For your own safety or your family protection, out of sheer curiosity or for the peace of mind – now you can search public records online, from the convenience of your home without the need to visit numerous governmental establishments, rummage through archives and wait in the lines. To search public records is easy and fast, and you can get access to nearly any information you need, including very private details.

Compiled from dozens of various sources like courts, churches, real estate agencies, telephone directories and so on, online records services are available for a fee, which may be charged per search or membership. If you need to search public records quite frequently or for a number of individuals (for example, to check your employees), the latter variant is more budget-saving as you have to pay only once.

There are several free websites where you can search public records, but most of them don’t provide many details and often have an outdated or inaccurate database. Unless your relative or friend works for certain government department or law enforcement, you can’t access the database for free and find the records you need. Paid online services are really the best alternative if you want to carry out investigation on a professional level.

Some of the biggest databases accessible online include:

U.S. Search – a fee-per-search based website making it possible to search public records among billions of files. It is useful for background check, financial and real estate records, civil and criminal court cases and a variety of other personal information; not included are social security numbers, credit history, bank account information and other details, which may lead to identity theft.

Search Systems – offers free and paid public record searches. The list of documents you can access is virtually endless, and you can even investigate about a person living outside the U.S.

PACER – Public Access to Court Electronic Records, a government site with free registration but paid services. A good source to search for civil cases’ details and other records, exclusive of criminal court records.

There are plenty of other websites where you can search public records, including some of your local public sites. If you decide to use paid services, make sure to check if the website has the type of records you are looking for. For example, if you are searching for marriage records, you need to know that this information is accessible on the site before you pay for membership.

Rather than worry about your secretive babysitter, new date, suspicious neighbor or an out-of-touch friend, search public records online within minutes at my blog and stay informed about people around you.