What Information Can You Find With a Search Engine for Public Records?

Public records are records that contain information maintained by government agencies. As evident by the name, these are available for anyone to see. Most of them are available online, but some may require you to visit a physical government office.

To access such information online, you can use a search engine for public records. These engines are made specifically to collect data from public records that are available online and present it to you in a user-friendly format. 

Let’s take a look at what sort of information you can expect to find with a search engine designed for public records and how you can use it.

What Information Do Public Records Contain?

There are various types of public records available on the Internet. Here is a brief look at what some of them contain:

1. Birth Certificates

There are a few U.S. states that keep closed birth records, which means you have to fill out a form in order to get access to them. The majority of the states, however, allow anyone to see birth records. These records contain information like a person’s name, date of birth, and occupation of the parents.

2. Tax Liens

A tax lien happens when the government claims someone’s property or business asset because they have failed to pay their taxes on time. Tax liens affect people’s ability to sell properties, receive credit, and get new credit cards from banks. You can check if a property or a business has a tax lien since it’s public record. This can be useful if you’re planning to buy a property or a business.

3. Death Certificates

Death certificates only become available after a person has died. They contain information such as the name of the deceased, the cause of death, and the time and date of the person’s death. You usually have to contact the vital records office to obtain a death certificate.

4. Marriage and Divorce Records

Almost all court documents are public records. Marriage and divorce records contain information about the people involved in the marriage/divorce, where they got married/divorced, the date and time of their marriage, and when the divorce was finalized. 

You have to contact your local vital records office to acquire a marriage or divorce record.

5. Criminal Records

A person’s criminal record includes the history of the crimes they have committed along with the convictions resulting from them. You can obtain criminal records by going to a county clerk’s office. In some jurisdictions, criminal records are available online on official government websites.

6. Professional Licenses

You can check the licenses of a person or a business to verify their legitimacy. They’re awarded by government agencies, so they’re public records.

How Can I Search for Public Records?

Searching for public records yourself can be a daunting task. It can take hours and sometimes days to find relevant information yourself, especially if it’s not available online and you have to visit a government office in person. You would have to request access, which will take time and money.

However, with the help of a search engine for public records, you can get access to relevant information in just a few seconds. You just have to type the name of the person, and it’ll give you everything it can find. 

You can also enter the name of the city where the person lives to narrow down your search, but this isn’t necessary. 

After you enter the name, the search engine combs through multiple public databases and then consolidates the results in the form of a report.

Some search engines are free, but many will ask for a small fee before showing you the full report. 

Is It Legal to Use a Search Engine for Public Records?

Yes, it is perfectly legal to use a search engine for public records to find information about people. It only returns information that’s already available in public records, so you don’t have to worry about getting into legal trouble. 

However, you can’t use the information you find to make hiring decisions, as it’s against the law. 

Learn More About Someone With a Search Engine for Public Records

Using a search engine for public records, you can learn more about a person with a simple tap of a button. Just enter their name in the search engine, and you’ll get access to whatever information about them is available in public records. 

Public records refer to things like birth certificates, tax liens, criminal records, and marriage records. Most of these documents are available online, but depending on which state you live in, you may have to visit a government office to get some of these records. This can take time, which is why you should use a search engine.