Public records as the name states is a compilation of records which are openly available for access. These records are not considered confidential and hence are available on the public domain. But not necessarily access is granted freely, since these records are governed by certain agencies. Public records are governed by the clauses mentioned in Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) with varying degrees of accessibility. This means not all information can be accessed at the click of a button, there are compliance procedures to be followed before sensitive information can be obtained.

Here are a few things you should know before accessing any public records.

Access to different types of records depends on their nature. For example, access to general ownership records pertaining to any land acquisitions or sale, any other information pertaining to these records are easily available. One can find them in clerk offices of different cities or even the county offices in the district.

Documents which relate to and contain information about births, deaths are available in the public domain. These birth and death records are mainly maintained for census purposes and can be acquired without much difficulty.

Certain records are available free of cost or may be subject to nominal payments to be made depending on the city, state or district from where it is accessed. Not all records are available easily and free of cost for that matter.

A formal request for the records can be put in the respective offices, but there are chances the procedures to gain access to records can be somewhat challenging since not all legal jargons and processes are known to the common man.

Consulting with a legal counsel is advisable since they will be able to guide you better and suggest alternatives if things don’t seem to be working out. Sometimes it’s best to leave certain things to the experts, they can provide a better and definitive approach!

There are some records which will be readily available for the purpose for keeping the citizens well informed. For example, a list of regular offenders, complaints resolved in cases of consumer safety with respect to certain food or beverage items and many more. These reports are available to educate the public on certain do’s and don’ts.

Keep in mind the aforesaid points to gain ease of access to relevant and pertaining information from the public directory.