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PUBLIC RECORDS

These websites are concerned with a variety of public records resources: "gateways," directories, records at the federal/state/local levels, topic-specific sites, "freedom of information" (FOI) issues, guides to procedures for accessing records.

It is important to remember that some public records may be available at no charge; others are available for a fee from the issuing government department or agency, especially if these are vital records (births, deaths, marriages, divorces).

Some sites are commercially sponsored (primarily by professional research companies or private investigation companies).  These sites usually offer access to a level of free information, with fees for higher access.

It is also good to remember that since many of the sites are "gateways" or directories, there is an inevitable amount of overlap and duplication.


Business Filings Database: Updated

• Maintained by Kathy Biehl for the Law Library Resources Xchange, LLC
• Part of the "Research Roundup" series
• Directory of links to state agencies responsible for business/corporate filings
• "Unless otherwise stated each database … is free"
• Excellent annotations accompany each link
• "Research Roundup Archives" links to other "Research Roundup" reports on business and legal issues
• Excellent; other sites provide links to similar information, but the quality of the annotations sets this site apart


FOIAdvocates

• Sponsored by Bahr & Stotter Law Offices, P.C.
• "Designed to assist the public in gaining access to records from federal, state and local governments using the federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) as well as state and local public records laws"
• Offers an in-depth analysis of the FOIA, including procedures for making information requests, exemptions from the Act, appeals/litigation guidelines; includes sample request and appeals forms
• Links to state public records laws
• "Links and Resources" links to public interest sites, including FOI homepages for specific federal agencies
• One of the best sites for understanding and utilizing the FOIA


Free Public Record Sites

• Sponsored by BRB Publications, Inc.
• Formerly known as "Free Internet Access to Public Records"
• "Provides a core group of links to FREE governmental searchable sites along with some important non-governmental sites"
• Type of information available on a link may include assessor's records, property taxes, births/marriages/divorces, business incorporations, criminal records
• Availability of site information varies from state to state
• Offers free subscription to "Sources," a public records newsletter
• Links to BPB Publications information for fee-based online services and publications
• "Updated weekly"
• Very useful for finding links to types of records not readily accessible elsewhere


Free Public Records Source Directory

• Sponsored by PublicRecordFinder.com
• "Access to thousands of state, national and worldwide public records websites that provide information to you at no cost"
• "NO MEMBERSHIP FEE, NO CREDIT CARD AUTHORIZATION and NO PASSWORDS are required"
• "Free Public Records Sites" links to topic-specific public records: court records, vital statistics, criminal/sex offender records, property records, military locator/records; also links to federal agency sites
• "Search the 50 States for Public Records" may include links for the following state record categories: corporate filings, medical licensing boards, real estate records, vital records, legal codes, unclaimed property information and more
• Availability of records in the above-listed categories varies from state-to-state
• Updated frequently
• Link submissions welcome
• Excellent; one of the most popular public record sites; easy-to-navigate


Freedom of Information Center (FIC)

• Sponsored by the University of Missouri School of Journalism
• The FIC's goal is ... to serve the general public and the media on questions regarding access to government documents and information"
• Presently houses ... a collection of more than 1 million articles and documents about access to information at the state, federal and local levels, in addition to a wide collection of online documents accessible through its webpage"
• "Historical Files Index" links to specific cases dealing with press freedom (includes Supreme Court decisions)
• Links to numerous organizations dealing with FOI issues, civil liberties, press freedom, and related issues
• Links to international and state FOI laws
• Online newsletter available
• Probably the most comprehensive site dealing with FOI issues and certainly one of the best; easy-to-navigate


Guides to Public Records

• Maintained by the University of Colorado Libraries, Boulder
• "Print Guides and Directories" provides a short bibliography of public record print sources, many of which may be found in academic libraries or large public libraries
• "Online Information" links to "finding aides" for state/county/local websites, place names, directories of online public records, federal sites for campaign finance, employee benefit/pension information, IRS filings (charities, political organizations)
• Short annotations accompany most links
• Excellent; for a resource that's not comprehensive, it does a great job of choosing many of the best sites and print resources for this topic


Journalist's Toolbox: Public Records

• Sponsored by the American Press Institute
• Links to over 100 sites for a wide variety of public record categories; overwhelmingly (but not exclusively) for the U.S.
• Some sites are primarily for journalists ("Otis.com Reporting Resources," "Reporter.org," etc.)
• Other sites include the following categories: "gateways," federal sites (many are FOI-oriented or deal with tax-exemption information), and numerous topic-specific sites (including records for armament sales)
• Annotations accompany most links
• Most links are to freely available information; others are fee-based
• Outstanding; has an extraordinary array of record site links rarely found elsewhere


National Freedom of Information Coalition (NFOIC)

• NFOIC is a national coalition of FOI/First Amendment organizations which ... seeks to protect the public's right to know through the education of media professionals, attorneys, academics, students and general public"
• This "loose affiliation of [the] member organizations … assists its own members through joint fundraising, project planning, and the interchange of ideas and information"
• Links to individual state's FOI information (open meetings/records laws, contact information for state bar associations, attorneys' general offices, state publications, when available)
• Includes information on NFOIC's annual conference, membership, news/press releases, project funding
• One of the best- if not the best-sites for bringing state FOI information together in one place; great as a clearinghouse and incubator for FOI organizations nationwide


Open or Shut: Access to Public Records in Rhode Island's Cities and Towns

• Study conducted in 1999 by Brown University students under the guidance of Ross Cheit, Department of Political Science
• In-depth analysis (100 pages) of public information/records policy for the following: police departments, legal claims against municipalities, school districts
• Excellent resource; since its publication, "Open or Shut" has had a beneficial effect in improving public information access within the state


Public Records and Public Information in the People Finder Guide

• Sponsored by Ballard, Spahr & Ingersoll, LLP
• Part of the "Virtual Chase" series
• Links to over 50 sites, both free and fee-based
• Links to "gateways" and public interest organizations; the best feature of this site is its links to highly specialized sites not often found else
• These include sites for campaign finance, medical experts, doctor disciplinary reviews, obituaries/burials, car ownership, plane ownership
• Excellent annotations accompany each link; includes the dates of the latest site revisions (some are in need of updating)
• Outstanding; offers access to little-known but useful sites and provides informative commentary on them


Public Records Online Directory

• Sponsored by "NETROline, Real Estate Information & Public Records Research"
• "A portal to official state websites, and those Tax Assessors' and Recorders' offices that have developed websites for the retrieval of available public records over the Internet"
• Official state websites link to local/municipal records for deeds, parcel maps, GIS maps, tax data, ownership information; when local/municipal data is not available from an official state website, links are directed to local/municipal home pages
• Records availability varies, according to local/municipal site development
• Includes "help" function for navigating the site
• Newsletter available
• Great source for real estate and tax records


Public Records Portal

• Sponsored by the Washington Research Associates (WRA)
• Part of WRA's "Background Check Gateway"
• Provides a series of tutorials which concentrate on accessing online records information about individuals; links to appropriate record sites
• Tutorials include clearly-written research strategies for making the most direct and efficient use of the record type under consideration
• Topics examined include personal information (age, marital status), litigation history, criminal history, educational background, professional/occupational background, assets, military records
• Outstanding; great resource for accessing information on individuals in one place


Search Systems

• Sponsored by Pacific Information Resources, Inc.
• Provides links to over 17,000 "free searchable public record databases"; claims to be "the largest directory of links to free public records databases on the Internet"
• Links are organized by state and U.S. territory; also includes some international sites
• Type of record information provided includes state government contact information, business incorporation, court records, unclaimed property and more (Note: many states also provide links for the verification of professional/occupational licenses)
• Availability of different categories of records differs from state-to-state
• Most sites are free; if a site is fee-based, it's identified ("pay")
• Outstanding; especially useful for links not often accessible from other public records websites


Vital Records Information: United States

• Links to vital statistics records (birth/death, marriage/divorce) for every state and county in the U.S.
• Information on vital records offices includes contact information, scope of records held (range of dates, record types), cost (if applicable)
• "Guidelines" provide useful advice on what steps are necessary for ordering records in the most efficient manner
• "Related Links" links to other sources of vital records information (many are fee-based)
• Links to vital records in 11 European countries, Canada, Australia/New Zealand
• Also links to resources for genealogy, adoption
• Excellent resource for accessing vital records, as well as related resources


Where to Write for Vital Records

• Maintained by the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS)
• Links to official vital records sites (birth/death, marriage/divorce) for every state and U.S. territory
• Each link includes "event" (record type), contact information, current cost (with instructions for payment), "Remarks" (additional information, if any)
• "The Federal Government does not distribute certificates, files or indexes with identifying information for vital records"
• "How to use this Web page" provides guidelines and instructions regarding the best methods for locating and obtaining records
• Great place to access state vital records information


Your Right to Federal Records

• "A joint publication of the U.S. General Services Administration [and] the U.S. Department of Justice"
• Utilizing a question-and-answer format, this guide is intended to familiarize the general public with the "Freedom of Information Act" (FOIA) and the " Privacy Act" (PA) and suggest the best ways to obtain information in as efficent a manner as possible
• Clearly written, the guide analyzes the FOIA and PA's contents and scope, providing answers on how to request information, the costs involved and procedures for contesting request denials
• Links to full-text of both Acts
• Also explains the differences between the two Acts
• Excellent; does an admirable job of explaining these laws and how they may be used to best advantage by citizens


Websites discussed on this page are for informational purposes only. Johnson & Wales University Library is not responsible for the accuracy, content, or stability of any websites linked to this page.

Compiled by Rick Keogh, 4/04; links last checked 9/07

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