Public record is a piece of information that has been filed and recorded by public agencies. Most public records are maintained by the government and many are accessible to the public either free-of-charge or for an administrative fee. Basically, public records include government business contracts, birth and death, marriage and divorce, court, property, tax, driving, residential, phone number, occupational, meeting minutes, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) records. In fact, you could conduct a full background check on friends and family, search birth and adoption records, find lost loved ones, research your family history, and find unlisted home and cell phone numbers.

Public criminal records are those criminal records at the national level which can be obtained by any private citizen without any form of government authorization either via internet or fee-based systems. These are public records that can be obtained via the internet that runs on a fee-based system. Public criminal record includes data of victim and witness statements and other sensitive criminal information. Given the nature of such information, information of witness identities is often hidden from public eye and not revealed or placed in public online records in order to protect them.

Acquiring Public Records

There are a few ways in which you can find public records. Below is a brief overview:

Via Government Agency

Call the relevant government agency and request if they can make you a copy. Generally it should not be a problem acquiring non-criminal public records from the respective government sectors.

On the contrary, there are some limitations in cases of public criminal record. Usually, criminal records include the statements of victims and witnesses and other highly sensitive personal information. Once all this information has become part of the public criminal record, the identities of the witnesses are revealed and their personal safety can be at risk sometimes. Further, if there any errors in the records, they will have a highly negative consequence on the reputation of the individuals.

Via Private Investigator

Generally they are known as private investigation agencies or detective agencies. Hiring can often cost more than a few hundred dollars but the search can be quite swift. At the end, one would get a report as well.

Via Online Public Records

Attain public records online. The power of the internet can now bring millions of records right to your finger tips. If under pressing circumstances, it may make better sense to turn to professional services for online public records. These providers will serve the requested information to your total convenience so that you can channel your energy and focus on other matters that may be more important or demanding. You should make sure that the public records site that you log on to offers excellent value for your money: fast service, comprehensive database and excellent customer support.