Public records what is

Birth, death, marriage and divorce records are typically managed and made available at the local county clerk's office where the event took place. States will also often have a department of health that can provide access to older vital records. In addition to physical locations, many states are putting or have put their databases online for ease of access.

While certain high profile trials may have access restrictions during their actual proceedings, the happenings of a courthouse are a matter of public record. Dockets, or summaries of a court case and its courtroom proceedings, are available for perusal after the case is closed.

In the same way, records about defendants in such cases are available. Criminal records are also available through courthouse and police records databases, and list out any prior convictions or warrants for an individual. Some convictions, if overturned or if certain circumstances or time limits are met, can be expunged from a record, or at least sealed from public records and criminal background checks. Many online services offer criminal background and record checks for a free, but this information is usually availabe at a local government office or courthouse and can be obtained for free.

One of the earliest forms of public record keeping we know of pertained to property records. Once someone had purchased a plot of land, they wanted who it belonged to be an official record. Not much has changed, and property records pertaining to public lots, buildings or establishments are readily available. In addition, if a building or area was commissioned by the city itself, or by any public representative, records of the communications setting up the property as well as the contract terms themselves will, in most cases, be matters of public record.

While private house sales and ownership are not subject to public records law, any real estate appraisals done on a property are public record to presumably ensure honesty in sales negotiations and expectations. County or city assessors typcially maitain and provide access to deeds, assessments and property tax records. Any official meeting of elected officials or public representative bodies is going to be covered by public record law as well.

This doesn't just include mayoral and governor's offices, but can extend to other state representatives, town hall meetings, school district or school board meetings, and more. Accountability is one of the cornerstones of why we have public records, and these types of records certainly further those ends. To obtain these records, you should contact the specific office of the official or group you are interested in. Some of the information available through public records requests is directly meant to be available for general safety reasons.

One such example is the sex offender registry, which is the reason that you can now easily see online how close you live to any registered sex offenders. We found that the Harvard Law School Library has an excellent guide to finding public records. Governments that have an open records portal or who use public records software tend to have a more transparent process on how to access information. Published requests means that information only has to be requested once, saving the City time and getting information to the requester faster.

Some states have a state-wide fee schedule that governments must adhere to. Fee structures for records vary by government. Some charge a flat hourly rate for the hours it takes to search, review, and redact public records.

Some governments charge for the printing of public records. Some charge for the labor. Public records exemptions vary state by state, making them tricky to navigate. Exemptions can fall into two groups. In a California Supreme Court ruled that if a public agency inadvertently releases a document that should have been exempt, it can demand that the recipient give the document back, or else destroy it.

First, think about the information you really want and need. About NextRequest Whether you call it FOIA, Public Records, Open Records, Sunshine or any number of other names, a government's process of releasing information to the public should be easy, repeatable, and measurable.

NextRequest is the records request management platform helping governments to simplify their FOIA management. What is a Public Record? June 23, What Is A Public Record? The Ancient Greeks kept records on stone, wood, parchment, and papyrus. Learn More.