Public Records giving you the most comprehensive Background, Criminal, People, Marriage and Divorce Checks available Online. We receive income from our partnerships.
What isn’t a Public Record?
Things that are not considered public records include:
- Credit History
- Employment History
- Education History
- Address History
- Driving Records
- Social Security Numbers (except several years after death)
A credit check and credit histories are managed by non-government credit bureaus. They can’t be checked without your permission.
An employment history normally has to be verified manually by checking references.
Education history and transcripts would have to requested from the schools (again, with the permission of the person being checked).
An address history may be requested by landlords or with reference to loans. These aren’t easily available through formal public records.
Identity verification isn’t usually something that can be done through public records. This typically involves a social security number search to verify that someone is who they say they are. Social security numbers are sensitive and not published.
What are Public Records Used for?
Most background checks used for employment, housing or credit include a thorough review of public records. For these special background checks, your express permission is needed (even though it’s technically public info). If you are negatively affected from these kinds of background checks, you can request a copy of the information.
The public records most employers and landlords are interested in have to do with criminal history and debt related records. Generally, they want to ensure that the person they’re looking at is trustworthy. However, some states or counties limit the type of records that can be used by employers or landlords.
Specific records might be of interest for certain jobs – such as driving records for jobs related to driving.
Lenders would be interested in property records to confirm ownership of an asset (and to check for other liens on it).
As for less official uses for public records, some people might be interested in finding out if someone is married (or divorced). Most states will allow you get a copy of a marriage record or a divorce certificate.
You may be interested in reviewing your own criminal records and some states make this available to you (for a fee).
How Do I find Public Records?
The next question, of course, is how to find public records. Well, even though records may be public, it doesn’t mean you can just Google them. In fact, the vast majority of them aren’t available online at all and – for those that are – you have to know where to look (i.e. the specific county, the specific case number, etc.).
Each state has a different governing agency responsible for different types of public records. Sometimes it’s split even further; for example, some court records may only be available from the specific court where it was recorded. And this comes at a cost – pulling a single record at a single courthouse can cost $15 or more.
That’s where People Search companies come in. People Search companies have done the legwork – literally, sending people to every county courthouse in the US to pull billions of records. They give you the ability to access billions of records instantly based on just a name and a recent city/state. Plus, the searches are completely anonymous – the person you look up isn’t notified nor do they have any way to find out.
What Does an Online Public Records Search Include?
Online public records companies take all the available public records available nationally and combine them together into one database. The result is that searching for a name won’t just give you results for one type of record from one state, but all records from all states.
Criminal records, property records, business dealings, debts, bankruptcies are checked across the US instantly.
Included with this are also some things that aren’t considered public records – such as an address history. From this information, you’re also able to see the people associated with them. This might include relatives, friends, and spouses.
There are countless good reasons to wonder what public records may be out there about someone. Maybe you’re even wondering what public records are out there about yourself. Well, wonder no longer – for around $40 $10 you can get a complete background report – including public records, criminal records & more.
Start Your Search
Through our partnership with PeopleFinders.com, you'll receive Industry-Leading data by combining over 43 Billion Verified Public Records giving you the most comprehensive Background, Criminal, People, Marriage and Divorce Checks available Online. We receive income from our partnerships.
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